A series of coincidences during the 80's in New York resulted in the first ever meeting of three identical brothers who were separated at birth. They were 19 years old when they first met.
After the initial happiness and shock of the first meeting and revelation of one another they started asking themselves some difficult questions. These questions led them to a quest to uncovering the truth and finding the answer as to why they were separated at birth.
The triplets story is full of twists and turns and the way to unlocking the mystery will surely fascinate you! Click next to start unveiling this truly remarkable mystery.
Three Doppelgangers
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It's quite hard to imagine the huge surprise you feel after you learn you have two 19 years old brothers who also look exactly like you. After they found each other they also started the journey to finding out about the conspiracy that kept them apart for so long.
It all started when Robert Shafran showed up at school and noticed that many of the students were extremely friendly to him. They were nice to him like they knew him from before. It's usually pleasant when people are nice to you, but this felt odd.
Who's Eddie?
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After the weird familiarity and over friendliness Robert encountered when he entered Sullivan County Community College he suddenly noticed that some of the students there called him Eddie instead of Robert…He didn't pay a lot of attention to it and just assumed that he looks a bit like one of the other students there. It's common when one person thinks that you look a lot like someone else but when it's an entire school it does make you think. Nevertheless, nothing prepared him for what was about to happen next…
Was This a Prank?
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Robert got to his dorm room and met Michael Domitz, his new roommate. Michael was absolutely sure this was Eddie pulling a silly prank on him and he didn't understand why Eddie kept insisting and saying that his name was Robert…But after he was already convinced these are indeed two separate people, he explained to Robert that he absolutely must meet Eddie who looks like a carbon copy of his…Robert was already very curious and didn't say no to the idea and so after speaking with Eddie on the phone they started driving to his house.
Seeing Yourself
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When Robert saw Eddie for the first time he felt something that he only felt before when he looked in the mirror – he felt like he was looking at himself…He also found out that they were both born on the same exact day. As they started learning more and more about each other they found they shared quite a lot in common – they had the same body language, very similar hobbies and likings. After learning they were both adopted, all evidence pointed to the conclusion they might even be family.
The Dramatic Test
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They got their DNA tested and waited for what felt like forever until the results arrived. It was the 1980's and these tests took a lot more than they do today. Unsurprisingly when the results arrived they read that Robert and Eddy were not only brothers, but identical twins. The story hit the newspapers and struck waves all over the country. In one place a guy called David Kellman could not believe his eyes: He suddenly saw two of him in the same newspaper page…David took a DNA test and then they were three…
Troubling Questions Arise
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The three reunited brothers were joyous and excited about the discovery of one another and they felt like they just met two best friends for life who were also amazingly their brothers. They met each other's adoptive parents who also felt like they suddenly got two more sons. Their lives got turned completely upside down. But they also had plenty of questions that bothered them, they wanted to know who their biological parents were and of course why they were separated and not told about the existence of the others.
Media Circus
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The three brothers - Robert, Eddie and David quickly became a media sensation and enjoyed a lot of coverage – all the big talk show hosts like Tom Brokaw and Phil Donahue invited them to be guests at their shows, all the top magazines wrote stories about them, everyone wanted to interview them…The brothers were now in the spotlight and they certainly liked all the attention. A whole lot. The thing they probably enjoyed most was that they were now very popular with the better-looking gender. They even participated in a movie and shared a scene with Madonna!
Newfound Happiness
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The three of them were extremely glad, they were thankful for the fact they now had each other. They were now very very close. They partied a lot in those days in the hottest night clubs New York had to offer. They enjoyed their newfound fame and even opened a steakhouse together that attracted a lot of people who wanted to see the triplets from up close. The restaurant was an enormous success (the food might have been good as well…). But deep down the unsolved questions still bothered them.
The Journey to Uncovering the Truth Begins
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The brothers were determined to solve the mystery of their separation and decided to start their quest for the truth and they managed to learn that they were adopted through the Louise Wise adoption agency. They had the help of their adoptive families and together with the three sets of parents that raised them they all visited the agency to get answers for the burning questions they all had. They were all hopeful that the adoption agency would collaborate and tell them everything they wanted to know about their past.
The Agency's Reputation
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The Louise Wise Adoption Agency existed for many years now (since 1916) and at least in the beginning it enjoyed a decent reputation. But during the years rumors started to circle that the agency was somewhat dishonest at times, lied about health information and withheld a lot of information from the parents (both from the birth parents and from the adoptive parents). The most notorious story about the agency was that they sold babies and young children from a Staten Island home for single mothers that also belonged to them.
Not Getting the Answers They Were Expecting
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When the brothers and their families met with the adoption agency they were deeply disappointed since they felt like they are not getting sincere answers to their questions. The explanation they got as to why they were separated sounded untruthful. They said that they split the brothers so that they won't have to compete for the love of their parents. Why did it feel like the agency has something to hide? Suspicions began to arise and the brothers' journey for the truth did not end at the agency. It just begun.
A Bizarre Celebration
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One of the parents forgot his umbrella in the room and got back inside to retrieve it. He was shocked by what he saw. In the room the agency's employees were drinking and toasting and celebrating like they dodged a bullet. The families were now certain they need to investigate further. The agency had something to hide for sure. What was the adoption agency celebrating? Why were they so bent on keeping the truth to themselves? Will the brothers ever find out the truth and unravel the true reason for the separation?
Separation Anxiety
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The parents that adopted the brothers were of course also kept in the dark and didn't know about the existence of the other two siblings. The Brothers found out that when they were babies they all suffered from something called separation anxiety. They also learned that they all participated in a research that studied their development from the moment they were born till they were young kids. From time to time someone would come and examine their behavior, their language, write down their interests and videotape them. When they were old enough to find it weird the researchers stopped showing up.
Grew Up Differently
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The boys grew up in very different surroundings – Eddie grew up in a middle-class home and his dad was a teacher, David was raised by a family of little means (his father was an owner of a small store) while Robert's adoptive parents were wealthy, his father was a hard-working physician. Were the different backgrounds a coincidence or was this intentional? The radically different backgrounds pointed to the fact that this was not random but happened for a reason. Someone had a secret agenda and the brothers were all a part of his morally wrong game.
Morally Questionable Psychological Research
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Writer and reporter Lawrence Wright became interested in the brothers' story and managed to dig out documents about psychological researches that tried to determine if it was nature or perhaps nurture that was the most crucial in the shaping of a man. Wright believed that the Louise Wise Adoption Services were conducting such tests, that the brothers were a part of such an experiment and he was also convinced that there might have been many other twins and triplets that have been used in the unethical research. Needless to say, he found it all quite disturbing.
Playing with Humans
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All the siblings had a bigger sister (2 years older than them) that was adopted into their families as babies before the brothers entered the family. All had an adoptive mother and father and of course the same genes. But of course, the homes they grew up in were very different financially and socially. All of that turned them into the perfect (unethical) experiment. The research was built in a way that the brothers' development could be followed closely. The researchers listed many elements of their behavior and compared between them.
The Man Behind the Experiment
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Peter Neubauer, a Jewish doctor who is an expert in child psychology and a psycho-analyst was the person behind the research. Writer and journalist Lawrence Wright tried talking to him and ask him the many questions he had about the experiment, but Neubauer was reluctant to answer. Wright tried to insist and asked him some tough questions and Doctor Neubauer didn't collaborate with him. He was a Jewish WW2 Austrian refugee who for some reason missed out on the irony of him conducting experiments on human beings who did not agree to participate on such experiments.
An Imaginary Brother
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It's difficult to imagine what being kept apart did to the brothers, but there are studies that claim that identical brothers or sisters that are separated and kept apart can cause separation anxiety. Robert, Eddie and David like other identical twins and triplets have something like an imprint from the moment they are in their mother's womb and when you split them growing up it can cause separation anxiety. David's adoptive mother said that as he was growing up he used to have an "imaginary brother" and that David kept saying that he really has a brother.
Mental Health
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Apart from separation anxiety, the morally dubious research can have many other negative influences on the brothers – Lack of confidence, difficulty in establishing long term relationships, social problems, and other psychological issues. They all felt troubled, they felt like guinea pigs, they felt used and they felt cheated. Learning something like they've learnt about themselves shakes your world to the core and makes you rethink everything you believed in. This can be unsettling even to the most mentally strong individuals. The brothers certainly had a lot to deal with and not all of them managed to do it in a healthy enough way.
What Could Have Been
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Identical siblings feel more complete and peaceful when they are with each other. Separation anxiety can be felt even after not seeing each other for just one day. So, spending 19 years apart is without a doubt unhealthy for them. Now they were deeply troubled by the thoughts about all the things that could have been if they were raised together. Not many things feel worse than life that weren't really fulfilled like they could have been. The saddest pairing of two words in the English language is "Too Late", it might not have been too late for the brothers, but it was 19 years later than it should've been.
A Stain
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It turned out that in 1980 Robert participated in a robbery that resulted in a casualty. The victim was an elderly woman, eighty-three years old. Luckily for him, Robert got off easy since his role in the robbery was considered to be very small and the judge let him go free. The only punishment Robert got was community service. It was still a big stain in one of the brothers' past and might've suggested that something deep down was wrong with all of them. But one brother was disturbed and had more problems than all of them…
A Tragic Incident
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Eddie was mentally unstable and couldn't cope with the overflow of emotions he felt, and in 1995 he tragically committed suicide. He was thirty-three when he died and left behind a grieving spouse and a young child. He didn't leave a note or any other explanation as to why he did what he did. Robert and David felt a lot of pain and sadness, but what Eddie did wasn't a complete surprise to them. believed that the experiment and the psychological effects of their separation resulted in Eddie's mental health issues and ultimately his suicide.
Back to the Louise Wise Services
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The Louise Wise Adoption Services didn't give any further explanations and just kept giving out some really poor excuses as to why things were done the way they were done – they said separating them was the right thing to do since this way more families get children. When the truth was revealed regarding the experiment, the siblings and their families requested from the Jewish Board that they will take some action and be accountable for all that was done. The Louise Wise Adoption Services were under The Jewish Board's control.
People Demanding Justice
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With the truth beginning to unravel, some were calling for the Louise Wise Adoption Agency Services to be penalized for their actions. Naturally a lot of people found the use of human beings as guinea pigs enraging. It was still a mystery as to how many such experiments exactly were conducted by them, but it was certain that Eddie, Robert and David weren't the only ones. Playing with human lives is just something that should never be done, and the Louise Wise Adoption Services destroyed many lives of innocent children.
The Movie
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This year, a movie about the three brothers came out, a documentary film called 3 Identical Strangers. The movie's Helmer Tim Wardle told their story from the moment they first met in 1980 in Sullivan County Community College till today and brought the disturbing story to light. More instances in which orphans would be treated similarly should never occur. The movie enjoyed tremendous success, critics adored it and it's ranked 25th in Rottentomatoes list of best 2018 movies. 95% of the critics liked the film and its average rating is 8.2 out of 10.
Release the Information
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So many years have passed, but the two remaining brothers, Robert and David, are still doing their best to persuade the Jewish Board to release all the information they have and apologize for what they did. Robert believes that all of the experiment's subjects should know they have siblings (even if they're already dead) and that they were a part of an unethical experiment. The film and its success might raise enough awareness and apply the pressure on the board, so it'll eventually have to come out and tell everything they know.
No Catharsis Offered
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The Jewish Board remains quiet despite being responsible for the many siblings that were separated, experimented on and kept in the dark about the whole thing. It's enraging that they're not willing to tell the truth and say sorry for what they did. Coming out with the truth and apologizing might not bring back Eddie or heal all the wounds of the many people that got hurt, but it would still mean a lot and offer some sort of catharsis to all the people that were used in the experiment.
No Regret
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Nancy Segal met the doctor who orchestrated the experiment (doctor Neubauer) before he died and was deeply disappointed from their meeting. Amazingly, the doctor didn't have any regrets. He believed that he had his good reasons for performing the experiment and that in the future people will be able to benefit from it. He planned to release the research only after all the subjects were already deceased. Nancy Segal said that the research managed to demonstrate that brothers and sisters who were kept apart still shared a lot of similarities.
No Connection to the Adoption Agency
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The Jewish Board couldn't stay quiet after the film was released, they were under heavy fire and they had to react. In an official statement The Jewish Board denied any connection to the policy of the Louise Wise Adoption Services and said they had no part in the separation of twins or triplets. They also denied any connection to doctor Peter Neubauer and said they didn't approve of any such experiments. They even invited others to look at their official files there and supported the documentary film and its intentions.
A Strong Bond
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After Eddie committed suicide both Robert and David felt they were in a real state of crisis and this also affected their relationship that took a turn for the worse. Today Robert and David are at very good terms and their bond is very strong and stable. Robert is now a lawyer, and David works as an insurance adviser. Lately they've been spending a lot of time together promoting their film. Making up for all the lost time (19 years!) is an ongoing mission that will continue until one of them dies.
A Jew and a Nazi
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There are other astonishing stories like the story of David, Eddie and Robert. Take the story of Jack Yufe and Oskar Stohr for example. An Ugly Divorce caused Jack and Oskar to be taken away to 2 very different places. Jack was raised by a Jewish family in Trinidad. Oskar was brought up as a Nazi in post war Germany. They first encountered each other when they were twenty-one. They were amazed to find out each other's story. They were great case studies for numerous researches. The hugely different background in which they were raised fascinated people.
The Double Jim
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They were raised in different houses and environments but these two separated at birth twins were both eerily called Jim by their adoptive parents. Both Jim Springer and Jim Lewis knew they have or had a twin brother. The story Springer knew was that his brother died during labor. Lewis knew that he had a brother somewhere in the world, but oddly enough had no interest finding him. Finding your identical twin can be creepy for some people. It's creepy if he looks exactly like you and he's very similar in his character and interests as well. It's equally creepy if he looks like you but behaves completely different.
When Lewis Changed His Mind
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Although they never met, the two Jim's were quite alike. After Lewis was told this fact he was very curious and changed his mind and decided that he does want to meet his brother. He started tracking him down and succeeded quite quickly. Lewis drove the most exciting drive of his life and knocked on his win brother's door. When Springer opened the door and saw himself (Lewis) standing in front of him he was utterly shocked. They started to get to know each other and found that they were very similar.