Children’s laughter in the home Juan Doe shared with his family who died in a car accident is one of his last memories Doe has before he left the home he cannot remember and local law enforcement found him in a ditch.

Where he came from, he doesn’t remember. What he does remember is he had to get out of the home left empty after his wife and daughters died in a car accident.

Today, he lives in Cottonwood in a studio apartment owned by the Verde Valley Guidance Clinic.

A Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deputy found Doe near Tapco Road outside Clarkdale on July 23 with cuts on his arms and neck. All he remembered then was his name, Juan.

Doe also thinks he remembers the name of his deceased wife, Juana.

“I always thought that was unusual that Juan and Juana hook up,” Doe said.

He believes his daughters were named Trisha, 12, and Silvia, 10. He said he thinks all three of them died in a car accident, possibly in March.

Before his family died, Doe said he had heart surgery. A big scar down Doe’s chest indicates this memory is likely true. He said he felt depressed after the surgery and his family was helping him through it. Then, they died, which he believes drove him from his home.

Doe said he couldn’t handle being in his family’s home any longer and took off in his car, which he later abandoned and began to hitchhike. He later turned up in the Verde Valley.

Since then, Paulette Guinn, Doe’s case manager at VVGC, has been working with him, trying to trigger any memory that will clue them in to who Doe is and where he came from.

Doe’s short term memory hasn’t been affected. He said he remembers everything since he was found.

Doe cut his hair in August hoping it would help him remember something.

“I am guessing I keep it something like this,” Doe said. He combs it different ways hoping to tap a memory.

Guinn said during her weekly sessions with Doe they talk about his dreams, which they’ve been able to use to make possible connections to his past.

Doe recalls dreams about working on computers. He said he thinks he may have been an electrician.

Guinn and Doe also look for clues in Doe’s behavior and mannerisms.

When Doe watches television, he said he adjusts his viewing schedule to correspond with the central showing time, which leads him to believe he is from somewhere in the central time zone.

Doe’s speech also has a drawl, which Guinn said leads her to believe he could be from Texas. Originally, Doe thought he was from New Mexico but now believes that to be false.

Now, Guinn said, nearly three months after authorities found Doe, they are going to try two new approaches.

A woman in Portland, Ore., contacted the clinic. She said it’s her hobby to find people who have forgotten their identity and match them with missing persons listings. Guinn said they’re going to give it a try.

Doe also agreed to be hypnotized, Guinn said. A Cottonwood hypnotist agreed to give Doe three free sessions of regression therapy, which uses hypnosis, to help Doe remember.

Until Doe remembers who he is, VVGC is trying to help him out mentally and emotionally.

Guinn said Doe’s picking up odd jobs to keep a little money

in his pocket and she unsuccessfully tried to get him on AHCCCS.

Doe doesn’t have any documentation required by AHCCCS to obtain coverage. However, Guinn said a clause allows documentation requirements to be bypassed. After filling out 32 pages of paperwork, Guinn said AHCCCS still rejected him.

Guinn said she doesn’t know what they’ll do next.