Details

Release year: 2012

Storyline

A documentary centered on a young man in Spain who claims to a grieving Texas family that he is their 16-year-old son who has been missing for 3 years.

Top credits

Directors

Bart Layton

Writers

Bart Layton

Cast

Adam O'Brian — Frédéric Bourdin
Nicholas Barclay — Self - Missing Person
Carey Gibson — Self - Nicholas' Sister
Bryan Gibson — Self - Nicholas' Brother-in-Law

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Awards

1 win & 1 nomination

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Did you know

• The family of Nicholas Barclay initially declined to participate in the documentary, as they felt they had been unfairly portrayed in the media in the past, and they had lost much of their home video footage of Nicholas in a fire. They eventually consented to be interviewed, and the small amount of footage that has survived was used.

• The disappearance of Nicholas Barclay didn't even make the local news. He wasn't reported missing for three days, and because he had run away in the past and had a juvenile court hearing coming up to decide if he would be sent to a juvenile facility, the police assumed initially that he had run away again. A few weeks later, the police did begin investigating and discovered that he hadn't taken any money or possessions.

• EPILOGUE: "The homicide investigation into the disappearance of Nicholas Barclay was closed due to lack of evidence. Frédéric Bourdin was convicted of perjury and fraudulently obtaining a passport. He was sentenced to six years in prison. Bourdin was deported to France in October 2003. Three months later he attempted to steal the identity of missing 14-year-old Leo Balley. He now lives in France. He has a wife and three children. Nicholas Barclay is still listed as a missing person." His wife Isabelle said she left him, according to a post by Bourdin on social media, in 2017.