The Bizarre Story of the Con Man Who Pretended To Be A Missing Boy
In 1994, Nicholas Barclay vanished from his neighborhood in San Antonio. Three years later, he was found in Spain, having allegedly escaped from a military child sex ring. When he returned home to Texas, he appeared physically different and spoke with a French accent. The family excused all of this and accepted him into their family. But of course, this very different person wasn’t Nicholas Barclay at all. After several months of passing himself off as Nicholas, 29-year-old French con artist Frédéric Bourdin admitted he had stolen the identity of Nicholas, the family’s long-lost son. But how could the family be so blind?
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#theimposter #NicholasBarclay #weirdhistory
@Inaworldoflove
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
People want to believe someone could be a loved one. Once a lady went into a restaurant and asked if my brother was her long lost brother who would be 21. My brother was late 30s. Very weird.
@jpmnky
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
I see why this wasn’t a big national story. Poor kid disappeared when the OJ murders went down.
@jasonrogers1576
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
What's with the random shot of downtown San Diego?
@EverettvonNordeck-gf2cw
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
This weirdo did this multiple times. He's like addicted to pretending to be other people. So weird.
@lynemac2539
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
How sad.
@hualani6785
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Audio fail?
@Auron12786
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
IMO the family comes across as shadier than Frederic
@btetschner
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
The ingredients needed for a Pottersville Sandwich are two slices of wheat bread, two slices of Kraft American singles cheese, Miracle Whip, and a 5.5 oz container of Amour Potted Meat.
@btetschner
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Starting a Weird History Recipe Sequence!
Thinking of what ingredients are needed for my recipe*†…while watching this Weird History video
The recipe is for a Pottersville Sandwich!
I did a 4-H presentation about a recipe (it was Upside Down Pineapple Cake) similar to this in elementary school!
* Inspired from the Weird History video "How Has SPAM Stayed So Popular?"
†I have had this sandwich probably 6 times already, it's so satisfying!
@btetschner
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
If his nickname is Peter Pan maybe he should snag some Peter Pan Peanut Butter…
@btetschner
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Imposter Nachos are the bee's knees!
@btetschner
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Having ANOTHER Weird History Taste Test!
Taste Testing Imposter Nachos*†…while watching this Weird History video!
I topped Tostitos Original chips with homemade pizza sauce then Lindsay Black Olives (sliced) and pepperoni, and then melted Colby Jack cheese on top.
* Inspired from the Weird History videos "The Surprising Real Origins Of Your Favorite Ethnic Foods" and "Do You Remember The Giant Pizza Wars From the 90s?"
†I meted it in the microwave, it is a Kenmore with Smart Touch.
@nicolepettus894
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
I'm just wondering if he had those 3 tattoos you mentioned in the beginning 🤔 if not then there was the very first sign it isn't Nicholas
@BlueJWay999
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
The thing that gets me is that Nicholas himself gets so lost in this story and the police and even his family don't seem terribly concerned about bringing him home.
@ColtonRojas-b6y
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Didn't the police recently find his body under the front porch of a bear by home?
@nikolasmazanek7251
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Why did he played league of legends on a joystick tho?
@petermontoya1796
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
What a bizarre story. I think that Bourdin should have been beaten on a daily basis whilst in prison just for the fun. What an EVIL human to do that. What would cause another person to do anything like this ?? 6 years in prison is hardly enough. It should have been life without parole IMO.
@kylelevitt4578
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Good God, I hope that Nicholas dude brother feels like dog shit because he clearly is
@smilerai3379
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Btw DNA test ?
@miamimercenary9623
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
yeah they killed jit and tried to cover it up. sad case
@addictedtothewrittenword3451
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
There is also an episode of Law and Order SVU that draws from this story. Instead of a brother it's the sister who goes missing only to be revealed the real missing girl was killed by her older sister, and the imposter girl was actually a victim of kidnapping.
@frootlooper
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Three tattoos? Did they wash off?
@AcornAndy-b6b
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
The family killed the kid
@pestulio07
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
3:37 Am I crazy, or does the guy on the left look exactly like Greg Sestero? 😆
@brendakrieger7000
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Sickening💔🙀
@blah88ism
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Just putting it out there that Nicholas Barclay has never been found. Wish they would have mentioned that. 😞
@luciaralepobe
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
They did it. Can't convince otherwise
@raphaellavictoria01
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
What a deluded family: eye drops to change eye color? Who's gonna believe that? But, people without critical thinking do believe what they WANT to believe…
@avengerscap
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
I think after having my head turned inside out from the horror of losing a child, I'd play pretend any chance I got that he had come back.
@greywater3186
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Really enjoying the rotary phones in this video – especially the green and red one.
Just to be clear – in the year 1994 people did have normal corded and wireless phones. The people who had rotary phones were some elderly people and people who shunned technology.
They were right to do so as the rotary phones were made to last and had excellent sound quality.
@derinaries
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
This may explain "Andrea" from 90210. A 30 year old posing as a teen. Lol.
@chrise8275
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Maybe the brother was the only one in on it, IDK I feel a little dirty theorizing about this, there are real people involved in this.
@Klipschrf35
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Pedopan?
@nicolemerrill9167
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
The family never questioned it so weird I think that old cop is right something happened to him and they know what happened
@JM1993951
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
He robbed them of closure. More sickening, he robbed them of their high scores.
@Michael-hb4wc
November 24, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Crazy… and something was very wrong in that family.
The brown eyes, missing tattoos, ear shape and one more thing…
About 90% of white American boys were circumcised at that time. The fraud almost definitely had his hood. THAT DON'T GROW BACK!
Someone in the family made Nick vanish and it was in their interest to at least make it look like they thought he COULD be alive.
Comments are closed.