Portuguese prosecutors have officially reopened the 2007 missing persons case involving British toddler, Madeleine McCann.
Madeleine disappeared from her parent’s hotel room at Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz, Portugal, while her parents were dining at a nearby restaurant in May 2007. She was only three years old, and after further investigation, the case was closed in 2008. Now, after new information surfaced that McCann may still be alive, the police are diving back into the investigation.
Madeleine’s parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, posted on their official webpage a statement regarding the reopening of their daughter’s case.
We are very pleased that the investigation to find our missing daughter Madeleine has officially been reopened in Portugal. We hope that this will finally lead to her being found and the discovery of who is responsible for this crime.
We once again urge any member of the public who may have information relating to Madeleine’s abduction to contact the police in Portugal or the UK.
Please be patient and respect the work of the police as they endeavor to find the answers we so desperately need. In particular, we request that the media consider carefully Madeleine’s safety and the integrity of the investigation in their reporting.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
The new suspect that the police are looking into is Euclides Monteiro, also known as Toni. Monteiro was working in the restaurant at the Ocean Club resort at the same time Madeleine went missing. He was later fired from his position for stealing from the resort. The theory is that Monteiro kidnapped Madeleine while robbing her parent’s room, and then killed her after the media picked up on the case.
Monteiro was killed in a tractor accident in 2009, and his wife remains supportive saying she knows he was innocent of the crime.
“It is disgusting they are now looking for a dead man as a scapegoat,” she told the Daily Mirror. “It’s very easy to blame someone who can’t defend themselves any more. My husband would never be capable of committing such a crime.”
The police are continuing to receive calls and further leads into their investigation. If you have any information about Madeleine please email investigation@findmadeleine.com or call the investigation line at +44 845 838 4699.
Image via Findmadeleine.com