A man who woke up behind a Burger King claiming amnesia may have a sinister past, according to a new documentary series. The case of 'Benjaman Kyle,' found naked and unconscious in rural Georgia in 2004, has baffled investigators for years. Now, Investigation Discovery's four-part docuseries 'The Many Lives of Benjaman Kyle' suggests the mystery is far darker than previously thought.
The Discovery
On August 31, 2004, a Burger King employee in Richmond Hill, Georgia discovered a man lying naked behind the fast food restaurant. The man, believed to be in his mid-50s, had no wallet, identification, or memory of who he was. He was temporarily admitted to the hospital under the name 'Burger King Doe,' later shortened to 'B.K. Doe.' Upon regaining consciousness, he assumed the name Benjaman Kyle, believing his birth date was August 29, 1948. He had blurred memories of Denver, Colorado, and Indiana but did not know how he ended up in Georgia. He was diagnosed with dissociative amnesia, a rare condition causing loss of almost all memories of his past life.
The Investigation
For years, the mystery man known as 'Benjaman Kyle' haunted investigators and fascinated the public. He made his home in Jacksonville, Florida, but struggled to live and work without a social security number and government ID. His strange story drew national attention, including television appearances on 'Dr. Phil' and extensive media coverage. In April 2015, a team of genetic genealogists led by CeCe Moore identified him as William Burgess Powell, an Indiana man who went missing in 1976. His car was found abandoned in a remote area of Battleground, Indiana, with plates removed. His family reportedly believed he had died.
Unanswered Questions
Filmmakers Shannon and Eric Evangelista, founders of Hot Snakes Media, initially set out to help Powell recover his identity. Instead, they uncovered disturbing inconsistencies in his story and witness accounts linking him to several cold cases and a possible connection to a powerful Midwestern crime family. 'Initially, we really wanted to help Benjaman Kyle,' Shannon says in interview footage. 'But the more we learned about him, the more that he started to get angry. He wants to control the flow of information.'
The Crime Family Connection
One episode centers on witness accounts alleging Powell is linked to a powerful crime family in Lafayette, Indiana. Some believe his disappearing act was a way of saving his own life. The series focuses on George Keck, a suspect in several unsolved Indiana cases before his death in 2020. Both Powell and Keck were janitors at Purdue University at the time of Kristine Kozik's disappearance in 1977. Her body was found two miles from The Bar, a place Evangelista claims was a gathering place for the crime family. During an interview, Keck revealed disturbing details about Kozik's death: 'On that one there, in fact, they wanted me as a suspect, and I failed a lie detector because I did know more than I was letting on. I knew she was killed accidentally because I was told straight from the horse's mouth.' He said the killer tried to get her to perform a sexual act, and when she refused, a struggle ensued, and she hit her head on a rock. Kozik's murder has never been solved.
Chilling Remarks
The filmmakers recalled how Powell made a chilling remark about a Colorado mountain being a good place to dump a body. Evangelista says major questions remain unanswered. 'Because he was not himself and lived off the grid between 1981 and 2004,' she said. 'I know why he left and why he fled. I know where he went for the most part but I don't know who he was and what he was like and I want to know all of it.'
Current Status
Powell, now 77 years old, has been living a relatively private life away from national media attention since his identification. He has cut off communication with the filmmakers and investigators. Evangelista remains determined: 'If we stop, he wins. We can't give up.' The series notes that Powell has not been charged in connection with any crimes alleged in the documentary. 'The Many Lives of Benjaman Kyle' premieres May 25 and May 26, moving beyond the medical mystery into a web of deception, unsolved cold cases, and alleged organized crime ties.
