Is Madeleine McCann alive or dead after all these years? Scotland Yard officials have always operated, publicly, under the idea that she may be found alive, even against evidence produced by detectives in Portugal. The latest news on the case, however, indicates that there could be a shift in what they believe. The Mirror reports that Operation Grange officers with Scotland Yard will travel to Portugal soon to grill more suspects. However, the line of questioning involves looking for the girl’s killer.
Agents are expected to ask at least seven people if they are responsible for the murder of the missing British child. If police are asking these kinds of questions, then they must be leaning toward the idea that Madeleine was slain. But are they quizzing the right suspects in her presumed murder? Madeleine vanished over seven years ago, and over the course of this case there have been many so called suspects, including the girl’s parents. Kate and Gerry McCann have long been targets of suspicion, especially since they were declared arguidos (suspects) back in the beginning of this case. Even though they are no longer considered suspects, there has been no proven evidence that anybody entered their rental apartment to abduct just one of their children.
The Daily Mail reports that this case has cost taxpayers more than £8 Million over the course of more than seven years. The past three years alone have cost at least £2 Million per year. Nonetheless, officials have cut back on the number of agents included in Operation Grange, which is indicative of their intent to close this case soon — hopefully with the arrest of the true culprits responsible for Madeleine’s presumed demise.
According to Goncalo Amaral, who was one of the original detectives in the search for Madeleine McCann, the parents should be the prime suspects. In fact, most of the original evidence in the case points to their involvement, which has led Amaral to believe that they covered up an accidental death of their young daughter. This wouldn’t be a murder, but if they have truly spent the past seven years going along with the idea that some intruder stole their child, then there is clearly some level of criminality taking place. Of course, Scotland Yard’s latest direction seems to indicate the idea that Madeleine was maliciously murdered — perhaps by one of seven British expats.
This case continues to be an international mystery, but hopefully Operation Grange solves that mystery before another seven years passes.
[Photo Credit: EPA/ Daily Mail ]
