MI MI - Eric Franks, 40, Buena Vista Twp, 21 March 2011 - #1

[Eric's mom]

By the time Eric went missing, wasn't it obvious Eric had little to no money so why kill him? I don't see Eric as easy prey at all. His attitude, passion, and his stature certainly do not convey it.

Has anyone done a complete timeline on this case?

I just addressed the money issue. As for Eric being easy prey, you just don't know my son. He would give his last dollar to a stranger. He could stand up to people if he was backed into a corner, but he was also loving and kind. Just because a man is tall and strong looking doesn't mean he can't be brought down by a small person with a weapon.

 

[Eric's mom]

Why did Eric make contact with her husband?

Why do most people get in touch with old friends from the past on Facebook? As Vee said, it was after some talking on facebook that the former girlfriend hinted that one of her children was Eric's. The former girlfriend told me that she posted the birthdates of her children and that she told her husband that Eric was smart and figured it out. She would laugh at the wrong times and about the wrong things, which often indicates nervousness. The police said they knew the first time they talked to her that she was lying by the way she reacted..she was shaking all over. She obviously was lying to either me, to Eric's aunt, to the police in Ohio, to the MI police, to Eric's buddy from MS...all of these stories can not be true.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Why do most people get in touch with old friends from the past on Facebook? As Vee said, it was after some talking on facebook that the former girlfriend hinted that one of her children was Eric's. The former girlfriend told me that she posted the birthdates of her children and that she told her husband that Eric was smart and figured it out. She would laugh at the wrong times and about the wrong things, which often indicates nervousness. The police said they knew the first time they talked to her that she was lying by the way she reacted..she was shaking all over. She obviously was lying to either me, to Eric's aunt, to the police in Ohio, to the MI police, to Eric's buddy from MS...all of these stories can not be true.

I promise I am not trying to be cantankerous here. I really want to get to the bottom of all this mess. And a mess it is.

It doesn't make sense for a man to contact the husband of an old lover just to chat her up. I am sorry if I don't understand, but was it because Eric already thought it was his daughter?

Nothing the police in this case have said really means much since you have shown they botched things from the beginning. They did not handle any of it well and I cannot imagine they interrogated any witnesses/suspects with a passing grade either. What they determined should probably be discounted since they do not have a clue. They need to start over.

I understand you have all these reasons you believe they are guilty. I may feel the same way if I were in your shoes, but I am here to figure out the truth which may not be as it seems. I am not convinced they did anything to Eric yet. While the things they have said and done appear on the surface to be suspicious, there is nothing in the way of evidence which points to either one of them. I am not taking up for them, but I want to explore all options when it comes to this case.

Mine is not always a popular opinion, but I have been doing this a long time and I can take the heat that comes with it. There is a lot more here than meets the eye and I want to get to the bottom of it.

I go back to review the things I have found repeatedly to see if my first impressions have changed. So far, they have not.

A timeline would be helpful. If you could put things down with dates and locations...it would give us a good overview to start with and fill in the blanks. ETA: I came up with a timeline, but we need help in putting all the dates together.

 

[Moonflowers111]

I promise I am not trying to be cantankerous here. I really want to get to the bottom of all this mess. And a mess it is.

It doesn't make sense for a man to contact the husband of an old lover just to chat her up. I am sorry if I don't understand, but was it because Eric already thought it was his daughter?

Nothing the police in this case have said really means much since you have shown they botched things from the beginning. They did not handle any of it well and I cannot imagine they interrogated any witnesses/suspects with a passing grade either. What they determined should probably be discounted since they do not have a clue. They need to start over.

I understand you have all these reasons you believe they are guilty. I may feel the same way if I were in your shoes, but I am here to figure out the truth which may not be as it seems. I am not convinced they did anything to Eric yet. While the things they have said and done appear on the surface to be suspicious, there is nothing in the way of evidence which points to either one of them. I am not taking up for them, but I want to explore all options when it comes to this case.

Mine is not always a popular opinion, but I have been doing this a long time and I can take the heat that comes with it. There is a lot more here than meets the eye and I want to get to the bottom of it.

I go back to review the things I have found repeatedly to see if my first impressions have changed. So far, they have not.

A timeline would be helpful. If you could put things down with dates and locations...it would give us a good overview to start with and fill in the blanks.

I found this, don't know if it's helpful:
Timeline Forum and Media links NO DISCUSSION PLEASE
MI MI - Eric Franks, 39, Buena Vista Twp, 21-Mar-2011 media/timeline thread - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I found this, don't know if it's helpful:
Timeline Forum and Media links NO DISCUSSION PLEASE
MI MI - Eric Franks, 39, Buena Vista Twp, 21-Mar-2011 media/timeline thread - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

Thanks. It is a start. We can begin to piece it together with the information listed and then maybe his mom or others can fill in what we are missing.

 

[Moonflowers111]

When I first talked to Det Waterman (now police Chief) about salvage yards, he said no salvage yard in MI was going to take a car without a title. He said they would lose their license. I think anyone knows that some would take them anyway with out proper documents. I called salvage yards in Saginaw area and got various answers. One lady told me if a vehicle was brought in disassembled on the back of a truck , they would buy it without question. I agree that without some tangible evidence, this is only a guess. I find it hard to accept that the BV police did not do their job properly so the state police are not able to go back and re-investigate. They will mainly look at new information. Thanks for your help and kind words.

Here's an older article but seems there is a problem. Of course no salvage would tell cops or reporters, oh yeah, we take stolen cars.
http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/newsnow/2008/02/stolen_cars_in_flint_genesee_c.html

 

[Moonflowers111]

And somewhere there was a question on a missing Burgess in TN:

CROSSVILLE — A vigil will be held Tuesday at the Cumberland County High School football field for Nikki Burgess, a native of Cumberland County who has been reported missing in Nashville. The vigil will begin at 8 p.m. Donations will be accepted to support the Burgess family and needs they may have during this time.

Nichole "Nikki" Burgess was reported missing missing May 25 after being last heard from May 23. Police searched her Hermitage home and found the house in disarray and two dogs alone in the home. Family and friends say she would not have left the pets alone for an extended period of time without proper care.

Burgess is the single mother of a 10-year-old son. He was staying with his father in Knoxville at the time of the disappearance.

Burgess is a 1996 graduate of CCHS. She is 5-feet, 1-inch tall and weighs 126 pounds. Anyone who has seen or had contact with her from May 23 and afterward should call Nashville Emergency Communications Center at (615) 862-8600 or Nashville Crime Stoppers at (615) 742-7463.


http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/local/x1760086917/Vigil-set-for-Burgess-Tuesday

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Eric Lee Franks​

Timeline ​

? 2010: Contacted old girlfriend's husband via FB

? 2010: Contacted old girlfriend via FB

? 2010: Found out he could be father to 16 year old daughter of old girlfriend

? 2010: Left wife in Archbold, Ohio to move to Saginaw, MI

? 2010: Arrived in Saginaw, MI

? 2010: Stayed ? upon arrival in Saginaw, MI

? 2010: Checked into the Miller Motel in Bridgeport, MI

? 2010: Took DNA tests to prove paternity?

? 2010: Found out results of DNA testing?

? 2010: Meets possible daughter?

? 2010/11 ?: Burglary of property from Miller Motel room

March 14, 2011: Eric paid week's rent at Miller Motel in Bridgeport, MI

March 21, 2011: Reported missing date from Bridgeport, MI - Checked out of Miller Motel (No confirmed sighting of Eric)

April ?, 2011: Old girlfriend claims to have seen him in front of her home.

November ?, 2011: Family files Missing Person report with Archbold Police Department in Ohio

December ?, 2011: Buena Vista PD in MI gets case.


Missing information:

Date Eric moved in with old girlfriend? Where did they live during that time? With her children?
Date Eric moved out?
Dates of the last phone calls and emails from Eric to family or friends.
Dates and actual posts on social media from Eric.
Date old girlfriend and family moved out of MI.

 

[zwiebel]

It's off topic really, but I was interested to see how Florida LE are co-operating so well with another LE agency in MO, over the case of a woman thought to have been killed in Florida and then dumped in Missouri.

Sometimes law enforcement agencies don't work that well with others, especially if they're out of state. Good to think that's not the case in Florida though.....

 

[zwiebel]

I wish Michigan LE would publically offer an immunity from prosecution for anyone coming forward with information about Eric's car.

Not if they were involved in a serious crime like homicide of course, but only if they may have committed a minor offence like scrapping a car without the right paperwork.

Because I'm thinking that people who work around cars often have a very, very good memory for the vehicles that pass through their hands.

 

[Roselvr]

From the timeline thread

Family would have reported Eric missing earlier, but he said he was moving to a rural area where reception was not good. So when phone calls became emails, we weren't concerned at first. He was getting to know his daughter ,keeping me informed and sending pictures of her. When all contact ceased, family called Eric's former girlfriend and the motel owner and the police.

Not that I know of. I know they said they could see calls to and from me. I believe they said they couldn't tell about emails . They did check the email that came on Nov. 22, 2011 and it came from a Burger King in Clio, MI., which is half way between FG's former rental house and one of her close relative's place of employment. So, I'm not sure why the other emails are different. Maybe we need to question the police on this again. Thanks.

IMO; LE can go over all of the emails or PM's; but they may not catch that it was not Eric answering unless they were familiar with Eric.

I think the person receiving the email from Eric should go back to make sure it looks like his style

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I wish Michigan LE would publically offer an immunity from prosecution for anyone coming forward with information about Eric's car.

Not if they were involved in a serious crime like homicide of course, but only if they may have committed a minor offence like scrapping a car without the right paperwork.

Because I'm thinking that people who work around cars often have a very, very good memory for the vehicles that pass through their hands.

If a scrap yard took in an illegal car, it was probably one of many and perhaps no one would have noticed the make or model and chances are they would not come forward if they are involved in illegal activities even with immunity.

Is there a reward being offered for information on this case? If someone knows something, any information would be a big help in setting things in motion to find Eric. It could certainly be tempting to one making minimum wage in some junk/scrap yard or to another person who may have knowledge of Eric's disappearance.

There must be people Eric met in 5 months. So far we have only heard about the ex-gf and her family plus the people from the motel. Eric crossed paths with others during that time and they could have more information.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

From the timeline thread

IMO; LE can go over all of the emails or PM's; but they may not catch that it was not Eric answering unless they were familiar with Eric.

I think the person receiving the email from Eric should go back to make sure it looks like his style

While I appreciate what you are saying, it can't be definitive they were from someone else. If something happened to Eric where he had a breakdown or a medical issue, his emails may sound different. We can only go by when and what account was used to send the emails without any way to determine the user. We need to stick with facts and not speculation.

There are others who could have accessed his accounts plus we don't know for a fact his ex-gf ever had access. Who else knew his passwords?

 

[zwiebel]

Old article, but I think metal prices have increased a lot since then, and there's been a recession, so it's probably even more relevant.

http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/newsnow/2008/02/stolen_cars_in_flint_genesee_c.html

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Old article, but I think metal prices have increased a lot since then, and there's been a recession, so it's probably even more relevant.

http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/newsnow/2008/02/stolen_cars_in_flint_genesee_c.html

Moon put this same article up earlier. It is true the metal is worth a lot. It could be his car was sold for scrap, but then again his mom and family did try to follow up on this lead and got nowhere with the scrap/metal yards. Why police brought it up is questionable if they had zero information to substantiate such an idea. I see no relevance concerning Eric's car.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Eric Lee Franks​

Timeline ​

? 2010: Contacted old girlfriend's husband via FB

? 2010: Contacted old girlfriend via FB

? 2010: Found out he could be father to 16 year old daughter of old girlfriend

? 2010: Left wife in Archbold, Ohio to move to Saginaw, MI

? 2010: Arrived in Saginaw, MI

? 2010: Stayed ? upon arrival in Saginaw, MI

? 2010: Checked into the Miller Motel in Bridgeport, MI

? 2010: Took DNA tests to prove paternity?

? 2010: Found out results of DNA testing?

? 2010: Meets possible daughter?

? 2010/11 ?: Burglary of property from Miller Motel room

March 3, 2011: Eric L. Franks FB starts The Elite Group

March 7, 2011 at 4:40am: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 7, 2011 at 9:36pm: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 7, 2011 at 10:22pm: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 8, 2011: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 8, 2011 at 7:26pm: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 8, 2011 at 7:30pm: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 8, 2011 at 7:37pm: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 8, 2011 at 7:43pm: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 8, 2011 at 7:46pm: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 9, 2011 at 12:06am: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 9, 2011 at 12:50am: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 9, 2011 at 1:07am: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 9, 2011 at 1:47am: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 9, 2011 at 2:22am: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 9, 2011 at 2:28am: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 9, 2011 at 2:36am: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 9, 2011 at 10:47am: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 10, 2011: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 10, 2011: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 10, 2011: Eric L. Franks FB Starts The League of Interlopers Group

March 12, 2011 at 5:53am: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

March 14, 2011: Eric paid week's rent at Miller Motel in Bridgeport, MI

March 21, 2011: Reported missing date from Bridgeport, MI - Checked out of Miller Motel (No confirmed sighting of Eric)

April ?, 2011: Old girlfriend claims to have seen him in front of her home.

April 3, 2011: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

April 21, 2011 at 12:44pm: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

April 24, 2011: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

April 30, 2011: Eric L. Franks FB Post in The Elite Group

November ?, 2011: Family files Missing Person report with Archbold Police Department in Ohio

November 22, 2011: Mom receives email from Eric's email account

December ?, 2011: Buena Vista PD in MI gets case.


Missing information:

Date Eric moved in with old girlfriend? Where did they live during that time? With her children?
Date Eric moved out?
Dates of the last phone calls and emails from Eric to family or friends.
Dates and times of posts on all social media from Eric.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/158635567524997/

Date old girlfriend and family moved out of MI.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

How did Eric join this group? I went over much of the group postings and did not see anywhere Eric L. Franks posted, but he is definitely a member and joined after June 17, 2011. On the join date it states he "joined over a year ago".

June 17, 2011: Eric L. Franks FB shows as member of IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE Group started on this date. No join date.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/itsallaboutlove100/

I noticed he is a member of a FB group called MissingSme1 https://www.facebook.com/groups/241244509230834/? and the join date is also over a year ago. I haven't checked the date it was started.

I will remove the listing from his timeline since I need a clarification if family or someone was supposed to be using his page and could have joined these groups.

There are a lot of people from Ghana and India in those groups. A couple of other groups he belongs to appear to be foreign as well and one not even written in English. Did Eric speak other languages?

 

[Eric's mom]

I promise I am not trying to be cantankerous here. I really want to get to the bottom of all this mess. And a mess it is.

It doesn't make sense for a man to contact the husband of an old lover just to chat her up. I am sorry if I don't understand, but was it because Eric already thought it was his daughter?

Nothing the police in this case have said really means much since you have shown they botched things from the beginning. They did not handle any of it well and I cannot imagine they interrogated any witnesses/suspects with a passing grade either. What they determined should probably be discounted since they do not have a clue. They need to start over.

I understand you have all these reasons you believe they are guilty. I may feel the same way if I were in your shoes, but I am here to figure out the truth which may not be as it seems. I am not convinced they did anything to Eric yet. While the things they have said and done appear on the surface to be suspicious, there is nothing in the way of evidence which points to either one of them. I am not taking up for them, but I want to explore all options when it comes to this case.

Mine is not always a popular opinion, but I have been doing this a long time and I can take the heat that comes with it. There is a lot more here than meets the eye and I want to get to the bottom of it.

I go back to review the things I have found repeatedly to see if my first impressions have changed. So far, they have not.

A timeline would be helpful. If you could put things down with dates and locations...it would give us a good overview to start with and fill in the blanks. ETA: I came up with a timeline, but we need help in putting all the dates together.

Eric contacted FG's husband because his old girlfriend uses fake names and he couldn't find her on facebook. She then was given Eric's info by her husband and she contacted Eric. No, he did not know about the child. Vee said it was a while into chatting with his old girlfriend that she told him. I asked her why she wanted him to come to MI and she said because he was her first love. Her husband said she lured him up there.
You just don't know everything we know. We can't tell everything in an open forum. The police have stated that they can not share all they know with us and they believe there was foul play.

 

[Eric's mom]

If a scrap yard took in an illegal car, it was probably one of many and perhaps no one would have noticed the make or model and chances are they would not come forward if they are involved in illegal activities even with immunity.

Is there a reward being offered for information on this case? If someone knows something, any information would be a big help in setting things in motion to find Eric. It could certainly be tempting to one making minimum wage in some junk/scrap yard or to another person who may have knowledge of Eric's disappearance.

There must be people Eric met in 5 months. So far we have only heard about the ex-gf and her family plus the people from the motel. Eric crossed paths with others during that time and they could have more information.

The police questioned the men Eric worked with at another motel near by and they remembered Eric, but had not seen him since they worked together. Eric's family went to the skating rink where he and his former girlfriend took their daughter skating and left posters. The police should have gone there to question the regulars. We went to the daughter's place of employment, and they knew about Eric as I recall, but hadn't seen him there. We questioned the neighbors of the FG and they said there was always so many cars and teens at that house they wouldn't have noticed certain cars. The man at the little store across the street from the motel remembered Eric. I don't know if the police talked to him. Five months is not long to live somewhere and the months he was there were mostly winter months. He was there to get to know his daughter so he probably wasn't interested in making friends.

 

[Eric's mom]

How did Eric join this group? I went over much of the group postings and did not see anywhere Eric L. Franks posted, but he is definitely a member and joined after June 17, 2011. On the join date it states he "joined over a year ago".

June 17, 2011: Eric L. Franks FB shows as member of IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE Group started on this date. No join date.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/itsallaboutlove100/

I noticed he is a member of a FB group called MissingSme1 https://www.facebook.com/groups/241244509230834/? and the join date is also over a year ago. I haven't checked the date it was started.

I will remove the listing from his timeline since I need a clarification if family or someone was supposed to be using his page and could have joined these groups.

There are a lot of people from Ghana and India in those groups. A couple of other groups he belongs to appear to be foreign as well and one not even written in English. Did Eric speak other languages?

You don't know who had him join. Someone apparently had his passwords. So, that is impossible to really know. No, Eric did not speak other languages.