5 Weird Stories that Ended Up Being Cases of Mistaken Identities

According to recent surveys, as many as 41 million Americans have had their identities stolen. 

With the number of technologies available to us and with our dependence on them, stealing someone’s identity is easier than ever. But even before the rise of the internet, people around the world encountered strange cases of mistaken identities—and many times with startling results. 

Can you imagine what it would be like to have your identity stolen? If not, you’ll have a better idea after reading each weird case of mistaken identity we have on our list. 

Hang onto your IDs. 

A Case of Mistaken Identity . . . Or Five

Sure, we all have troubles with our identities from time to time. Just ask a teenager. Or, better yet, take a closer look at the temperament of female Yorkies in this useful post. 

But a real identity crisis is, well, a tad more complicated. 

1. Poking at Politics 

Politics don’t mix with many things, but especially instances concerning mistaken identities. 

Robert P. Casey was a Pennsylvania governor, audit general and senator. As a Democrat and politician, he gained so much favor with citizens he was among favorites for a position as treasurer, which he declined. 

In a strange coincidence, the same year Casey declined to run, another man with almost the same name vied for the position. His name was Robert E. Casey, and he was elected with a mere $1,000 put toward his campaign because voters mistook him for the well-known Pennsylvania governor. 

But that isn’t the end of the story. 

After this incident, the real Robert P. Casey decided to run for lieutenant governor. In the same election, a man with an identical name also ran. He was a biology teacher and sold ice cream.

This mixup was particularly costly. In fact, it cost Robert P. Casey dearly, as the biology teacher won the election. 

After the incidences, the real Casey learned his lesson. He ran again for governor, this time under the slogan “The Real Bob Casey Committee” and finally won his seat. 

2. A Tragic Twist

On April 26, 2006, a tractor-trailer hit a van full of students from Taylor University. Among the students was Whitney Cerak, a freshman, and Laura Van Ryn, a senior.

Coroners called Cerak’s parents after the car crash to confirm their worst fears: their daughter had died on impact. Van Ryn, however, was alive in the hospital with severe injuries, some of which impacted her appearance. 

Meanwhile, the Cerak family put their daughter to rest. To avoid further pain, the coroners spared them having to identify their daughter’s body. 

After weeks of visiting their child Laura at the hospital, the Van Ryn family began to notice small discrepancies, characteristics that didn’t match with the Laura they adored. 

Her eyes were bluer. Her teeth were different. She was saying things and names that didn’t make sense. 

Although Laura was still in extensive rehabilitation, the Van Ryn family started to suspect the worst. They asked her for her name, and she replied “Whitney.” 

One story of hope quickly turned to a world of pain, and another tale of loss transformed into one of rebirth. 

3. The Walking Dead

Mistaken identities lead to all sorts of confusion, and one case was particularly baffling. It involved Jeremy Lee Bass. 

In 2007, Bass received a telephone call informing him his son, Jeremy Lee Bass, was dead. Since Bass did not have a son and his wife was receiving condolences about the death of her husband, Bass knew there was a clear mix-up. 

It turns out the hospital confused Jeremy Lee Bass’s identity with the deceased, a Jeremy Charles Bass. Because Jeremy Lee Bass attended the hospital in the past, the similarity resulted in employees confusing the two patients’ records.   

The hospital billed Jeremy Lee Bass’s wife $5,000 for his death. He was forced to hire an attorney to get everything sorted out. 

4. Surviving Death Row

Imagine someone blames you for the murder of a sheriff—a murder you didn’t commit. On top of that murder, you are the suspect for a slew of crimes connected with an infamous ruffian known as “English Jim.”

And you are indicted for everything. And then put on death row.

That’s exactly what happened to Thomas Berdue in the mid-1800s. 

Although Berdue passionately announced his innocence, police didn’t believe his account. After all, the man responsible for the murder had a scar in the same spot as Berdue. Like the murderer, Berdue also had an incomplete forefinger.

Further, Stewart’s known accomplices identified Berdue as the infamous criminal.  

As luck would have it, police caught the real criminal after a failed robbery. The only reason Berdue wasn’t executed was that the date was postponed several times. 

5. Medical Mixup

When doctors told Shirell Powel her brother was comatose and braindead, she stayed with him for two weeks before making the call. It was time to withdraw life support. 

But the man wasn’t her brother. Needless to say, when Powel received the call informing her that her brother was alive, she was shocked. 

The man she watched over was similar in appearance, but the differences weren’t noticeable because of swelling and the medical devices attached to him. 

Instead, her brother was alive and well in a correctional facility; the man who died after doctors withdrew life support was not her sibling. 

Sadly, no family members or friends have identified the deceased man. Powel also filed litigations against the hospital, claiming the identity should have been apparent because of differences in names, social security numbers, and birth dates. 

Find More Weirdness at Weirdomatic

If you are ever unfortunate enough to experience a case of mistaken identity, keep these five stories in mind. Because, chances are, yours is a whole lot simpler than these poor chaps’ and gals’ situations. 

But these aren’t the only weird things in the world. 

Check out all things strange at our website, and be sure to take a glance at our list of odd medical conditions.

From manic dancing that leads to death to conditions where an individuals’ hair suddenly turns ghost-white, you’ll be shocked at the sheer amount of oddities in the world.  

Weirdomatic is the place where all weird things come to life through the amazing world of photographs – a corner of our wild imagination or the whimsical face of the reality?