Boy From the Woods

[BuzzieCat]

http://s13.invisionfree.com/PorchlightEurope/ar/t564.htm

Woo, van Helsum does kind of look like Justin's mother. But still, I don't think Justin's ears could have changed so much. Also, van Helsum's chin looks a lot narrower than Justin's. To me anyway. It is strange that van Helsum disappeared, Forest Boy appeared a few days later, and van Helsum's parents didn't notice the Forest Boy story? Sad that van Helsum claimed his dad had died, and now his dad really is dead.

 

[wfgodot]

The synchronicity of HopefulOptimistic77's possible ID (@ #388) soon followed by Brigette's post (@ #429) with info from the Dutch online news sources gave me goosebumps.

Nice job.

 

[BuzzieCat]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...-after-being-identified-as-Dutch-runaway.html

"However, yesterday it emerged that the youth had simply caught a train to Berlin after walking out on his Dutch family, including his two-year old son, 'to start a new life'."

Bold by me - Whaaaaaaa? Is that correct?

 

[elepher50]

Justin's earlobes appear to be the unattached variety and Robin's are attached.

What really gets us with Justin Jeschke is Robin's resemblance to Justin's mother. I had the photos up and was beginning to explain it to a friend when she piped up "Oh, was the Forest Boy actually a woman?" She thought the forest boy looked exactly like Justin's mother.

Also, Robin told German authorities his name was Ray. One of the names the Doenetwork states Justin may go by is Ray. Robin said his mother's name is Doreen. Justin's mother's name is Debra. Robin had a chain with the letter "D" around his neck in a photo released by, IIRC, friends.

Robin's dad is reported to have just died this past February, while he has been missing. How? How old was he? His step-mother identified Robin. Where is his mother? Who is his step-mother? What's her name?

Robin's friends came forward. An ex girlfriend identified him. How did his parents miss that the Forest Boy emerged in Berlin just 3 days after their son went missing while on a trip to Berlin? How come they never called German authorities to check? Could it be they don't want publicity?

Robin gave a birth date that more closely matches with Justin's than his own, reported age of 20. Some think he looks younger than his peers.

In sum, I agree it is likely just a coincidence, but Justin is somewhere. He went missing in Germany, kidnapped by his mother. He is a U.S. citizen whose parents lived in Washington State but his last name is German (immigrants maybe)? Linguists could not figure out the linguistic origin of Forest Boy. Is that because his English has a mixture of an American sound to it, with perhaps German and maybe a Dutch accent, if he's been living there for a while? Maybe the mix of accents stumped them? Because how hard would it be for German linguists to detect English with a Dutch accent, since Holland is a border country?

I would just like the authorities to make sure and investigate Robin's roots.

I agree that I would like the American authorities to investigate Robin's background and interview his birth mom. If Justin was 4 years old when he was kidnapped he may not remember much of his roots at that early age. I don't believe in coincidences too much.

 

[BuzzieCat]

http://www.vermist.nl/index.php?id=880

I would be interested in what this says, but I can't reach Dutch! I put it in Google translator, and it seems to say that his birth mother hasn't seen him for years, but his stepmother positively identified him. Also seems to say that van Helsum had "problems and debts" and told his traveling companion that he wanted to start a new life.

 

[jjenny]

http://www.vermist.nl/index.php?id=880

I would be interested in what this says, but I can't reach Dutch! I put it in Google translator, and it seems to say that his birth mother hasn't seen him for years, but his stepmother positively identified him. Also seems to say that van Helsum had "problems and debts" and told his traveling companion that he wanted to start a new life.

If he is so young and had a child as reported, it's not surprising he had "problems and debts."

 

[BuzzieCat]

I haven't been able to find any other article mentioning him having a child, so I'm not sure if that was an error or not, but it certainly would explain the "problems and debts." Perhaps the ex-girlfriend mentioned in some articles might be the child's mother (pure speculation on my part). Now he may have MORE problems and debts due to fraud!

 

[gitana1]

http://www.vermist.nl/index.php?id=880

I would be interested in what this says, but I can't reach Dutch! I put it in Google translator, and it seems to say that his birth mother hasn't seen him for years, but his stepmother positively identified him. Also seems to say that van Helsum had "problems and debts" and told his traveling companion that he wanted to start a new life.

Here's what it says:

As of last Wednesday: "I've been his female friend for years, and I;m sure that it's Robin." stated a tip giver. Also, other friends of Robin's knew for sure that Ray and Robin had to be the same boy.

The 19 year old Robin disappeared in Berlin on 9-2-11, several days before Ray the Woods Boy, contacted Berlin police. Robin had left Hengelo because of problems and debt. To his friend and travel companion he said he wanted to start a new life.

Vermist this week contacted the family of the missing person, who earlier requested information about Robin via the t.v. [media?]. His mother, who had not seen her son for many years, saw a resemblance to Robin, but his step-brother and step-mother denied, certainly, any resemblance. But, the police of Twentse [a province that includes Hengelo], confirmed the identity of Robin as being the Wood's boy, Thursday.

 

[JeannieC]

'Forest Boy' unmasked: Police say English-speaking teen is actually 20-year-old Dutch man called Robin who 'had personal problems and wanted to start a new life'Called himself Ray and said he'd been living rough in German wood
Claimed he was 17-years-old and his father had died in wilderness
Turned up in Berlin pleading for help, saying he didn't know who he was

But stepmother says he is actually called Robin van Helsum and is 20

Was actually last seen just five days before he turned up in Berlin
If proved to be a hoax, police warn he could be prosecuted for wasting time

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2159725/German-Forest-Boy-identified-Dutch-man-Robin-20-wanted-start-new-life.html

 

[wfgodot]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...-after-being-identified-as-Dutch-runaway.html

"However, yesterday it emerged that the youth had simply caught a train to Berlin after walking out on his Dutch family, including his two-year old son, 'to start a new life'."

Bold by me - Whaaaaaaa? Is that correct?

Telgraph's a broadsheet; not that tabloids make all the mistakes and broadsheets never do, but Daily Telegraph's a reliable news source. Still haven't seen this elsewhere, independently reported, however.

 

[Thelma]

Quote:


Vermist this week contacted the family of the missing person, who earlier requested information about Robin via the t.v. [media?]. His mother, who had not seen her son for many years, saw a resemblance to Robin, but his step-brother and step-mother denied, certainly, any resemblance. But, the police of Twentse [a province that includes Hengelo], confirmed the identity of Robin as being the Wood's boy, Thursday.

That strikes me as rather odd, you would think they would agree. I wonder why they had a falling out. I certainly hope he isn't Justin now, especially if he has a 2 year old son.

This story is starting to leave a bad taste in my mouth, I know people are going to be calling for his head now, and he does not quite seem all there.

 

[DutchSleuth]

One of the many strange elements about this is case is how long it has taken to identify him.

I live in the Netherlands, and even was born in Hengelo (the place he was living before moving to Berlin). That part of the Netherlands lies directly at the eastern border with Germany, and there is a lot of cross-border cooperation between police forces. Berlin also is an obvious escape-to-the-big-city choice for someone from Hengelo, as the international train between AmsterdamAirport and Berlin has a stop there.

And known already was that he had left for Berlin with a friend, so actually was missing from there.

Probable causes could be that
- his family and friends weren't looking for him that hard
- ít would be hard for a stranger to match an older photo of him with the sketch, and even with the recent photo
- adult missing cases aren't followed up that seriously

 

[LadyL]

'OK, you got me - I am Robin and I made the whole story up’.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...-after-being-identified-as-Dutch-runaway.html


[bbm]

the bolded part creeps me out b/c Magnotta said the same thing & they were both in Berlin ... weird coincidence

 

[Trino]

It's now come out that he has a two year old child?

Honestly, you can't make this stuff up.

 

[marycarney]

I wonder if he intentionally passed himself as a minor KNOWING they would not distribute a photo of him right away?

Well, the jig is up kiddo - time to face all those grown-up responsibilities you tried to dodge! Walking out on a two-year-old? Not cool AT ALL!

 

[BuzzieCat]

http://www.vancouversun.com/Forest+admits+weaving+tale/6793355/story.html

"Reports in the Dutch media said he had a two-year-old son with an ex-girlfriend, who was appealing for him to return home and be a proper father."

This quote is from more of a tabloid, I think, but if true is interesting:
http://www.express.co.uk/features/view/326952

"So why did he allow the pictures to be released after resisting such a move for months? It transpires that he told authorities in Berlin he could remember he turned 18 on June 20. He was banking on his cooperation getting him a passport and the new life he craved."

 

[songline]

http://www.vancouversun.com/Forest+admits+weaving+tale/6793355/story.html

"Reports in the Dutch media said he had a two-year-old son with an ex-girlfriend, who was appealing for him to return home and be a proper father."

This quote is from more of a tabloid, I think, but if true is interesting:
http://www.express.co.uk/features/view/326952

"So why did he allow the pictures to be released after resisting such a move for months? It transpires that he told authorities in Berlin he could remember he turned 18 on June 20. He was banking on his cooperation getting him a passport and the new life he craved."

WELL I am not the best judge on Mental Illness because I have it in the family so I suspect it sometimes when I should not.

But sometimes they believe their own made up fantasy.
They actually do buy into their tale and negate anything else.

I guess if you say something long enough you either make it true of forget the truth.

 

[BuzzieCat]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...rious-teenager-tell-what-really-happened.html

"His parents divorced when he was a toddler and his mother took him and his elder brother Thomas, now 22, to Portugal. His father, Johan van Helsum, fought a custody battle and, upon winning the case, flew out to bring his sons back to the Netherlands."

"Mr. van Helsum agreed to let him move to the nearby town of Almelo, to live in supervised accommodation. Father visited son regularly, but the situation was far from ideal.

"''He was asked to leave after he got a girl pregnant,' his stepmother, Ellen van Helsum, told a local newspaper yesterday . 'She had been living with two other boys and Robin in the care home.'"

 

[Yoda]

One of the many strange elements about this is case is how long it has taken to identify him.

I live in the Netherlands, and even was born in Hengelo (the place he was living before moving to Berlin). That part of the Netherlands lies directly at the eastern border with Germany, and there is a lot of cross-border cooperation between police forces. Berlin also is an obvious escape-to-the-big-city choice for someone from Hengelo, as the international train between AmsterdamAirport and Berlin has a stop there.

And known already was that he had left for Berlin with a friend, so actually was missing from there.

Probable causes could be that
- his family and friends weren't looking for him that hard

- ít would be hard for a stranger to match an older photo of him with the sketch, and even with the recent photo
- adult missing cases aren't followed up that seriously

:welcome: Welcome to websleuths and thank you for the area information.

 

[Kat]

I had a lot of sympathy for him until I read the article above when he was confronted with the information of who he was he said..."okay you got me".

If that is accurate reporting then this man isn't delusional but a con artist IMHO.

Quite the scam.