Polish woman, 23, who claimed to be Madeleine McCann doubles down after 'new' DNA test

A Polish woman who previously made headlines for claiming she is the missing British child Madeleine McCann is standing by her theory, citing "new" DNA test results as supposed “proof”.

Julia Wandelt, 23, first made her claims in 2023 (when she was 22 years old), and now claims the latest findings “strongly support” the possibility that she is the long-lost daughter of Kate and Gerry McCann.

In May 2007, Madeleine (nicknamed Maddie), then aged 3, vanished during a family vacation in Portugal. This would now make her around 20 – three years younger than Wandelt is now. 

Wandelt’s Polish parents have dismissed her claims as nonsense. Julia, however, cites her lack of child's vaccine records and the refusal of her parents to submit to a DNA test as further "evidence" to prove her claim.

Fate unknown

Despite extensive investigations spanning nearly two decades, Madeleine’s fate remains unknown. The lack of definitive answers fuels endless speculation, theories, new leads, and lack of closure, keeping the case in the public eye.

Wandelt ended up on American talk show “Dr Phil” to discuss the far-fetched possibility.

In 2024, Wandelt apologised to the McCann family, during an interview with the BBC, saying she “regretted” the entire ordeal.

Fresh DNA test

A previous DNA test debunked Wandelt’s claims, showing that she has Polish, Lithuanian, and Romanian ancestry — entirely different from the McCanns’ lineage. 

Julia Wandelt, however, disputed her lineage, claiming her DNA test actually showed she is "part British, part Irish".

"New" DNA test

Wandelt took to her new social media account, '@AmIJuliaWandelt', to share the "results" of a fresh DNA test that she said Kate and Gerry "refused" to participate in. 

Why British media dismissed Wandelt as 'Maddie faker'

As Wandelt positioned herself back in the spotlight with her new claims this week, British media dismissed her as a “'Maddie faker”. 

MailOnline has discovered Wandelt had previously contacted a Polish charity to say she was missing German schoolgirl Inga Gehricke, 5, who disappeared from Stendal in Germany in 2015.

Julia then contacted the charity again to say she was Acacia Bishop, who went missing as a 19-month-old in 2003 in Utah.

Fresh claim

Now, Wandelt is back with a new Instagram account, @amijuliawandelt, where she insists, “I know the truth and I will never give up.”

In a series of posts, the 23-year-old claims to have new DNA test results analysed by "highly respected and recognized world expert" Dr. Monte Miller. 

According to Wandelt, the expert compared her DNA to samples allegedly taken from the crime scene in Portugal and found matches with the missing child's "eyes, teeth, and voice."

Doubling down

Doubling down on her assertions, Wandelt referred to Kate and Gerry McCann as "my parents".

One document she posted allegedly states that the results "strongly support that Gerry McCann could be Julia Wandelt’s biological father, as the data aligns perfectly with a parent-child relationship.”

“Crime scene DNA match” claim

According to Wandelt, Dr. Miller's analysis found a "perfect match" between her DNA and samples collected from the crime scene, including hair and saliva. 

She claims the test results suggest a 69.23 per cent probability of a biological connection.

To further support her theory, she has shared side-by-side images of herself and Gerry McCann, highlighting similarities in their facial features, such as their nose and smile. 

Additionally, she posted images of her Polish family members next to police sketches of potential suspects in the McCann case, implying a deeper connection.

Police dismiss Wandelt's claims

British authorities have dismissed Wandelt’s claims. She was previously warned by investigators to stay away from the McCanns, with London’s Metropolitan Police even accusing her of "stalking" the couple.

A police officer also warned Wandelt against making further attempts to contact the McCanns or the police, cautioning that she could face legal consequences if she continued harassing them.

Wandelt stands firm

Despite the skepticism and police warnings, Wandelt remains unwavering in her beliefs. 

“I will never give up. This is something I want to tell the world,” she declared. Her latest claims continue to stir controversy, but for now, there is still no concrete evidence linking her to the McCann family.

Here's timeline of key events in the Madeleine McCann case:

2007: Disappearance

• May 3 – Madeleine McCann, a 3-year-old British girl, disappears from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, while her parents dine at a nearby restaurant.

• May 4 – Portuguese police launch an investigation. Border checks and searches begin.

• May 12 – Madeleine’s fourth birthday. Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, make public appeals for help.

• May 25 – The first official suspect, Robert Murat, a local British-Portuguese man, is questioned but later released.

2007: Investigation and parents named as suspects

• August 3 – Portuguese police admit Madeleine may be dead.

• September 7 – Kate and Gerry McCann are named formal suspects but deny involvement.

• September 9 – The McCanns return to the UK.

2008-2010: Case goes cold

• July 21, 2008 – Portuguese authorities close the case due to lack of evidence, dropping the suspect status of the McCanns and Murat.

2011-2013: British Police review

• May 2011 – The UK government asks Scotland Yard to review the case.

• July 2013 – British police launch Operation Grange, re-examining evidence and identifying new leads.

2017-2020: New developments

• June 2019 – The UK government extends Operation Grange.

• June 2020 – German authorities announce a new suspect, Christian Brückner, a convicted sex offender, and say they have evidence Madeleine is dead.

2022-2023: Official Suspect Named 

• April 2022 – Portugal officially names Brückner as a suspect.

• May 2023 – Searches are conducted near a reservoir in Portugal linked to Brückner.

• June 2023 - German prosecutors say had secured some items during a search of a reservoir in Portugal where McCann went missing.  

• German authorities help Portuguese crews comb the remote area inland from the Algarve coastal resort where McCann went missing in 2007.

Julia Wandelt’s claims 

• 2023 – Julia Wandelt, 22, first claims on Instagram that she might be Madeleine McCann. Her claims gain attention, and she requests DNA testing.

• Early 2023 – A DNA test reveals that Wandelt has Polish, Lithuanian, and Romanian ancestry, which disproves her claim of being Madeleine.

• 2024 – Wandelt apologises to the McCanns and expresses regret over her previous claims.

• February 2024 – Despite her earlier apology, she reasserts her claim on social media, using a new Instagram handle (@amijuliawandelt).

• February 2024 – She shares alleged DNA test results from Dr. Monte Miller, claiming a "strong" match to crime scene evidence and a biological connection to Gerry McCann.

• February 2024 – British authorities, including a police officer from Operation Grange, tell Wandelt that she is not Madeleine McCann and warn her against contacting the McCanns.

Current status (2025)

February 2025 – Wandelt cites alleged new DNA test proving she Madeleine McCann and shared side-by-side images of herself and Gerry McCann, highlighting similarities in their facial features, such as their nose and smile.