The Piano Man has been silent, except for playing the piano, since being found wandering, in a dripping-wet suit, on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, nearly six weeks ago.
One of the leads still being checked is the suggestion that he might be the "Mr Nob
ody" who turned up in a Canadian hospital in 1999, with a broken nose, claiming to have forgotten who he was.
Mr Nobody spoke like an Englishman and appeared to have had an English public-school education — including Latin and Greek. A linguistics expert thought he heard a hint of Yorkshire in his accent.
The Toronto hospital gave him a name he apparently mentioned when first admitted — Philip Staufen — and he later called himself Keith Ryan.
Friends of a former French porn star who had lived in England, known as Georges or George Lecuit or Lechit, said they recognised him. But nothing was proved and the man eventually chose a Scandinavian name, Sywald Skeid.
The Canadian police doubted he was a genuine amnesiac and held him on suspicion of being an illegal immigrant. But he got married to the daughter of one of his lawyers, and was bailed to live in British Columbia.
Now, he is reported to be missing from there.
He was about the same age as the Piano Man — between 25 and 35 — and like him, he turned up with dyed blond hair and the labels torn out of his clothes. They look similar, and Canadian press cuttings confirm Mr Nobody later had plastic surgery.
Reports from Canada say that when last heard of, his wife had gone to Portugal to arrange a visa for him, and he was expected to join her there.
The West Kent NHS & Social Care Trust, which is holding the Piano Man in a mental hospital in Gillingham, said the Toronto connection was one of hundreds of possibilities under investigation.
Anyone who thinks they may know the identity of the Piano Man should call 020 8392 4509.
