Quote From: farbotnikHello Benjaman,
Since I saw you on the show the other day, I can't stop thinking about your situation. I'm not a detective or anything like that; just your average stay-at-home mom. I do a lot of genealogical research so I'm fairly good at solving mysteries though I've never had one like yours before.
The following is a list of questions/ thoughts/ suggestions which came to mind as I brain-stormed possible avenues to investigate. You may have already tried some of these things but I hope that some may be new ideas and I also hope that the Dr. Phil show will help you financially with exploring these options.
Best of luck to you and I'll keep you in my prayers that you discover your true identity soon.
Sincerely,
Alida
1. Have you taken an aptitude test to determine if you have any special skills or training that may give more clues to your possible profession? Do you speak any other languages? Do you think you may have ever travelled abroad?
2. Have you considered DNA testing to determine your surname? This is becoming more popular in genealogical research.
3. Have you ever been, or would you considering being, hypnotized?
4. Would you speak with a psychic who's successfully worked with police previously?
5. Do you know how to drive a car? If yes: Both automatic and manual? Do you have any specific memories of driving a particular type of car or truck?
6. If you do recall driving, has anyone tried facial recognition software with your photo against drivers' license photos in Colorado and/ or Indiana?
7. Have you contacted the Catholic Charities office for Indianapolis and/ or Denver to see if they would distribute your photo among their churches and offices?
8. Have billboards been put up in the areas that you recall frequenting in Denver? What about local TV coverage in those areas?
9. Have flyers been distributed at local restaurants, post offices, etc. in Denver and Indianapolis?
10. What would it take to get your picture up on the big screens during major or minor sporting events in the Denver and/ or Indianapolis areas?
11. Election day is fast approaching and there are indications that this will be a record turn-out....have you thought of distributing flyers at voting sites in Denver and/ or Indianapolis?
12. Would it be possible to send a flyer to all state tax payers in CO and IN along with their tax forms?
13. Have you looked into placement of a banner type ad on popular websites such as: MySpace, FaceBook, YouTube, Google, Yahoo, DogPile, MSN, AltaVista, MetaCrawler, Ancestry, Classmates, Reunion etc. where you would have the best chance of getting your face in front of large numbers of people?
14. Have you tried to recall any so-called "flashbulb memories"? Such as:
Where were you and what were you doing on September 11th during the terrorist attacks?
Where were you and what were you doing when the space shuttle Challenger exploded?
Or when JFK was assassinated?
These things may not directly help you recall your identity but they may trigger important clues.
15. Do you have any thoughts as to why your clothes were taken? Do you think that they were significant to identifying you i.e. maybe you were wearing a uniform or very specific type of outfit like a priest or something?
16. Were there any police reports at the time you were found that would indicate anyone else was mugged or attacked in a similar fashion?
I think all of these are excellent questions, and great ideas. Unfortunately for many of them, we have to keep in mind that Ben has no income, so for example, a Google ad, costs money.
He might be able to get an aptitude with little or no cost.
DNA testing he would need to rely on others financially.
Hypnotizing was one of my first thoughts, it'd be real nice if any of them out there would be kind enough to offer the service FREE of charge. Perhaps the Dr. Phil show has already set tis up, which we'd know, if anyone was interested in updates.
Billboards and flyers, especially in Denver or far away from where Ben currently is, would cost. This is an area where the viewers of the Dr. Phil in those areas would be a HUGE help. A little bit of charity in posting flyers in these areas (Denver, Indianapolis) would be a huge help. Everyone who's on here commenting, who has a simple email address, could freely contribute by sending around BK's story, photo and info.
Pretty much everything that would help in Ben obtaining his identity would first start with funding. BK needs funding. Or at the least, some people will to help him solve his puzzle.
(Original Air Date: 10/16/08) Imagine waking up one day and having no recollection of anything or anyone. What would you do? Four years ago, that was the fate of a man who now calls himself Benjaman: Found beaten, naked and unconscious behind a Burger King in Georgia, Benjaman didn't even recognize himself in the mirror. Although he can't recall his past, what does Benjaman say he knows to be true about his life? Katherine, a nurse working at a health facility, took him in and is working tirelessly to help him discover his true identity. Dr. Phil put private investigator Harold Copus on the case. Did he determine Benjaman's true identity? Is Benjaman suffering from a severe case of amnesia? Dr. Barbara Knowlton, professor of psychology at UCLA and Dr. Frank Lawlis, chairman of the Dr. Phil advisory board, shed light on this condition. Then, meet Holly, who not only suffers from amnesia, but is also fighting another condition that has dramatically hindered her life. Find out how she has been able to move forward. Will the advice she offers Benjaman inspire him to keep putting one foot in front of the other? Tune in to see if you recognize Benjaman.
