An American woman from Arkansas has made the shocking assertion that she is actually missing child Madeleine McCann.
The woman is insisting she possesses ‘DNA proof’ to support her claim – however, her statements have been widely dismissed by experts and the public alike.
Eugenea Collins, 22, recently launched an unusual social media campaign, alleging that she is the missing British child who vanished in 2007 while vacationing with her family in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Collins, who has blue eyes and blonde hair, revealed that she began questioning her identity after watching Polish woman Julia Wandelt appear on Dr. Phil.
Wandelt had previously claimed to be Madeleine McCann, but those claims were ultimately debunked.
Collins said she noticed striking similarities between herself and images of the missing girl, which intensified her suspicions.
“If I hadn’t seen her on Dr. Phil, I would’ve never known. In a way, her foolishness actually helped me find my family,” Collins remarked.
“When I saw the age progression images, it was like looking in a mirror. I just know I saw pictures of myself online, and they said I was missing.”
Born on October 23, 2002, Collins is close in age to Madeleine, who was born on May 12, 2003.
She took an ancestry DNA test that showed she is 68 percent English and Northwestern European, which she believes supports her claim. However, no direct DNA link to the McCann family has been found.
Despite her assertions, Collins expressed frustration that Arkansas law enforcement has not taken her claims seriously. She also mentioned reaching out to Operation Grange, the Metropolitan Police unit investigating the McCann case.
Collins’ claims have been met with skepticism from social media users and critics, who have pointed out several inconsistencies.
One of the most notable differences between Collins and Madeleine is the absence of Madeleine’s distinctive eye defect.
“Not to be rude, but your eye doesn’t have that defect like she does,” one commenter noted.
Another added, “The reason I’m not convinced is because I don’t see the same spot on the eye in any photo.”
In response to these criticisms, Collins argued that other differences, such as ear shape, could be attributed to scars she has on her ears.
“People keep saying my ears don’t match, but I have scars on mine,” she stated.
“I never noticed them until they were pointed out. I had my boyfriend check, and he confirmed there are scars on the back of them.”
Further supporting her suspicions, Collins also alleged that the man she was raised to believe was her father, Eugene Collins, bears a striking resemblance to Christian Brueckner—the convicted pedophile and primary suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance.
“I saw photos of the suspect, and he looks like the man I was told was my biological father,” she claimed.
“I never had a relationship with him, and I was always told he was a little off. When I first saw images of Christian Brueckner, I instantly recognized him.”
Brueckner, named as a suspect in 2020, has been convicted of multiple unrelated crimes, including child sexual abuse and drug offenses.
He is currently serving a prison sentence in Germany but is expected to be released later this year.
Collins also criticized Wandelt, who was recently arrested for harassing the McCann family. Wandelt had appeared on Dr. Phil in 2023, insisting she was Madeleine McCann—claims that were ultimately disproven by DNA testing.
“I just know that my mom is looking for me, and I’ve always felt a deep sense of longing and loneliness,” Collins said. “Now I finally understand why.”
She also condemned Wandelt’s actions, referencing reports that she made Kate McCann cry by falsely claiming to be her daughter.
“Especially after hearing about that Julia stalker making her cry, saying she was her daughter—it broke my heart because I’m right here,” Collins stated.
Wandelt’s DNA, analyzed by private investigator Dr. Fia Johansson, confirmed that she was fully Polish and had no connection to the McCann family.
“At first, she refused to believe the DNA results,” Johansson revealed. “She kept asking, ‘What if someone changed them?’ but I told her, ‘Stop this now.’”
Despite her unwavering belief that she is Madeleine McCann, Collins’ claims have not been taken seriously by experts and law enforcement due to a lack of substantial evidence.
