How long can the police hold you if you refuse to tell them your name?

Utah cops baffled in case of mysterious anonymous inmate

‘Well-spoken … just doesn’t want to be found’

Credit for story goes to Lester Haines, Posted 26th July 2011 08:53 GMT

Utah cops are attempting to identify a man who’s unnecessarily spent over three weeks in jail on three minor misdemeanor charges because he refuses to reveal his name.

The 60-something, "fairly well spoken and educated" John Doe was cuffed on 1 July for "trespassing in a parking garage", Reuters explains. He could have secured bail by simply telling police who he is, but so far he’s declined to do so.

The mystery perpetrator has restricted himself to a few comments about how well he’s being treated, and hasn’t yet used a supplied phone card to call friends or relatives.

Lt. Dennis Harris of the Utah County Sheriff’s Office explained: "He was very aware of what we were trying to do and he would not give us the slightest bit of information indicating where he was from or anything relating to his family situation."

Harris admitted: "This is really a strange case. He just doesn’t want to be found.

"I’ve been trying to think from A to Z why he would want to stay here … why he wouldn’t give us any information. He either has to be wanted by some other state or he could be on some other registry or database that has not shown up."

He added: "I realize that sometimes people want to go to jail because they are homeless, have nothing, they are destitute. I’ve seen that over the years. I just don’t get the impression that’s the reason. He just doesn’t want to be discovered by somebody."

Harris said he’d received plenty of calls relating to his anonymous guest, but they’d come to nothing. He did, though, suggest the matter might soon be resolved. In one conversation, John Doe did admit he’d need to secure his freedom to attend to unspecified business.

Harris concluded: "He said there was a point at some time that he would need to get out of jail. That’s the closest I can find of what he wants to do. And that makes no sense to me whatsoever."

UPDATE, IDENTITY DISCOVERED:

Utah jail identifies man after 3 weeks, By Elizabeth Piazza The Daily Times, Posted: 07/27/2011 01:00:00 AM MDT

FARMINGTON — A 61-year-old Farmington man was dubbed "John Doe" by Utah police after he spent more than three weeks in jail without being identified.
The Utah County Sheriff’s Office identified Philip Beavers after a family member called on Tuesday.

The phone call was one of hundreds of people attempting to identify him after the agency sent out a nationwide press release seeking help, Sheriff’s Lt. Dennis Harris said.
Provo, Utah, police arrested Beavers on July 1, after he was found lurking around city vehicles in a garage under the police department, Harris said.
Beavers was observed looking into the vehicles’ windows and was asked to leave the area two or three times.
"He seemed to be down and out and looking for something," Harris said.

Beavers was charged with criminal trespass, failure to give information to a police officer and interfering with an investigation.
Despite the arrest, Beavers would not give officers his true identify.

"The Sheriff’s Office received more than 100 emails from citizens throughout the United States," Harris reported.

Some of the suggested identities included Lee Harvey Oswald, D.B. Cooper, Frank Morris, an escapee from Alcatraz, and a district attorney from Pennsylvania, Harris said.
"Of course I am sure some people were just trying to be funny, but the vast majority of people were very concerned in helping us to identify the inmate currently incarcerated," he said.

The agency spent more than 100 hours trying to identify the man.

Family members, who declined to be identified, told police that Beavers left Farmington about June 24. They indicated that Beavers lost his job and could not find work.
He remains incarcerated at the Utah County jail on a $1,200 bond, a jail spokeswoman said.

UPDATE 2:
Utah mystery prisoner is not former DA Ray Gricar