Dad's Double Life | Full Episode

Overview

The episode reconstructs the case of Patrick “Pat” Welsh, a devoted husband and father whose disappearance in 1983 was believed to be a suicide after he left an emotional note to his wife, Elizabeth. Fifteen years later, investigators and authorities reveal he had survived—and had been living under a different identity.

Disappearance and Assumed Suicide

• Pat Welsh vanished on January 21, 1983, after arranging to repay money owed to Elizabeth’s father.
• His family found a suicide note stating Elizabeth needed “freedom” through his death, asking that his body be cremated, and telling the boys he would “watch over them from heaven.”
• Despite extensive searches by the FBI, local police, and the family, his body was never found.
• Pat was ultimately declared dead. Elizabeth divorced him and relied on limited benefits and insurance.

Hidden Financial Crime Before the Disappearance

• Before he disappeared, Pat concealed major financial trouble. In the early 1980s, he embezzled $23,000 from Ohio State University, where he worked as a fundraiser.
• In 1980, he was convicted of embezzlement and ordered to pay restitution.
• Elizabeth describes him as appearing happy and supportive of the boys—until money problems surfaced.
• The program portrays the disappearance as linked to debt, humiliation, and an alleged decision point where he believed life would “disintegrate” for the family if the money issue came to full light.

The “Double Life” Discovery in Ohio

• The first concrete clue comes through Social Security:
  • Survivor benefits previously paid to the family were flagged for repayment because Pat—under his original Social Security number—was not marked deceased (the government listed him as still alive).
• Elizabeth’s political aide/connections help trigger renewed scrutiny, leading to a match:
  • A man using Pat’s Social Security number in Texas could be her husband.
• This revelation forces Elizabeth and her family to confront that the suicide story—and years of closure—were based on deception.

Identity in Texas: “Tim Kingsbury” in Galveston

Pat Welsh allegedly reinvented himself as Timothy/“Tim” Kingsbury, arriving in Galveston, Texas, in late 1983 with little money.

He ingratiated himself into civic and media circles:

• Wrote for a newspaper and cultivated a “local character” image (public hobbies, community involvement).
• Became associated with the Galveston Historical Foundation and formed relationships with prominent residents.
• Worked in local radio and was later tied to leadership/community roles, eventually becoming a trusted figure.

Residents and friends largely describe him as personable and civic-minded, while some express late suspicions (for example, that he avoided discussing family details).

Unraveling: Forgery and False Identity

• Around 1996, the Galveston County District Attorney and other authorities investigate suspected fraudulent documents found by coworkers at Kingsbury’s workplace (including partial Social Security cards and birth certificate records).
• Kingsbury allegedly confessed to the DA and friends.
• He pleaded guilty to forgery and received probation and a fine, but—critically—community news outlets reportedly did not widely publicize the false identity.
• Because Kingsbury was forced to continue using Pat’s original Social Security number, the Ohio benefits issue became the bridge that ultimately led back to his true identity.

Return to Ohio and Prosecution

In Ohio, Pat Welsh was arrested and charged with:

• Insurance fraud
• Non-support of his two sons (Ted and Chris)

The reporting includes conflict and criticism about how the forgery case was handled, and whether key information should have been communicated to Ohio authorities and/or the sentencing judge.

• Some Galveston figures argue the public should have known.
• The Texas district attorney defends his handling, stating that the family-abandonment details were not a legal issue in the forgery case.
• A bond motion to release him pending trial is denied, and he remains in custody.

Family Confrontation and Sentencing

• Elizabeth travels to face him, framing it as justice rather than anger.
• Pat maintains he “never stopped being a loving father.”
• He explains the suicide-note deception: he says he intended to kill himself but ultimately chose to live as Tim Kingsbury to “make life better,” believing others would care for the boys.

Despite his claims, the legal outcome is severe:

• He pleads no contest to eight felony and four misdemeanor counts involving fraud and non-support.
• He is sentenced to 4 years in prison, plus restitution and over $92,000 in fines.

Public Reaction in Galveston: Trust vs. Betrayal

After the truth surfaces, public opinion shifts:

• Some residents feel genuinely deceived, describing him as a “con man.”
• Others emphasize forgiveness and kindness, arguing that many chose not to probe his past and instead believed he was a good person.

The program contrasts the warm community perception (“Amazing Tim,” civic leader) with the harm done to the Ohio family.

Present “Resolution” and Lingering Rupture

• Elizabeth says she is choosing a path forward, while emphasizing the theft of 15 years from her sons’ lives.
• Ted and Chris remain deeply distrustful and say they have not received meaningful contact from him since his return.
• The show closes with Pat’s statements about wanting a relationship on his sons’ terms, and the family’s sense that the damage is ongoing despite the court’s closure.

Presenters or Contributors

• Rush Mitchell
• Harold Dow
• Clare Bailey (Elizabeth’s sister)
• Shelly Testa (aide to Congressman John Kasich)
• Timothy “Tim” Kingsbury / Patrick Welsh (subject of the case; appears via interview)
• Kevin Doherty (resident/teen who knew Kingsbury)
• Mike Guarino (Galveston County District Attorney)
• Judge Frank Carmona (District Judge)
• Sam Weiner (defense attorney)
• Bob Beck (Licking County District Attorney)
• Harold Dow (also listed earlier as presenter)
• Richard Welsh (Pat’s father; appears in courtroom context)
• Christopher Welsh (son)
• Elizabeth Welsh (wife/mother)
• A.R. Schwartz (“Babe”) (radio station owner who hired Kingsbury)
• Vandy Anderson (radio co-owner; Kingsbury’s close associate via community)
• Doug McCloud (chairman of Moody Gardens)
• Anne Anderson (Kingsbury’s partner/companion in Galveston)
• Dr. Brent Meisel (friend/acquaintance in Galveston)
• Gerald Sullivan and Suzanne Sullivan (businessman and spouse)
• Ann Anderson (appears as family member of Vandy; supports him)