Real Name: Unknown at broadcast
Case: Amnesia
Location: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Date: July 13, 1994
Case[]
Details: On July 13, 1994, a transient named Steve was walking along a stretch of road near Cheyenne, Wyoming, when he heard moaning sounds coming from a ditch. He discovered a battered and shivering man, barely conscious, mumbling the names "Pat, Joel, Chris". He had several bruises on the back of his head and marks on his wrist. All he was carrying was a comb and twenty-three cents. Steve covered him with a blanket and asked for his name, but he couldn't remember it or anything else.
Steve took him to a homeless shelter where he was named "Pat Brown" after one of the names that he was mumbling. After he cleaned himself up, he went to the local police station to see if anyone had reported him missing, but nobody had. The officer did notice that he had a callus on his ring finger, suggesting that he had been married.
Without identification, he was unable to find a job in Cheyenne. He eventually found a job at a newspaper in Jackson Hole, 450 miles away. While there, he recalled the date "December 31, 1949" which he believed was his birth date. However, Social Security services could not help. A local attorney has taken the case to try and uncover his true identity.
Some clues have surfaced from his hazy memory. He had a recurring dream in which he is in an outdoor shower at a campground when a twelve-year-old boy walks up to him and says "Dad, Mom needs you to help Chris," and he responded, "Okay, Joel, tell her I'll be right there," He believes his wife actually might be named Pat and that their two sons are named Chris and Joel. Those three names were the ones that he was saying when he was found.
He has also discovered that he is good with numbers; in fact, he was able to type numbers into an adding machine without using the keys. He suspects that he may have had an accounting background. He understands how to read the stock pages in the Wall Street Journal. When he saw a movie filmed in Chicago, he was certain that he had been there, may have lived there, and had clues to his past there. However, he was unable to fly there without proper identification. Finally, when he went to a Catholic mass, he knew all of the prayers and responses.
Despite the clues, he has been unable to locate his identity. Recently, he has started going to a popular Jackson Hole tourist stop, hoping that someone visiting may recognize him.
Extra Notes:
- This case first aired on the April 10, 1998 episode.
- A similar amnesia case is Tyler Doe.
- This case was excluded from the FilmRise release of the Robert Stack episodes.
Carl Broadnik reunited with his wife
Results: Solved. Pat has been identified as Carl Broadnik of Indianapolis, Indiana, after his family saw him and contacted the telecenter. His wife and sons (who indeed were named Pat, Chris, and Joel) flew to Wyoming to be reunited with him. Surprisingly, it was also revealed that Broadnik had been wanted for embezzling from a former employer. He had vanished on July 8, 1994, before police could arrest him. This occurred just five days before he turned up in Wyoming.
After his reunion, Broadnik returned to Indiana and pleaded guilty to the charges. He paid for the embezzled money and was put on probation. He claims to have no memory of the crime.
Links:
- Pat Brown on Unsolved Archive
- Missing Man Wanted On Felony Warrants - April 13, 1998
- Wyoming man claims amnesia in Indiana embezzlement -
- Wanted man will return to Indiana - April 16, 1998
- Apparent amnesiac to face charges from prior life - April 17, 1998
- Man admits crime he claims he can't recall -
- SitcomsOnline Discussion