Identical triplets were separated at birth and raised within 100 miles of each other as part of a disturbing experiment.
In July 1961, triplets Robert Shafran, Edward Galland, and David Kellman were born to a teenage mother in New York.
As was often the practice during that time, the triplets were placed for adoption and were taken in by three different families, thus separating them.
What they did not know was that their adoption was part of a sinister experiment that would remain secret for many years.
The three brothers were unaware of each other’s existence until a chance encounter during their teenage years.
Robert and Edward both attended Sullivan Community College and had no idea they were related. However, a mutual friend noticed their striking resemblance and began asking questions.
Upon learning that both had been adopted, Robert and Edward pieced together their relationship and discovered they were brothers.
But how did David come into play?
Robert and Edward’s story caught the media’s attention, and it was through this coverage that David learned about them.
Upon realizing how much he resembled Robert and Edward, David reached out to Edward’s family and spoke to his mother.
The three brothers bonded instantly when they met and became inseparable. It was later confirmed that Robert, Edward, and David were indeed triplets, and their past was part of a highly controversial experiment.
The nature versus nurture study conducted by Dr. Peter Neubauer involved placing Robert, Edward, and David with families from different social classes.
Dr. Neubauer collaborated with an adoption agency to ensure each boy was placed in a distinct socio-economic environment.
David grew up in a working-class family, Edward in a middle-class home, and Robert was raised by an upper-middle-class family.
Throughout the first ten years of their lives, Dr. Neubauer visited each boy annually as part of the study.
The twist? He never revealed he was also visiting their two identical brothers.
Although the triplets were eventually reunited, their story is marked by tragedy.
All three brothers struggled with mental health issues; both Edward and David had to be hospitalized for their conditions.
In a heartbreaking turn, Edward died by suicide at the age of 33 in 1995, tormented by the circumstances of his separation despite the joy of reuniting with his siblings.
The poignant story of the triplets has been documented in the 2018 film Three Identical Strangers.
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