Police investigating if mystery Amsterdam man could be Canadian reported missing 33 years ago
Police in Amsterdam and Vancouver are investigating whether a man who collapsed in the Netherlands in 2023 is a Canadian man who went missing in 1993. The unidentified man, known as 'Lucky,' suffers from aphasia, making it difficult to confirm his identity without official records.
Why it matters
This case highlights the challenges of identifying vulnerable individuals who live transient lifestyles and the importance of international police cooperation in cold cases.
Missing Vancouver man John Russell Kenny, left, and Lucky, an unidentified man who collapsed in Amsterdam three years ago, right. (Vancouver Police Department, Netherlands National Police Corps)
Photo: (Vancouver Police Department, Netherlands National Police Corps)
Could a mystery man who collapsed on the street in Amsterdam three years ago actually be a Canadian who has been missing for more than three decades?
Police on both sides of the Atlantic are investigating the possibility.
The man, who Amsterdam police say went by the nickname Lucky, collapsed on May 10, 2023, after what doctors believe was a stroke or a brain hemorrhage.
He was left with a condition called aphasia, a language disorder that impairs a person's ability to speak, read, write and understand.
Amsterdam police say he had no ID or passport, used a variety of nicknames, and left essentially no official footprint or digital trail.
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