Worldwide search for man's identity

SEATTLE - Readers of a US newspaper have solved the mystery of the man who wandered out of aptly named Discovery Park in Seattle three weeks ago after suffering from amnesia.

When he walked out of the park the mystery man knew this much about himself: He was fluent in French, English and German, and had travelled to other countries.

But he didn't know his name or how he got to Seattle.

He was also not sure how he came to spend a few days sleeping under a tree in Discovery Park or how he emerged a bit dizzy but uninjured on 30 July.

Seattle police say the man left the park around 6:15 am knowing he didn't live in the Seattle area but unsure of much else.

He flagged down a Metro bus driver who called police for help.

He was in reasonable health and in his 50s, according to the police report. He told police he thought he was of German descent.

Identified as Jon Doe he was wearing an expensive dress shirt, pressed khakis and US$600 (NZ$886 approx.) was hidden in one of his socks.

Upon hearing the news, The Seattle Times led with the story, "Who is this man?"

He appeared to have an extensive knowledge of European cultural history, the Times reported.

A reader contacted The Seattle Times hours after the newspaper posted a story and photographs of the mystery Jon Doe on its Web site.

Randall Snyder, a friend from Columbus, Ohio, said he recognized a photograph of the man as Edward Lighthart.

The two attended graduate school together at the Union Institute in Cincinnati.

An institute spokeswoman confirmed an Edward Lighthart was enrolled in a doctorate program there from March 1993 to June 1994.

"Ed was particularly very good at the masters of painting," Snyder said. "He's quite a versatile guy. He has many talents. He's been a translator, taught in schools, got a degree in culinary arts."

The man told the newspaper he went to the University of Wisconsin in the early 1980s, studied at the University of Chicago and Columbia University and lived in Paris, Vienna, Sydney, Shanghai and Bratislava, Slovakia.

David Akast, an English teacher in China identified Jon Doe as Edward Lighthart also.

Akast said Lighthart had taught at English schools in China and "had an incredible knowledge of European cultural history."

Lighthart remembers bits of his professional past, trips to other countries and his teaching but doesn't recall much personal information, Seattle detective Tina Drain said.

Lighthart has seen images of himself in the past and acknowledges that the man in the photographs must be him.

However, he does not identify with the images reports The Seattle Times.

The Times says Lighthart was flustered at first and asked the nurse to continue calling him "Jon."

"The name isn't ringing a bell, but the image is definitely me," said Lighthart.

"I guess there's a little bit of relief and at the same time a lot of anxiety," Lighthart told the Times Thursday. "I'm still not sure quite what to make of it all."

- AP, NZ HERALD STAFF