Darrell Powell, a Pennsylvania man, was found unconscious and without identification in a Wawa restroom in Orlando on Sept. 8, leading to a medical diagnosis of amnesia. Powell, who graduated from Middletown Area High School in 1995, was initially taken to the hospital as a John Doe.Police used facial recognition software on a picture taken eight days later, which matched his Pennsylvania driver’s license online.The discovery led police to contact his ex-wife, Abi Knaub, as Powell’s parents are deceased and he has no children or other immediate family.The couple divorced in 2013, and Knaub said the last time she had contact with him was around 2014. Despite the divorce, Knaub has become his main link to his forgotten life and is committed to helping him.”He doesn’t know who he is. He knows who he has been told he is,” Knaub said.Doctors diagnosed Powell’s amnesia as being caused by a brain aneurysm.Knaub has taken on the role of detective to piece together his past and determine how he ended up in Florida.”I’m not taking that stance. And everyone in my life, my family members, the people that I love, all understand and support me in doing this because they know that this is who I am,” Knaub said.She discovered his driver’s license listed an address in Erie, though she last knew him to be living in Camp Hill.She found he had an apartment in Erie with rent paid through July and had rented a car there, which was later found in Florida.An invoice shows Powell had booked a cruise out of Miami from Aug. 3-10, but it remains unknown if he boarded the ship.Powell is currently back in Pennsylvania, living in a shelter.
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. —
Darrell Powell, a Pennsylvania man, was found unconscious and without identification in a Wawa restroom in Orlando on Sept. 8, leading to a medical diagnosis of amnesia.
Powell, who graduated from Middletown Area High School in 1995, was initially taken to the hospital as a John Doe.
Police used facial recognition software on a picture taken eight days later, which matched his Pennsylvania driver’s license online.
The discovery led police to contact his ex-wife, Abi Knaub, as Powell’s parents are deceased and he has no children or other immediate family.
The couple divorced in 2013, and Knaub said the last time she had contact with him was around 2014. Despite the divorce, Knaub has become his main link to his forgotten life and is committed to helping him.
“He doesn’t know who he is. He knows who he has been told he is,” Knaub said.
Doctors diagnosed Powell’s amnesia as being caused by a brain aneurysm.
Knaub has taken on the role of detective to piece together his past and determine how he ended up in Florida.
“I’m not taking that stance. And everyone in my life, my family members, the people that I love, all understand and support me in doing this because they know that this is who I am,” Knaub said.
She discovered his driver’s license listed an address in Erie, though she last knew him to be living in Camp Hill.
She found he had an apartment in Erie with rent paid through July and had rented a car there, which was later found in Florida.
An invoice shows Powell had booked a cruise out of Miami from Aug. 3-10, but it remains unknown if he boarded the ship.
Powell is currently back in Pennsylvania, living in a shelter.