Former 'Jon Doe' calls his dilemma fascinating but terrifying

As Edward Lighthart — or Jon Doe, as he prefers — met the rest of the media from the city and the nation Friday to tell of his three-week ordeal of amnesia, he quickly made one thing clear.

"This is definitely not a hoax," he said. "This is one of the most hellish experiences anyone could go through."

But Canadian government documents have emerged that show he was in a psychiatric hospital in Calgary, Alberta, in early 2008 and was accused by authorities of freeloading social services in Canada. It lends more evidence that the man has been grappling with homelessness and serious emotional problems for more than a year.

On Thursday, a Seattle Times reader recognized Edward Lighthart, 53, as the man who walked out of Discovery Park late last month, saying he had no memory of his identity. On Friday, Lighthart redonned the khaki pants, blue shirt and blue blazer he was wearing that day, and stepped before TV cameras and reporters at Swedish Medical Center's Cherry Hill campus to retell his story.

Lighthart spoke casually and comfortably, leaning back in his chair before the lights and microphones. He thanked The Times for helping him find his real name. He said he's still confused, frustrated, scared and lonely.

But he also confessed a bit of excitement at all the attention, and the sense that this might be a chance at a clean start for his life.

"From an objective standpoint, this is absolutely fascinating," he said. "But from a subjective standpoint, it's absolutely terrifying."

Lighthart has been at Swedish since July 30, when he walked out of the park and flagged a bus for help. For three weeks, he said he couldn't remember his name or full background.

After he was identified, friends and family said Lighthart was indeed an intelligent, educated world traveler and former chef. But they also spoke of emotional difficulties.

His sister in Las Vegas said she had taken in Lighthart in March 2008 after he entered the U.S. from Calgary. She told him to leave her home because he wasn't paying rent or looking for work.

He disappeared late last month and then surfaced in Seattle.

On Friday, the Calgary Herald obtained a transcript of an immigration hearing held Feb. 29, 2008, while Lighthart was being held there in immigration detention.

According to the document, Lighthart had entered Canada in December 2007 from Blaine, Whatcom County. Seattle police also confirmed that Lighthart had flown into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport from Japan shortly before that.

At the Canadian border, he was allowed to continue to Calgary, but was told to report to immigration officials there a week later to prove he had a plane ticket out of Canada, according to the transcript.

He didn't show up, and a warrant was issued for his arrest, the document says. He later told officials he "was scared that immigration officials might request him to leave Canada."

On Feb. 24, 2008, he was admitted to a psychiatric unit at Peter Lougheed Hospital in Calgary for making suicidal threats, the document says. The staff learned he had spent the previous months living in a homeless hostel but was kicked out after staying for the maximum time allowed.

On Feb. 29, 2008, the hospital staff determined Lighthart was not suicidal and turned him over to immigration authorities.

They found that he had no money, no credit card and no job. The government sought his removal from Canada, characterizing Lighthart's behavior as "an abuse of the social system of Canada to obtain lodging and perhaps to obtain food as well," the document says.

In the hearing, Lighthart explained that he had simply been confused by the immigration process and apologized. But the judge determined he couldn't be trusted to follow immigration procedures and ordered him deported.

For now, Lighthart will remain at Swedish while he continues to sort through his memories and Seattle police try to help him track down the vital pieces of his identity, such as a Social Security number and passport. They said Friday that because they are certain now of his real identity, they are closing their case. There is no indication he is wanted for any crime in the U.S., they reiterated.

Friday was Lighthart's first interview for media except for The Times. So he recounted his tale again, explaining that he remembers some details very clearly, but other major parts of his life are blanks.

"It's like a jigsaw puzzle, with pieces all over the place that don't have any interlocking joints yet," he said.

He said he has been thinking about his future and "bread-and-butter" issues, and he would like to try to use his education to work for UNESCO, the United Nation's education and human-rights organization.

William Likosky, a Swedish neurologist, spoke after Lighthart and said, "I don't think he's making it up at all."

Though Likosky emphasized that he had not treated Lighthart and had only just met him, it appears he is suffering a dissociative disorder, blocking out something stressful or traumatic.

"One does this kind of thing to protect oneself," the doctor said. "Underneath this is a very frightening experience."

Ian Ith: 206-464-2109 or iith@seattletimes.com