McCanns fear suspicion will never end
Madeleine McCann's parents fear they will always be suspects in their daughter's disappearance, a friend has said.
Gerry and Kate McCann's worries were revealed as it emerged the couple had used a scientist to help look for the missing four-year-old using a DNA-tracking device.
He claims he followed Madeleine's trail to a beach near the Portugal resort where she went missing on May 3 and is now resuming his search, believing she was either buried in the sand or her body dumped at sea.
Last week, a British source close to the inquiry reportedly claimed the case had "run out of evidence". That, a friend of the McCanns said yesterday, is their "nightmare scenario".
"Gerry and Kate's biggest fear is that Madeleine will never be found and the case will go unsolved," he said.
"They could go on forever without knowing what happened to their daughter.
"If Madeleine isn't found then they also fear they will have to live under a cloud of suspicion for years."
The source also said the McCanns think they will face months if not years of legal problems surrounding their status as "arguidos", or formal suspects, in the case. Their lawyers are trying to have the arguido status lifted.
Meanwhile, it was revealed yesterday that Danie Krugel, a South African former police chief, first joined the search for Madeleine in July with the support of the Portuguese police and the McCanns, to track her DNA trail from her parents' rented apartment in Praia da Luz.
He met the family and said he worked from a strand of Madeleine's hair they gave him.
His DNA-tracking machine, which he likens to a metal detector, led him to a beach. From there, the trail went cold, meaning she was either buried in that spot or taken out to sea by boat.
Police cordoned off the area but, according to Krugel, did not search it properly or respond to his report on the case.
He said: "I'm preparing to fly to Portugal again because the investigation seems to have come to a halt.
I'm convinced Madeleine's body is in Praia Da Luz."
Last week, a British source close to the inquiry reportedly claimed the case had "run out of evidence". That, a friend of the McCanns said yesterday, is their "nightmare scenario".
"Gerry and Kate's biggest fear is that Madeleine will never be found and the case will go unsolved," he said.
"They could go on forever without knowing what happened to their daughter.
"If Madeleine isn't found then they also fear they will have to live under a cloud of suspicion for years."
The source also said the McCanns think they will face months if not years of legal problems surrounding their status as "arguidos", or formal suspects, in the case. Their lawyers are trying to have the arguido status lifted.
Meanwhile, it was revealed yesterday that Danie Krugel, a South African former police chief, first joined the search for Madeleine in July with the support of the Portuguese police and the McCanns, to track her DNA trail from her parents' rented apartment in Praia da Luz.
He met the family and said he worked from a strand of Madeleine's hair they gave him.
His DNA-tracking machine, which he likens to a metal detector, led him to a beach. From there, the trail went cold, meaning she was either buried in that spot or taken out to sea by boat.
Police cordoned off the area but, according to Krugel, did not search it properly or respond to his report on the case.
He said: "I'm preparing to fly to Portugal again because the investigation seems to have come to a halt.
I'm convinced Madeleine's body is in Praia Da Luz."
