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

[Eric's mom]

Erics mom, I can't find Frank on this site. They are very helpful and kind there. Can you contact them with Frank's details and a few links to media articles or this thread?

http://ihavevanished.com/

ETA: Meant Eric

Thank you for that information. I submitted Eric's story to them today and am waiting for a return email.

 

[Eric's mom]

I noticed the Project Jason and the Charley Project pages for Eric are both still showing the investigating agency as the Buena Vista Police Department with their phone number:

http://projectjason.org/forums/topic/3303-missing-man-eric-franks-mi-3212011/
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/f/franks_eric.html

Could family please notify both organizations again with Detective Gary Thomas/Michigan State Police's contact information so any tips/info go to the right place?

A family member took care of contacting Project Jason and Project Charley today. We will keep a check to make sure the updates take place. Thank you for letting us know.

 

[Eric's mom]

FG's husband told a member of Eric's family that FG would take their camper sometimes and that she would be gone for periods of time and he didn't know where she went. He said once he got a " ticket" sent to him where she had parked the camper and went somewhere else. He said the people checked the camper and it was not occupied for days and they had rules against that. He didn't say where the camper was parked. We asked police to check about that and they verified that FG and husband owned a camper. FG's husband told Eric's family member that his wife had disappeared again just before he spoke with family member and he was upset with her because again she wouldn't say where she had been. I questioned the ladies at Potato Mtn State Park as to whether they had any such rules. They said they didn't as long as it was paid for, but would report to authorities if no one came back for it after a period of time. Does anyone know about popular camping areas around Saginaw?

 

[Eric's mom]

I just got an email from Jim Sethman with I HAVE VANISHED. Eric's photo is on their site now. Thanks zwiebel ! He complimented websleuths, saying it was good Eric was on their site because they are "an extremely strong and supportive community."

 

[Eric's mom]

Mr. Sethman also posted the links to The Charley Project and the Jason Project pages. He said Eric's story was also sent through the sites Twitter feed. He will keep Eric's story on top of the site for a couple of weeks and then on the side bar.

 

[Eric's mom]

Exactly! Also, Eric would have been posting on FB as he traveled. The last photo taken of him as far as we know was shortly before he vanished and it was a "selfie" in front of a mirror in a Meijer's store as he was going to a job interview. He posted that! He posted things about waiting on food at a drive thro and that the food was cold......just every day trivial things. Lots of people do that daily, but when people who do that suddenly vanished without a trace, family and friends know that something is wrong! This is in response to Vee's post that if Eric went to CA someone would have heard from him by now.

 

[MIMOMMY]

Campgrounds in the area. From what your describing as far as "tickets" for parking....That makes me think they were in a Park and Ride. It is very common for individuals to stop and rest in these locations during the Spring, Summer, Fall in Michigan. Actually it's common to see people camped out in the Walmart parking lot. But, to me it sounds like a Park and Ride. Trying to locate a list/maps of those close. I would also wonder if she may not have been camped in any of the State Land in the area.

(former Saginaw Resident - born and raised in that close vicinity)

 

[MIMOMMY]

http://mdotcf.state.mi.us/public/carpoolpark/maps/bay.pdf

Also - Remember that some of the Meijer lots are now authorized carpool lots.

https://www.google.com/maps/search/...y,+MI!3s0x8823c0e31112a9cd:0xe01d7bd1af061011

I would also have to believe that she may have ventured just a little bit North into Arenac County....once your into that county....she could have parked and "camped"....well...anywhere for at least a day. Especially if she was up in the Omer area....

 

[MIMOMMY]

I have been following this thread for years - mainly because I am from the area - and secondly because Eric just looks so familiar.

I wondered if there was a "Find Eric Franks" facebook page.... I've found that, but also - I wonder if we could get the chain moving by sharing his missing information on our individual facebooks - I know they generally get shared by at least 50% of my friends - that's a LOT of distribution in a SHORT time....

 

[MIMOMMY]

And Im not sure if this has been asked before but do we have a map created of the distance between locations ie., the store he frequented, fg, motel, etc?

I ask this because when I was a resident of Saginaw, I lived less than a mile from Miller Motel...probably closer to a half mile - Im interested in the places in that area that he was frequenting.

 

[FBEye]

Exactly! Also, Eric would have been posting on FB as he traveled. The last photo taken of him as far as we know was shortly before he vanished and it was a "selfie" in front of a mirror in a Meijer's store as he was going to a job interview. He posted that! He posted things about waiting on food at a drive thro and that the food was cold......just every day trivial things. Lots of people do that daily, but when people who do that suddenly vanished without a trace, family and friends know that something is wrong! This is in response to Vee's post that if Eric went to CA someone would have heard from him by now.

Eric's Family, Which photo is the most recent of Eric? On Eric's Charley Project page, is the Meijer's selfie photo on the bottom right? His hair is short with no facial hair here.
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/f/franks_eric.html

Good News! I noticed on the Project Jason page, they updated the Investigative Agency info to:
Michigan State Police, Sgt. Gary Thomas
Agency Phone: 989-495-5555
http://projectjason.org/forums/topic/3303-missing-man-eric-franks-mi-3212011/

 

[FBEye]

And Im not sure if this has been asked before but do we have a map created of the distance between locations ie., the store he frequented, fg, motel, etc?

I ask this because when I was a resident of Saginaw, I lived less than a mile from Miller Motel...probably closer to a half mile - Im interested in the places in that area that he was frequenting.

MiMommy, Moderator Nursebeeme posted a google map in the beginning of the thread, post 40, on 9-8-2012:
Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - MI MI - Eric Franks, 40, Buena Vista Twp, 21-March-2011
SBBM
"if we need to add any other points just post them here and I can add them. This is an interactive case map so you can click on the icons to the left and it will take you to the points of interest. (you can also zoom in and out)
http://goo.gl/maps/NEk4G
Does anyone know how to add locations to google maps? Maybe Nursebeeme or we could add places to the map that Eric was known to frequent: Meijers, Aldi, bowling alley, mall, AFC facility, etc??

 

[MIMOMMY]

Can we get someone to add a general location of the fg's home - was an address ever given of the new location he was supposed to be moving to?

Which Meijer, Aldi, AFC was he frequenting? If you could message me with none places - I'd like to get a valid map updated/started.

Messaging nurse now

 

[Eric's mom]

Yes, that is the most recent. It was an almost full body shot and he is holding a camera. It appears he has on clothing he left OH with except the jacket is one a friend in TX sent to him, I believe. Someone had stolen the Southpole coat out of his motel room that I gave him for Christmas and he posted about that and this friend sent him a new one. The photo of course was cropped for that site.

 

[Eric's mom]

Can we get someone to add a general location of the fg's home - was an address ever given of the new location he was supposed to be moving to?

Which Meijer, Aldi, AFC was he frequenting? If you could message me with none places - I'd like to get a valid map updated/started.

Messaging nurse now

No, he never gave an address (at least not that family or friends know of) but we have an idea due to some of his postings. There is one picture he posted that we are trying to determine the location of. I don't know if he frequented that Meijers store. Again, he posted trivial things and he used their facilities. Apparently, he frequented the Brockway Skating Center and was in the Fashions Square Mall when he posted FG leaned over and whispered,"She knows!" to let him know his daughter had been told he was her father. He posted photos of that day with them both wearing hats from a store there. He said she dared him to walk through the mall wearing one of them. He had a photo of himself with it on. He mentioned the name of two fast food places, but I will have to go back and check to be sure which ones. His favorite food was Mexican. He must have frequented the little convenience store across the street from Millers Motel because a man in there told family that he remembered Eric. We put a missing poster on the window of their front door. I think the name was The Party Store. He worked in a mall in MS for years and probably went often to the Fashions Square Mall .

 

[Eric's mom]

Can we get someone to add a general location of the fg's home - was an address ever given of the new location he was supposed to be moving to?

Which Meijer, Aldi, AFC was he frequenting? If you could message me with none places - I'd like to get a valid map updated/started.

Messaging nurse now

Which detectives? When did they say that?

 

[MIMOMMY]

No, he never gave an address (at least not that family or friends know of) but we have an idea due to some of his postings. There is one picture he posted that we are trying to determine the location of. I don't know if he frequented that Meijers store. Again, he posted trivial things and he used their facilities. Apparently, he frequented the Brockway Skating Center and was in the Fashions Square Mall when he posted FG leaned over and whispered,"She knows!" to let him know his daughter had been told he was her father. He posted photos of that day with them both wearing hats from a store there. He said she dared him to walk through the mall wearing one of them. He had a photo of himself with it on. He mentioned the name of two fast food places, but I will have to go back and check to be sure which ones. His favorite food was Mexican. He must have frequented the little convenience store across the street from Millers Motel because a man in there told family that he remembered Eric. We put a missing poster on the window of their front door. I think the name was The Party Store. He worked in a mall in MS for years and probably went often to the Fashions Square Mall .

Can you possibly send me the picture that you are questioning? If he enjoyed Mexican I would assume that he was going to the Mexican Rest. that is walking distance from Millers. I know that family, and would be willing to ask them if they recognized him.

 

[Eric's mom]

Can you possibly send me the picture that you are questioning? If he enjoyed Mexican I would assume that he was going to the Mexican Rest. that is walking distance from Millers. I know that family, and would be willing to ask them if they recognized him.[/QUOTE) Yes, we will try to send the picture to you . I know FG brought a dinner and drink to Eric's motel room from Long John Silver's or Captain D's....That's where we went to check about the green "stuff" in his drink. I would have to go back and check my notes to be positive about which one it was. Again, he posted about his everyday life.
If he was low on money, he would probably have just gone to Taco Bell. There is a Meijer' store near Fashions Square Mall. There are Aldi grocery stores on State St,Bay Rd and Euclid Ave. One of my sisters thinks the manager told us which one. Again, I need to pull out the notes that sister took. It would be interesting to see which grocery store they went to and see the location in reference to the house we think they were sharing when the argument happened. We were so busy checking out so many things in 4 days that there just wasn't time to do everything. We accomplished a lot! FG's neighbors suggested we talk to some of the young neighbors who were know to do drugs, but we just didn't have time ..and weren't sure of safety.

 

[MIMOMMY]

Eric's Mom.

I understand being overwhelmed. Any information you can get to me would be great. Im working on building a map and updated timeline. Like I said earlier, being from the area will allow me to label neighborhoods, and traveling time from place to place - general "types" of people in those area, etc., If you have an address to the house that would help even more.

 

[MIMOMMY]

Is it possible to get the full body of Eric from the Meijer surveillance photo?