Almost 10 years after Madeleine McCann’s disappearance made headlines around the world, investigators are searching for a Portuguese former resort worker who may offer clues that could shed new light on the case. Watch the video above for the latest news.
The British girl was 3 years old when she disappeared from her family’s vacation rental in the seaside resort Praia da Luz in May 2007. Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, left Madeleine and her younger twin siblings in the ground-floor apartment while they went out to dinner. When Kate went to check on the children at 10 p.m., Madeleine was gone.
The decade-long investigation by U.K. and Portuguese police, which has cost the British government more than $13 million, has followed up leads from around the world. Several suspects have been questioned but no arrests have ever been made. In 2012, authorities released an age progression photo of Madeleine that showed what she would look like as a 9-year-old.
Now the UK Mirror reports that investigators are looking for a former worker at the resort who gave a statement at the time but who they want to talk to again. “British officers are convinced he knows more than he was previously saying and are very keen to question him,” a source told the paper. “They are not suggesting he stole Maddie but he may know people who could have been involved after a burglary went wrong.”
The U.K. Home Office just granted an additional $104,000 to extend the investigation six more months from April until September.
“British cops are chasing a new lead that could solve the McCann case,” British TV host Piers Morgan tweeted Monday after discussing the case on his show Good Morning Britain.
The McCanns, who were initially considered suspects but later cleared, have vowed to “never give up” the search for their missing daughter. They continue to face criticism for leaving their children alone that night.
The former America’s Got Talent judge defended the McCanns on the broadcast. “I wouldn’t have done what they did,” Morgan said, “but having interviewed them, your heart breaks for these people.”
