"Tom Hughes" hours before his death
Real Name: Unknown (at time of broadcast)
Aliases: Thomas Hughes, Tom Hughes, Thomas Granger
Location: Danbury, Connecticut
Date: February 1992
Case[]
Details: Police are searching for the identity of a deceased con-man who called himself, "Tom Hughes". Just before 9am on February 11, 1992, Tom went under cardiac arrest at a hospital in Danbury, Connecticut. For ninety minutes, doctors worked to revive him, but were unsuccessful. When they tried to contact his wife, they discovered that her name and phone number were fake. Also fake were Tom's social security number, address, employer, and name.
Among his possessions were a receipt from a hospital in California and bus ticket stub from Pennsylvania to Connecticut. With these clues, authorities soon uncovered Tom's bizarre fraud scheme. Up to his death, he had practically been a professional hospital patient. Tom would stay in a hospital for three to seven days before sneaking out and leaving his bills unpaid. He was apparently traveling the country from California to Rhode Island, spending time in various hospitals along the way.
He had made sixteen phone calls before he died. All of the calls were to various attorneys. It is believed that he was planning to file lawsuits against companies for his injuries. He may have also tried to borrow money from them for traveling.
Authorities believe that he took painkillers at the various hospitals that he visited. The large amounts of painkillers may have led to his death. They are hoping to determine his true identity.
Extra Notes: This case first aired on the February 10, 1993 episode.
Results: Solved. Viewers recognized him and positively identified him as a man named Thomas Patrick White. White apparently had Munchausen Syndrome; this is a condition in which a healthy person seeks constant medical attention.
Links:
- More Hospitals Recognize Mystery Patient - February 26, 1992
- Tom Hughes on Find a Grave