The thriller man referred to as “Fortunate,” who was discovered with no identification in Amsterdam in 2023, isn’t a lacking Vancouver man, based on police.
Vancouver police confirmed earlier this week they had been trying into whether or not “Fortunate” could be John Russell Kenny, lacking since 1994. On Saturday, Amsterdam police confirmed on Saturday “Fortunate” and Kenny are completely different individuals.
“This lead was investigated along with the Canadian police, and it has now been definitively established that Fortunate and Mr. Kenny will not be the identical particular person,” Amsterdam police spokesperson Marijke Stor stated.
Vancouver police Const. Megan Lui confirmed the discovering in an electronic mail to International Information, saying the fingerprints of the 2 males didn’t match.
In the meantime, Amsterdam police have obtained greater than 500 ideas since releasing a video about Fortunate per week in the past, Stor stated. These ideas have offered a number of extra “particular names of individuals” and detectives at the moment are investigating at the least 9 leads.
Lui stated Vancouver police will not be concerned in investigations of these leads.
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“Fortunate” was discovered collapsed on an Amsterdam road in Might 2023. He was taken to hospital the place medical professionals concluded he suffered a mind hemorrhage or stroke.
He continues to endure from aphasia, which impacts how individuals learn, converse, write and perceive what different individuals say.
“We don’t actually know the way a lot he understands and we now have tried in varied methods, however it’s probably not potential in communication with him to seek out out who he actually is,” Stor stated.
Fortunate had no private identification on him when he collapsed, which has stymied efforts to seek out out who he’s. The case is classed as a “social investigation,” and Stor stated police try to find out his identification for a number of causes, together with to attach him with somebody he is aware of.
“We wish to not solely discover out who he’s, but additionally if there are any, for instance, kin who nonetheless love him and he might get in touch with, as a result of he’s proper now in a nursing facility the place they’re taking, after all, excellent care of him,” she stated. “However he spends plenty of his time alone and we expect it will be very good for him if he. . . might be capable to discuss to somebody he is aware of.”
There’s perception the person could also be from Canada or the U.S., with police noting sources led detectives to Soep en Zo, a restaurant he’d sometimes go to for a drink in central Amsterdam’s Waterlooplein, (Waterloo Sq.).
There they came upon some known as him “Chris the Canadian,” which prompted police’s plea final Monday to individuals throughout the Atlantic Ocean for assist in figuring out the person.
“The individuals instructed us that he all the time spoke with what they known as an American or a Canadian accent,” Stor stated. “So the speculation that he could be from America or Canada, that’s a idea we expect could possibly be actually potential.”
She did warning it doesn’t imply “Fortunate” is certainly Canadian or American, however it might nonetheless be a “actual chance.”
The person presently solely speaks minimal phrases, largely English phrases like “nonsense,” “positively,” and “constructive,” which he makes use of to agree or disagree when requested questions.
However whereas they’ve requested him questions on himself, together with verbally, by speech computer systems, or pointing at letters on a map, they’re unsure how a lot he truly understands.
Individuals can contact Amsterdam police if they’ve a tip to share.
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