An Arkansas woman has made the extraordinary claim that she is Madeleine McCann, insisting she has ‘DNA proof’—despite widespread skepticism and a lack of substantial evidence.
Eugenea Collins, 22, launched a bizarre social media campaign, alleging she is the British child who went missing in 2007 while on vacation with her family in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
Inspired by Another False Claim
Collins told DailyMail.com that she first suspected she was Madeleine after seeing Julia Wandelt, a Polish woman who previously claimed to be the missing girl, on Dr. Phil’s talk show.
“If it wasn’t for me seeing her on Dr. Phil, I would’ve never known. In a way, her stupidity actually helped me find my family,” Collins asserted.
She claims that age-progression images of Madeleine strongly resemble her, adding: “It was like looking in a mirror.”
Flimsy DNA Evidence and Doubts
Collins, born on October 23, 2002, is close in age to Madeleine, who was born on May 12, 2003. She took an ancestry DNA test, which indicated she is 68% English and Northwestern European—a detail she believes supports her claim. However, she has no known genetic connection to the McCann family.
Despite the lack of credible proof, Collins expressed frustration that Arkansas police have dismissed her claims. She also alleged she attempted to contact Operation Grange, the Metropolitan Police’s task force investigating Madeleine’s case.
Suspicious Family History?
Collins said she began questioning her identity after struggling to obtain a birth certificate while applying for a new ID.
“I am unable to get any kind of identification,” she said. “I couldn’t even get help from the Red Cross after my house burned down because I had no ID.”
She also claimed: “I’ve never seen my original birth certificate. The only document I’ve found had someone else’s name written on it, which was then crossed out and replaced with mine.”
Despite her insistence that she is Madeleine McCann, Collins has not publicly shared her mother’s name.
Social Media Backlash
Many online users have dismissed Collins’ claims, highlighting several inconsistencies:
- “Not to be rude, but you don’t have Madeleine’s distinct eye defect.”
- “If you don’t have the same eye condition, please stop this nonsense.”
- “Your ears don’t match hers either.”
In response, Collins argued that her ears have scars, which could explain their differences.
“I never noticed them until people pointed it out. I had my boyfriend check, and there are scars on the back of my ears.”
Shocking Link to Suspect?
Collins also made a startling claim—suggesting that the man she believed was her biological father, Eugene Collins, is actually Christian Brueckner, the German convicted pedophile and main suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance.
“When I saw photos of Brueckner, I instantly recognized him. He looks exactly like the man I was told was my father.”
Brueckner was identified as a suspect in 2020 and is currently serving a seven-year sentence in Germany for an unrelated rape conviction. He is expected to be released in September 2024.
Criticism of Julia Wandelt
Collins also took aim at Julia Wandelt, the Polish woman who falsely claimed to be Madeleine and was recently arrested for stalking Kate and Gerry McCann.
“Hearing that stalker make Madeleine’s mother cry broke my heart—because I’m right here,” Collins insisted.
Wandelt’s claim was debunked in 2023 after a DNA test confirmed she was 100% Polish.
Despite repeated dismissals from authorities and online users, Collins remains adamant that she is Madeleine McCann, though she has yet to provide any concrete proof.
