Police fear an American mystery man with dementia who has only given his name may have been dumped in Britain by his own family.
The grey-haired pensioner can only recall his name as Roger Curry but has no other ID and has been unable to provide any information about himself or where he is from.
He has been cared for in a nursing home since being discovered outside the bus station in Hereford on November 7 last year where he was seen with two men.
One was younger – and also had an American-sounding accent – and the second was a local man who has now answered a police appeal for information.
He told officers the younger American told him he had found ‘Mr Curry’ lying face down a country road in the village of Credenhill nearly five miles outside Hereford.
The two men started to walk the pensioner towards Hereford County Hospital and they flagged down a passing ambulance.
But as soon as the paramedics stopped the younger American disappeared – fuelling suspicions that he was a relative who was trying to abandon the frail OAP.
The elderly man was taken to the hospital where he gave doctors the name Roger Curry but said he could not remember anything else about himself.
He has since been transferred to a local authority care home where he will remain indefinitely until the mystery is solved.
West Mercia Police say the younger man could be Mr Curry’s son or another relative, and not a random Good Samaritan who coincidentally also happened to be American.
Detective Sergeant Sarah Bennett said: “”It’s one of the lines of inquiry that we are pursuing.
“This man has told the other local man who has come forward that he has found Roger in the middle of nowhere.
“Since then, the hospital have been told by the ambulance that Roger was found face-down in the middle of the road in the middle of Credenhill.
“He had no money and no ID, and has not been able to give any details about himself.
“This is an unusual situation and we are desperately hoping that we can reunite Roger with his family, wherever they may be.”
The local came forward after a police appeal to say he was one of two men helping Mr Curry in Hereford’s bus station car park on the day he was first ‘found’.
The man said he came across Mr Curry with another man, who also had an American accent, and they started to walk Mr Curry towards Hereford County Hospital.
He claims the younger American told him that he had found him ‘in the middle of nowhere’ and they flagged down a passing ambulance.
Paramedics also got more details from the younger American who told them he had found Mr Curry face down in a country road near Credenhill.
Police have now issued a new appeal to identify the second American who was white, in his 40s, slim and around 5ft 8ins tall, with dark, wavy hair and glasses.
He was wearing a jacket with long sleeves, combat-style trousers and black boots.
DS Bennett added: “We are appealing locally, nationally and internationally to anyone who can help us trace the man who was seen with Roger.
“He may have vital information that can help us piece together where Roger had been prior to him being found.
“Any information, little as it may be, could be the key to unlocking this mystery.”
Mr Curry is currently living in a care home run by Herefordshire Council.
Spokeswoman Mandy Appleby said: “He says odd words in an American accent to his carers, only words not actual sentences.
“The staff are very upset, and it would be nice to find somebody that knows him and find a family for him.”
