Australian authorities Wednesday ruled out the possibility that the remains of a young girl found in a suitcase there are those of Madeleine McCann, the British girl who disappeared in 2007 while on vacation with her family.
The decomposed body of a young girl, fair like McCann, between the ages of 2 and 4 years old were found in a suitcase near Wynarka, Australia,
earlier in July, The Associated Press reported. The bones had been there for some time, possibly as long as eight years.
"I can confirm that Madeleine McCann has been totally excluded as a potential victim and UK police have been advised," Des Bray, a South Australia police officer, told the AP.
Police have been ruling out other missing children, and have posted a photo of an unusual homemade quilt that was found with the
girl’s remains, 9 News reported.
9 News said police referred to the child’s death as “violent and horrible.”
Police said the suitcase appeared to have been in bushes alongside a highway for as long as
four months, The Adelaide Advertiser said.
Bray told the Advertiser it was likely the girl was never reported missing. “It would be impossible to believe that someone didn’t love this little girl,” he said. “It’s hard to believe someone hasn’t missed her. I thought when we started this job that we would quickly identify who this little girl was. Somewhere out there is a mother, a father, at the very least an extended family that obviously lived near someone and I’m at a loss as to why someone hasn’t reported this little girl."
The newspaper said the fabric used in the quilt came from New York.
Related Stories: