Crime & Justice
Man Found Behind Burger King Had No Identity for 21 Years
The Why Files
Parallel Universes Are Real — And People Fall Into Them
What was said
"For 21 years, 1983 to 2004, a stretch where William Powell simply isn't anywhere. No job, no address, no record. Not one witness who can place him."
William Burgess Powell, discovered naked and near death behind a Burger King in 2004 with total amnesia, lived 11 years without legal identity before DNA genealogy revealed his name. Investigators later uncovered a suspicious 21-year gap in his records from 1983 to 2004, with no employment, address, or documentation. A 2026 documentary alleged he may have worked for organized crime or intelligence agencies and that his amnesia may have been fabricated.
Verification status
Attributed speaker claim
Egleze verified who said this and where. The underlying claim has not been independently established by Egleze.
Source and context
Egleze verified who said this and where. The underlying claim has not been independently established by Egleze.
- Programme
- The Why Files
- Episode
- Parallel Universes Are Real — And People Fall Into Them
- Clip time
- 35:33
- Original source
- Watch the source segment →
From this episode
The Why Files