Jim Boomgarden's case was on UM today. The new one. They said he died, but he had a son and sister, or half-sister, I think "Judy", who was still looking for "Billy" or "Bud". Rochelle, Illinois.
I think I remember "Heironimo" as an aunt.
Maybe Hazel as a mother.

Can anyone help with more last names and info so we can use the power of the Internets? Anyone with an Ancestry.com login could look up records.

To refresh
September 2, 1992
A new segment on Jim Boomgarden after finding that he has an identical twin brother and possibly a half sister;

So was this the half-sister he was supposedly trying to find, or one he already knew he had?

So was this the half-sister he was supposedly trying to find, or one he already knew he had?

He found her somehow already on the show. Then they were together trying to find Jim Boomgarden's brother - "Billy " or Bud or whatever. They even had the hospital and suspected birth dates ( I think in 1961). Everyone had seen this guy around town - even the same store, 15 minutes earlier, but it wasn't him. (They were identical twins) . Even when he was a kid, people would call him Billy, and he would say, I'm not playing with you , my name is Jimmy, call me by my real name! Then, Farina said, unfortunately, a year after taping this segment, that Jim Boomgarden died. So his sister, and sons are looking for "Billy" .

The twin Jim sought was Billy. Bud was the name of the brother of his relative (aunt?) who said, "You look just like my brother Bud."

These guys were born WAY before 1961--like in the '40s-early '50s.

When I saw it, it struck me as odd, unlikely even, that Jim would make up all that about the family name and the aunt saying she recognized him as a relative, but then I remembered what the aunt said, in close to these words. "I never knew about twin boys, but of course I did know about the little girl she gave away." I didn't remember him ever having found the sister; was this a Lifetime update?

My conclusion: the half-sister was real, but "Billy" was a figment of Jim's imagination.

Reasons: they never pursued any real leads. Jim never asked any of the strangers who greeted him who they mistook him for. Although the boys were raised in the same area, no one ever checked yearbooks for all area high schools for a boy named Billy, exactly Jim's age, who looked just like him. Most tellingly, no one ever identified the baseball team for which Billy supposedly pitched to simply ASK the head people of that team who pitched that day. That, or a few local newspaper articles would have sufficed--not national TV exposure.

Something smells...pinoc:

The twin Jim sought was Billy. Bud was the name of the brother of his relative (aunt?) who said, "You look just like my brother Bud."

These guys were born WAY before 1961--like in the '40s-early '50s.

When I saw it, it struck me as odd, unlikely even, that Jim would make up all that about the family name and the aunt saying she recognized him as a relative, but then I remembered what the aunt said, in close to these words. "I never knew about twin boys, but of course I did know about the little girl she gave away." I didn't remember him ever having found the sister; was this a Lifetime update?

My conclusion: the half-sister was real, but "Billy" was a figment of Jim's imagination.

Reasons: they never pursued any real leads. Jim never asked any of the strangers who greeted him who they mistook him for. Although the boys were raised in the same area, no one ever checked yearbooks for all area high schools for a boy named Billy, exactly Jim's age, who looked just like him. Most tellingly, no one ever identified the baseball team for which Billy supposedly pitched to simply ASK the head people of that team who pitched that day. That, or a few local newspaper articles would have sufficed--not national TV exposure.

Something smells...pinoc:

It may have been 1941 or 1951, but I'm fairly certain they gave a date (or two possible dates) and the name of the hospital. I was hoping with that information someone could look up on Ancestry and other sites for records. "Judy" was his half-sister. Farina came on and said she, and Jim Boomgarden's sons, were still looking for "Billy", after Jim died a year after he met his sister. I thought that there was someone else on who corroborated his story about going into a store 15 minutes after "Billy" was there, and some of the other stories, but honestly, I dont remember, and the computer is in a different room than the TV. Maybe I have to start bring a notepad to write down this information cause no one else seems to know specifics and theres nothing on the Internet about this case.

That's a shame that there is nothing about it online, because it is one of the most intriguing cases on UM due to there being both so many genuine and false elements to it. It seems Jim really was adopted and had an older half-sister. As for the people who corroborated his story, they were ONLY family and friends of his. Were they complicit in covering for him, or was he really so slick he had them fooled? (There have been people with dissociative disorders and other double lifestyles whose families had NO clue!)

Did his son and half-sister really believe in Billy? Are they chasing a phantom, and what have they done to chase him? If they had a website, I'd love to contact them, direct them to this thread, and ask if ANYONE followed ANY of my suggestions.

Another thing extremely suspicious--not only did this fail to produce Billy, but NO ONE who knew him! NOT ONE of doubtless many family, friends, coworkers, fellow baseball players who'd supposedly warmly greeted Jim over the years in his own home area! I smell something of a rodential nature!

It may have been 1941 or 1951, but I'm fairly certain they gave a date (or two possible dates) and the name of the hospital. I was hoping with that information someone could look up on Ancestry and other sites for records. "Judy" was his half-sister. Farina came on and said she, and Jim Boomgarden's sons, were still looking for "Billy", after Jim died a year after he met his sister. I thought that there was someone else on who corroborated his story about going into a store 15 minutes after "Billy" was there, and some of the other stories, but honestly, I dont remember, and the computer is in a different room than the TV. Maybe I have to start bring a notepad to write down this information cause no one else seems to know specifics and theres nothing on the Internet about this case.
There aren't going to be many records on ancestry, it's too recent and adoption records aren't found on the site. I'm sure I could find him in the death index if I had the right spelling of his name, however.

There aren't going to be many records on ancestry, it's too recent and adoption records aren't found on the site. I'm sure I could find him in the death index if I had the right spelling of his name, however.

I think UM spelled his name Boumgarden.

ive always found this story too good to be true. I think Jim made up this 'lost twin' story, if there were a twin brother he would have appeared by now.

Nothing turns up searching alternate spellings, either.

Well, with old Jim Boomer, is it time to go down the path of "guy bored with his mundane life makes up interesting stories that finally get out of hand and go national"?

Cuz I'm just sayin....

My great grandpa was bored out of his skull, so he told big tales about fighting Pancho Villa out west. (Great Grandpa never set foot outta the back woods of tennessee except to move with his kids to detroit for a while so they could work in the factories.)

Then, my grandpa (son of lying great grandpa) was bored with his life, and made up big stories about how he and his brothers fought the Purple Gang before the gang made it big with their lives of crime and left detroit to move on to Chicago.

Also, lying great grandpa ended up having a grandson that was such a notorious liar that the whole family called him "Jimmy Liar". Once, some professional type fellers asked him his name, which was Jimmy Roberts. Well, the dimwit couldn't remember his own name, so he said to great grandpa (whose name was also Roberts), "Tell 'em my name Pa". Great Grandpa also got all goofed up and stumbled, couldn't remember the name, and finally stammered out, "It's JIMMY! Jimmy Liar!!"

Maybe Jim Boomgarden was a just a teller of tall tales.

"08-20-2010, 12:46 AM #76
jimbou81
Occasional Poster
Member

Join Date: Feb 18, 2009
Location: Florida
Posts: 3

Default
Thank you for continually looking for information on this case, maybe one day something will pop up that helps me find my lost relatives.

I was reading some of other threads about this case, many of them are several years old, here is some info that some don't know.

- My father, James E. Boumgarden, celebrated his birthday on March 29, 1947 however some documents found showed March 26, 1947. He was born in Cook County Illinois (Chicago) he was raised up in Rochelle and Paynes Point Illinois and went to Stillman Valley High school.

- As kids they may have been living near each other, but the twin may have been adopted by another family away from the area, or his current family had moved him away from the area, or he may have never been adopted at all and just moved from home to home. As an adult he may just come visit the area to visit an old friend or adopted family member or what ever the case may be.

- At the baseball game my uncle Rick didn't know about the twin at that time as it was years before my father started looking. He couldn't recall the team or date that he played against.

- My father didn't want to start looking until after his adopted father passed away because he was afraid it would have upset him if he was looking for his "real" family. This maybe the case with the twin also. Remember my fathers adopted grandmother knew about the twin. When she told my mother about the twin, that is when some of the pieces started to come together.

- UM contacted me back in 2007 before they started airing on Spike. I did have an update for them, they didn't pursue the update.

- My parents did go to all the libraries and high schools in the area searching yearbooks for a kid his age, but as I stated above the twin likely moved away from the area before high school.

- My father had a doctor confirm that he had an Identical twin before he knew that he had a twin because the doctor told him that he was missing an organ (sorry I don't remember which one, I can update this part later when i find out) and his twin had the other. Common in the type of twin he was, they were basically one step away from being siamese twins.

- His half sister, Judy S., was given up for adoption because she had a tumor at birth, her unmarried (very important for that time period) mother was unable to pay for the surgery so the first couple that paid for the surgery got to adopt her. Their mother was given no choice or no rights.

- My father and twin were considered "unadoptable" because of a possible heart defect and possible mixed race. She was forced into giving these kids up because she was unmarried. Because of this they were placed on the "blackmarket", documents were sealed (maybe even changed too). I guess this was as a punishment to his mother so she could never find them.

- The update Spike didn't air: A good friend of my fathers, who runs a store in the area, said that he thought he saw a ghost when a man walked into the store. When he confronted him about the case he said he didn't want to have anything to do with the family then walked out of the store and got in his truck and left. My fathers friend tried to stop him but the "twin" wasn't willing to talk.
This also confirms some the other reports my family received saying the same thing, that he didn't even know about.

If the twin doesn't want to be contacted, then their isn't much we can do, hopefully he will change his mind someday and contact me (it isn't hard to find me online) If he has any kids, they would be my cousins and about as close as you can get to being half brother and/or sister.

I would like to thank every one who has done some research online for this case. Because of the adoption, sites like ancestry or even facebook probably wouldn't get you very far unless we knew "Bill's" adopted last name."

I knew it! I totally believed the guy when he said he had a twin. I didnt think Jim made it up. Too many people were witnesses. I've always suspected that the twin is out there, but didnt want to come forward. Maybe one day his kid or grandchild will come forward.

"08-20-2010, 12:46 AM #76
jimbou81
Occasional Poster
Member

Join Date: Feb 18, 2009
Location: Florida
Posts: 3

Default
Thank you for continually looking for information on this case, maybe one day something will pop up that helps me find my lost relatives.

I was reading some of other threads about this case, many of them are several years old, here is some info that some don't know.

- My father, James E. Boumgarden, celebrated his birthday on March 29, 1947 however some documents found showed March 26, 1947. He was born in Cook County Illinois (Chicago) he was raised up in Rochelle and Paynes Point Illinois and went to Stillman Valley High school.

- As kids they may have been living near each other, but the twin may have been adopted by another family away from the area, or his current family had moved him away from the area, or he may have never been adopted at all and just moved from home to home. As an adult he may just come visit the area to visit an old friend or adopted family member or what ever the case may be.

- At the baseball game my uncle Rick didn't know about the twin at that time as it was years before my father started looking. He couldn't recall the team or date that he played against.

- My father didn't want to start looking until after his adopted father passed away because he was afraid it would have upset him if he was looking for his "real" family. This maybe the case with the twin also. Remember my fathers adopted grandmother knew about the twin. When she told my mother about the twin, that is when some of the pieces started to come together.

- UM contacted me back in 2007 before they started airing on Spike. I did have an update for them, they didn't pursue the update.

- My parents did go to all the libraries and high schools in the area searching yearbooks for a kid his age, but as I stated above the twin likely moved away from the area before high school.

- My father had a doctor confirm that he had an Identical twin before he knew that he had a twin because the doctor told him that he was missing an organ (sorry I don't remember which one, I can update this part later when i find out) and his twin had the other. Common in the type of twin he was, they were basically one step away from being siamese twins.

- His half sister, Judy S., was given up for adoption because she had a tumor at birth, her unmarried (very important for that time period) mother was unable to pay for the surgery so the first couple that paid for the surgery got to adopt her. Their mother was given no choice or no rights.

- My father and twin were considered "unadoptable" because of a possible heart defect and possible mixed race. She was forced into giving these kids up because she was unmarried. Because of this they were placed on the "blackmarket", documents were sealed (maybe even changed too). I guess this was as a punishment to his mother so she could never find them.

- The update Spike didn't air: A good friend of my fathers, who runs a store in the area, said that he thought he saw a ghost when a man walked into the store. When he confronted him about the case he said he didn't want to have anything to do with the family then walked out of the store and got in his truck and left. My fathers friend tried to stop him but the "twin" wasn't willing to talk.
This also confirms some the other reports my family received saying the same thing, that he didn't even know about.

If the twin doesn't want to be contacted, then their isn't much we can do, hopefully he will change his mind someday and contact me (it isn't hard to find me online) If he has any kids, they would be my cousins and about as close as you can get to being half brother and/or sister.

I would like to thank every one who has done some research online for this case. Because of the adoption, sites like ancestry or even facebook probably wouldn't get you very far unless we knew "Bill's" adopted last name."


Fascinating story!!!!

I knew it! I totally believed the guy when he said he had a twin. I didnt think Jim made it up. Too many people were witnesses. I've always suspected that the twin is out there, but didnt want to come forward. Maybe one day his kid or grandchild will come forward.

I rather suspected he didn't exist, but if he did it was just obvious he didn't want to be discovered. Too many people out looking, for him to NOT know he was being looked for. I expect he has money, an adoptive family he doesn't want to embarrass, or both.

I rather suspected he didn't exist, but if he did it was just obvious he didn't want to be discovered. Too many people out looking, for him to NOT know he was being looked for. I expect he has money, an adoptive family he doesn't want to embarrass, or both.

He could also just genuinely not be interested in meeting with these people. Not everyone who is adopted has a burning desire - or any desire - to know their "real" family. From what has been presented here, a real possibility is also that he wasn't permanently removed from his mother (Ethel) and for whatever reason the family became estranged from her is the same reason he is staying away. Or he could have had a really horrible life growing up and might not be willing to open his heart to more heartache.

I do think the "right" thing to do would have been to just contact the family and/or unsolved mysteries to say that he understands what they're trying to do but that he isn't interested. Especially since doing so would mean that the new series wouldn't have wasted their time on what is essentially a solved mystery.

I do think the "right" thing to do would have been to just contact the family and/or unsolved mysteries to say that he understands what they're trying to do but that he isn't interested. Especially since doing so would mean that the new series wouldn't have wasted their time on what is essentially a solved mystery.

Not to mention making his identical twin brother, whom, if really separated at birth, he would have no reason to humiliate, look like a TOTAL FREAKIN' PSYCHO on national TV and his friends and neighbors look like enabling liars. I bet these people caught no end of grief for this. (Of course presumably they had tried to track him down by other means and he resented their attempt to flush him out so publicly.)

There was another part to the update on this story. Apparently Jim's older sister that reunited with was able to reunite with a younger sister of theirs. But Jim died before she could intriduce him to their younger sister. I wonder if Jim's twin Bill was told about his bio family. He could be angry or just scared to reunite.

I wish the original birth certificate could be found and produced. This shouldn't be too hard if we know the subject's birthdate which, unless falsified, should have been recorded when he died and since the mother's family name is known, look for birth certificates under that name from around the time the subject was born. If the birth certificate could be produced it would PROVE whether it was a single or multiple birth.

Here is his Find a Grave Entry recording his birthdate: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38866729/james-ernest-boumgarden

Does anyone know what Jim died of? I believe he was in his 40's when he passed away.

Does anyone know what Jim died of? I believe he was in his 40's when he passed away.

Better get the death certificate too. You used to be able to just buy birth and death certificates but I don't know if you can now.

Better get the death certificate too. You used to be able to just buy birth and death certificates but I don't know if you can now.

First off, he was only in his 40's?! I haven't watched the segment in ages, but he gave off the feeling of a much older man.

Regarding birth and death certificates, the rules and regulations vary from county to county. In some places, anyone can still get copies for a nominal fee (usually in the $15 range). In others, you have to be next of kin and provide proof. Depending on their rules, you may even have to be a direct descendant.

If you wish to obtain a death certificate but find yourself blocked by restrictions, an alternate has sometimes been to seek out a copy of the coroner's report/autopsy. Their rules to access may differ.

First off, he was only in his 40's?! I haven't watched the segment in ages, but he gave off the feeling of a much older man.

Jim Boumgarden was born on March 29, 1947. Without looking up the air date, to the best of my recollection it was September of 1992, which would have made him 45 years old at the time. He died on July 25, 1994 aged only 47. I just saw a very interesting YouTube video about why TV actors in the 1950s-1970s appeared so old for their real ages. If you watch Dragnet, Adam-12, or Emergency!, when an age is estimated, the subject appears to be 15-20 years older than the estimate. My guess is if you looked up the actor's ages these estimates would be close to correct.