Real Name: Unrevealed at broadcast
Case: Amnesia
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: January 20, 1991
Case
Details: On January 20, 1991, a young man was found wandering through the desert thirty miles outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. He wore three layers of clothing, carried no identification, and said he had been there for at least three days. Upon his discovery, he was rushed to the hospital and treated for exposure and dehydration. While there, he was diagnosed with psychogenic amnesia, a form caused by emotional trauma. The staff christened him "Tyler" and enrolled him in a state program to provide him with housing and employment. No missing person reports matched his description and his fingerprints weren't on record anywhere. Doctors found only two clues to his past life; evidence of hairline fractures on the knuckles of both hands and what they believed to be a gunshot wound on his right thigh. While talking with a fellow patient who had lived in San Diego, California, he got the odd feeling that he had lived there too. After being put under hypnosis, he began to remember a lot about its beaches and military bases. As time went on, more and more of his past abilities began to come back. Despite not knowing his real name, he found he could dismantle and rebuild a car engine and had knowledge about scuba diving, martial arts, computer programming, and military aircraft. Though much of his knowledge suggested a military past, no record of anyone matching his description could be found by them.
Extra Notes: This case first aired on the October 2, 1991 episode.
Paul reuniting with his mother
Results: Solved. Before Tyler's case even aired, a man contacted the telecenter and said that he was his stepfather. His real name is Arthur Paul Beal. Paul (his preferred name) was married, had two children, and had lived in Boise, Idaho before losing his memory. A short time after contacting his mother and stepfather, Las Vegas police showed up at his apartment and arrested him for grand larceny. He was wanted in Boise for stealing a shipment of frozen food from a food supply company that he worked as a salesman for. He had gone to Las Vegas to sell it, but three weeks later, he and the food showed up in Boulder City. He was questioned by police and told about the potential charges against him if it wasn't returned to Boise. He said he would head there immediately, but three days later, he was discovered wandering aimlessly in the desert. Some believe he never had amnesia but faked it in order to avoid prosecution. After returning to Boise, he spent ninety days in jail for petty theft. According to relatives and associates of his, he suffered a heart attack in November 2007, leaving him in a minimally conscious state. Whether his amnesia was genuine or faked will possibly never be determined.
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