David Liston finds people who don't want to be found; that's part of the job. Liston is principal at David Liston Investigations, a private investigation firm based in University Heights. But this case was different. Liston was looking for a man believed to be homeless in the Seattle area in order to give him a message: You stand to inherit millions of dollars.
But finding someone with no address and little paper trail is not easy. Liston canvassed the network of social service providers in the Pioneer Square area. He passed out fliers and talked one provider into circulating his request. After weeks of coming up empty, Liston says he was ready to give up when he got a phone call: Your guy is here, in the hospital, and he's ready to talk to you.
When Liston arrived at the hospital, he found the person he was seeking, and discovered that the streets had not been kind to him. He was barely recognizable. But the real surprise came after the man got off the phone with the attorneys handling his relative's estate. David Liston sat down with Gabriel Spitzer to explain how it all panned out.
And believe it or not, though this case unfolded in 2010 and 2011, Liston says he's now on the case of yet another missing homeless heir. Jon Cramer's family is looking for whatever information it can find about his whereabouts. Liston says if anyone recognizes the man in the photo below, please give him a call.
