The twins were born on August 19, 1939, at Piqua Memorial Hospital in Ohio. Their mother was an unwed 15-year-old immigrant, and she placed both boys for adoption.
Neither adoptive couple ever met her. A few weeks after the birth, the babies went to separate homes.
One went home with Ernest and Sarah Springer in Piqua. The other went to Jess and Lucille Lewis in Lima.
For the next 16 months, the Lewises had no reason to doubt what they had been told.