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

[Eric's mom]

I called the motel twice today to ask about the keys, but never got anyone to answer the phone. Will try again later.

 

[Eric's mom]

One of Eric's friends from high school in conversation with my sister this morning said that Eric's disappearance feels bad and crazy. She said they were all talking (on FB) and she talked nightly with Eric then he disappeared. She said "something is fishy." She said the last she heard from Eric he was at the motel and was going to live with ex-girlfriend...mother of his child...that they were going to get back together. (This is a different friend than the one who sent him the phone from TX.)

 

[Eric's mom]

One of Eric's friends from high school in conversation with my sister this morning said that Eric's disappearance feels bad and crazy. She said they were all talking (on FB) and she talked nightly with Eric then he disappeared. She said "something is fishy." She said the last she heard from Eric he was at the motel and was going to live with ex-girlfriend...mother of his child...that they were going to get back together. (This is a different friend than the one who sent him the phone from TX.)

After this conversation, my sister pointed out that FG was active on the Elite FB with Eric and the few other members and suddenly stopped her postings when Eric disappeared, while the other members continued to "talk" about Eric and wondered what happened to him. You would think she would've given one of her stories to their friends on FB so they wouldn't have been so puzzled about his disappearance. She did respond to the question from one of the members after seeing our TV interview months later about Eric ,"Did you kill him?"

 

[Eric's mom]

I was sharing some thoughts from websleuths with one of my sisters this morning. She said if she wanted to disappear, she wouldn't leave her entire support system. She would stay in touch with the closest ones, which might be different people at different times. We all need someone to lean on in times of trouble. Eric was no different. He shared the good times and the bad times with family and friends who cared about him. He kept in touch with high school friends. One of his cousins who is only 3 mos younger was a buddy. When he went through his first divorce, he turned to family for comfort. They lived near family. He and his second wife lived near family. He was with family when his dad had a heart attack and surgery. He was with family when his grandparents died. He lived near his surviving grandparent when he and his family decided to move to OH. He was with family when his dad died and spoke at his service expressing his love for his dad. He was there to comfort me. He moved to OH to be near family. It would be unlike Eric to walk away from family and friends. It's been 3 years ! NO ONE has heard from Eric.

 

[Eric's mom]

Eric told me that FG told him she had a plan and it could take two years . She was going to arrange things so she and her husband would split their businesses up and she could keep what she liked most, the ACF. Her husband told my sister something similar, saying his wife was trying to take his businesses and their house away from him. That makes me think there was another house that they lived in and the one near the airport was the rental that FG and Eric were going to share. She couldn't take away a rental. He told my sister about one further north that FG didn't think was large enough for retirement and he was planning to sell it. I guess public records would show a sale in their names.( It's strange that a business that meant so much to her was just suddenly walked away from.) The last time someone in Saginaw went on the ACF property to ask about Eric's story, that person was told that they knew that Eric was missing and to get off the property!

 

[SStarr33]

Just the other day, a mod posted that Dateline is looking to WS for stories:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/announcement.php?f=260

 

[Nymeria]

SStarr I was just coming to post the same thing!
If you don't mind, I am going to paste Tricias message in here also-

Dateline Executive Producer Dan Slepian Wants to Hear From You
Dear Websleuths Members,

Dan Slepian is the executive producer of Dateline NBC and a HUGE fan of Websleuths.

He personally asked me to post his contact information for everyone to see.

Dan wants to hear from you about any personal stories you may have that would be a good story for Dateline to cover.

It doesn't always have to be true crime. It could be a human interest story of some sort.

You can email Dan at [email protected]

Thank you, Tricia

Erics Mom, Perhaps you could contact him directly with Erics story?
I know we all could, but I think you could probably explain so much more about the strange circumstances of his disappearance. Plus, since you are his Mother maybe it would be taken more seriously.

 

[Eric's mom]

SStarr I was just coming to post the same thing!
If you don't mind, I am going to paste Tricias message in here also-

Dateline Executive Producer Dan Slepian Wants to Hear From You
Dear Websleuths Members,

Dan Slepian is the executive producer of Dateline NBC and a HUGE fan of Websleuths.

He personally asked me to post his contact information for everyone to see.

Dan wants to hear from you about any personal stories you may have that would be a good story for Dateline to cover.

It doesn't always have to be true crime. It could be a human interest story of some sort.

You can email Dan at [email protected]

Thank you, Tricia

Erics Mom, Perhaps you could contact him directly with Erics story?
I know we all could, but I think you could probably explain so much more about the strange circumstances of his disappearance. Plus, since you are his Mother maybe it would be taken more seriously.

Thanks. I plan to do that this afternoon. (Dr appt this am). It might not hurt for others to do the same, it might create more interest.

 

[MIMOMMY]

I will be emailing about Eric as well. Perhaps if many of us do - It will be moved to the top of the list.

Good Luck at the dr this morning Eric's Mom

 

[Roselvr]

Eric told me that FG told him she had a plan and it could take two years . She was going to arrange things so she and her husband would split their businesses up and she could keep what she liked most, the ACF. Her husband told my sister something similar, saying his wife was trying to take his businesses and their house away from him. That makes me think there was another house that they lived in and the one near the airport was the rental that FG and Eric were going to share. She couldn't take away a rental. He told my sister about one further north that FG didn't think was large enough for retirement and he was planning to sell it. I guess public records would show a sale in their names.( It's strange that a business that meant so much to her was just suddenly walked away from.) The last time someone in Saginaw went on the ACF property to ask about Eric's story, that person was told that they knew that Eric was missing and to get off the property!

Sorry; I'm really behind but want to comment... You make a great point! They just walked away! Or did they? Sure sounds like there may not be a divorce now. Does anyone know if he's with her in FL?

 

[Roselvr]

I will definitely go back and do my homework to catch up here. I have a lot of questions and the more I dig it seems the more questions arise.

Sometimes cases are not what they seem. I would love for you to find your son. No rock left unturned.

You really do need to read the whole thread. It took me a day but I didn't sit here in one shot; was doing other things. The ex-GF's activity is very suspicious. This is not typical behavior for Eric which you can see in his FB group; his friends were posting with him multiple times per day as well as PM's.. He just stopped communicating with everyone.

My opinion is something happened in MI with Eric the ex-GF & her hub. They've some how disposed of Eric's car; whether a junk yard; in the woods or most likely a body of water. Eric would not have NOT contacted someone by now. Eric's mom was always there for him too. He loved his mom & would not do this to her IMO.

 

[psyquestor]

I called the motel twice today to ask about the keys, but never got anyone to answer the phone. Will try again later.

Slow season for tourism here in MI. Probably running at reduced hours in the motel office imo. Hope you hear back soon.

 

[zwiebel]

You know those unclaimed property lists state treasury depts often release, where you see said properties being transferred from a bank to named people...what does that mean?

Is it actually property meaning houses/buildings, or does it mean assets? And why unclaimed?

 

[zwiebel]

Slow season for tourism here in MI. Probably running at reduced hours in the motel office imo. Hope you hear back soon.

Lots of them probably headed to the beaches of Florida instead, to escape that long cold winter you've had.

 

[zwiebel]

Sorry; I'm really behind but want to comment... You make a great point! They just walked away! Or did they? Sure sounds like there may not be a divorce now. Does anyone know if he's with her in FL?

Or maybe just decided to leave that one as it is, and start a couple or three businesses in her own name? That's what a lot of independent- minded, astute businesswomen might do.

 

[Eric's mom]

Sorry; I'm really behind but want to comment... You make a great point! They just walked away! Or did they? Sure sounds like there may not be a divorce now. Does anyone know if he's with her in FL?

There are FB photos indicating the whole family went to FLA together. I don't see FG giving up whatever seems most lucrative at the present time. It appears several other extended family members and their significant others also went. There are businesses opened in FLA also. The dish that was installed on that house on Airport Rd had FG's name as the one who ordered it, but she had her FLA address I was told by the company.

 

[MIMOMMY]

Wait - the dish went up in her name but she gave the FLA address for billing when it was installed?

 

[Nymeria]

Wait - the dish went up in her name but she gave the FLA address for billing when it was installed?

I saw that, thought I was reading it wrong :facepalm:

Does it make any sense that she already had a place in FLA all set up?

 

[MIMOMMY]

Well...considering NOTHING she does makes any sense...I would not put it past her. I also find it interesting that a family member of someone who JUST moved down to be with them made a comment about being VERY safe while down there. Is Florida some super terrifying place - or was that comment in regards to the people they would be living WITH?

 

[Eric's mom]

Wait - the dish went up in her name but she gave the FLA address for billing when it was installed?

Yes, that's what I was told. We got the name of the dish co. off the equipment at the house and called. It was interesting to me because Eric had said they were getting a new dish and reception would improve. That was an old house and the dish seemed so new. The co. gave me FG as the one who ordered it and said she gave a FLA address. They said they would give that to the police but not to me.