Maddie McCann: 10 key dates to understand one of the most mysterious disappearances of our time

The Maddie McCann case made headlines around the world. The tragic and mysterious disappearance of this three-year-old girl on holiday with her family in Portugal in 2007 shocked millions of people. Despite years of investigations, leads and questions, the case remains unsolved to this day. Here's a look back at 10 key dates in one of the most mysterious disappearances of our time.

Key dates in Maddie McCann's case

May 3, 2007: The day she disappeared

On May 3, 2007, three-year-old Madeleine McCann disappeared. British couple Kate and Gerry McCann were on holiday at a hotel in Praia da Luz, Portugal, with their three children, Maddie and twins Sean and Amelie. On the evening of May 3, the parents were at the hotel restaurant with friends. Throughout the evening, the small group returned to the room to check that the children were sleeping well. But on one of their rounds, they discovered that little Maddie had disappeared from her bed.

May 15, 2007: One suspect under investigation

While Maddie had been missing for two weeks, Robert Murat, a 32-year-old British man living just a few yards from the McCann family hotel, was charged with kidnapping. He was later released for lack of evidence.

September 7, 2007: Parents under suspicion

Four months after Maddie's disappearance, and with no leads to go on, investigators began to suspect the little girl's parents. On September 7, 2007, the Portuguese authorities put Kate and Gerry McCann under investigation. Investigators suspected that the couple accidentally killed their daughter and hid her body. In 2008, the Portuguese police closed the case and cleared the parents.

November 2009: Maddie's aged face

While the police investigation was closed, investigations continued, led by private detectives hired by Maddie McCann's parents. In 2009, they launched a new appeal for witnesses in seven languages, accompanied by a photo of the little girl aged by software to show what she might now look like at the age of six.

2009: The book by a policeman who was on the case

In 2008, the police officer in charge of the investigation in Portugal, Gonçalo Amaral, published a shocking book directly accusing Maddie's parents.

Maddie was not kidnapped. She died in the apartment where the family was vacationing, in the south of Portugal, and her parents were involved.

Read more:Madeleine McCann: Search operation at Portuguese reservoir may be linked to murder suspect

May 2011: Investigators thought they had a new lead

In May 2011, the British authorities had a new lead: two British child criminals who were in Portugal, in the same region as the McCann family. Unfortunately, the lead was unsuccessful, but allowed the investigation to be reopened in 2013, in Portugal.

July 7, 2012: A man claims to have found Maddie's grave

On July 7, 2012, real estate developer Stephen Birch claimed to have found Madeleine McCann's grave.

I only want to help the family, and I'm pretty sure she's buried under this place (...) I've examined the scans and found remains that could be human bones.

A lead that investigators are not following.

New leads in recent years

June 2019: German paedophile becomes prime suspect

In June 2019, Portuguese police turned their attention to a new suspect: Martin Ney, a 48-year-old German paedocriminal who was present in the family's area of Portugal at the time of Maddie's disappearance. The man is already serving a life sentence for killing three children.

April 22, 2022: Another suspect under investigation

On April 22, 2022, the Portuguese authorities announced the indictment of a new suspect in Germany. The suspect was Christian B., 43, already in prison in Kiel, northern Germany, for drug trafficking. A multi-recidivist paedocriminal, he is suspected of Maddie's alleged murder. He maintains his innocence.

February 19, 2023: A 21-year-old woman claims to be Maddie McCann

Finally, on February 19, 2023, Julia Faustyna, a 21-year-old Polish woman, claimed on social media to be Madeleine McCann. Unfortunately, a DNA test proved that she was not Madeleine McCann, who is still missing.

Read more:Madeleine McCann: The police have named a ‘formal suspect’ in the ongoing search for Madeleine

This article has been translated from Oh!MyMag FR.

Source used :

Special Investigations - The Maddie McCann Case - What really happened?