Disappearance of Francisco de Pablo Páez in Madrid: A Case Revisited

On Monday, March 14, 2022, at 10:30 a.m., Francisco de Pablo, known as Francis, a 32-year-old man from Madrid who was unemployed, went to the Hortaleza police station. He did not drive his blue Citroën C4 that day; instead, he parked about a hundred meters from his home on Manizales street and left a backpack inside the car, along with his sportswear and documents. He claimed his car had been stolen, provided all vehicle details, signed a petition, and returned home. A week later, he vanished without a trace.

He had told a friend he would be back in an hour to settle a matter, but around 6 p.m. on March 21, he did not return. The image of a missing man began to take shape almost immediately.

The image accompanying this article was handed to the police after a disappearance complaint was filed. Its status remains open.

Francis’s mother, Juana, lives every day with the fear that she may never learn what happened to her son. She recalls a nightmare she cannot wake from and speaks of a search that began with hope and then slowly faded as months passed without answers. After about ten months of investigation, progress slowed and Francis remained unaccounted for.

Investigation reveals a life entangled with conflict, drugs, threats, and robberies

From the outset, Juana trusted her intuition that something serious had occurred. She believed her son would not have left voluntarily, not without his dogs, his family, or his friends. Police records reviewed by the portal CASO ABIERTO, which tracks ongoing cases, supported the mother’s suspicions. Investigators found that Francis had drifted into dangerous circles, involved with drugs, threats, and robbery. Early hypotheses pointed toward a possible staged disappearance tied to criminal activity, with Francis leaving home to meet someone whose identity remained unknown. The truth of his companions at the time of his disappearance has never been confirmed.

Evidence of theft at his residence and a significant drug debt

Friends awaited Francis at home, but he never returned. He had lived independently for about a decade, and his mother learned five days after his absence that he had not been seen for days. A cell phone that could not be reached, a search that yielded no definite location. Juana reported the disappearance to the National Police, and investigators began compiling a profile of Francis’s movements and associations. He was tall, strong, with alopecia from a medical condition, tattooed eyebrows, and a distinctive ankle tattoo. He had his keys and phone on him, but there was no signal indicating his location. The police explored neighborhoods including Santa María, San Lorenzo, and Villarosa in their search for him.

A potential debt and a dangerous network

As the investigation expanded, the family and law enforcement members interviewed close associates. Francis’s circle described him as someone who moved around the region, sometimes in volatile environments related to drug activity. They suggested he had debts and a major Moldovan contact who could have been involved in threats or coercion. A friend indicated that Francis was in a precarious world and suggested that money owed to a Moldovan family might have drawn him into trouble. Although authorities spoke with those close to him, they were careful to assert that Francis had left home by choice on a specific day, leaving no clear explanation for his whereabouts.

Another alert came from an audio note Francis sent via messaging app. In that message, he indicated that a burglary targeting his home had occurred on a different occasion and hinted at a larger loss. The damage from those events hinted at a debt tied to a large cocaine haul, a sum that greatly complicated his situation.

Photos from Francis’s family album show a young man with his mother, illustrating the personal side of a case that had grown heavier with time.

“Poor kid, they tore him apart”

The search intensified as police conducted retail sweeps and walked the streets of Valdemingómez and La Cañada Real. Juana pressed the authorities, insisting that she needed clarity. Neighbors reported that Francis did more than occasional drug dealing; they claimed he acquired goods through two individuals: a Roma person from Valdemingómez and a Colombian associate in Madrid. The family revisited Valdemingómez, hoping for new information.

Witness accounts on the night of the disappearance

One family friend referenced a sighting from the night Francis went missing, describing a person in a blue hoodie being chased by two men. The witness suggested the person being chased was Francis and that they spoke of a drug dealer and a drug user. Not long after, a message arrived: “Poor kid, he’s too young… what they did to him… they ripped him apart.” Juana heard those words directly and felt the fear in them. The family then pushed for more thorough investigations, even reopening the case when necessary, though grief often stalled progress.

No sign of guilt

Investigators outlined that they needed sufficient evidence to justify more intrusive measures. They argued for locating and recording calls and messages from the missing person, when appropriate. Two Madrid courts denied access to Francis’s phone, citing no clear evidence of crime and upholding the right to privacy. On April 13, 2022, Madrid Court Number 35 ruled the disappearance as not forced and closed the case. The family persisted, supported by attorney Juan Manuel Medina, a collaborator with SOS Desaparecidos, who helped press for a reopening. The court at times rejected requests to examine the phone again, leaving questions unresolved.

Medical appointment mystery

The investigation showed limited movement in Francis’s bank accounts after his disappearance. There was no record of hotel stays, nor evidence of transportation use. Everything appeared closed. A surprising development occurred when authorities reviewed records from the Madrid Ministry of Health. On April 21 at 8:42 a.m., documents indicated that Francis attended a medical appointment at the Mar Baltico Health Center in Madrid. The appointment reportedly occurred a month after his disappearance. Juana challenged the claim, noting that her son was not at the doctor’s office and that she had previously spoken with the clinic director, presenting a photo of Francis. The director reportedly did not recognize him. Juana also disclosed that Francis had lost his ID, medical card, and card details shortly before his disappearance, raising concerns about possible identity misuse.

Images shared by the family show Francis in times past; these photos now serve as a reminder of a life interrupted. The family suspects identity theft and pressed for surveillance footage and a formal account of the treatment he received at the health center. Although the court rejected those requests, the family’s lawyer appealed the decision. Juana remains determined, insisting that the police continue the search and pursue every lead. She wants answers—who is involved, how it happened, and why it occurred—and she believes that Francis deserves to be found.