Amsterdam police are still trying to identify a man found three years ago whose identity remains unknown, but authorities call him “Lucky.” Internet sleuths led police in the European city and British Columbia to investigate whether Lucky was John Russell Kenny, who disappeared in 1994. Police eventually concluded that the two men were exactly that: two different people. But how did this research begin and where is it now? May 10, 2023: A man collapses on a street in Amsterdam. He is taken to the hospital, where it is determined that he suffered a brain hemorrhage or stroke. Police say he was not carrying any identification. It is later determined that he has aphasia, which can affect the way people speak, read, write, and understand what others say. May 2023 to August 2026: The Amsterdam-West detective unit takes over the case and begins an investigation to determine the man’s identity. There is no criminal element to it, but Amsterdam police say the members wanted to help. The man is transported to a care center in the southeast of Amsterdam. The police begin to explore various options, talking to people in the city, but reached a dead end. In an unannounced moment, police say the “Cold Case Team” is taking over the investigation while Amsterdam-West detectives must continue criminal cases. Two retired detectives, identified only as Ruud and Nel, volunteer with the team taking on the case as an investigation.” The two detectives try to map their social circles, talking to people in the community to ask if they know him. This leads them to a Buddhist community on the city’s Middenweg. Members there tell Ruud and Nel that the man is called Lucky. Get the latest national news Get the latest Canadian news delivered to your inbox as the happen so he doesn’t miss any breaking news. Detectives have interacted with Lucky periodically, but said he currently only speaks a few words, mostly “definitely,” “nonsense,” and “positive,” which he uses to agree or disagree when asked questions. But while they’ve asked him questions about himself, including verbally, using voice computers, or by pointing to letters on a map, they’re not sure how much he actually understands. Soep at Zo, a restaurant on Waterlooplein or Waterloo Square, for a drink. Talking to the people there, they discover that he is known as “Chris the Canadian”, due to his accent. Although there is no consensus on his true identity, police say that detectives believe that Lucky probably does not have Dutch roots. 2026: Following suggestions of a Canadian or American connection, Amsterdam police post a video on social media asking the public for help identifying Lucky. More about the world More videos The video notes that, in addition to Lucky and Chris the Canadian, he is also known by other names such as Louis, Lee, John, Ponytail and Sonny. “We want to know not only who he is, but also if there is, for example, a family member who still loves him and who he can contact, because he is currently in a nursing facility where, of course, they are taking good care of him,” Amsterdam police spokesperson Marijke Stor said on Aug. 19. “But he spends a lot of time alone and we think it would be very good for him if… he could talk to someone who knows.” Aug. 19, 2026: Amsterdam police report receiving more than 500 tips about Lucky within two days of the video being posted and say they are looking for potential leads. September 20, 2026: Vancouver police confirm they have been investigating the possibility that Lucky is a missing person in the area. A man named John Russell Kenny disappeared on May 22, 1994, at the age of 34, and police said they were working with Amsterdam police and Interpol to determine if they were the same man. He added that Amsterdam police were evaluating five other persons of interest. 2026: Vancouver and Amsterdam police confirm Lucky is not Kenny According to Vancouver Police Const. Megan Lui, the two men’s fingerprints did not match. Stor said that while Lucky is not the missing Vancouver man, they have received several more “specific names” and detectives are now investigating at least nine leads. Lui confirmed that Vancouver is not involved in investigations on any of those nine leads. Amsterdam if you have any clues to share. © 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.