Docuseries Probes Mystery Of Man Found Naked Behind Burger King Who Claimed Amnesia

In August 2004, a man was found unconscious, naked and bloodied behind a Burger King in Georgia. He told hospital staff he could not remember his identity and began calling himself Benjaman Kyle. For years his true past remained a mystery; in 2015 investigators identified him as William Burgess Powell, but many questions about his life between the 1980s and 2004 remain unsolved.

Filmmakers Take On The Case

Investigation Discovery premieres a four-part documentary, The Many Lives of Benjaman Kyle, on May 25. The series follows filmmakers Eric and Shannon Evangelista as they try to piece together decades of Powell's life and determine whether his claimed retrograde amnesia explains the long gap in his paper trail.

Key Leads And Expert Help

The Evangelistas consulted retired FBI assistant special agent Ken Maxwell, who helped surface a 1976 missing-persons report filed by Indiana State Police describing a man who fled Lafayette, Indiana, and abandoned a vehicle with its license plates removed. Maxwell also obtained medical records from the time Powell was found, which — he says — raise questions about the narrative that Powell was beaten and left beside a dumpster.

Benjaman Kyle, also known as William Powell, is seen holding his newly issued Florida ID card on Sept. 21, 2015.(Getty Images)

Medical Records And Doubts

Medical notes reportedly recorded no abrasions or major injuries other than infected ant bites on the soles of the feet, skin mites and some sunburn — details that Maxwell says do not fully match initial press accounts of a violent assault. Eric Evangelista grew skeptical of the amnesia diagnosis after observing Powell's behavior during interviews and location visits; Powell retained specific place-based memories yet reportedly avoided situations where people might recognize him. Medical and memory experts caution that memory disorders are complex and not always easy to verify.

Theories, But No Public Evidence Of Violent Crime

Producers investigated alleged ties to a Lafayette crime family and reviewed local cold cases, and Maxwell says some associates from the 1970s had troubling records. Still, there is no public evidence tying Powell to homicide or organized crime. People magazine reported that Powell has not been arrested or charged in connection with criminal activity and appears to have no criminal record.

Current Whereabouts And Ongoing Search

The filmmakers last saw Powell in December 2016 and later discovered he no longer lived at his last known address. His current whereabouts are unknown; the docuseries and Hot Snakes Media have asked the public to come forward with tips. Maxwell and the Evangelistas say their search continues, driven largely by a puzzling gap in Powell's financial records and Social Security earnings between 1983 and 2004.

What Remains Unresolved

Powell, now reported to be in his late 70s, recalls about two dozen memories from the mid-1980s but not the people connected to those memories. The investigation has produced leads and new questions — about where he lived during the missing years, whether he consciously concealed his identity, and whether any undisclosed ties to criminal circles exist. The documentary presents the investigation and the evidence gathered, while noting that Powell has not been publicly charged with any crime and it is unclear whether he disputes some of the filmmakers' conclusions.

Note: The program encourages anyone with credible information to contact Hot Snakes Media. Memory disorders are medically complex, and unanswered questions in this case remain under investigation.