We first shared the story of Eric Franks’ disappearance in October 2021. While his case is still unsolved, we have significant new information to share with you nearly three years after our original episodes aired, which could potentially shed light on this mystery.

In March 2011, 38-year-old Eric Franks disappeared from Saginaw, Michigan. In 2010, Eric learned he had a teenage daughter, so he traveled to the Saginaw area to connect with her. Eric went radio silent in early March, but then his family began receiving emails from Eric periodically. They went along with this for a time, as they had no reason to question that Eric was sending the emails. Still, something was off about the whole thing, and later, they decided to report Eric missing. Over the last 13 years, a bizarre string of events has unfolded, unraveling disturbing clues about what may have happened and who may be responsible for Eric’s disappearance.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Eric Franks, please call the Michigan State Police at 989-495-5555.

If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.

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On the night of October 20, 1972, 26-year-old Patricia Wagner left her Jersey City apartment for a coffee date with her new boyfriend, Dennis. Her mother, Marie, agreed to watch Patty's two young sons, Kenny and Michael, for a few hours. Before leaving, Patty's oldest son, Kenny, begged her not to go. He was overcome by a bad feeling about his mother going out that night, but he didn't know why. Patty reassured her young son that she would return later and headed out of her apartment for her date. That was the last known sighting of Patricia Wagner. Patty never came home, and her family never heard from her again. Although Patty's mother quickly jumped into action to report her daughter missing, Patty's case went ice cold. Decades later, a younger family member became determined to do what she could to find her long-lost cousin.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Patricia Jane Wagner, please contact the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit at 609-882-2000.

You can follow the efforts to find Patty on social media at "Where Is Patricia Jane Wagner?" Be sure to follow Madison's page and Facebook group, "AVoice4TheLost."

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In the early days of the show, I came across a website called haveyouseenandy.com. The website focused on the case of Andy Puglisi, a 10-year-old boy who disappeared from a pool in Lawrence, MA, in August 1976. Andy's friend, Melanie Perkins McLaughlin, created and maintained the website. Melanie had previously directed an HBO documentary about Andy's case, which won an Emmy in 2008 for Outstanding Investigative Journalism.

When I contacted Melanie to inquire about featuring Andy on the show, I was surprised that she responded and agreed, given my limited experience in podcasting at the time. After Andy's original episode aired, Melanie and I stayed in touch, and she even provided her expertise when we covered similar cases from that era.

Through her research, Melanie discovered that there were more missing and murdered children with stories similar to Andy's. This realization led her to shift her focus from Andy's individual case to a broader perspective, uncovering shocking new information along the way. Melanie always expressed a desire to continue telling Andy's story after realizing that this story was more extensive than just one boy disappearing from a pool in 1976.

Melanie often discussed a project she was working on during our conversations. This project that she was chipping away at, a podcast called Open Investigation, is set to be released starting September 3. Melanie joined us again this week to discuss the developments in Andy's case and tell us about her podcast. The trailer is available today, and the first episode will be released tomorrow. You can subscribe to Open Investigation now wherever you listen to podcasts.

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On December 25, 2000, 37-year-old Kenneth Ray Weaver failed to visit his mother for Christmas. Typically, Kenny and his siblings always made it a point to see their mother on Christmas. If, for some reason, one of them couldn't make it, they would always call, but there was no word from Kenny. While Kenny's family quickly jumped into action to locate him, they faced roadblock after roadblock.

Kenny's family heard from his roommate that he dropped Kenny off at a friend's home in Pocola, Oklahoma, on Christmas Day. Another friend later came forward and said he had seen Kenny sitting on the porch of that friend's house and gave him a ride to Fort Smith, Arkansas. This friend recalled that it was Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day, and this is where Kenny Weaver's trail went cold.

Very little is known about what happened to Kenny around Christmas in 2000. Authorities from Arkansas and Oklahoma initially refused to take the case due to jurisdiction debates, which stalled filing a report for five years.

Nearly 24 years later, Kenny's sister has never given up on her pursuit of answers, and today, she has new investigators digging into the case.

If anyone has any information about the disappearance of Kenneth Weaver, please contact the Sebastian County Sheriff's Office at 479-783-1051 or the Pocola Police Department at 918-436-2476.

You can follow Becky's efforts to find her brother on Facebook at Missing Kenneth Ray Weaver.

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In March 2021, 48-year-old Shannon Collins quietly disappeared from Pottsville, Arkansas. His parents, brother, and sister just stopped hearing from Shannon. He wasn't returning their calls or text messages, which was strange. When they contacted Shannon's wife, she said he had left their home on March 12 but was contacting their children via phone. Despite their inquiries, they have yet to receive satisfactory answers. By November, Shannon's brother, Blake, decided to report his brother missing during a trip home to Arkansas for the holidays. From there, the situation only grew more peculiar.

Anyone with information about Shannon Collins' disappearance can call Pope County Sheriff's Office at 479-968-2558 and ask for any available investigator. You may also report tips anonymously at https://www.popecoso.org/reportACrime.

You can follow developments in Shannon's case on Facebook, Share Shannon's Story, and Instagram.

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Last week, you heard the first part of Cynthia's story. You learned about her life, marriage, pending divorce, and how she disappeared on February 3, 2021. The last confirmed sighting of Cynthia was at a gas station in Grandview, Texas, around 10:35 PM. Multiple witnesses reported that she appeared to be in the midst of a mental health crisis. Cynthia had called friends, and they mentioned that her behavior was confusing. A patron at the gas station stated that she entered his vehicle and left her phone behind when she exited. Another witness remembered Cynthia running up behind his truck and asking for a ride. However, no one stopped to assist her. Cynthia then got back into her vehicle, and her car was seen approaching the exit. Law enforcement suspects that the camera malfunctioned at that moment, and they lost sight of Cynthia's vehicle, making it impossible to determine the direction it headed next. Cynthia's destination after leaving the gas station remains unknown. Two days later, Cynthia's family reported her missing. Fast forward to February 16, Cynthia's Mazda was found on an interstate highway headed towards Waco, TX. The vehicle had run out of gas, and the officer who spotted it confirmed that it hadn't been there 24 hours earlier. Where had the car been since February 3? Was Cynthia the person who left it there, or had someone else abandoned it? One notable point is that on the evening of her disappearance, witnesses remembered seeing Cynthia, but no one has ever claimed to have seen her again. So, what could have happened to Cynthia?

Anyone with information about Cynthia Bah-Traore can call Lt. Michael Tate at the Crowley Police Department at 817-297-2276 x6204 or Crimestoppers at 817-469-8477. You may also contact the FBI Dallas Field Office at (972) 559-5000.

If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.

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On the evening of February 3, 2021, 39-year-old Cynthia Bah-Traore left her home in Crowley, Texas. She was later spotted at a gas station in Grandview, Texas, but left her cell phone behind. After that, Cynthia disappeared without a trace. Almost two weeks later, her car was discovered abandoned alongside a highway approximately 35 miles south of where she was last seen, near Waco. The whereabouts of Cynthia and her vehicle during this time remain unknown. Her family has stated that Cynthia had no reason to be in the Waco area, and they are baffled as to why she would have traveled there. Following her disappearance, tensions arose between her family and the police department investigating the case. Over three years later, renewed efforts are underway in hopes of finally uncovering Cynthia’s whereabouts.

Anyone with information about Cynthia Bah-Traore can call Lt. Michael Tate at the Crowley Police Department at 817-297-2276 x6204 or Crimestoppers at 817-469-8477. You can also contact the FBI Dallas Field Office at (972) 559-5000.

If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.

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This episode originally aired on September 12, 2018.

13-year-old Brenda Sue Davidson disappeared from Woodbridge, Virginia, on March 4, 1974. Her little sister, Lisa, was just seven at the time. She grew up believing that Brenda ran away. When Lisa grew up, she decided that she wanted to find her sister. When she began asking around, the stories didn't seem to make sense. She started to wonder if her father's abuse had gone too far and if the runaway story was a cover-up.

Lisa desperately wants answers and is looking for anyone who may have known her family back then.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Brenda Sue Davidson, please call the Prince William County Sheriff's Office at 703-792-6500 or 1-800-THE-LOST.

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