False Identity

Summary

Summary of "False Identity" Episode of 48 Hours

Title: False Identity
Host: CBS News
Release Date: April 2, 2025

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Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "False Identity," CBS News' 48 Hours delves deep into the mysterious disappearance of Patrick Welsh and the subsequent revelation that he orchestrated a false identity to evade his past. This detailed exploration uncovers the emotional turmoil faced by his family and the intricate web of deception that ensued over 15 years.

Background of Patrick and Elizabeth Welsh

Patrick Welsh and Elizabeth Schenck, later Elizabeth Welsh, were high school sweethearts whose seemingly idyllic life together was marked by devotion and happiness. In 1964, their relationship blossomed, leading to marriage and the birth of two sons, Ted and Chris.

Elizabeth Welsh: "I think Pat may be alive." (02:04)

Patrick was characterized by friends and family as a "devoted husband and certainly a devoted father," embodying the image of a "fair-haired boy" who led a life of integrity.

Disappearance and Presumed Suicide

The family's life took a devastating turn in January 1983 when Patrick suddenly disappeared. On what was meant to be a routine evening, Patrick failed to return home, leaving behind a suicide note that shattered the family's sense of security.

Patrick Welsh: "Please tell the boys I will watch over them from heaven." (06:19)

Despite exhaustive searches by the FBI and local authorities, Patrick's body was never found, leading Elizabeth and their sons to mourn his loss, believing him to have taken his own life.

Life After Disappearance

Left to grapple with immense debt and the emotional scars of Patrick's disappearance, Elizabeth Welsh worked tirelessly to support her family. She rose to become the president of the Chamber of Commerce in Licking County, Ohio, exemplifying resilience and determination.

Elizabeth Welsh: "But because of Ted and Chris, I had no choice. There was nowhere to go." (08:12)

A Shocking Revelation

Fifteen years later, a startling development emerged when Elizabeth received a letter indicating that Patrick might still be alive. The letter demanded repayment of $56,000 in survivor benefits, revealing that Patrick had been living under the alias Tim Kingsbury.

Patrick Welsh: "I think Pat may be alive." (08:35)
Elizabeth Welsh: "He could never leave my brother and I behind." (05:00)

The Identity of Tim Kingsbury

Investigations led by Russ Mitchell and Harold Dow uncovered that Tim Kingsbury was, in fact, Patrick Welsh. Patrick had fabricated his identity to escape his past, integrating himself into the Galveston, Texas community by securing a position at the Galveston Historical Foundation and forming new relationships.

Harold Dow: "Tim Kingsbury developed a reputation as a local character." (12:12)

Despite his involvement in the community, suspicions arose when co-workers discovered forgeries in his possession, prompting Patrick to confess to his deception.

Patrick Welsh: "It's an incredible feeling." (15:59)

Community Reaction in Galveston

While some in Galveston remained forgiving, others felt deeply betrayed upon learning of Patrick's true identity. Notable figures, including Gerald Sullivan and Dr. Brent Maisel, expressed their feelings of being conned, highlighting the emotional and social impact of Patrick's actions.

Gerald Sullivan: "I conned me pretty good and I don't like it." (26:14)

Legal Proceedings and Confrontation

Patrick Welsh faced legal repercussions for his actions, including charges of insurance fraud and non-support. The episode poignantly captures the family's first confrontation with Patrick after his masquerade was exposed, revealing a complex mix of emotions—ranging from desperation for closure to a struggle for forgiveness.

Elizabeth Welsh: "He took our love, he took our trust." (33:45)
Patrick Welsh: "I did bad things. I tried to make something positive of my life." (35:50)

Final Verdict and Sentencing

In May 1998, Patrick pleaded no contest to his charges and was sentenced to four years in prison along with over $92,000 in fines. The courtroom moments underscored the lingering pain and quest for justice felt by Elizabeth and their sons.

Elizabeth Welsh: "Four years of prison and over $92,000 in fines. Is this ever going to be over for you?" (35:00)
Russ Mitchell: "Judgment day for Patrick Welsh." (25:02)

Conclusion and Impact

"False Identity" serves as a profound exploration of deception, trust, and the enduring quest for closure within a family torn apart by betrayal. The episode not only recounts Patrick's elaborate ruse but also sheds light on the resilience of those left behind, striving to rebuild their lives amidst unresolved grief and shattered illusions.

Elizabeth Welsh's journey from devastation to strength exemplifies the human spirit's capacity to overcome unimaginable challenges. Meanwhile, Patrick's actions offer a stark reminder of the far-reaching consequences of deceit, leaving an indelible mark on all involved.

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Notable Quotes with Attributions and Timestamps:

• Elizabeth Welsh: "I think Pat may be alive." (02:04)
• Patrick Welsh: "Please tell the boys I will watch over them from heaven." (06:19)
• Elizabeth Welsh: "But because of Ted and Chris, I had no choice. There was nowhere to go." (08:12)
• Patrick Welsh: "I think Pat may be alive." (08:35)
• Harold Dow: "Tim Kingsbury developed a reputation as a local character." (12:12)
• Gerald Sullivan: "I conned me pretty good and I don't like it." (26:14)
• Elizabeth Welsh: "He took our love, he took our trust." (33:45)
• Patrick Welsh: "I did bad things. I tried to make something positive of my life." (35:50)
• Elizabeth Welsh: "Four years of prison and over $92,000 in fines. Is this ever going to be over for you?" (35:00)
• Russ Mitchell: "Judgment day for Patrick Welsh." (25:02)

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the emotional and investigative journey of the 48 Hours episode "False Identity," providing listeners with an understanding of the complex dynamics at play in Patrick Welsh's disappearance and subsequent deception.

Transcript

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[Elizabeth Welsh]

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[Elizabeth Welsh]

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[Russ Mitchell]

48 hours. We take you there.

[Patrick Welsh]

We planned a life together forever.

[Russ Mitchell]

Pat and Elizabeth were high school sweethearts.

[Patrick Welsh]

We very much wanted to be married.

[Russ Mitchell]

They had two children, Ted and Chris.

[Patrick Welsh]

He's a devoted husband and certainly a devoted father.

[Russ Mitchell]

Their lives seemed picture perfect until dad suddenly bowed.

[Narrator]

The last thing I remember is waiting for him to come home at night.

[Russ Mitchell]

Then they found his suicide note.

[Patrick Welsh]

Please tell the boys I will watch over them from heaven.

[Russ Mitchell]

His family was sure he was dead.

[Narrator]

If he was alive, he would never be able to leave my brother and I behind.

[Russ Mitchell]

Now, after 15 hard years on their.

[Patrick Welsh]

Own, my first thought was, could this possibly be true?

[Russ Mitchell]

A stunning discovery.

[Patrick Welsh]

She called me and said, elizabeth, sit down.

[Russ Mitchell]

Russ Mitchell and Harold Dow investigate.

[Patrick Welsh]

I think Pat may be alive.

[Russ Mitchell]

Dad's double life. You're leading a perfectly normal life with a good job and a wonderful family, and things seem to be going along just fine. But then comes a problem. It hangs on you can't solve it. Truth is, after a while, you can't even face it. Then one day, suddenly and with no warning, you vanish. What if someone you thought you knew well, someone you depend on, someone you love, just disappears? That is precisely what happened to a devoted husband and father who became desperate for a way out, leaving those closest to him to wonder what really happened. Russ Mitchell begins to unravel the mystery of a dad's double life, a life that was once picture perfect.

[Patrick Welsh]

The spirit of the times was long blonde hair and Beach Boy music. And the future is all yours to take. And everything good is going to happen.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

In 1964, Elizabeth Schenck, a 16 year old schoolgirl, began dating a boy who would change her life forever. Patrick Hennessey Welch.

[Patrick Welsh]

Pat was the kind of person that would be characterized by anyone as a really good catch.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

And so Elizabeth Schenck became Elizabeth Welsh. Elizabeth, whose nickname is Peachy. And Pat had two sons.

[Patrick Welsh]

They are Ted, the kind of sons and Chris that a mother would pray for, let alone be proud of.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Tell me about those early days of your marriage. How would you describe them?

[Patrick Welsh]

Oh, my characterization would be they were very, very happy.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

And by all appearances, the Welshes were happy.

[Patrick Welsh]

I would have to characterize him too as a devoted husband and certainly a devoted father. I mean, he was with those boys.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

But after a few years of marriage, there were money problems.

[Patrick Welsh]

I was totally blindsided by it.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Problems which Pat had kept secret from Peachy.

[Patrick Welsh]

We had been on a vacation and he was very distraught and it was hard to get him to stand still to tell me what the problem was.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

The problem was Pat had stolen $23,000 from Ohio State University.

[Patrick Welsh]

That was out of the blue, where.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

He worked as a fundraiser and out of character.

[Patrick Welsh]

As far as I was concerned and as far as everyone that knew Pat Welch was concerned, he was the fair haired boy.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

In 1980, Welsh was convicted of embezzlement, sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to pay restitution.

[Patrick Welsh]

It had been difficult to try to explain to the boys. They had to understand that their dad had done something that wasn't right and he was making that better.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

For over two years, Pat did try to make things better.

[Patrick Welsh]

In a wedding anniversary card that he gave me, slipped a note which said, things will be better. We'll be Pat and Peachy again. Just relax and trust me.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

And I believe that until January 21.

[Patrick Welsh]

1983, we had made an agreement to meet up at my father's house that evening for dinner. Pat owed my father some money and he was going to repay it that night.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

But during dinner, Pat called from his office to say he wasn't going to.

[Patrick Welsh]

Make it and if it was all right with my father, he would repay him the money the next day and that I should go ahead and go home.

[Narrator]

The last thing I remember is waiting for him to come home at night and watching the snow fall and just waiting for his car.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

But Pat Welch never came back.

[Narrator]

I imagine that he probably ended up in a wreck or he was doing something else.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Ted Welch was only 10 years old.

[Narrator]

But he was going to be right back.

[Patrick Welsh]

He didn't appear on Friday Night and Saturday morning and Sunday.

[Narrator]

Everybody had always told me that he has to be dead.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Chris Welch, 23, was only 7.

[Narrator]

If he was alive, he would never be able to leave my brother and I behind.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Elizabeth, can you tell me what your reaction was when you got this letter?

[Patrick Welsh]

No. Fifteen years ago, I was devastated.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Five days after Pat disappeared, it was horrible. Elizabeth received a letter.

[Patrick Welsh]

I know you don't believe this now, but what you needed was freedom from my shadow, from my past and disgrace. The only way to give you that is through my death.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Overwhelmed with debt and humiliated by his past crime. I wish I could kiss you goodbye. Pat Welch told his wife of 14 years, please have my body cremated and not buried, that he had gone to San Francisco to commit suicide.

[Patrick Welsh]

Please tell the boys I will watch over them from heaven, that I love them very much and have the greatest hope for them. It was bad enough that Pat suddenly was gone, but then to receive this.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

And despite an exhaustive search by the FBI, local police, and the Welsh family, Pat's body was never found. With two young sons and a mortgage, Pat had left Elizabeth with few options.

[Patrick Welsh]

She didn't sleep. She didn't eat.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Claire Bailey is Elizabeth's sister.

[Patrick Welsh]

The anxiety that I saw in my sister's eyes, the fear that I saw in their little boy's eyes, the unnecessary and unjust guilt that my sister carried with her, thinking that there's something that she should have done to keep this from happening, was probably one of the hardest things for me to deal with.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Awash in Pat's bad debts, I found.

[Patrick Welsh]

Out that he hadn't been paying bills for a long time.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

And with only $250 in a savings.

[Patrick Welsh]

Account, I could not afford the house.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Elizabeth had to move her sons into this apartment.

[Patrick Welsh]

I had to give away their dog because I couldn't afford to keep the dog.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

And five years later, Pat was declared dead.

[Patrick Welsh]

If it would just have been me, I don't know where I would be today. I really don't. But because of Ted and Chris, I had no choice. There was nowhere to go. But.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

And that's exactly what Elizabeth Welch did.

[Narrator]

She worked her way up really fast.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Today she is president of the Chamber of Commerce in Licking County, Ohio.

[Patrick Welsh]

She had to excel, and she had to push herself in that envelope to be everything that she could be so that life would go on for her and for the boys.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

But 15 years after Elizabeth first read Pat's suicide note, a shocking revelation arrived in the mail.

[Patrick Welsh]

Zipped open the envelope and pulled out the form and read it and stood There in the middle of my living room and read it again. My first thought was, could this possibly be true? When we come back, I think Pat may be alive.

[Narrator]

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[Elizabeth Welsh]

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[Narrator]

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[Patrick Welsh]

I was the one who had to provide the explanations for what was happening.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Five years after Pat Welch disappeared without a trace. As far as your were concerned, there was no reason for you to think that he was still alive. Elizabeth divorced her husband and had him declared dead.

[Patrick Welsh]

Doesn't seem like a lot to have when you think you're closing a chapter on someone's life, does it?

[Elizabeth Welsh]

She was then able to collect a small amount of life insurance.

[Patrick Welsh]

I couldn't replace a father in their lives so easily.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

And some Social Security survivor benefits for.

[Patrick Welsh]

Her sons, But I could try to make a life for them that meant something.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Little did she know those benefits would later provide the first clue to 15 years of lies and deception.

[Patrick Welsh]

My first thought was, could this possibly be true?

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Elizabeth received a shocking letter in the mail.

[Patrick Welsh]

The boys survivor benefits, partial survivor benefits that they had received would have to be paid back within 30 days because the number holder was alive. Actually, the terminology was not deceased.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

According to the government, Pat Welch was still alive.

[Patrick Welsh]

I was thinking, no, wait, Elizabeth.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

And they were demanding back their $56,000.

[Patrick Welsh]

Basically. I called Social Security and said, you know, what are you guys trying to do here?

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Sally Testa was an aide to Elizabeth's congressman at the time, John Casey.

[Patrick Welsh]

I mean, we did what we could.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

How could you not With Sally's help?

[Patrick Welsh]

I called a friend I have at the FBI.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Elizabeth was starting to grasp a difficult reality.

[Patrick Welsh]

She called me and said, elizabeth, sit down.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Someone named Tim Kingsbury.

[Patrick Welsh]

And I said, well, Sally, I'm sitting.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Who fit Pat Walsh's description.

[Patrick Welsh]

And she said, I think this could.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Be your husband was using his Social Security number.

[Patrick Welsh]

And you're thinking, what, Timothy Kingsbury? Who's this?

[Harold Dow]

In the winter of 1983, Patrick Welsh left his name and his past behind and pulled into Galveston, Texas, on a bus with just a few dollars in his pocket. Residents say Galveston is a friendly and forgiving city, Just the kind of place you might go if you wanted to reinvent your life.

[Russ Mitchell]

He was just a tenant at my mom's house here, and he worked for.

[Narrator]

My mom At Schlotzky's restaurant.

[Harold Dow]

Kevin Doherty was just a teenager when a stranger named Tim Kingsbury moved into his mother's boarding house. What'd you think of Tim?

[Narrator]

Nicest guy I ever met in my life.

[Harold Dow]

Kingsbury told Doherty and others that he was a student here at the Galveston branch of the University of Texas Medical School. Would it surprise you to know that we checked with the folks at the medical school and they said he was never enrolled there Very much so, because.

[Russ Mitchell]

I know his books were all there and he always seemed to be studying very diligently.

[Harold Dow]

It was the first of many deceptions as Tim Kingsbury slowly established himself in Galveston society. In his early years, he developed a reputation as a local character. Writing for a small newspaper, he wrote about learning to scuba dive, to sail and running a marathon, complete with photos of himself. Responding to a feature on Galveston's eligible bachelors, the man who had abandoned his wife and two sons wrote, can you imagine my surprise to find out I was not mentioned? For a man on the run, Kingsbury didn't act like a man with much to hide. Six months after his arrival, he was hired as a part time publicist for the prestigious Galveston Historical foundation, referred to as ghf. He was eventually appointed president. This is a recording of his acceptance speech.

[Narrator]

GHF is where I learned and grew professionally. It's through GHF that I fell in love in every sense of the.

[Harold Dow]

While working at the foundation, he met Ann Anderson, a woman from a prominent Galveston family. He moved into her waterfront home where they lived together for 10 years. Kingsbury eventually made his way into the inner circle of Galveston society, known as boi. Born on the island, he just was.

[Narrator]

A standout in helping the community and helping people.

[Harold Dow]

He became close with Ann's brother Vandy.

[Narrator]

Another beautiful sunrise on Galveston island this morning.

[Harold Dow]

Part owner of the local radio station.

[Narrator]

Vandy Anderson reporting KGBC News.

[Harold Dow]

Kingsbury later worked for him as general manager and reporter.

[Narrator]

This was Tim Kingsbury's office. He's done what I think a radio station manager should do, and that is to get involved in the community. These are various civic groups that he worked on and just some symbols of their appreciation for what he'd done.

[Harold Dow]

Kingsbury made other close friends, all prominent Galvestonians.

[Patrick Welsh]

The passion that he poured into getting the schools improved in our community, you know, matched my own, and I have little children.

[Harold Dow]

Jilla Lidstone works for the local school district.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

He didn't come in with a lot.

[Narrator]

Of flash, and I'm going to be in charge.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

He just gradually built his way into our hearts.

[Harold Dow]

Dr. Brent Maisel says Kingsbury was his best friend.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

I only know Tim Kingsbury. Don't know Patrick Welch.

[Harold Dow]

Gerald Sullivan, a businessman and cattle rancher.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

I can truthfully put my hand on a Bible and swear that I know of nothing bad about Tim Kingsbury.

[Harold Dow]

But even his friends had some suspicions along the way.

[Patrick Welsh]

I wondered when we were having the school bond election, what would make a young man with no children, who's not married get so involved.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

He never really talked about his family. And I thought, obviously something very onerous had happened in his life that was so horrible that there was no way he could discuss it. And again, I was one of his closest friends.

[Harold Dow]

But they didn't ask, and Kingsbury didn't tell.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

In Texas, there's an old saying, you.

[Narrator]

Don'T ask a man how many cattle he has.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

If he wants you to know, he'll tell you.

[Harold Dow]

For 13 years, he lived in Galveston, a pillar of the community. Then one day, late in the winter of 1996, everything started to unravel.

[Russ Mitchell]

We had a citizen who came to.

[Harold Dow]

Us, Mike Guarino, Galveston County District Attorney.

[Russ Mitchell]

He had seen certain things at the radio station, in the office of Tim Kingsbury. They looked funny.

[Harold Dow]

A co worker had come across forgeries.

[Russ Mitchell]

Some partially filled out Social Security cards, a birth certificate or two.

[Harold Dow]

Now, just after you had seized those fraudulent documents, did you have suspicions about him?

[Narrator]

Certainly.

[Harold Dow]

Did you think that maybe he wasn't Tim Kingsbury?

[Russ Mitchell]

Oh, absolutely.

[Harold Dow]

At that point, Kingsbury confessed everything to the DA and to his friends.

[Patrick Welsh]

It's devastating to hear that someone that you talk to just about every day has a whole other life that you didn't know about. It's. It's an incredible feeling.

[Harold Dow]

And maybe just as incredible, no one seemed to hold it against him.

[Patrick Welsh]

I don't blame Patrick Welsh. I don't know Patrick Welsh. We know Tim Kingsbury.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

We're not talking about a rapist, a mugger, a murderer. He wasn't that awful a person. I don't think that I've been deceived. I have many emotions, but being deceived.

[Russ Mitchell]

Is not one of them.

[Harold Dow]

What about Patrick Welsh's wife and children?

[Patrick Welsh]

I'm only in a position to judge what he's done here, and that's been remarkable.

[Narrator]

They should have had those 15 years, they'll say. And they're right. I mean, they. They missed out kids, missed out family, community.

[Patrick Welsh]

I guess I really don't blame his.

[Narrator]

Wife for being angry.

[Harold Dow]

Gerald Sullivan's wife, Suzanne.

[Patrick Welsh]

He has suffered. I mean, he's had his own hell these 15 years.

[Harold Dow]

Why are you so willing to forgive? I guess that's the question. You all here in this room are willing to forgive him for the deception.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

He didn't hurt us. How did he hurt us? I mean, all he ever did here was good. There's no reason not to forgive him.

[Harold Dow]

Would you accept him back here?

[Narrator]

In a heartbeat. In a heartbeat.

[Russ Mitchell]

No question about it.

[Harold Dow]

He faked his own death to his wife and his children for 15 years. They thought he was dead.

[Narrator]

To do that kind of thing, to.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Leave every single thing you ever, ever had behind, everybody you knew behind, and get on a bus penniless and just ride to the end of the line, is an act either of incredible cowardice or incredible bravery born out of desperation.

[Harold Dow]

Which do you think it was?

[Russ Mitchell]

I think it was bravery born out of desperation.

[Harold Dow]

Kingsbury pleaded guilty to forgery and got four years probation along with a $2,000 fine. But word of his false identity never got out into the community, never made the newspapers, never made the local news.

[Narrator]

I think it is out of respect for Tim that people didn't gossip and didn't talk.

[Russ Mitchell]

People in the courthouse knew.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

People in the probation office knew. Lots of people knew. But they saw no need to rub Tim's nose in the dirt.

[Harold Dow]

And Patrick Welsh was allowed to continue his life in Galveston as Tim Kingsbury. But because of the forgery conviction, he had to use his old Social Security number, triggering a chain of events in Ohio that would ultimately lead to his arrest.

[Russ Mitchell]

Jim, you have anything to say before you leave Galveston?

[Harold Dow]

And the model citizen left Galveston in handcuffs.

[Narrator]

Coming up, it's too simple to say, why did you do it?

[Russ Mitchell]

Patrick Welch faces his family.

[Narrator]

I had questions for him.

[Russ Mitchell]

For the first time in 15 years.

[Patrick Welsh]

It really is like someone coming back from the dead.

[Russ Mitchell]

And Elizabeth seeks justice.

[Patrick Welsh]

Some people follow the rules, but where's the fun in that?

[Narrator]

I'm Soraya, and this is Rule breakers, the podcast where we celebrate the rebels.

[Patrick Welsh]

The misfits, and the ones who make their own way.

[Narrator]

Every week, I sit down with the biggest rule breakers in sports, entertainment, and beyond to talk about the wildest moments.

[Patrick Welsh]

Toughest lessons, and why breaking the rules.

[Narrator]

Might just be the key to success. Follow and listen to Rule breakers with Saraya, an Odyssey podcast available now for free on the Odyssey app and wherever you get your podcasts. Attention to terminal facing a sky cab.

[Russ Mitchell]

With one electric cart. B12.

[Patrick Welsh]

I don't have a sense of anger in this, but I do have a very strong sense of justice.

[Narrator]

Mr. Welsh, why did you fake your own death?

[Patrick Welsh]

I know that if this were any other person.

[Narrator]

Mr. Welsh, is it really bad?

[Patrick Welsh]

Other than Patrick Welsh.

[Narrator]

I'm glad to be maybe getting this thing behind you.

[Patrick Welsh]

Charming, articulate, handsome man.

[Narrator]

Do you have anything to say to your ex wife and your two sons who haven't seen you in the last 15 years?

[Patrick Welsh]

That person already would have been behind bars.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

When Elizabeth Welsh discovered her ex husband was alive and well, she had a difficult decision to make.

[Patrick Welsh]

How far was I willing to make another exception for Pat?

[Narrator]

It's too simple to say, why did you do it?

[Patrick Welsh]

And can I turn to my sons and say, you were disposable people?

[Narrator]

I wanted to know who I was.

[Patrick Welsh]

It's okay, because look at all the good he's done in Galveston.

[Narrator]

I had questions for him.

[Patrick Welsh]

This is wrong.

[Narrator]

Where did he go wrong?

[Elizabeth Welsh]

For the sake of her children, where.

[Narrator]

Could I go right.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Elizabeth pursued the man who had faked his own death and abandoned the man 15 years earlier.

[Patrick Welsh]

I sent him an email to the attention of Tim Kingsbury. I know. Call me.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

When that didn't work, did you hear back from him?

[Patrick Welsh]

No.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

She went to Galveston without Pat knowing. What did you see?

[Patrick Welsh]

A very comfortable lifestyle, a very visible.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Person with a Ford Explorer and a convertible in the driveway of his waterfront home.

[Patrick Welsh]

Certainly a better style of life than he had provided for Ted and Chris. She came home from her Galveston trip and said, you know what?

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Elizabeth's sister Claire, while the boys and.

[Patrick Welsh]

I ate macaroni and cheese, Pat's been drinking margaritas.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Did that make you angry?

[Patrick Welsh]

It amazed me. It absolutely amazed me.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Elizabeth felt she had no choice but to call the authorities and have him brought back to Ohio.

[Patrick Welsh]

It really is like someone coming back from the dead in bringing mystery with them.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

On January 31, 1998, this is the.

[Russ Mitchell]

State of Ohio v. Patrick Kennedy Welsh.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Almost 15 years to the day he left his home and family, a motion.

[Russ Mitchell]

Was filed for a reduction in bond.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Patrick Welsh was arrested and charged with insurance fraud and non support of his two sons.

[Russ Mitchell]

This is not a situation where people have been harmed, where anybody has been killed.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

His defense attorney, Sam Weiner, is trying to get his $300,000 bond reduced.

[Russ Mitchell]

This man is really no threat to society and certainly no threat to leave.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

The jurisdiction so he can be released to his girlfriend, Ann Anderson, and wait out his trial back in Galveston.

[Russ Mitchell]

Mr. Becker, when he asked to be released from bond, what he's saying is, trust me.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Bob Becker is the Licking County District Attorney.

[Russ Mitchell]

I understand this is not a murder case, but I do Take strong exception to Mr. Ryder's characterization of this case as one without victims. There are, in fact, real victims in this case who have suffered real harm. The motion for reduction in bond is denied.

[Narrator]

Clear the hallway, please. When this whole thing's over, I may never see him again. I will never know that until it's over.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

So even though you see him now in shackles and in prison gear, at least you get to see him.

[Narrator]

That's correct. I have a father. For this brief moment, with Pat Welch.

[Patrick Welsh]

Sitting in jail, angry, I'm not nervous.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Unable to run from his problems this.

[Patrick Welsh]

Time, I'm here to see what he has in terms of plans for his future.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Elizabeth and her sons finally had a chance to confront him face to face for the first time in 15 years.

[Patrick Welsh]

Not our future, but his future as it still affects something that for him, became a liability and for me, became the greatest assets. Our kids.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

What do you think he wants Out. Out of jail.

[Patrick Welsh]

Out of jail.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

30 minutes later.

[Patrick Welsh]

That was different. He said right off the top he was sorry. I didn't believe him. Just like pressing charges, I had to press him to think about the reality of what he's facing now and. And that he can't just fantasize about returning to Galveston.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

What was it like the moment you walked into that jail and saw him?

[Narrator]

It was a lot like looking into a mirror. We mimicked each other almost. He said, I love you, and I said, take care of yourself. I'm gonna go hide.

[Patrick Welsh]

I brought up the boys. It was clearly painful for him.

[Narrator]

I expressed to him that he really needs to show some sort of admission to. To his family, to my mother, to my brother, and to me that he has indeed done us wrong.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

When he told you that he loved you, did you believe him?

[Narrator]

I don't know. I wanted to, but I don't know if I can trust him. More important than words are the actions. He can say he's sorry, but he has to show me he's sorry. And he has yet to do that.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Pat Welch pleads no contest to eight felony and four misdemeanor counts of fraud and non support. So he not only needs his family's forgiveness.

[Russ Mitchell]

Mr. Welch, do you agree with the facts as has been stated by the prosecutor?

[Narrator]

Yes, your honor.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

He's also at the mercy of the court.

[Russ Mitchell]

Are you entering the pleas or changing.

[Narrator]

Your pleas freely and voluntarily, knowing what your rights are? Yes, you, Honor.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Coming up.

[Russ Mitchell]

You have no conscience. Your acts were cowardly, and they were criminal.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Judgment day for Patrick Welsh.

[Russ Mitchell]

For that, you will be punished. But first, you'd have to lift up a low rock in a wet place to find anybody as sorry as he is.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

The tide turns in Galveston.

[Russ Mitchell]

How did Patrick Welch, a father who disappeared, manage to outrun his past for so long? Maybe it's because some of the people who got to know him in his new life, alias Tim Kingsbury, simply wanted to believe the best about people. Or maybe they just didn't want to know the worst. However it happened, now, after 15 years, a dad's double life is finally catching up with him. Here again is Harold Dow in Galveston, where they are changing their tune.

[Harold Dow]

While Patrick Welsh sits in an Ohio jail. Back in Galveston, the tide of public support has begun to turn against him.

[Russ Mitchell]

I think he's probably one of the great con men of all times.

[Harold Dow]

AR Swartz is known to everyone here as Babe.

[Russ Mitchell]

I think embezzlers, con men, forgers, liars, cheats and thieves ought to do hard time when they're caught.

[Harold Dow]

As majority owner of the local radio station, Swartz hired Patrick Welsh, alias Tim Kingsbury, as general manager.

[Russ Mitchell]

In his application, he said he was single, said he had no children, and he gave his name and he gave a fictitious Social Security number.

[Harold Dow]

Schwartz, a former state senator, admits he's one of many people in Galveston who got duped by Welsh.

[Russ Mitchell]

He conned me pretty good and I don't like it. I don't like being conned. I don't like being that stupid.

[Harold Dow]

And Schwartz says the Galveston County District Attorney, Mike Guarino, was also conned.

[Russ Mitchell]

I have written to district attorney and I've told him he got conned, too.

[Harold Dow]

Even though Guarino charged Welsh with forgery and knew that this well known public figure was living a lie, he never announced that accusation publicly. This man goes before the court, goes before the District attorney. How come nobody in the community knows about this?

[Russ Mitchell]

I don't know. If it had been some kid that jerked four hubcaps off a car, it would have been in the newspaper.

[Harold Dow]

Some people thought the District Attorney should have called a press conference, should have had his picture plastered out there for the entire community to see. What's your response to that?

[Russ Mitchell]

The District attorney is not a publicist or the town crier, so to speak. He's the prosecutor and he's got to.

[Harold Dow]

Prosecute the case, which Guarino says he did right by the book.

[Russ Mitchell]

We really didn't handle it any differently than we would have handled, you know, a forgery case of this nature.

[Harold Dow]

He admits he knew about Welsh's abandoned family in Ohio. Did you know he was married with children?

[Russ Mitchell]

Yes, we did know because he told us he had walked away from a family. We had no current information on them or their whereabouts.

[Harold Dow]

But at the court hearing to determine Welsh's sentence, Guarino never informed the judge about Elizabeth and their two sons.

[Russ Mitchell]

Judge Carmona, the district judge got conned. Never in his lifetime would he have given Patrick Welsh probation had he known that Patrick Welsh abandoned his wife and children.

[Harold Dow]

District Court Judge Frank Carmona confirmed to 48 Hours that he was not told about Welsh's family. Guarino says he never brought it up because it was not a legal issue relevant to the forgery case. Did you feel it was your responsibility to try to seek out and locate the wife, the children of Patrick Welsh?

[Russ Mitchell]

No, at the time, we did not. We did not think about it. We had notified all the agencies that we thought were proper, including the Ohio side of the equation. We thought they would seek them out, but we really didn't think about it. Hindsight's 20 20. I'd probably do it today. He's not admitted publicly that he was con like the rest of us, but he should.

[Harold Dow]

But Swartz is far more upset at his partner, Vandy Anderson, co owner of the radio station and brother of Kingsbury's girlfriend.

[Russ Mitchell]

I put it all on his back because he knew every bit of it.

[Harold Dow]

Vandy was on the air.

[Russ Mitchell]

Vandy was on the air every day.

[Harold Dow]

Swartz believes Anderson had an obligation as a news reporter to inform the public.

[Russ Mitchell]

Vandy Anderson should have come out here and said, Tim Kingsbury has been convicted of his second felon at the courthouse today.

[Harold Dow]

You think he should have went on the air and said that?

[Russ Mitchell]

Absolutely. If he goes on the air and gives the news, that's news.

[Harold Dow]

Because of that, Swartz fired Anderson as news broadcaster. According to Babe, this man known as Tim Kingsbury conned you, conned your sister, conned everybody, sure. Do you feel like you've been conned?

[Narrator]

No, not at all.

[Harold Dow]

Anderson's sister Ann remains loyal to him as well.

[Narrator]

She supports him 100%. I think they'll be together the rest of their lives.

[Harold Dow]

Do you think he conned your sister?

[Narrator]

No. I think we all knew that there was a past and we just didn't want to know what it was.

[Harold Dow]

Ann Anderson declined our request for an interview.

[Russ Mitchell]

If this guy had conned my sister, my first inclination would be to beat the hell out of him.

[Narrator]

What we know him as is a good person. If he did something years ago that was bad, he's made up for that, I think in his own life, I hope so. And that's how we know him.

[Harold Dow]

But as the story unfolds, others in Galveston aren't so forgiving.

[Russ Mitchell]

The guy belongs in orange jumpsuit. I guarantee you, two years in the general prison population will make a brand new man out of him.

[Harold Dow]

Doug McLeod, chairman of Moody Gardens, a top tourist attraction, worked with Kingsbury and various civic groups.

[Russ Mitchell]

This guy was in fact nicknamed the Amazing Tim. That's understandable. Now, because he gained this trust, everyone felt like this guy was the most trustworthy person in the world.

[Harold Dow]

McLeod believed the people of Galveston are wiser from the whole experience. If a new person came to town tomorrow and donated a lot of time to community efforts, do you think he'd still check him out?

[Narrator]

I think.

[Harold Dow]

I think I know the answer to this.

[Russ Mitchell]

Just ahead, Elizabeth Walsh wishes to make a statement.

[Patrick Welsh]

Thank you. Your Honor.

[Russ Mitchell]

The public confrontation every Father's Day for.

[Patrick Welsh]

The past 15 years was stolen from the lives of your sons.

[Russ Mitchell]

What will be the punishment for Patrick Welch's deception?

[Elizabeth Welsh]

You're telling me you're not angry at this man?

[Patrick Welsh]

I'm not angry with this man.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Not even a little bit?

[Patrick Welsh]

I don't believe so.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

It's been seven months since Patrick Welsh was brought back from the dead.

[Patrick Welsh]

He has chosen to his course, and I have chosen mine. And today I feel that I have done the right thing for my sons.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Judgment day for the charges of non support and insurance fraud.

[Patrick Welsh]

Pat maintains that he believes he did the right thing when he deserted us.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Besides facing his punishment.

[Russ Mitchell]

This is the State of Ohio vs. Patrick Kennedy Welsh.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Pat Welch must also face his family, including his own father. Elizabeth Welsh comes to court with a new look and new determination that what she did was right.

[Russ Mitchell]

Today's date is May 21, 1998. We're here today for the purposes of sentencing. I've made it clear from the beginning.

[Narrator]

That I believe a term in prison.

[Russ Mitchell]

Is appropriate in this case. Seems to me this is this man's third felony conviction. For that fact alone, he ought to go to prison.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Welsh has pleaded no contest.

[Russ Mitchell]

This court finds that the defendant is.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Guilty as charged and will be sentenced by Judge Gregory Frost.

[Russ Mitchell]

Coming now the matter of sentence. But first, the court has been informed that Elizabeth Welsh wishes to make a statement. And also Christopher, I believe, wishes to make a statement. Ms. Welsh?

[Patrick Welsh]

Thank you, you, Honor. Pat, you started on this sad journey by stealing money from Ohio State University, from your father and from mine. You took our love, you took our trust, you took our innocence, our home and any hope we had for a normal life. Every trip to Colorado, every South Padre island vacation, every Christmas, every Easter, every Fourth of July, every Father's Day for the past 15 years was stolen from the lives of your sons. Instead of being a father that they can respect and emulate, you are a 50 year old kept man. And what was I to make of your last letters to me? Do you remember what you wrote? You are my light and my deepest love. You know how much I treasure life. I treasure you and your future more. You know how much you are a part of me. So I hope you know that a part of me will live on. Know that there was no one on earth that I cherished more. But you did cherish some, Pat. And that person was you. I'm sorry for you, Pat.

[Russ Mitchell]

Christopher, do you wish to make a statement?

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Russ Mitchell]

Come forward.

[Narrator]

How can you turn your back on a family that loves you? How can you in one breath say you love somebody and then turn your back and run? How, for 15 years, can you never call your sons and say hello? How can you look me in the eye right now? I hope you'd think about this and maybe give me some sort of reply.

[Russ Mitchell]

Finally, Mr. Welsh, is there anything you wish to say before the court pronounces sentence in this matter?

[Narrator]

Yes, you, Honor.

[Russ Mitchell]

You may proceed.

[Narrator]

Ted and Chris, I love you deeply. I really do. The great sadness of my life is that because of what I've done, you may never know how much I love you or how much I missed you. Peachy. I'm sorry. You did a wonderful job with the boys. I'm sorry for what I've done and I'm ready to continue my punishment. Thanks.

[Russ Mitchell]

Thank you, Mr. Welch.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

And finally, with Elizabeth, Chris and Pat's.

[Russ Mitchell]

Father, Richard, watching, you have no conscience. Your acts were cowardly and they were criminal. His sentence for that, you will be punished. You therefore have a total sentence to be served of four years at the Orient Correctional Receiving Center. There is restitution to be made and you will pay every penny of that.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Four years of prison and over $92,000 in fines. Is this ever going to be over for you?

[Patrick Welsh]

It doesn't come to closure, exactly, but this part of it does. The hurtful part of it that involved deception, betrayal, hardship is done. It's done now. It gets settled, the debts get paid, and we all go on.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Next.

[Narrator]

I know I did bad things. I know I did terrible things.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Pat Welch tells his side of the story.

[Narrator]

I need to explain that I never stopped being a loving father. I know I did bad things. I know I did terrible things, but I tried once and for all to make something positive of my life in Galveston.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Patrick Walsh has never spoken publicly about his disappearance.

[Narrator]

I need to explain that I never stopped being a loving father until now. I did this thing to make life better for my boys without having to live under the shadow of this criminal who was Pat Welch.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

We've seen pictures of you with the boys, and you look so happy. You look like the model dad. What happens to a guy? How do you go from that to doing what you did?

[Narrator]

I mean, it was very, very vivid in my mind when it happened. I had told Elizabeth that I was going to pay her father back money that I didn't have.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

That was January 21, 1983, the day Pat Walsh disappeared.

[Narrator]

I thought there was some way I could get that money. And when I couldn't get that money, I knew that what was going to ensue was just. Just the disintegration of everything. And I said, this is it. This is the moment that I have to just go kill myself.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Did you really intend to kill yourself?

[Narrator]

Absolutely. Absolutely. I went to the edge of the pier. I was a bad person to myself. I thought they would eventually be happy to have been rid of that bad person. In the end. I couldn't face that at the last second. You can't say you're sorry for killing yourself.

[Patrick Welsh]

The person that I just saw in those tapes was acting.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

48 hours showed Pat's interview.

[Narrator]

I did a bad thing to Elizabeth and her sons.

[Patrick Welsh]

My interpretation was that he was acting the part of someone who was supposed to be contrite, who dearly loved his sons and was really trying to do the right thing by them.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

How did you come up with the name Tim Kingsbury?

[Narrator]

Looked in a newspaper for someone who was born about that time.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Really just looked in the newspaper, saw this name, said, that sounds good. Why Texas.

[Narrator]

Far away? I've never known anyone from Ohio who'd ever gone to Texas, couldn't afford to go to the east coast or to California.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Texas, you say you did this for your family. What did you think was going to happen? How did you think they were going to get by?

[Narrator]

I knew that my family had the resources to take care of the boys. I knew that Elizabeth was beautiful and talented and someone else would come into her life and become a new father for the boys.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

But that's not how things worked out.

[Narrator]

I'm lucky that I had a lot of books to read and I had Chris and my mom and Aunt Claire around, and he. We never did find another dad?

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Did you like being a husband and father?

[Narrator]

Oh, sure, sure. That was absolutely wonderful. Trust. There's no trust there whatsoever. I mean, I cannot trust this man at all. And I do not trust anything he Sundays.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

In those 15 years, how often did you think about the boys?

[Narrator]

Every day.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Every day?

[Narrator]

Every day? Every day.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Why not just pick up the phone and call? Hi. Just wanted you to know I'm alive. I'm here. I did this for this reason, that reason, whatever, but I'm here. If it was bothering you so much, why couldn't you do that?

[Narrator]

I thought about picking up the phone and calling him. Those are the times when you would say, the price I'm paying is not knowing. And I'm going to pay that price today.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Let me just make sure I understand this. But you thought you were punishing yourself by not picking up the phone and calling them.

[Narrator]

Exactly. I mean, it's certainly wouldn't have brought them any joy.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

You know what they told me when I first met them? I was so happy I had a dad.

[Narrator]

Oh, good.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

My father is still alive. So maybe if you picked up the phone, it wouldn't have been as bad as you thought.

[Narrator]

Thanks for telling me that.

[Patrick Welsh]

I keep thinking, how can he say these things and keep a straight face?

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Would you like to have a relationship with Ted and Chris?

[Narrator]

Absolutely. I want it desperately. I know I don't deserve it. I know it's on their terms. But when that day comes, I hope it does come. When that day comes, I hope it's pure and simple that when they see me, they're glad.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

But since Pat Walsh's sentencing, Ted and Chris say their father has not contacted them.

[Narrator]

He's obviously erased my brother and I from his lives.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

What do you owe the boys? What do you think you owe the boys?

[Narrator]

Game of catch. Game of catch. He can't even say he's a father. There's nothing behind those words.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

Despite his four year sentence, I'll pay my debt. Pat Walsh is likely to be released in a few months and I'll make.

[Narrator]

A contribution to this world and plans.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

On returning to Galveston as Tim or as Pat.

[Narrator]

As Pat. I mean, as. There's no charade anymore. It's my name.

[Elizabeth Welsh]

I gotta tell you, Elizabeth has been very gracious when it comes to you.

[Narrator]

She's a better person than I am. She really is. I don't know why I would expect anything else. In 1999, Patrick Welsh was released from prison. He spent a year behind bars.