Among the thousands of cases investigated by the Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) at the University of Virginia, few match the density of verified detail found in the case of Ryan Hammons. As a four-year-old boy in Oklahoma, Ryan claimed that in a previous life he had been a Hollywood talent agent during the 1930s and 1940s. The subsequent investigation by Dr Jim B. Tucker yielded an astonishing 55 specific, verifiable matches with the life of historic Hollywood agent Marty Martyn.
"That’s Me!" – The 1932 Photograph
The story unfolded in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Starting at age four, young Ryan suffered night terrors, waking up clutching his chest and begging his mother Cyndi Hammons to take him "home to Hollywood." He spoke of meetings with stars like Rita Hayworth, ocean liner voyages to Europe, and a large house with a swimming pool in Beverly Hills.
Because the family had no connections to the film industry and lived in a rural, Baptist environment, his mother borrowed library books about classic Hollywood to help her son. Browsing a book on the film Night After Night (1932, starring Mae West and George Raft), a breakthrough occurred: Ryan pointed to an uncredited extra standing in the background of a scene and exclaimed excitedly: "That’s me! That’s really me!"
Identifying Marty Martyn
The man in the photo had no speaking role and was unlisted in the credits. It took weeks of research by film historians and the team of Dr Jim B. Tucker to establish the extra's identity: Morris Kolinsky, who performed under the stage name Marty Martyn (1903–1964), working first as a Broadway dancer, then an actor, and finally a successful Hollywood talent agent.
55 Verified Details – A Investigation into Consciousness
His mother systematically recorded Ryan’s statements *before* Marty Martyn’s biography could be reconstructed. When Dr Jim B. Tucker traveled to Los Angeles to interview Martyn’s daughter and review court and estate records, he matched 55 individual statements made by the boy. All proved accurate:
- Beverly Hills Address: Ryan named a street with "Rox" in its title. Martyn indeed lived at 825 North Roxbury Drive.
- Lifestyle: Ryan described a large pool, a green car, Chinese food, and collecting sunglasses – all confirmed by the daughter.
- Family & Relationships: He knew Martyn had a sister who worked as a dancer, had been married multiple times (Martyn was married five times), and owned a dog named Chin-Chin.
- Friends & Stars: He mentioned a close friendship with actor George Raft and described Hollywood parties in detail.
The Remarkable Error on the Death Certificate
The most striking detail of the case involves Martyn’s age at death. Young Ryan persistently insisted he had died at **61 years old**, recalling chest pain at the end. When Dr Tucker ordered Marty Martyn’s official death certificate, it stated: *Born 1905, Died 1964* – yielding an age at death of 59. Skeptics believed the case was disproven.
However, Dr Tucker pursued census records and birth registries in Philadelphia. It turned out that the official death certificate had been issued with an error: Marty Martyn was actually born in 1903. At the time of his death from a heart attack in 1964, he was exactly **61 years old** – precisely as the four-year-old child had claimed.
Scientific Assessment
For DOPS reincarnation research, the Ryan Hammons case alongside James Leininger represents one of the strongest arguments for information transfer exceeding standard sensory channels or social influence. The odds of a four-year-old in rural Oklahoma randomly guessing 55 specific details of an obscure 1930s Hollywood agent without internet research approach zero.
Conclusion
The Ryan Hammons case underscores the importance of recording early childhood memories prior to parental research. Because Ryan’s mother wrote down his statements before identifying the photo, this case stands among the most methodically sound documentations in reincarnation research history.
Sources: Jim B. Tucker: Return to Life: Extraordinary Cases of Children Who Remember Past Lives (St. Martin's Press, 2013); Jim B. Tucker & Kean H.: Analysis of Statements in a Reincarnation Case (DOPS, University of Virginia, 2014); Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) at UVA School of Medicine.
Further reading: Explore our feature on Jim Tucker & DOPS Today and our case study on James Leininger.