YouTube The year was 1994 when Nicholas Barclay, a 13-year-old boy, completely vanished from his San Antonio home. For over three years, Nicholas remained a ghost and his parents and even the authorities had no leads on where he disappeared to. One day, the family received an unsettling phone call. It was a boy in Spain who claimed to be Nicholas. Who was this boy, actually? Keep reading to find out the shocking truth!
Three Years Of Searching
YouTube By 1997, three years had passed since Nicholas Barclay’s disappearance. His parents were still searching for him even though their hope of ever finding him had decreased more and more as time passed.
No Trace Of Nicholas
YouTube In the three years of searching for Nicholas, the family and authorities were completely unsuccessful in finding any trace of his whereabouts. It was as if he just vanished.
A Mysterious Phone Call
YouTube One day, the family got an incredibly surprising phone call. It was from a Spanish youth shelter, and the person on the other end was convinced that one of the boys was Nicholas.
Family Is Overjoyed
YouTube Nicholas’s parents were blown away and completely thrilled at the news. His sister, Carey, made the trip to Spain to find him and bring him home.
Nicholas Was Different
YouTube Upon Nicholas’s return home to Texas, his family and friends began to notice that Nicholas seemed different. First off, Nicholas was blond with blue eyes when he disappeared…
He Looked Different
YouTube Nicholas now had dark hair and brown eyes. As strange as that seemed, Nicholas had a somewhat believable explanation for it. What could possibly explain a new hair and eye color?
Abducted By Human Traffickers
YouTube As unbelievable as the story seemed, Nicholas said that he had been abducted by human traffickers who altered his appearance so that he would remain undetected by authorities.
New Hair, New Eyes
YouTube Nicholas said that his abductors were completely responsible for his new look and that they not only dyed his hair darker, but actually injected a new color into his eyes.
No English Allowed
YouTube That was the only thing different about Nicholas. He also said that he was forbidden to speak English while with his captors. This resulted in another odd development…
A French Accent
YouTube The newly-home Nicholas had a noticeable French accent. Although this seemed strange, his family was so happy to have him home that they were willing to believe his story.
Mother Chose To Believe
YouTube Nicholas’s mother later said that he “had changed so much it was mind-boggling”. Despite having a hard time believing some of the changes, she was willing to make it work.
Rationalizing The Changes
YouTube “He’d been through so much, he was going to be different,” said Beverly, Nicholas’s mother. She continued to try to rationalize the changes she saw in Nicholas.
Charlie Parker Had His Doubts
YouTube Beverly might have believed the story told by Nicholas—but one man, Charlie Parker, was far from sold. This private investigator doubted Nicholas’s story from the beginning.
Looking For An Interview
YouTube Charlie Parker first got on the case of Nicholas Barclay’s reemergence because the TV show “Hard Copy” hired the San Antonio investigator to seek out the family for an interview.
What Tipped Him Off?
YouTube It was a little detail that first tipped Charlie Parker off, something that no one else had noticed up until this point. It was Nicholas Barclay’s ears…
All In The Ears
YouTube When Parker met the boy claiming to be Nicholas Barclay, he was suspicious. He compared an old photo of the boy to a recent photo, and he noticed that the boy’s ears were completely different.
Ears Are Like Fingerprints
YouTube Just like a fingerprint, a person’s ears can be used to identify them. They also don’t change very much over time, which makes them even more trustworthy for identification purposes.
Will The Real Nicholas Please Stand Up?
YouTube After this information was revealed, people started to grow more suspicious. What if Nicholas wasn’t actually Nicholas? One man’s wild theory seemed to be a real possibility…
FBI Agent Didn’t Believe It
YouTube Charlie Parker shared his concerns with the FBI agent handling the Nicholas Barclay case. Nancy Parker, the agent, dismissed his theories at the time and didn’t pursue the case.
Parker Continued The Hunt For Truth
YouTube Parker followed Nicholas for months to confirm his suspicions. Gradually, the FBI started to pay attention and have concerns over Nicholas’s identity as well. Parker’s hard work began to pay off.
Family Refuses DNA Sample
YouTube Finally, the FBI requested DNA samples from this new Nicholas. Surprisingly, his mother said no. She clung to her faith that Nicholas had returned to her, and her daughter Carrie supported her decision.
We Know Who He Is
YouTube Carrie Barclay was quoted as saying “we know who he is”, but as it turns out, she couldn’t have been more wrong. The Barclay family had no idea who this Nicholas was…
Beverly Started To Doubt
YouTube Beverly couldn’t keep up the charade of this false son forever. It was one specific thing that caused her to finally believe this was an impostor…
He Didn’t Recognize His School
YouTube As Beverly drove Nicholas past his elementary school, he didn’t recognize it whatsoever. That was what clinched it for Beverly. She knew it wasn’t her real son.
Nicholas Wasn’t Nicholas
Wikipedia DNA tests confirmed everyone’s suspicions: Nicholas wasn’t Nicholas. Who was this impostor? As it turns out, this strange wasn’t even the same age as Nicholas. He was actually seven years older.
The Impostor
YouTube The impostor’s real name was Frédéric Bourdin. Somehow, this man convinced Nicholas’s entire family of his identity. How did he do it?
Who Is Frédéric Bourdin?
YouTube It turns out that Bourdin had been a con artist for years. He learned to impersonate people when he was only a child himself. He claims to have taken on a total of 500 false identities. While he didn’t look much like Nicholas, he committed to the role and even copied Nicholas’s multiple tattoos.
There Might Have Been Some Luck Involved
YouTube Bourdin set the plan in motion, but he never really believed it would work out. He caught a few lucky breaks along the way, as he never really expected Nicholas’s family to believe he was the real deal.
Sent To Prison
YouTube Bourdin was charged with perjury and sentenced to six years in prison. Upon his release, he went on to impersonate several other boys and be charged.
Where Is He Now?
Facebook Surprisingly, Bourdin is married and has four children of his own. They all live together in France, and Bourdin swears he hasn’t changed from the person he was all those years ago.