Wild Boys Strangers In Town Recap: Where Are Kyle And Roen Now?

The stories about feral children, people raised in isolation—away from society’s gaze—are not that common but have been a source of our fascination for several centuries. The idea of what it might be like to not remain shackled by societal norms, or how much that freedom changes a person, intrigues people a lot. Which was probably the main reason as to why back in 2003, the quaint town of Vernon in British Columbia, Canada, suddenly received widespread attention with the arrival of two late teen boys, claiming to have spent their entire lives off-grid, in the wilderness. However, as Paramount+’s two-episode docuseries, “Wild Boys: Strangers in Town,” showcases, there was much deception involved in the claim, the root cause of which involves unresolved psychological issues and the failing institutionalized healthcare system of the USA. 

Arrival of Green Brothers: Mixed Reception

In the late summer of 2003 brothersTom and Will Green, arrived at Vernon, a small, isolated township located in the midst of the wilds. They grabbed the attention of the townsfolk, with their account of being born and brought up in the cabin in the woods in the care of their parents. Without making a prejudiced claim, it is safe to say that Canadians have a generally kind disposition, and a local, Tami Ryder, went out of her way to help the brothers by offering them providence. The Green brothers didn’t offer much detail about their past or their motive to visit the town, resulting in the townsfolk speculating about all kinds of possibilities. Given Vernon’s recent history of a series of gang-related murders, the possibility of the extremely disheveled, withdrawn Green brothers being involved in antisocial elements was a natural assumption. The connection of the cult, or the brothers having a rough childhood due to a possible tormented upbringing—at one point, every kind of suspicion was entertained by the locals.  16-year-old younger brother Will was severely anorexic and was totally on a fruitarian diet. However, even after knowing his younger brother was suffering, Tom remained strangely reluctant to make any effort to intervene.

Henry Procr of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police didn’t buy a single word of the Green brothers’ account from the very beginning. Questions about the validity of the wilderness upbringing started being raised when Tom was seen using a computer with fluency, something which should have been inaccessible for someone who spent his life without electricity. Tami accepted the brothers as her own family and made several attempts to convince them to let her meet their parents, to no avail. Authorities couldn’t find IDs or personal records belonging to the brothers, which made it impossible for them to live independently in the town from a legal standpoint. At one point, Will, whose health was rapidly deteriorating, was taken away by local authorities, who had him admitted to a hospital. Local media didn’t take long to get a whiff of the entire situation, which made for a sensational story. Eventually, Timothy Sawa, an eager journalist, was able to convince Tom to share their story with the world. Tom’s first media interview was able to draw attention across the border, which resulted in the truth finally surfacing. 

Why Did Horn Brothers Leave Their Home?

As it turned out, the Green brothers assumed a false identity and had escaped from their home in Roseville, California, where they were raised under the care of their parents, Diana and Rodger Horn. After Kyle’s (Tom’s real name) interview received attention from US media and authorities, Mary, who was desperately searching for her missing younger son, Roen (Will’s real name), reached out to Tami. It was a shocking revelation that the young boys made up the entire story and didn’t even feel a sense of remorse despite betraying the trust of the people who believed in them and tried to help. 

From Diana and Rodger’s statements, viewers learn that Kyle was kicked out of his house after showing no interest in finding a job, chose to be a recluse, and his internet addiction resulted in him exhibiting strange, concerning ideas. Roen, the youngest son of Mary and Joseph, met with a bicycle accident that resulted in his spleen getting removed and needed to depend on a lifetime supply of regular medication and vaccines to survive. However, after being exposed to conspiracy theories from a young age, Roen didn’t believe in traditional medication, and as fear of mortality crept inside his mind, he became obsessed with longevity, alternate therapy, and anti-aging. He opted for a complete fruitarian diet, which affected his health and resulted in his emaciated physical stature. 

Roen’s parents sought psychiatric help for their son, who was advised to have him institutionalized, and soon enough, Child Protective Service knocked at Horns’ doorstep. Roen, panicked at the thought of being force-fed and medicated, decided to escape from his house and approached Kyle for help. As a protective elder brother, Kyle thought it wise to go on a cross-country adventure with his brother and reached Vernon, not having an iota of an idea of how they would survive. It’s their good luck that they came across people like Tami, who did everything they could have to ensure their safety and well-being. Horn brothers had no intention to return to their old life and made up the entire story about wilderness upbringing to fool the Vernon townsfolk. 

Where Are Kyle and Roen Now?

While receiving treatment in Canada, Roen was diagnosed with orthorexia, a condition that triggers unreasonable fear of unhealthy food. Due to the multiple different conditions, such as listening to the jargon of conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers and the mortal fear of having to live without a vital organ for the rest of his life, Roen adapted his psychology in a way that he was convinced the type of life he chose will provide him foolproof physical safety. When his comfort zone was threatened, the fight-or-flight risk was triggered, and he decided to flee from his house. Kyle, considering himself as Roen’s guardian in those dire times, made their survival his utmost priority and didn’t hesitate to betray others’ trust. Even though the impulsive choice of actions taken by Kyle is unethical and immoral, he and Roen still don’t think that they did anything wrong in the context of their situation. Henry Procr holds the belief that the Horn brothers are still not mature enough to realize the gravitas of their actions. His question, as to whether people would have united in a similar way to help the brothers in a present day scenario as well, is a timely reminder how general perception about outsiders have changed in a massive way. 

After Roen returned to his home, he went through a thorough checkup and treatment, and given how costly the United States’ healthcare service is, it is no wonder that the Horns went bankrupt in the ensuing years. Years after his physical and mental recovery, Roen started a YouTube channel where he discussed eternal life—sharing his obsession with prolonging life, breaking norms imposed by society in the most unusual way possible. Unable to earn revenue from his channel, Roen became homeless not long after, while Kyle, after going through multiple jobs, has built a life of his own in Arizona. Roen’s unique perspective on life has contributed to his somewhat isolated, lonely existence, but his bond with his elder brother remains as strong as it was two decades ago. Years ago, Kyle lied to the world in what he thought was an effort to ensure the safety of his brother, and took the blame for everything, as Tami Ryder recalls. Unlike Roen, Kyle didn’t face questions regarding his psychological condition, which would have helped viewers to realize how he justified his actions. Kyle is not shown to be a compulsive liar, which makes things all the more interesting as he probably would have continued the charade had his family remained unaware of the entire situation. 

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