A DNA test proves a Surrey man identified as possibly being Michael Dunahee is not him, according to Victoria police.
Officers have given the results to the Dunahee family and the Surrey man who reported he had been contacted for a DNA sample, Const. Michael Russell said Monday.
In late July, the Surrey man, who has not been identified, shared his story on an online Canucks fan forum. The blog VanCity Buzz then posted his picture Wednesday to highlight the facial similarities between him and an age-enhanced rendering of Dunahee.
Authorities said at the time they did not believe the Surrey man to be Michael, but that didn't stop a wave of public excitement that the decades-old case had finally been solved with a positive outcome.
Dunahee vanished from the playground of Blanshard Elementary School in Victoria on March 24, 1991, when he was just four years old. The disappearance sparked one of the biggest investigations in Canadian history, and resulted in at least 11,000 tips.
His family has requested privacy following the DNA test result.
Victoria police said they're still committed to investigating Dunahee's disappearance.
Anyone with possible information about the missing man’s whereabouts can share it at the Missing Kids website.
