Local TV station tracks down once-missing Nicholas Francisco

Saturday will mark exactly two years since a man named Nicholas Francisco vanished, leaving behind his 2 kids and pregnant wife, sparking an intense, much-discussed search that even covered West Seattle, since he and his family had attended Mars Hill Church here. Now there’s one more coda to the story, 3 months after the King County Sheriff’s Office announcement saying the case was closed after he was found “alive and well, living in another state”: For a sweeps-month special report, KIRO TV tracked him down in Southern California, living under another name, and elicited a brief, chilling, chilly interview – followed by a look into why it’s hard to enforce orders against out-of-state deadbeat parents like him. The text version of their story is here; the video version, broadcast last night, is here.

homesweethome February 11, 2010 (7:39 am)

creep

d February 11, 2010 (8:10 am)

Narcissist.

miws February 11, 2010 (8:10 am)

What a selfish S.O.B.

Mike

Bender February 11, 2010 (8:16 am)

I can’t even put it into words. Wow.

Meg February 11, 2010 (8:21 am)

That interview left me speechless. Honest to God speechless. I cannot believe that he can live with himself after doing that.

ann February 11, 2010 (8:27 am)

What a sick coward. Too bad it’s not against the law to be a loser.

LMA February 11, 2010 (8:48 am)

What do you think happed? was it by poler to much pressure , who knows , only he would know . Very odd
I know some one that did that one day they were there the next gone a new life for them self , very cold just like that guy , must be something that is unbalance , throw every one for a loop even his own parents . just like Nicholas Francisco.Odd

fj February 11, 2010 (9:36 am)

what a dick. are they going to make him pay back for all the search efforts too?

Sasquatch February 11, 2010 (9:38 am)

A scary guy. He had everyone fooled into thinking he cared about them.

JetCityOrange February 11, 2010 (9:39 am)

There are so many lessons to be learned here. Call me a cynic but I doubt “Dad” is going to get an A in this class.

His self-centered, selfish deeds harm us all. May his children and wife find the compassion to deal with this *sshole.

dlh February 11, 2010 (9:52 am)

geez, he says he is dead to his kids, but if he had died, at least they would have gotten some life insurance. He may not right now, but you have to believe he will regret this one day. And I hope his children have the strength to not let him manipulate them.

HelperMonkey February 11, 2010 (9:57 am)

I had a parent who split also for their own selfish reasons when I was a kid. this hits home, and I hope that now that his cover is blown they are able to squeeze child support from him. although I would bet that he split again after this interview to avoid it.

JoB February 11, 2010 (10:10 am)

i want to know why he doesn’t get a bill for his search and rescue. he sure would if he was rescued off a mountain…

he likely wouldn’t pay it any more than he pays his child support… but the bill itself might send a message to others who think just walking away is a good thing…

jedifarfy February 11, 2010 (10:14 am)

Wow wow wow. I wonder if anything can even be done to get money out of this self-absorbed jerk. :(

meg February 11, 2010 (10:19 am)

I don’t know him, but he seems like a classic ultra-control freak. Reading between the lines, things weren’t going his way, so disappearing is like suicide, in a way, for the people you leave behind. He “punishes” everyone else, because he’s a controlling person (a socio-path, if you like), and he will continue to “control” the situation by changing names, SS numbers, modes of obtaining money, housing, etc. — until he lands in prison. IMO.

AmyT February 11, 2010 (10:33 am)

Would have been nice if he would have elaborated more on exactly why he left. My impression from the video is that it wasn’t his wife or kids, but the extended family. There was a brief mention of “her brothers”. It really sounded like he had it all, but to leave due to something going on in the extended family? I really can’t think of the worst case scenario that would make someone just want to throw it all away.

dawsonct February 11, 2010 (10:44 am)

They would have received a life insurance payment only if they had a policy, however, if he were DEAD his children would be able to collect Social Security payments until they are 18. I know it’s an evil, socialist program, but wouldn’t it be nice for the family to receive a few hundred dollars a month to offset living expenses.
–
Isn’t it some sort of federal crime to use another persons SS#?

Erik February 11, 2010 (10:53 am)

He should be charged with LOTS of things. At the very least faking his own disappearance. Think of all the police time spent on looking for this guy. Isn’t there a law against hoaxes like this? It’s bad enough that he’s managing to slip through loopholes and isn’t being forced to pay child support to those 3 innocent children that he’s fathered, he can’t possibly be escaping ALL criminal charges, can he? He’s a coward I hope they throw the book at him.

meg February 11, 2010 (11:06 am)

“her brothers” aren’t his ex-wife’s brothers, they are his little boys… his 6-year old daughter’s brothers. I do think he wanted to get away from his wife, among others. the problem, to me, is why he refused to leave through the usual divorce & child-support route.

Carter February 11, 2010 (11:09 am)

“160,000 child support case in the State of Washington alone” – another banner statistic for heterosexual marriage . . . sheesh

onceachef February 11, 2010 (11:11 am)

He thought his prior life was bad?…his “new” life is about to get VERY bad now that he’s been discovered…false identity, child abandonment…he obviously needs some psychiatric treatment….in jail that is.

onceachef February 11, 2010 (11:17 am)

How is it that he’s able to start a “new life” with a dead person’s SS#? Wouldn’t that set off some sort of “alarm”? (for lack of a better word)…wouldn’t the SS department know this is a dead person’s SS#?

E February 11, 2010 (11:19 am)

Is there some way the public can help out his ex-wife and children? Like a fund we can contribute to?

bebecat February 11, 2010 (11:23 am)

He’s been found. The laws are all on the books. Now,it is all about ENFORCEMENT.

Irukandji February 11, 2010 (11:25 am)

I SO wish people would establish their level of doucebaggery BEFORE they decide to breed.

Amanda February 11, 2010 (11:36 am)

Carter, I think it was 360,000… Wow. I wonder what happened to this guy. I mean, seriously. That was the strangest interview I’ve ever seen. Poor family – I even have pity for him. I am done judging this guy, obviously there is more to this story for him to be so unemotional.

soosan February 11, 2010 (11:42 am)

Nice job, KIRO. A little spooky that a TV station found him but the state/police/child support/etc can’t.

SarahScoot February 11, 2010 (11:52 am)

soosan, one point of clarification: the police *did* announce they’d found him – last fall, actually – and that they were closing the missing person case. Fairly sure they also said at that point that they were basically going to respect his privacy, as he broke no laws.
I understand that everyone in this country basically has a right to “disappear” if they want, and I do think it’s important to retain this right, because it can be incredibly valuable to abuse victims and others. That said, obviously this man is now in violation of our state’s child support regulations, and possibly identity theft, so it will be interesting to see if this piece results in any repurcussions for his actions.

WSB February 11, 2010 (11:55 am)

Soosan – not even remotely defending the government but for what it’s worth the TV station has more at stake here – it’s February sweeps and that’s when you pull out all the stops to do high-interest, promotable special reports. Although, having worked with some highly creative and tenacious TV people over the years, I’m sure there’s a thing or two they could teach high-caseload-challenged investigators. And also, on the other hand, there are some rules by which government workers are bound, for better or for worse, which journalists would not have to follow. But hats off for a great followup, even with so many questions remaining unanswered.
.
E – re: a fund – there was a “Nicholas Francisco Family Fund” set up thru WAMU (now Chase) branches in 2008 – don’t know if that is still active.

The HepCat February 11, 2010 (11:58 am)

This oxygen thief has no business being out in society. What a total waste of a human. I say send him out to Sheriff Joe in Arizona for a few years. I hear that breaking rocks can create a backbone, this self centered vapid SHPOS could use one.

Burton February 11, 2010 (12:08 pm)

This guy is a jerk without a doubt. But let’s take a step back.

Did the wife have something to do with it.
Were his kids just too much
Did he hate his job.
What do his parents think about this? Are they even around.

Sounds to me like he was one step away from being this guy.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106856/

bsmomma February 11, 2010 (12:26 pm)

Crazy. Makes you wonder if he’s done this before???? The Child Support Enforecement group/organization is a joke. He knows how to work it, not that it’s hard to, but he’s totally working the system and his kids will most likely never see a penny from him.

Johnny Davies February 11, 2010 (12:58 pm)

A new low for the “entitled” generation. What a POS.

Kelly February 11, 2010 (3:56 pm)

“A new low for the “entitled” generation. What a POS.”

Ummm, let’s please not paint an entire generation with a broad brush based on the actions of one creep who seems to be in need of mental help.

The HepCat–Love the term “oxygen thief.” Nice!

Yeah-me February 11, 2010 (4:11 pm)

Well, at least he chose a different path then Scott Peterson and the likes…

margaritaville February 11, 2010 (4:12 pm)

Can’t fix stupid. However, castration of this POS would help.

rob February 12, 2010 (8:42 am)

She wasted no time remarrying.

dawsonct February 12, 2010 (9:50 am)

E, maybe the folks at Misogyny Hill Fundi Church can take care of the family. Let’s see what kind of “community” they really have.

mb February 12, 2010 (10:28 am)

Hmmm….ok, it certainly seems he acted like an a**hole. BUT. But, I also don’t believe that a person goes from super happy family guy to how he was shutdown & detached he was in the interview for no reason. Snap, just like that. It doesn’t just happen. There is way more to this story. They have said they can not talk about details. I wonder what Mars Hill has to do with it….I am pretty darn sure they are involved and that the wife knows more than she is saying. I would be very interested in hearing his side.

Westcrest February 12, 2010 (1:24 pm)

he is obviously gay and living with his “roommate” in California under an assumed identity. Duh.

crosby February 12, 2010 (11:16 pm)

E: Is there some way the public can help out his ex-wife and children? Like a fund we can contribute to?

She has a webstore called Bella Style Boutique. You can find it at http://www.bellastyleboutique.com

Otis February 13, 2010 (2:12 pm)

There is something seriously off, odd, wrong about the wife. Though I don’t condone his lack of child support payments, I do see why Nicholas bailed on this creepy woman.

Jones February 19, 2010 (3:05 pm)

Otis have you met the exwife? Wondering how you know she is so “off” and “odd”. A 3 minute interview hardly tells a lot about a person. Sheesh. And look what the poor woman has been through. What is odd and off is the not so missing man.

Sorry, comment time is over.