John Doe Mystery: Identification Eludes 2 Illinois Men
(CBS) -- We've told you about the two wards of the state of Illinois who are John Does: No one seems to know who they really are - including the two men themselves.
WBBM's Steve Miller reports.
Robert Rockefeller and Shannon Night are the names they call themselves.
But those are not their real names.
If someone would identify them, it would be a step, possibly toward a better life.
Shannon Night, a stroke patient, could apply for Social Security Disability and Medicaid. He'd get some spending money.
The only reason he's at a state-run psychiatric facility is because that's the only place for him to go. If his identity is established, he could be placed in a group home, so some place less restrictive.
Robert Rockefeller's care at a private nursing home would be reimbursed by Medicaid and SSI -- Supplemental Security Income. He, too, would get a little spending money.
And besides the monetary reasons, Shannon's former guardian Gary Doherty says there's another reason to establish identity.
"I think just the solace in knowing who you are would be a good thing," he says.
The irony is this: Neither Shannon nor Robert seems keen on knowing who they really are.
But their advocate Anne Bielby, a forensic artist, stays committed.
"We've got to assume everybody's got someone who wants to know what happened to them," she says.
The U.S. Justice Department has a national database of unidentified people.