Nicholas was small for his age but had what people who knew him described as a large personality — energetic, often stubborn, quick to argue.

By the time he was thirteen, he had accumulated a juvenile record that included breaking into a convenience store, stealing a pair of shoes, and threatening a teacher.

He was scheduled to appear at a juvenile court hearing on June 14, 1994.

He never made it to that hearing.

The last confirmed contact with Nicholas Barclay was the evening of June 13, 1994, when he called home from a basketball court to ask for a ride.

His mother, Beverly, had just come off a night shift and was asleep.