"Tom Hughes" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

ididn'tdoit · 01-24-2008, 04:43 PM

I've been searching for an update on this case but so far found none. Anyway, I'm not sure if you all remember this, but it was about a man going by the name of "Tom Hughes" among other aliases, all of them names of soap opera characters.

Police think he was a professional hospital patient and that he used the scam in order to get pain pills, always sneaking out before paying his hospital bills. He later died at a, I'm not sure, but I think it was in a Massachusetts hospital - and they tried to find out the man's real identity and/or to find any family or relatives.

Does anyone know if there was an update to this segment?

nohwheregirl · 01-24-2008, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ididn'tdoit

I've been searching for an update on this case but so far found none. Anyway, I'm not sure if you all remember this, but it was about a man going by the name of "Tom Hughes" among other aliases, all of them names of soap opera characters.

Police think he was a professional hospital patient and that he used the scam in order to get pain pills, always sneaking out before paying his hospital bills. He later died at a, I'm not sure, but I think it was in a Massachusetts hospital - and they tried to find out the man's real identity and/or to find any family or relatives.

Does anyone know if there was an update to this segment?

I vaguely remember this one, and I thought there was an update. Sorry that's not too much help. I didn't remember the part about the soap opera characters. "Tom Hughes" is a character on As the World Turns. Hee.

LooksLikeCRicci · 01-24-2008, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nohwheregirl

I vaguely remember this one, and I thought there was an update. Sorry that's not too much help. I didn't remember the part about the soap opera characters. "Tom Hughes" is a character on As the World Turns. Hee.

Then you'll definitely appreciate that another one of his aliases was "Tom Dixon," who ironically enough... works in a hospital in Oakdale.

Sorry. My mom's a big ATWT freak.

nohwheregirl · 01-25-2008, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LooksLikeCRicci

Then you'll definitely appreciate that another one of his aliases was "Tom Dixon," who ironically enough... works in a hospital in Oakdale.

Sorry. My mom's a big ATWT freak.

Don't you mean *John* Dixon? Get with it, Ricci!!!

crystaldawn · 01-25-2008, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nohwheregirl

Don't you mean *John* Dixon? Get with it, Ricci!!!

Actually there are John Dixon and Tom Hughes both on ATWT (although John Dixon is long gone). My mother has watched that show for decades.

ididn'tdoit, I believe the segment on the volumes is from NBC but there was an update on Lifetime. I don't remember all the details but it seemed RS said a family member called in and identified him. They stated that they hadn't seen him in years and didn't know what he had been doing.

Kane · 01-25-2008, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ididn'tdoit

I've been searching for an update on this case but so far found none. Anyway, I'm not sure if you all remember this, but it was about a man going by the name of "Tom Hughes" among other aliases, all of them names of soap opera characters.

Police think he was a professional hospital patient and that he used the scam in order to get pain pills, always sneaking out before paying his hospital bills. He later died at a, I'm not sure, but I think it was in a Massachusetts hospital - and they tried to find out the man's real identity and/or to find any family or relatives.

Does anyone know if there was an update to this segment?

Yes, there was an update on that. He was recognized and positively identified, although I don't remember "Tom's" real name.

As I recall from the segment, he died in Connecticut, so you were just one state close. Close, but no cigar.

Back to the update part of the segment, it was learned that the man was known to frequently disappear for long periods of time. For that reason, he was never reported missing.

asquinas · 11-21-2008, 04:54 AM

His actual name was Thomas Patrick White.

He was believed to suffer from Munchausen Syndrome.

mphs95 · 11-21-2008, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LooksLikeCRicci

Then you'll definitely appreciate that another one of his aliases was "Tom Dixon," who ironically enough... works in a hospital in Oakdale.

Sorry. My mom's a big ATWT freak.

Hmmmmm, Tom Dixon. Too bad he wasn't an UM-phile. He could have been Tom Johnson or Hank Queen....

UMfan77 · 11-21-2008, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mphs95

Hmmmmm, Tom Dixon. Too bad he wasn't an UM-phile. He could have been Tom Johnson or Hank Queen....

"Hank Queen" has to be the lamest alias that I've ever heard. Sounds like a stage name for a drag queen

idol · 06-07-2011, 09:04 AM

I always found this case to be really interesting. If still living you have to wonder if he'd still be doing it or be busted by now.

Mysteryphile · 06-08-2011, 01:26 PM

But with Munchausen Syndrome, don't they fake an illness to get the doctors sympathy/attention? It sounds more like this guy wanted a free B and B (since he was going to scarper on any medical bill payments)

I think he would have kept it up until he was caught...I don't really see him changing what he was doing. Why would he when what he was doing was working quite well for him.

01-24-2008, 04:43 PM	#1
ididn'tdoit Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 03, 2006 Posts: 405	"Tom Hughes" I've been searching for an update on this case but so far found none. Anyway, I'm not sure if you all remember this, but it was about a man going by the name of "Tom Hughes" among other aliases, all of them names of soap opera characters. Police think he was a professional hospital patient and that he used the scam in order to get pain pills, always sneaking out before paying his hospital bills. He later died at a, I'm not sure, but I think it was in a Massachusetts hospital - and they tried to find out the man's real identity and/or to find any family or relatives. Does anyone know if there was an update to this segment?

11-21-2008, 04:54 AM	#7
asquinas Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Oct 21, 2008 Posts: 12	His actual name was Thomas Patrick White. He was believed to suffer from Munchausen Syndrome.

06-07-2011, 09:04 AM	#10
idol Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Maine Posts: 280	I always found this case to be really interesting. If still living you have to wonder if he'd still be doing it or be busted by now.

06-08-2011, 01:26 PM	#11
Mysteryphile I wonder what happened to her. Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 02, 2009 Location: England via Iowa Posts: 320	But with Munchausen Syndrome, don't they fake an illness to get the doctors sympathy/attention? It sounds more like this guy wanted a free B and B (since he was going to scarper on any medical bill payments) I think he would have kept it up until he was caught...I don't really see him changing what he was doing. Why would he when what he was doing was working quite well for him.