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No luck: Mysterious Amsterdam man named Lucky is not the missing Vancouver man
Amsterdam police have definitively ruled out that the unidentified man known as 'Lucky' is John Russell Kenny, who went missing from Vancouver in the 1990s. A fingerprint comparison with the Kenny family did not match, but detectives continue to investigate at least nine other leads after receiving over 500 tips.
Dutch Police Confirm Mystery Man 'Lucky' Is Not Missing Vancouver Man
Amsterdam police have confirmed that the unidentified man known as 'Lucky' is not John Russell Kenny, a Canadian who went missing from Vancouver decades ago. The announcement came after an investigation conducted with Canadian authorities, which included a fingerprint comparison that ultimately did not match.
'The lead was investigated together with the Canadian police, and it has now been definitively established that Lucky and Mr. Kenny are not the same person,' said Amsterdam police spokesperson Marijke Stor. Vancouver police Const. Megan Lui confirmed the finding, stating that the fingerprints of the two men did not match.
Background on John Russell Kenny
John Russell Kenny of Ontario went missing in Vancouver in 1994 and would now be about 67 years old. Some reports indicate he lost contact with his family in 1993, while others say he was missing since 1994. CP24 reported that Kenny lost contact with his family in 1993 but was not officially reported missing until 2018. The Province noted that Kenny went missing more than 30 years ago and would be 67 today.
The case drew widespread attention after Amsterdam police posted a video about Lucky that went viral. Online speculation suggested that Lucky bore a striking resemblance to Kenny, but police had cautioned early on that there were no definitive links beyond that.
The Search for Lucky's Identity
Lucky was found collapsed on an Amsterdam street in May 2023. He was taken to hospital, where medical professionals concluded he had suffered a brain hemorrhage or stroke. He was not carrying any identification or bank cards, and he was later diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that affects speech and the ability to understand spoken and written language. This has left him unable to communicate effectively enough for authorities to determine his identity.
'We don't really know how much he understands and we have tried in various ways, but it's not really possible in communication with him to find out who he really is,' Stor said.
Lucky is currently in a nursing facility where he is being cared for. The case is classified as a 'social investigation,' and police are working to identify him for multiple reasons, including to connect him with any relatives. 'We want to not only find out who he is, but also if there are any, for example, relatives who still love him and he could get in contact with,' Stor said.
Tips and Leads
Amsterdam police have received more than 500 tips since releasing a video about Lucky about a week ago, according to Global News. Those tips have provided several more 'specific names of people' Lucky may be, and detectives are currently investigating at least nine leads. Vancouver police Const. Megan Lui said that Vancouver police are not involved in investigating these leads.
Police have encouraged people to continue sharing relevant information, but they have also asked the public to 'exercise restraint when sharing their own findings on social media or elsewhere.' As police noted, 'It is not possible to identify Lucky based on photographs alone. Sharing conclusions too quickly and on a large scale can have a significant impact on people who may be involved, and the police would like to prevent this.'
Potential Connections to Canada or the U.S.
The investigation has led detectives to a restaurant in Amsterdam's Waterlooplein called Soep en Zo, which Lucky occasionally visited for a drink. There, they learned that some people called him 'Chris the Canadian.' People at the restaurant told police that Lucky always spoke with what they called an American or Canadian accent. Stor cautioned that this doesn't mean Lucky is definitely Canadian or American, but it could still be a 'real possibility.'
Lucky currently only speaks minimal words, mostly English words like 'nonsense,' 'definitely,' and 'positive.' Police have asked him questions about himself verbally, by speech computers, or by pointing at letters on a map. In the local Buddhist community he frequented, he was known only by the name Lucky. At a nearby market or local restaurants, he was known by several other names: Louis, Lee, Ponytail, Sonny, Chris the Canadian, and John.
Amsterdam police wrote, 'Surely, there must be someone who knows who Lucky is.' Investigators have asked anyone with information to submit a tip via an online tip form. Stor said police are 'positively surprised by the number of responses and tips coming in' and continue to encourage people to share relevant information.
How each outlet told it
BayToday
Framing: Headline emphasizes the police denial that the mystery man is the missing Canadian, highlighting the negative outcome. — Neutral and factual, with a straightforward report of the police announcement.
Facts Included:
Police in the Netherlands say a man found collapsed on a street in that country three years ago is not a Canadian who went missing in British Columbia in the 1990s.
Online speculation claimed the man is John Russell Kenny of Ontario, who went missing in Vancouver in 1994 and would now be about 67.
Amsterdam police say an investigation with Canadian police shows Kenny is not the mystery man.
Dutch police previously said the man known as 'Lucky' wasn't carrying ID when he suffered a brain hemorrhage or stroke, leaving him unable to communicate.
Detectives are investigating at least nine potential leads pointing toward the man's identity after receiving more than 500 tips.
Police cautioned the public against trying to identify Lucky based on photographs alone because of the impact it could have on the people involved.
Report by The Canadian Press first published Aug. 22, 2026.
Framing: Headline emphasizes the determination that Lucky is not the missing Vancouver man, using the nickname in quotes. — Factual and measured, with a focus on the procedural aspects of the investigation and direct quotes from police statements.
Facts Included:
Dutch police have determined that the man known as 'Lucky' is not John Russell Kenny, a Vancouver man who lost contact with his family decades ago.
Lucky has been in care without a known identity since he was admitted to a hospital in Amsterdam in 2023 after suffering a brain hemorrhage or stroke.
He was diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that can impact speech as well as one's ability to understand spoken and written language.
This, compounded with a lack of identification on his person when he was hospitalized, has led investigators to be unable to determine exactly who Lucky is.
Amsterdam police appealed to the public for help in the cold case and said more than 500 tips have been received in regard to Lucky's potential identity.
Several tips from online sleuths believed he may be John Russell Kenny, a Vancouver man who lost contact with his family in 1993, but wasn't officially reported missing until 2018.
The Kenny tips led to an investigation in collaboration with the Vancouver Police Department, which saw investigators conduct a fingerprint comparison that ultimately did not match.
Amsterdam police said in a statement Saturday: 'It has now been definitively established that Lucky and Mr. Kenny are not the same person.'
Amsterdam police said: 'Tipsters have also provided several more specific names of people Lucky may be. Detectives are currently investigating at least nine of these leads.'
VPD Const. Megan Lui confirmed that Vancouver police are not involved in the investigation of these nine leads.
Investigators have encouraged people to continue sharing relevant information and tips with authorities but asked people to 'exercise restraint when sharing their own findings on social media or elsewhere.'
Police added: 'As this case clearly demonstrates, it is not possible to identify Lucky based on photographs alone. Sharing conclusions too quickly and on a large scale can have a significant impact on people who may be involved, and the police would like to prevent this.'
Investigators have asked anyone looking to submit a tip to contact them via an online tip form.
Amsterdam police wrote: 'Surely, there must be someone who knows who Lucky is.'
With files from CTVNews.ca's Kendria Mangione and Andrew Weichel.
Framing: Headline emphasizes that 'Lucky' is not the missing person from B.C., using the nickname. — Informative and empathetic, with a focus on the human aspect of the case and direct quotes from officials.
Facts Included:
The mystery man known as 'Lucky,' found with no identification in Amsterdam in 2023, is not a missing Vancouver man, according to police.
Vancouver police confirmed earlier this week they were looking into whether 'Lucky' might be John Russell Kenny, missing since 1994.
On Saturday, Amsterdam police confirmed 'Lucky' and Kenny are different people.
Amsterdam police spokesperson Marijke Stor said: 'This lead was investigated together with the Canadian police, and it has now been definitively established that Lucky and Mr. Kenny are not the same person.'
Vancouver police Const. Megan Lui confirmed the finding in an email, saying the fingerprints of the two men did not match.
Amsterdam police have received more than 500 tips since releasing a video about Lucky a week ago.
Those tips have provided several more 'specific names of people' and detectives are now investigating at least nine leads.
Lui said Vancouver police are not involved in investigations of those leads.
'Lucky' was found collapsed on an Amsterdam street in May 2023.
He was taken to hospital where medical professionals concluded he suffered a brain hemorrhage or stroke.
He continues to suffer from aphasia, which affects how people read, speak, write and understand what other people say.
Stor said: 'We don't really know how much he understands and we have tried in various ways, but it's not really possible in communication with him to find out who he really is.'
Lucky had no personal identification on him when he collapsed.
The case is classed as a 'social investigation.'
Stor said police are trying to determine his identity for multiple reasons, including to connect him with someone he knows.
Stor said: 'We want to not only find out who he is, but also if there are any, for example, relatives who still love him and he could get in contact with, because he is right now in a nursing facility where they are taking, of course, good care of him.'
There is belief the man may be from Canada or the U.S., with police noting sources led detectives to Soep en Zo, a restaurant he'd occasionally go to for a drink in central Amsterdam's Waterlooplein.
There they found out some called him 'Chris the Canadian,' which prompted police's plea last Monday to people across the Atlantic Ocean for help.
Stor said: 'The people told us that he always spoke with what they called an American or a Canadian accent.'
She did caution it doesn't mean 'Lucky' is definitely Canadian or American, but it could still be a 'real possibility.'
The man currently only speaks minimal words, mostly English words like 'nonsense,' 'definitely,' and 'positive.'
They've asked him questions about himself, including verbally, by speech computers, or pointing at letters on a map.
Framing: Headline emphasizes the police denial that the mystery man is the missing Canadian, highlighting the negative outcome. — Neutral and factual, with a straightforward report of the police announcement.
Facts Included:
Police in the Netherlands say a man found collapsed on a street in that country three years ago is not a Canadian who went missing in British Columbia in the 1990s.
Online speculation claimed the man is John Russell Kenny of Ontario, who went missing in Vancouver in 1994 and would now be about 67.
Amsterdam police say an investigation with Canadian police shows Kenny is not the mystery man.
Dutch police previously said the man known as 'Lucky' wasn't carrying ID when he suffered a brain hemorrhage or stroke, leaving him unable to communicate.
Detectives are investigating at least nine potential leads pointing toward the man's identity after receiving more than 500 tips.
Police cautioned the public against trying to identify Lucky based on photographs alone because of the impact it could have on the people involved.
Report by The Canadian Press first published Aug. 22, 2026.
Framing: Headline uses a pun ('No luck') and emphasizes the negative confirmation regarding the missing Vancouver man, drawing attention to the irony. — Engaging and narrative, with a focus on the human story and the impact on the community, using direct quotes from officials.
Facts Included:
Amsterdam police have confirmed that the mysterious man in long-term care that they've been trying to identify for more than three years is not Kenny, who went missing from Vancouver more than 30 years ago.
They said they had received more than 500 tips about Lucky, including that he might be Kenny, but confirmed with Canadian authorities that it's not the same person.
Quote from Marijke Stor: 'This lead was investigated together with the Canadian police, and it has now been definitively established that Lucky and Mr. Kenny are not the same person.'
Stor said: 'Tipsters have also provided several more specific names of people Lucky may be. Detectives are currently investigating at least nine of these leads.'
The case captivated the country after a video posted by the Amsterdam police went viral.
In May 2023, an unknown man suffered a stroke and collapsed on the streets of Amsterdam.
It left him hospitalized with severe aphasia and reportedly unable to speak beyond the words 'nonsense' and 'definitely.'
He had no ID or bank cards.
The only clue was his accent, which sounded Canadian or American.
He was known in the local Buddhist community that he frequented only using the name Lucky.
At a nearby market, or local restaurants, he was known by several other names: Louis, Lee, Ponytail, Sonny, Chris the Canadian, and John.
He bore a striking resemblance to Kenny, who would be 67 today, but police cautioned early on there were no definitive links beyond that.
Stor said: 'We are positively surprised by the number of responses and tips coming in. We continue to encourage people to share relevant information with us.'
Stor said: 'At the same time, we ask people to exercise restraint when sharing their own findings on social media or elsewhere. As this case clearly demonstrates, it is not possible to identify Lucky based on photographs alone. Sharing conclusions too quickly and on a large scale can have a significant impact on people who may be involved, and the police would like to prevent this.'
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimAmsterdam police have determined that the unidentified man known as 'Lucky' is not John Russell Kenny, a man who went missing from Vancouver.
ClaimAmsterdam police spokesperson Marijke Stor said the lead was investigated together with Canadian police and it has been definitively established that Lucky and Mr. Kenny are not the same person.
ClaimAmsterdam police spokesperson Marijke Stor said people should exercise restraint when sharing their own findings on social media, as it is not possible to identify Lucky based on photographs alone and sharing conclusions too quickly can significantly impact people who may be involved.
ClaimAmsterdam police spokesperson Marijke Stor said they do not really know how much Lucky understands and it is not really possible in communication with him to find out who he really is.
ClaimAmsterdam police spokesperson Marijke Stor said police want to find out who Lucky is and whether there are relatives who still love him whom he could contact, because he spends a lot of time alone in a nursing facility.
ClaimAmsterdam police spokesperson Marijke Stor said the theory that Lucky might be from America or Canada could be really possible, while cautioning it does not mean he is definitely Canadian or American.
ClaimAmsterdam police spokesperson Marijke Stor said they are positively surprised by the number of responses and tips and continue to encourage people to share relevant information.