An American woman from Arkansas, Eugenea Collins, 22, has sparked controversy by claiming she is Madeleine McCann, the British child who disappeared in 2007 while vacationing in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
Despite having no concrete proof, Collins insists that a DNA test showing she is 68% English and Northwestern European supports her claim.
According to the Daily Mail, Collins started questioning her identity after seeing Polish woman Julia Wandelt make similar claims on Dr. Phil. Wandelt’s assertions were debunked through DNA testing, which proved she was fully Polish.
Collins alleges she has struggled to obtain official identification, including a birth certificate, and suggests this is part of a larger mystery regarding her origins. She also believes her supposed biological father, Eugene Collins, resembles Christian Brueckner, a convicted pedophile and key suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance.
Social media users have widely dismissed Collins' claims, pointing out that she lacks Madeleine’s defining eye defect. Additionally, her ears do not match Madeleine’s, though Collins attributes this to scarring.
Authorities, including Arkansas police and Operation Grange, the UK’s ongoing investigation into the case, have not responded to Collins’ allegations. Meanwhile, Wandelt was recently arrested for harassing Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann.
Madeleine McCann vanished in May 2007, and her case remains one of the most high-profile missing person investigations worldwide.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ