A Polish woman who once apologised for falsely claiming she was Madeleine McCann has resurfaced with a shocking new allegation: fresh DNA results that she says “strongly support” her claims.
Julia Wandelt, 23, who previously went viral in 2023 under the Instagram handle @IAmMadeleineMcCann, has reignited the controversy with updated test results she believes point to a biological connection with Madeleine’s father, Gerry McCann.
Sharing the news via her new account @AmIJuliaWandelt, Wandelt claimed that a “world expert” analyzed her DNA and compared it to evidence collected from the crime scene in Portugal back in 2007, when the British toddler went missing during a family holiday.
“The genetic evidence strongly supports that Gerry McCann could be my biological father,” Wandelt stated in a series of social media posts.
She also claimed that parts of her DNA matched key features associated with Madeleine, such as eyes, teeth, and voice patterns.
Previously, Wandelt had been dismissed after a 2023 DNA test determined she was of Polish, Lithuanian, and Romanian descent, putting an apparent end to the speculation. She even issued a public apology to the McCann family, expressing regret for the “pain” caused.
However, the new twist has brought the case back into the spotlight.
According to Wandelt’s representative, Surjit Singh Clair, the latest DNA examination allegedly found a 69.23 percent match between Julia’s DNA and samples reportedly gathered from the crime scene including hair from the floor and saliva from the bed quilt at the apartment where Madeleine vanished.
In an email shared by Wandelt, the expert identified as Dr. Monte Miller, who holds a PhD in Biochemistry, explained that while a full match was not achieved, there were “more similarities than expected at random”, hinting at an “almost certain family connection.”
“If this analysis is accurate, the relationship between McCann and Julia Wandelt is biologically consistent with that of a father and daughter,” the expert’s message concluded.
Wandelt’s assertions have been met with skepticism. Critics point out that she is three years older than Madeleine would be today. Madeleine would be 21, while Julia is 23, a discrepancy that has fueled doubts.
Moreover, Wandelt’s own parents from Poland have firmly rejected her claims, providing photographs, her birth certificate, and hospital records as proof of her identity.
“We have memories, we have pictures. Julia took these documents from the family home”
her family said in a public statement, adding they had tried for years to offer her help through therapy and specialized treatment.
Despite the backlash, Wandelt remains determined. She continues to challenge both the McCanns and her Polish parents to submit to independent DNA testing, even offering to pay for it herself.
“They have spent £20 million on this investigation but refuse to spend £60 on a simple DNA test,” said her representative Clair. “Even if she were a random Polish person, how do they explain the DNA link to the crime scene?”
As of now, the McCann family has declined to comment publicly and has not agreed to any new DNA testing.
The Metropolitan Police, which continues to work on the case under Operation Grange alongside Portuguese and German authorities, maintains its official position.
The Home Office has reaffirmed its commitment to funding the ongoing investigation.Whether this latest DNA twist will alter the course of the 18 year old mystery remains uncertain.
But one thing is clear Julia Wandelt has once again reignited public fascination with one of the most haunting missing person cases in modern history.
Featured Image Credit: (Dr Fia Johansson) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)(Youtube//@drphil)
