Inside Theory Maddie McCann Is Still Alive But Doesn't Know Who She Is
She's been missing since 2007.
youtube There may be some new information on the Madeleine McCann case. A new documentary and a possible new witness have recently shed some light on the more than 10-year disappearance of McCann.
In 2018, a retired private investigator had shared a new update saying the British 3-year-old, who disappeared over a decade ago while on vacation in Portugal, may still be alive and is being held captive.
If Maddie McCann is still alive, where is she?
David Edgar, who worked on the missing toddler's case, said she was kidnapped by a child sex gang. He believed she was being kept against her will and had "no idea" who she is.
"There is every possibility that Madeleine is still alive and could be being hidden somewhere and having no idea even who she is and that she is at the center of a worldwide hunt for her," Edgar said in 2018.
McCann and her family were on vacation in Portugal in 2007 when she vanished from the hotel room she and her twin sisters were sleeping in while her parents, Kate and Gerry, dined at a nearby restaurant.
The girl's mother and father were suspected of involvement in her disappearance, but have maintained their innocence and worked tirelessly to keep her case open throughout the years.
“She is most likely being held captive, possibly in an underground cellar or dungeon and could emerge at any time," Edgar had said. The retired PI was hired by Madeleine's family for three years after she went missing.
He was not able to pursue his theory as he was not a part of law enforcement, Edgar said. However, a new tip had been provided to police that may have been given by someone who knew the child's kidnapper and could bring his theory to light.
“I’ve always thought that whoever is responsible will have confided in someone else," he explained. "They usually do and it is very rare that they don’t even if it takes years."
Scotland Yard received £150,000 in government funding to continue the investigation following the "specific and active" tips provided to police. Investigators following up on the leads told McCann's parents they were "hopeful of getting a result."
“Now we’re approaching the 12th year, that’s a significant time but I think she could still be alive and someone is protecting her captors," he said at the time. "Someone knows what happened and it’s time they came forward, maybe they have and officers are waiting for a confession. It happens."
Edgar believes the girl has not left Portugal.
"She could literally be anywhere in the world but my hunch is that she is in Portugal," he continued. "The chance that she may have been smuggled out of the country without being detected is highly unlikely. There is someone in Portugal with an open knowledge of where she is and what happened. Someone knows what happened and it’s time they came forward — maybe they already have.”
It's been over a decade since McCann, who would now be 17, was last seen, but Edgar has hope she is alive.
“Unless a body is found there is hope," he said. "Everyone hopes for a positive outcome and Kate and Gerry will never give up, even when the funding runs out. I hope they get an answer they’ve been waiting for so long.”
The McCanns are set on keeping their daughter's disappearance from becoming "just a story."
“Hope and perseverance remain," Kate said in an 11th-anniversary message. "We will do whatever it takes to find her. We couldn’t bear for Madeleine to be forgotten or become just a ‘story.'"
However, a new witness has come forward, claiming that she saw McCann in 2017. The woman claims that she saw McCann in a supermarket about 37 miles from the resort that she had disappeared from.
She said that McCann had been speaking in German to another girl, and that the reason she thought it was McCann was due to the distinctive blemish that she had in one of her eyes, due to a condition that she had, known as coloboma.
Although the woman saw McCann three years ago, she only just recently reported it. However, this sighting is just one of many of the thousands of sightings that have been reported over the years.
It also goes against the latest claim of a German prosecuter who says that he has "concrete evidence" that McCann is not alive.
Prosecution is currently attempting to build a murder case against suspect Christian Brueckner and his alleged accomplish, Nicole Fehlinger.
A former spokesman for the McCanns urges anyone who may have credible information to come forward, saying, "Anyone who has any credible information regarding Madeleine must give it to the police, whether they are in Portugal, the UK or Germany. In this case, the information has been given to the Policia Judiciaria and it's now down to the authorities to establish if there's any truth in it.
In the absence of incontrovertible evidence that the worst may have happened to Madeleine, Kate and Gerry will never give up hoping that their daughter may still be alive. They continue to have every faith in the British police and the work of Operation Grange."
ITV also just released a brand new documentary, Madeleine McCann: The Hunt For The Prime Suspect. In the film, authorities discuss evidence connected to suspect Christian B and also look back on how the case was handled.
Sarah Gangraw writes about all things news, entertainment and crime. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted in November 2018 and was updated with the latest information.