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7 Madeleine McCann theories of what happened to her – from drink drive crash to burglary
Madeleine McCann vanished in May 2007 while on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz, Portugal, with a recent renewed operation to find her unearthing no major discoveri
Madeleine McCann disappeared while on a family holiday in Praia da Luz in the Algarve, Portugal, in May 2007.
Earlier this week investigators renewed their search for the three-year-old girl, with teams of German police and Portuguese counterparts seen clearing dense vegetation, digging near an old farmhouse and looking down wells a few miles from Algarve resort Praia da Luz, where Madeleine vanished.
The intensive operation did not appear to unearth any major discoveries, with a 30-strong team of Portuguese and German police viewed sharing a crate of beer yesterday. However, a new theory emerged today that the missing Brit was killed by a drink drive couple.
German authorities are convinced convicted paedophile Christian Brueckner, 48, was responsible for abducting Madeleine. But, with mystery still not solved, here are some of the wild conspiracy theories people have put forward over the years.
Drunk driver
The most recent wild theory has sprung after German prosecutors reportedly refused to investigate a couple suspected of being involved in Madeleine McCann's disappearance, based on a new theory involving a drink-driving incident.
Portuguese officials requested an investigation into a British man and his German wife after the man's sister, who lives in the UK, alerted the police, hinting that he might be concealing a dark secret about Madeleine's disappearance.
However, it is claimed that German authorities rejected a request to send an undercover officer with a fake identity to befriend the female suspect. This was in order to reinforce their suspicions that she was driving the car that hit Madeleine while under the influence, according to Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha.
Burglary gone awry
One theory suggests that Madeleine woke up during a burglary, leading to the intruder panicking and attacking her, before deciding to take her away.
In 2014, it is believed that Scotland Yard questioned four local suspects in Portugal based on this theory. They were later ruled out, and Portuguese police dismissed the theory.
One reason experts don't subscribe to this theory is that such an impulsive act would likely lead to mistakes or leave some trail of evidence.
Abducted by a local paedophile
Another theory proposes that Madeleine fell victim to a local paedophile who abducted her and later killed her.
There are alleged witnesses who claim to have seen several suspicious men observing the McCanns' apartment in the days leading up to and on the day of Madeleine's disappearance.
This theory was explored by Portuguese detectives when they reopened the case for investigation in 2011, examining a series of attacks that occurred along the Algarve coast in the years leading up to 2007.
In each instance, a man had infiltrated the apartments and villas of predominantly British holidaymakers, molesting young girls as they slept.
Portuguese investigators were convinced it was the work of one man – their prime suspect being former Ocean Club waiter Euclides Monteiro.
However, Monteiro met his end in a bizarre tractor accident in 2009, and he was subsequently ruled out in the Madeleine case due to DNA evidence.
Abducted by a childless couple
Another hypothesis posits that Madeleine was abducted by a couple unable to have their own child or grieving the loss of their child.
This would imply that Madeleine could still be alive and well-cared for.
The flaw in this theory is that such an abductor would likely have targeted a younger child, like Madeleine's twin siblings Sean and Amelie, who were sleeping next to her and were only two years old, potentially less likely to resist or awaken.
Taken by child traffickers
A more chilling abduction theory suggests that Madeleine was kidnapped by a gang, transported overseas and sold into slavery.
This was an early theory pursued by Portuguese investigators following a report that Madeleine had been photographed on the beach by a stranger.
Several eyewitnesses have reportedly spotted Madeleine in Morocco, a country known to be on the trafficking route to Mauritania.
Given that human trafficking gangs are known to operate in Mauritania, a northwest African nation, this theory provides a plausible explanation for Madeleine's abrupt disappearance.
Accident
Another hypothesis suggests that Madeleine woke up and went in search of her parents. This theory posits that the toddler might have managed to open the patio door and garden gate to venture out.
It proposes that she could have wandered down the hill and fallen into a roadworks pit, resulting in her death, or that she was struck by a car and killed, or that she crawled into a confined space from which she couldn't extricate herself.
Sinister occult forces abducted her
While there are numerous logical theories surrounding Madeleine's disappearance, there are also more fanciful conspiracy theories linking the toddler's vanishing act to everything from the Illuminati to the infamous Pizzagate.
Pizzagate is a discredited conspiracy theory alleging that Hillary Clinton and her former campaign chair, John Podesta, operated a child sex ring in the basement of a Washington DC pizzeria.
Among those unjustly vilified by Pizzagate were John and Tony Podesta, who were later accused of being the McCann kidnappers when similarities were noted between the Podestas and some e-sketches related to Madeleine's case.
Despite the sketches being of a single suspect, this hasn't quelled conspiracy theories suggesting the Podestas or other high-profile traffickers are behind Madeleine's disappearance.
Daily Star Sunday
Madeleine McCann vanished in May 2007 while on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz, Portugal, with a recent renewed operation to find her unearthing no major discoveri
Madeleine McCann disappeared while on a family holiday in Praia da Luz in the Algarve, Portugal, in May 2007.
Earlier this week investigators renewed their search for the three-year-old girl, with teams of German police and Portuguese counterparts seen clearing dense vegetation, digging near an old farmhouse and looking down wells a few miles from Algarve resort Praia da Luz, where Madeleine vanished.
The intensive operation did not appear to unearth any major discoveries, with a 30-strong team of Portuguese and German police viewed sharing a crate of beer yesterday. However, a new theory emerged today that the missing Brit was killed by a drink drive couple.
German authorities are convinced convicted paedophile Christian Brueckner, 48, was responsible for abducting Madeleine. But, with mystery still not solved, here are some of the wild conspiracy theories people have put forward over the years.
Drunk driver
The most recent wild theory has sprung after German prosecutors reportedly refused to investigate a couple suspected of being involved in Madeleine McCann's disappearance, based on a new theory involving a drink-driving incident.
Portuguese officials requested an investigation into a British man and his German wife after the man's sister, who lives in the UK, alerted the police, hinting that he might be concealing a dark secret about Madeleine's disappearance.
However, it is claimed that German authorities rejected a request to send an undercover officer with a fake identity to befriend the female suspect. This was in order to reinforce their suspicions that she was driving the car that hit Madeleine while under the influence, according to Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha.
Burglary gone awry
One theory suggests that Madeleine woke up during a burglary, leading to the intruder panicking and attacking her, before deciding to take her away.
In 2014, it is believed that Scotland Yard questioned four local suspects in Portugal based on this theory. They were later ruled out, and Portuguese police dismissed the theory.
One reason experts don't subscribe to this theory is that such an impulsive act would likely lead to mistakes or leave some trail of evidence.
Abducted by a local paedophile
Another theory proposes that Madeleine fell victim to a local paedophile who abducted her and later killed her.
There are alleged witnesses who claim to have seen several suspicious men observing the McCanns' apartment in the days leading up to and on the day of Madeleine's disappearance.
This theory was explored by Portuguese detectives when they reopened the case for investigation in 2011, examining a series of attacks that occurred along the Algarve coast in the years leading up to 2007.
In each instance, a man had infiltrated the apartments and villas of predominantly British holidaymakers, molesting young girls as they slept.
Portuguese investigators were convinced it was the work of one man – their prime suspect being former Ocean Club waiter Euclides Monteiro.
However, Monteiro met his end in a bizarre tractor accident in 2009, and he was subsequently ruled out in the Madeleine case due to DNA evidence.
Abducted by a childless couple
Another hypothesis posits that Madeleine was abducted by a couple unable to have their own child or grieving the loss of their child.
This would imply that Madeleine could still be alive and well-cared for.
The flaw in this theory is that such an abductor would likely have targeted a younger child, like Madeleine's twin siblings Sean and Amelie, who were sleeping next to her and were only two years old, potentially less likely to resist or awaken.
Taken by child traffickers
A more chilling abduction theory suggests that Madeleine was kidnapped by a gang, transported overseas and sold into slavery.
This was an early theory pursued by Portuguese investigators following a report that Madeleine had been photographed on the beach by a stranger.
Several eyewitnesses have reportedly spotted Madeleine in Morocco, a country known to be on the trafficking route to Mauritania.
Given that human trafficking gangs are known to operate in Mauritania, a northwest African nation, this theory provides a plausible explanation for Madeleine's abrupt disappearance.
Accident
Another hypothesis suggests that Madeleine woke up and went in search of her parents. This theory posits that the toddler might have managed to open the patio door and garden gate to venture out.
It proposes that she could have wandered down the hill and fallen into a roadworks pit, resulting in her death, or that she was struck by a car and killed, or that she crawled into a confined space from which she couldn't extricate herself.
Sinister occult forces abducted her
While there are numerous logical theories surrounding Madeleine's disappearance, there are also more fanciful conspiracy theories linking the toddler's vanishing act to everything from the Illuminati to the infamous Pizzagate.
Pizzagate is a discredited conspiracy theory alleging that Hillary Clinton and her former campaign chair, John Podesta, operated a child sex ring in the basement of a Washington DC pizzeria.
Among those unjustly vilified by Pizzagate were John and Tony Podesta, who were later accused of being the McCann kidnappers when similarities were noted between the Podestas and some e-sketches related to Madeleine's case.
Despite the sketches being of a single suspect, this hasn't quelled conspiracy theories suggesting the Podestas or other high-profile traffickers are behind Madeleine's disappearance.
Daily Star Sunday