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

[nursebeeme]

Hi Bette!!!! I have to admit.. my hinky meter needs an icepack! :lol:

 

[nursebeeme]

All good questions EXIA

I agree! very good questions EXIA!!

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Is anyone keeping track of all this information and could we get it in one post at the beginning of the thread?

Excellent idea! Nursie, can we have a "sticky" with important data in the case. Pretty please, with sugar on top? :cupcake:

 

[nursebeeme]

sure!
:escape:

 

[nursebeeme]

here it tis:
MI MI - Eric Franks, 39, Buena Vista Twp, 21-Mar-2011 media/timeline thread - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Hi Bette!!!! I have to admit.. my hinky meter needs an icepack! :lol:

Have two very large chocolate chip cookies and a glass of wine. You'll feel better in the morning

 

[~n/t~]

I don't agree with the BBM. I think that works more for them getting rid of Eric. They, or she, didn't want Eric involved in the child's life. I think this is the issue in a nutshell. IMO. exgf didn't want the child and Eric to bond. exgf didn't want Eric in the child's life. At all.
It would be so great for Eric to show up and prove me wrong.

We have to remember, however, that it was the exgf who approached Eric about the child. He didn't even know he had a child until she contacted him.

It does look bad for her to be moving his stuff, if true, but one has to question why she would contact him after all that time. Money? Some speculated the child started asking questions about dad. Why wouldn't the husband raise the child as his own? Did she want to give custody of the child to Eric, perhaps the husband forced it? Did Eric refuse because of money issues or his lifestyle? Did the husband get angry at that point? Did the motel guy even see a man there with the exgf or was she alone?

So many questions. I'm still not seeing a motive for murder.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

...Those are our concerns as well - why do the motel owner and the eGF's stories differ so starkly on the matter of Eric's personal belongings being taken out of the room?

The motel owner should also be reinterviewed and polygraphed.

 

[Abstar80]

Hi All..

This is my first post so I apologise in advance if anything I do is incorrect!!

I did some research last night and found an article regarding CCTV. There was a paragraph in the story that stood out. It said that in Saginaw MI, 17 CCTV cameras had been installed around the skate/water park. The article was written in September 2011 and it said the cameras had been installed the previous year. It also said that there were plans to install more cameras in the Saginaw area. Below is a link to the article.

http://www.hendonpub.com/resources/article_archive/results/details?id=1245

My only thought is that perhaps these cameras captured something. If LE was too busy to look at this case initially they certainly wouldn't have bothered looking at CCTV footage on the off chance. I know CCTV footage is not always the best quality, but it may bring up his car or even him....

Again just a thought and I hope I have posted this correctly.

 

[Coldpizza]

For me there are only 2 options here.

The ex gf and her hubby disappeared him (but why?)

He left on his own to start a new life ( it happens and he certainly seems strong willed enough to do so)

 

[Coldpizza]

Hi All..

This is my first post so I apologise in advance if anything I do is incorrect!!

I did some research last night and found an article regarding CCTV. There was a paragraph in the story that stood out. It said that in Saginaw MI, 17 CCTV cameras had been installed around the skate/water park. The article was written in September 2011 and it said the cameras had been installed the previous year. It also said that there were plans to install more cameras in the Saginaw area. Below is a link to the article.

http://www.hendonpub.com/resources/article_archive/results/details?id=1245

My only thought is that perhaps these cameras captured something. If LE was too busy to look at this case initially they certainly wouldn't have bothered looking at CCTV footage on the off chance. I know CCTV footage is not always the best quality, but it may bring up his car or even him....

Again just a thought and I hope I have posted this correctly.

Welcome to WS Abstar80. Your input is appreciated!

 

[nursebeeme]

welcome abstar! awesome post!!! :cheer:

 

[EXIA15145]

We have to remember, however, that it was the exgf who approached Eric about the child. He didn't even know he had a child until she contacted him. It does look bad for her to be moving his stuff, if true, but one has to question why she would contact him after all that time. Money?
So many questions. I'm still not seeing a motive for murder.

She may have contacted Eric about the child, but there's several reasons she could have been forced to do that. If Eric was listed as the father on the birth certificate, it is most likely she would need to contact him to terminate his parental rights, if her husband wanted to legally adopt the child. This may have been necessary to enroll the child in school. Another reason she would have been compelled to contact Eric about the child is for medical insurance or if DCF or whomever 'welfare' is demanded she get child support for the child from the birth father. 'Welfare' is well known for going after parents and spouses of people on welfare so those people pay and not the government. :rant:
<modsnip>
People kill people for minor traffic infractions. This is about a child and a father's rights that the mother has already denied the father for years. She didn't even tell him she was pregnant. WTH? She didn't tell him the child was born. She kept the child a secret from him and his entire family, for YEARS.
Every month there's another case where the mother is dead because the husband wanted the kid(s) and didn't want the wife or the pregnant wife is dead because the husband didn't want the wife or the child. Sorry. I'm done for now. :shutup:

 

[EXIA15145]

The motel owner should also be reinterviewed and polygraphed.

Yes, but if you think about it, who has more of a motive to lie? What does the motel owner have to gain from lying? The gf admitted she was there and took Eric's stuff. The owner saw her, she handed him the key, IIRC.
So, the owner isn't going to gain from having Eric's possessions.
Ah, SF, did Eric wear any jewelry? Did he wear anything, or have anything in his possession, of value? Any family heirlooms, or jewelry passed down thru the family?

 

[Cazzie]

Bette, you mentioned a fingerprint(s) and that opening up avenues...

What did I miss? Eric's NamUS says no fingerprints available.

Was it on the Atlanta TV website (didn't see anything about Eric at that link, which took forever to load, not sure why)?

 

[nursebeeme]

Yes, but if you think about it, who has more of a motive to lie? What does the motel owner have to gain from lying? The gf admitted she was there and took Eric's stuff. The owner saw her, she handed him the key, IIRC.
So, the owner isn't going to gain from having Eric's possessions.
Ah, SF, did Eric wear any jewelry? Did he wear anything, or have anything in his possession, of value? Any family heirlooms, or jewelry passed down thru the family?

bbm: the ldt would also prove he is telling the truth

 

[EXIA15145]

Hi All..

This is my first post so I apologise in advance if anything I do is incorrect!!

I did some research last night and found an article regarding CCTV. There was a paragraph in the story that stood out. It said that in Saginaw MI, 17 CCTV cameras had been installed around the skate/water park. The article was written in September 2011 and it said the cameras had been installed the previous year. It also said that there were plans to install more cameras in the Saginaw area. Below is a link to the article.

http://www.hendonpub.com/resources/article_archive/results/details?id=1245

My only thought is that perhaps these cameras captured something. If LE was too busy to look at this case initially they certainly wouldn't have bothered looking at CCTV footage on the off chance. I know CCTV footage is not always the best quality, but it may bring up his car or even him....

Again just a thought and I hope I have posted this correctly.

:wagon:
Great idea, and welcome to WS. It would be great if some of that footage is still around, but most places run it on a loop. It's been over a year. Maybe someone still has something. Did the motel have a camera? If there's any that still have footage, a bank or a business, or a government building, maybe just having the car drive by.

 

[EXIA15145]

bbm: the ldt would also prove he is telling the truth

I wasn't referring to the polygraph test, and what you say is true. If anyone ever has a chance to watch one of those being given, go for it. I find it fascinating.

 

[Abstar80]

thankyou for the warm welcome!

I had the thought that CCTV would be on loop, but figured there was no harm in heading down that path even briefly.. I was thinking that if Eric has a child perhaps he took it to the water/skate park at some stage especially considering it re-opened and had a grand opening...

I spent a few hours last night looking up John Does on county morgue databases but so far nothing that would match the timing for Eric. I certainly hope that he never appears on one of these databases but think its probably best to cover all bases.

Do we know the name of the motel?

 

[nursebeeme]

Ab,
it is "miller's hotel"

(on page one there is a case map)