On the afternoon of June 19, 1994, thirteen-year-old Nicholas Barclay left his home in San Antonio, Texas to play basketball with some friends. Hours later, he called home to ask his mother for a ride, but was told he would have to walk home, but Nicholas never came back. His mother reported him missing and an investigation was started, but it quickly stalled when there was no evidence of what happened to Nicholas.

Three years passed and one day, out of the blue, the family received a call from the US Embassy. Nicholas had been discovered in Spain, they said. He had endured terrible trauma at the hands of a human trafficking ring and he was desperate to come home. The family was elated and eagerly welcomed Nicholas back into their home. But to some of the people involved in the boy’s return to Texas, there were just too many things about his story that didn’t quite add up.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Associated Press. 1998. "Fugitive poses as teenager." Orange Leader (Orange, TX), September 12: 5.

Davies, Nick. 1998. "The Lost boy." The Guardian, October 17.

Flynn, Sheila. 2023. A French serial imposter convinced everyone he was a missing Texas teen. This PI convinced him to confess. January 27. Accessed May 24, 2025. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/imposter-netflix-frederic-bourdin-nicholas-barclay-b2269897.html.

Grann, David. 2008. "The Chaemeleon." New Yorker, August 8.

2012. The Imposter. Directed by Bart Layton. Performed by Bart Layton.

Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode 680: Frederick Bourdin and the Disappearance of Nicholas Barclay

Morbid