The case of missing child Madeleine McCann, made international news after she was reported missing from her family’s vacation home in Praia da Luz, Portugal on May 3, 2007. According to The Telegraph, McCann was last seen when her parents tucked her into bed. Reports say she went missing shortly after 10pm when her mother checked up on her and discovered that her daughter was not there.
The investigation lasted for years. Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were seen as suspects along with a series of ‘mystery men’ who eyewitnesses claim to have seen carrying a child matching Madeleine’s description.
One theory by the Portuguese police suggested that, ‘Madeleine had been killed by her parents by accident, possibly by being given an overdose of a sedative to make her sleep, that they had hidden the body, faked her abduction and then used the hire car weeks later to move her body to a burial location,’ reports The Telegraph.
However, in 2008, the McCanns were cleared as suspects. According to The Daily Mail, investigator Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe stated that nine years after the girl’s disappearance, the case may be reaching its end.
‘There is a line of inquiry that remains to be concluded and it’s expected that in the coming months that will happen,’ said Hogan-Howe. In March 2016, Madeleine’s case took a weird turn when an ad taken out in a Paraguayan newspaper claimed that Madeleine had been seen in Paraguay. This started rumors that the child was still alive.
However, Mirror reports that this theory has been debunked. The McCanns have continued their search for Madeleine. They have made an official Facebook page devoted to finding ‘Maddie’ where they have been pleading with the public to not give up hope that their daughter is still alive.
A message on the ‘Official Find Madeleine Campaign’ says, ’I am a volunteer for the Find Madeleine McCann Facebook page. I publicize cases of missing children for the page. Thank you to everyone who has shared our posts about missing children. We are overwhelmed by the generosity and caring you show every time we post information here about a missing child. FM Missing Children’s Coordinator.’ May 12, 2016, would have been Madeleine’s 13th birthday. This following image is an age progression that showcases what officials believe Madeleine would look like at age 9.
