Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
NPR News

Can You ID Germany's 'Forest Boy'?

"Forest boy," who says his name is Ray.
"Forest boy," who says his name is Ray.
(
Berlin police
)

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.

Listen 4:03

7 a.m. June 15. IMPORTANT UPDATE: 'Forest Boy' Is A Hoax, Police Say.

Our original post:

Take a look at the face.

If you've got any clue as to who this young man is, police in Berlin want to know.

All Things Considered today catches up on the story of Germany's "forest boy," the young man of about 17 who showed up in Berlin last September saying that his name was "Ray" and that he had been living in the wild with his father for the previous five years.

According to Ray, who says he doesn't know his family name or where he's from, his father died last August and his mother was killed in a car accident about five years earlier.

Ray speaks English. And as Global Post adds:

Sponsored message

"Investigators told NBC News that it's most likely that Ray is from a neighboring country, rather than the US, at least according to DNA evidence. The authorities also believe English may not be his native tongue."

Hannah Cleaver is editor of the English-language German news site The Local, which has been following Ray's story since last year. She tells NPR's Audie Cornish that Germans have been captivated by the story of "the boy who walked out of the forest," even though investigators can't figure out whether his story is true or not.

This week, authorities released his picture in the hope it will help them solve the mystery. The Berlin police department's website, with more about Ray's story, is here (scroll down on the page for English).

Someone must know who he is.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today