A 21-year-old Polish woman, Julia Wendell, came forward, claiming to be missing British toddler Madeleine McCann who disappeared almost 16 years ago in 2007 during a family holiday in Lagos, Portugal. McCann was three at the time of her disappearance.
Wendell claims that she has a freckle on her leg and mark on her iris identical to Madeleine “Maddie” McCann and alleged that the child’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, approached her to take a DNA test.
Wendell went viral on social media after creating an Instagram account, @iammadeleinemcann, after claiming police did not believe her. She said that after hearing “something” from her grandma, she started wondering if she was Maddie.
The Instagram account now has more 1.1 million followers and counting.
However, private detective Francisco Marco, who led the hunt for Maddie in the months after her disappearance, has broken his silence over the unsubstantiated claims.
He told Spanish newspaper “El Independiente”: “Without knowing the details in depth, it doesn’t add up to me. I don’t think it’s her.”
The detective carried out biometric analysis which ruled out the possibility of Julia Wendell being the missing child, with the analysis showing that the woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann bears no resemblance to the missing girl.
Although Wendell is 21-years-old, she believes her age could be wrong. Maddie was born in May 2003, meaning that she would be 19.
The former director of the Metodo 3 detective agency said it was strange that Wendell posted the unsubstantiated claims to social media first, before reaching out to Maddie’s family.
He added: “I can think it’s a fraud, but I can’t say without evidence.
“This girl contacted the police and no one paid attention to her, and she later opened the Instagram account where she now has thousands of followers when she had very few before.”
In recent months, people have taken to social media as part of a trend to show their likeness to Maddie. The most recent claims, made on TikTok and Instagram, have seen Wendell comparing her photos to those of Maddie as “evidence” that they are the same person.
Despite extensive searches and countless police investigations, the youngster has never been found.
Wendell also wrote on her Instagram story: “I talked with someone from Madeleine’s family and I will have a possibility to talk with Madeleine’s parents tomorrow and a DNA test will be done soon.”
In a post published last Friday, Wendell claimed to have spoken to someone who was alleged to be Madeleine’s cousin, and who told her she could “have a possibility” to talk to Kate and Gerry McCann to arrange a DNA test.
The claims have not been addressed by Madeleine’s family.
“Police investigators from the UK and Poland try to ignore me. I will tell my story in posts here. Help me.”
Answering questions she was asked by some followers, Wendell said: “I don’t remember being taken away. I mean, I don’t remember almost my entire childhood.”
The latest comments come after a source close to the McCanns told the UK’s “Daily Star Sunday” that they were “willing to look at all leads”.
The source said: “The family is taking no chances, they are willing to look at all the leads. It is important they look at all of the factors, the girl does look similar. There’s no disputing that. If what she says is true, there is every chance it could be her. It all adds up.”
However, German investigators believe the child was killed by sex predator Christian Brueckner, who has repeatedly denied having anything to do with the girl’s disappearance.
But despite extensive searches and countless police investigations, the youngster’s body has never been found.
More than three years since they named Brueckner as their prime suspect, police also appear no closer to charging him, as they do not have enough evidence to prove he is responsible for her disappearance and murder.
The McCanns could not be contacted for comment.
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