Location: New York, USA (1960s-1995) 🌎
Story: In 1980, 19-year-old Bobby Shafran arrived at college and was shocked when strangers greeted him as "Eddy." He soon discovered his identical twin, Eddy Galland. Days later, a third, David Kellman, saw their photo and contacted them; revealing they were identical triplets, separated at birth and adopted by different families. Their reunion became a media sensation as they discovered uncanny similarities in mannerisms, preferences, and personalities. 👨👦👨
Twist: Their joy turned to horror when they learned they were unwitting subjects of a secret study on "Nature vs. Nurture" led by psychiatrist Dr. Peter Neubauer. He deliberately placed the boys in homes of varying socioeconomic status (wealthy, middle-class, and working-class) to observe how environment shaped them. Researchers visited each boy throughout childhood under false pretenses, filming and recording them without full parental knowledge. The emotional toll was immense: all three struggled with mental health, which they later understood as separation trauma. The most tragic outcome came in 1995 when Eddy, unable to cope with the betrayal, died by suicide at 33. Dr. Neubauer sealed the research archives at Yale University, where they remain hidden from the public until 2065; long after the subjects' lifetimes, ensuring the full, unedited truth of this ethically grotesque human experiment may never see the light of justice. âš–