Private detective reveals 'small detail' which convinced her woman may be Madeleine McCann
28 March 2023, 13:31 | Updated: 6 April 2023, 12:18
A private investigator has revealed the 'small detail' which persuaded her to take on the case of the woman who thinks she could be Madeleine McCann.
Dr Fia Johansson has been helping Julia Wendell since she went viral last month after posting on social media that she thinks she could be Madeleine.
The 21-year-old from Poland claims to have a freckle on her leg and a speck in her eye in the same places as the British girl, as well as looking similar to parents Kate and Gerry. Her now deactivated Instagram profile attracted more than one million followers.
Dr Johansson, who is also a medium, whisked Julia away to her Californian home after she received death threats. She has been helping Julia undertake DNA tests.
Read More: Woman claiming she is Madeleine McCann threatens to sue mother who raised her in Poland
Speaking to Sky News Australia as they await the test results, Fia explained the ‘small detail’ that convinced her to take on the case.
She said: "She has this mark in her eyes... that I can see when she's talking to me. I looked at the eyes and said 'oh my god that's exactly the mark'
“The two have a distinctive brown smudge on their right iris. Maddie’s was due to a rare condition called coloboma – and share some other similar features evident in childhood photos.”
Earlier this month, Fia confirmed Julia has taken a genetic test and submitted three DNA samples, which will help determine her ancestry.
Julia's parents in Poland previously stated that they have been left devastated by her claims and said that she needs treatment for mental health issues.
Appearing on US talk show Dr Phil, Julia said she had tried to contact police in the UK but had not heard back and nobody listened to her at either the British or Polish embassies so she switched to Instagram to push her Madeleine claims.
Madeleine was four years old when she disappeared from a holiday apartment while on a family holiday to Portugal in 2007.
Scotland Yard has been investigating and is set to be given another £300,000 to keep the case going.
Julia says she is 21 but believes her age could be wrong. Madeleine was born in May 2003, meaning that she would now be 19.
