In a dramatic new twist in the Madeleine McCann case, investigators have confirmed that fingerprints found on a suitcase recovered less than a mile from the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz match those of the missing British child.
Portuguese authorities made the confirmation late Wednesday after forensic experts in Lisbon completed a detailed comparison with samples held since 2007.
The suitcase, described as “faded blue with a partially torn airline tag,” was discovered last month in a rural area of scrubland by a local farmer who immediately contacted police.
But the true shock came not from the fingerprints — but from who the suitcase was linked to.
Investigators have confirmed it was registered to a British woman who had been living in Portugal during the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.
According to senior sources close to the inquiry, the woman — whose name has not yet been released publicly — was never listed among the original suspects, yet records show she stayed at a guesthouse less than 300 meters from the McCanns’ holiday apartment.
Police sources say she left the country abruptly two weeks after the disappearance and has since relocated to northern Europe.
“This is the most significant piece of forensic evidence we’ve recovered in over a decade,” one investigator said.
“We are now working closely with British authorities to locate and question the woman who owned the suitcase.”
Inside the case, authorities found several child-sized garments, a toy bracelet, and a foreign SIM card that has since been sent to a cyber-forensics lab for analysis.
The McCann family has been briefed on the discovery. A close family source told reporters:
“They are deeply shaken. The fact that Madeleine’s fingerprints were found after all these years raises both hope and dread.”
Police have now reopened several cold evidence files from the original 2007 investigation, focusing on individuals with direct access to local lodging services at the time.
British detectives are also examining whether the woman in question may have been acting under instruction or connected to a wider trafficking operation.
Authorities are expected to make an official statement within days.
