UK officials: Madeleine McCann may be alive
Gerry McCann and his wife Kate hold signs portraiting their missing daughter, Madeleine, in Lisbon on February 10, 2010.
April 25th, 2012
06:08 AM ET

UK officials: Madeleine McCann may be alive

British girl Madeleine McCann, who went missing on a family vacation in Portugal, may still be alive, British authorities said Wednesday.

London's Metropolitan Police plan to release a new image of the girl, who vanished in May 2007.

Madeleine was nearly 4 years old when she vanished from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz as her parents dined in a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.

Despite a huge police investigation and massive coverage in the Portuguese and British media, she has not been found.

At one point, authorities in Portugal had named the girl's parents as suspects, as well as a British man living in Portugal, Robert Murat.

But a spokesman for the Portuguese prosecutor's office said in July 2008 that authorities found no evidence of involvement by any of the three and they were no longer considered suspects.

Kate McCann said earlier that she thought being named as a suspect had a devastating effect on the case.

Portuguese investigators closed the case in July 2008.

Timeline of case

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Filed under: Crime • United Kingdom
soundoff (20 Responses)
  1. Gavin

    Seriously? Is this worth a news article? What is next, a 2 sentence article stating 'Obama may win the election'...
    I hope she is alive, but come on, post real news with real content.

    April 25, 2012 at 6:28 am | Report abuse |
    • jnpa

      This may not be news to you, but it may be to others.

      April 25, 2012 at 6:58 am | Report abuse |
    • John

      I agree. When I finished the article, if you can call it that, I was looking for the "Next" button to click on. Maybe the reporters dog ate part of his article.

      April 25, 2012 at 7:06 am | Report abuse |
    • debbie

      because if this was my child-still missing I would want them to post her picture and write a 2 paragraph story.

      What is with you and Obama? This is about a missing child, I hope you never have to suffer that fate because you would have to eat crow.

      April 25, 2012 at 7:21 am | Report abuse |
  2. Marc

    Very informative?

    April 25, 2012 at 6:28 am | Report abuse |
  3. wed110197

    and in other news, the sun may still be hot.

    April 25, 2012 at 6:44 am | Report abuse |
    • lrc

      And thank you for the first laugh of my day. 🙂

      April 25, 2012 at 6:55 am | Report abuse |
  4. Mike

    Madeline McCann

    5 year Hide N Seek World Champion

    April 25, 2012 at 6:51 am | Report abuse |
  5. Dmarie

    And? So where's the story??

    April 25, 2012 at 6:52 am | Report abuse |
    • PaulBoomer

      The story should be "Why would parents leave an unattended 4-year-old to fend for herself while they ate tapas".

      April 25, 2012 at 7:06 am | Report abuse |
  6. KWDragon

    I have to go with Paul on this. It seems highly irresponsible, but the hell they have endured these past few years is surely too much punishment. That said, I would have liked if the article mentioned any ideas *why* the police took this moment to make this comment. Without it, this really is a non-story until the new pictures are released.

    April 25, 2012 at 7:17 am | Report abuse |
  7. Guest

    "Portugese closed the case in July of 2008" .....Closed? If the child has not been found the case is COLD not closed. Stupid Portugese police just did not want to do their jobs because the child was not Portugese! Get some REAL investigators on it!

    April 25, 2012 at 7:18 am | Report abuse |
  8. Dechion

    This would have been a far more interesting story if CNN would have waited for the updated picture and the press release that will likely accompany it.

    April 25, 2012 at 7:21 am | Report abuse |
  9. mema

    Arent the parents always suspect? I mean in many cases of a missing children it turns out that one or both are involved. I think its proper protocol to investigate the probability and clear them so they can focus on other suspects. I do hope she is found, poor child. 🙁

    April 25, 2012 at 7:25 am | Report abuse |
  10. banasy©

    The parents certainly do not win the "Parents Of The Year" award.
    Hopefully, there is new lead.
    Or, if showing an age-enhanced pictures can help, go for it.
    I don't think, in a case like this, that any stone can be left unturned.
    Good lucl.
    I hope they find closure.

    April 25, 2012 at 8:51 am | Report abuse |
  11. Basha

    People. Take a look at the picture accompanying the article. The parents are holding an old picture with the enhanced pic next to it.

    April 25, 2012 at 9:09 am | Report abuse |
  12. saywhat

    @ banasy
    Agree

    April 25, 2012 at 10:33 am | Report abuse |
  13. Cynic

    Those poor, poor people. I could type pages and pages of rants against harm done to children and anyone else for that matter.
    Until we start dealing with mental illness in an intelligent way, the world will be filled with stories like this one.

    April 25, 2012 at 10:39 am | Report abuse |
  14. Joey Isotta-Fraschini ©™

    The McCanns are welcome to all the publicity they can get for this updated image.
    I feel terrible for them. One thing I can never forget is seeing news videotape of their returning home without their daughter.

    April 25, 2012 at 2:56 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Ben

    Wow, they make you think there was a sighting or groundbreaking evidence. Very misleading.

    I hope she is still alive.

    April 25, 2012 at 7:18 pm | Report abuse |
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