In a chilling new twist in the Madeleine McCann investigation, police divers searching a reservoir near the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz, Portugal, have discovered a child’s dress — with DNA matching the missing girl.
However, in a horrifying development, the dress also contains traces of a different blood type, a revelation that has immediately raised alarms among investigators. The discovery has sent shockwaves through the McCann family and renewed fears that the child found wearing the dress may not be Madeleine after all.
According to police sources, the dress was found approximately 1 kilometre from the Ocean Club, near an abandoned building. The area had previously been searched during the early days of the investigation, but it was only recently revisited as part of a renewed probe into Madeleine’s disappearance.
“The DNA match is undeniable,” one source revealed. “It’s certainly Madeleine’s, but the blood type discrepancy is baffling. It suggests there may be more to this than we initially thought.”
The finding was made by a team of divers who had been investigating new leads regarding areas around the reservoir that were not properly searched back in 2007. The dress was found near a waterlogged storage facility, an area previously overlooked by authorities.
In the wake of the discovery, forensic teams were immediately dispatched to examine the clothing, and further DNA testing is now underway to determine if the second blood type could belong to another child or even a potential abductor.
The police are now re-evaluating old theories, including whether Madeleine was taken to a secondary location and whether there might have been another victim involved — one whose blood was left on the dress.
The McCann family has been informed of the discovery and is said to be both relieved and terrified by the latest revelation. Kate McCann, in particular, is reportedly shaken by the new evidence, as it opens up more questions than answers.
“The hope is still there, but this adds an entirely new dimension to the investigation,” a family spokesperson said. “This is the closest they’ve been to a breakthrough in years, but it brings with it an entirely new set of questions.”
Police are also considering whether the blood type mismatch could be linked to the recent resurgence of theories involving human trafficking rings operating in the Algarve region at the time of Madeleine's disappearance.
As detectives piece together the shocking new information, the world continues to hold its breath, waiting for the breakthrough that could bring closure to a case that has haunted millions for nearly two decades.