Hopes deflated as mystery man found collapsed on street is not missing Canadian as identity riddle turns to new leads
Dutch police have confirmed that an unidentified man found collapsed on an Amsterdam street in May 2023, known locally as "Lucky," is not John Russell Kenny, a Canadian man who went missing in British Columbia in 1993. Speculation about the connection had grown after amateur sleuths and an investigator noted a striking resemblance, prompting cross-border contact between Dutch and Canadian authorities, but fingerprint analysis has now ruled this out. The man remains unable to communicate due to aphasia, likely caused by a brain haemorrhage or stroke, leaving his true identity still unknown.
Police say more than 500 tips followed a public appeal, with at least nine developing into specific possible identities, though officers caution that photographic resemblance alone is unreliable. Investigators, aided by retired volunteer officers, have traced the man to an Amsterdam Buddhist community and a public square where he was known by various names, including Lucky, Louis, Lee, John, Ponytail and Sonny. Café staff at Soupenzo recalled him as "Chris the Canadian," describing an American or Canadian accent, a habit of carrying a suitcase, and possible time spent in North America and Nepal. DNA and facial recognition checks have failed due to privacy restrictions, and the man now lives in a care facility, reportedly lacking capacity to make his own decisions.
- Amsterdam's mystery "Lucky" is not missing Canadian John Russell Kenny
- Fingerprint tests ruled out the match despite strong resemblance
- Over 500 tips received; nine identities being investigated, identity still unknown
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Amsterdam police revealed in May 2023 that they had found a man collapsed in the street with no memory or identity papers, later nicknamed "Lucky" by locals. Unable to speak properly due to a condition called aphasia, likely caused by a stroke or bleed on the brain, he has been unable to tell anyone who he is or where he came from, leaving investigators to piece together clues from his accent, habits and appearance.
Attention recently turned to John Russell Kenny, a Canadian man who vanished in British Columbia in 1993, after amateur online sleuths and an investigator spotted a strong facial resemblance between the two men. This led Dutch and Canadian police to compare records in the hope of finally identifying "Lucky", who is now living in a care home and is reportedly unable to make decisions for himself.
The case has drawn wide public interest, with hundreds of tips submitted after police appealed for help and volunteers tracing his past movements through an Amsterdam Buddhist community and a café where staff knew him by another nickname. Despite this, formal identification has proved difficult, since DNA and facial recognition checks have been limited by privacy rules, leaving his true identity an unsolved mystery.