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Original poster

Appeal over mystery 'piano man'!

101 replies

Gwenick · 16/05/2005 11:24

here

How strange - and ever sadder is apparently the secure mental health unit he's now held in doesn't have a piano - yet it seems to be his only 'way' to of communicating!

OP posts:
Jimjams · 21/05/2005 09:25

watch the bit on mr nobody here

SoupDragon · 21/05/2005 09:35

It's certainly a good resemblance!

sandymogs · 26/05/2005 11:57

I too have been moved by this story and I have to agree with Jimjams that he may be autistic. As a mother of a 12 year old son with high functioning autism and having read so much about the condition, I really do think the doctors and press have been barking up the wrong tree! I keep asking myself "why hasn't anybody thought of autism" As for psychologists, I have met many over the years that have little knowledge of autism, unless they are specialising in the subject. I just hope that the mystery is solved very soon and if he is autistic, then I'm sure the NAS will ensure he gets all the necessary care and support he needs.

Original poster
Gwenick · 28/05/2005 11:43

just seen this story, we haven't heard anything about this man in the news recently (guess it's 'old news' now ) but this information does sound hopeful.

OP posts:
cod · 28/05/2005 11:57

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Gwenick · 28/05/2005 12:16

don't know what happened to the canadian - but they took his finger prints (the canadaian) and presumably ruled him out as they would have been able to take the "Piano Man's" finger prints.

OP posts:
sandymogs · 29/05/2005 18:00

Latest news on the piano man here

Original poster
Gwenick · 01/06/2005 00:14
  • his identity is still a mystery here the Czech pianist he was 'thought' to have been has appeared on Czech TV
OP posts:
SecondhandRose · 01/06/2005 08:40

I do think there is something funny about this story, why would his labels be cut out of his clothes? It sounds to me like someone doesn't want to be found out and perhaps a life in England appeals to him.

coppertop · 01/06/2005 09:33

Cutting out labels isn't as uncommon as you might think. At one end of the scale are people who cut them out because when you have sensitive skin they are itchy and irritating. At the other end of the scale you get people who cut them out because they don't want other people knowing what size they wear or that it was bought from a particular place.

I think that if this man were calculating enough to go through all this to stay in England then he would presumably have come up with a better plan than to end up being locked up in a secure unit.

I'm shocked that in that last link it says that doctors are "considering" using music and art therapy. Why haven't they already started??? On second thoughts, perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised after all......

Hausfrau · 01/06/2005 09:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Gwenick · 01/06/2005 10:09

Coppertop

"I'm shocked that in that last link it says that doctors are "considering" using music and art therapy. Why haven't they already started??? On second thoughts, perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised after all......"

The last section of the story hasn't been changed - they just keep updating the first little chunk of it with 'latest' news...so hopefully they've already started it.

"t sounds to me like someone doesn't want to be found out and perhaps a life in England appeals to him."

Oh yes so appealing he managed to go nearly 2 months without saying a SINGLE word, gets himself locked in a secure mental unit and 'remembers' to be anxious around people everytime they come close..........hmm I think not - even the best Hollywood actors in the world would have great difficulty keeping up such an 'act' (which I don't belive it is) for this long!

OP posts:
sandymogs · 01/06/2005 15:14

I still think he may be autistic. The style of his drawing and small deatail is very much the style an autistic person may draw including my own son. My own son will draw his obsessional interests, over and over again. If the pano man is autistic, then obviously his obsession is the piano which would explain why he plays so well and why he drew such a detailed drawing of one. My guess is that he is not a professional musician but plays obsessionally. He even stands with a typical autistic gait and he carries his manuscript folder as his attachment. I also think that he may possibly have been abandoned by elderly parents who could no longer cope with him and the very reason he has not been identified yet is because he has probably lived most of his life as a recluse.

Jimjams · 03/06/2005 00:05

Agree with sandy mogs.And cutting labels out of vclothes isn't strtange for autistics.

Ahe also didn't play as a professional wouldm but played excerpts repetitively for 4 hours. Have none of the professionals heared of perserevation (too drunk to spell properly)?

I still say he's autistic until proved otherwise.....(which he could be; but it needs to be ruled out),

Blu · 03/06/2005 00:10

Maybe someone who has the time (LOL) should drop a line to whatever authorities, and suggest autism, citing the evidence? Since they are appealing for identification, they might be taking other onstructive suggestions?

sandymogs · 03/06/2005 08:12

I telephoned the missing persons number and emailed the National Autistic Society on 17th May. The NAS had received a number of calls and emails and issued this notice on their web site
here
The missing persons dept had also received a number of calls suggesting autism.
The assessments are going to be difficult to carry out with no previous history of the patient.
I suppose we'll just have to wait and see.

Fio2 · 03/06/2005 08:15

he has a real piano in his room and is playing it. He wasnt Tomas then?

Fio2 · 03/06/2005 08:17

I also think, more than likely, his carer has died tbh

geekgrrl · 03/06/2005 08:21

but if he is autistic, surely he would have worked with professionals who remember him at some point - I bet all special school teachers out there have looked at him and tried to remember whether they taught him or not.
It is shocking that in this day and age someone can have been so invisble for probably most of his adult life that no one in the western world seems to recongise him....

Fio2 · 03/06/2005 08:24

it is, but you only have to watch these environmental health programs to realise how many people die in their homes and go 'undiscovered' for weeks i am so morbid

peppercorn · 05/06/2005 22:04

oh what a thought - i agree with your explanation sandymogs - very convincing

peppercorn · 05/06/2005 22:06

has anyone any news updates?

SoupDragon · 06/06/2005 09:13

I'm curious as to why people think his parents may have abandoned him - I remember reading it in the paper as well as here. My mid-twenties autistic cousin is living semi independently in a residential unit but both his parents have died in the last 3 years - had he been living at home with no other family members it is entirely possible he could have wandered off and been "lost".

Jimjams · 06/06/2005 18:58

i think fio suggested that soupy- and agree entirely possible.

katierocket · 22/08/2005 10:52

he's better apparently and has gone home to Germany.

here