Credit: Julia Wandelt via Facebook & Alamy
Woman Claiming To Be Madeleine McCann Has Been Arrested
Julia Wandelt, a Polish woman who claims to be Madeleine McCann, was arrested shortly after arriving in the United Kingdom.
The 23-year-old, who has also gone by the name Julia Wendell, gained significant attention online in February 2023 when she created an Instagram account under the username @IAmMadeleineMcCann.
Wandelt’s claims have drawn widespread, leading to headline news and even an appearance on Dr. Phil to discuss her assertion that she is the missing child who disappeared in 2007 from a vacation home in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
Madeleine was three years old at the time of her disappearance, which would now make her 21 – two years younger than Wandelt.
This week, Wandelt posted on a new social media account, @AmIJuliaWandelt, claiming that fresh DNA test results indicated a possible connection to the McCanns.
According to her, Kate and Gerry McCann refused to participate in the test.
She alleges experts had compared her DNA with samples from the crime scene of Madeleine’s disappearance and that additional analysis of her eyes, teeth, and voice suggest similarities to the missing girl.
In posts shared last week, Wandelt claimed that her DNA results strongly suggested that Gerry McCann could be her biological father.
She also stated that a team of experts had analyzed the DNA, concluding that she has British and Irish ancestry, contradicting previous findings that indicated she was entirely Polish.
In 2023, private investigator Dr. Fia Johansson shared DNA results stating Wandelt was fully Polish, a claim that Wandelt later disputed.
Wandelt’s latest DNA test results were reportedly examined by Dr. Monte Miller, a forensic expert with a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Loma Linda University in California.
According to an email from Miller, reported by MailOnline: “The simple answer is that the suspect is not the source of the DNA on the evidence, because their DNA is not fully established everywhere.
“However, they do match fairly well, more than I would expect at random, and a specific pattern emerges that look like an almost certain family connection.”
Previously, Wandelt spoke with BBC journalist Marianna Spring, recounting experiences of childhood trauma and abuse.
She claimed that seeing sketches of suspects in McCann’s case reminded her of someone from her past.
She claimed this realization led to memory gaps and suspicions about her upbringing.
However, Wandelt’s parents have consistently denied her claims, providing evidence, including childhood photos and her birth certificate, to disprove her assertions.
Authorities have now apprehended Julia Wandelt at Bristol Airport, suspecting her of stalking and harassing Kate and Gerry McCann, the parents of Madeleine.
The 23-year-old had just flown in from Wroclaw, Poland, and was reportedly planning to meet a friend in Cardiff when police detained her in front of onlookers.
The woman’s companion, believed to be in her 60s, was also taken into custody.
Surjit Singh Clair, who represents Wandelt, confirmed news of the arrest, stating: “I’m trying to find out what’s happened but it appears Julia has been arrested at Bristol Airport this evening just after she got off the plane.
“The police have reportedly arrested her on an allegation of stalking and harassing the McCanns.”
Related Article: What Happened To Infamous Apartment Where Madeleine McCann Went Missing
Related Article: Madeleine McCann’s Parents Make Heartbreaking Confession 17 Years After She Disappeared
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