Who Is Eugenea Collins? American Without Birth Certificate & 66% British DNA Claims She's Madeleine McCann

One of the 21st century's most haunting mysteries, the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, has gripped the world since 2007. Despite years of investigations, most efforts have led nowhere, leaving the case as perplexing as ever.

In 2007, three-year-old Madeleine vanished without a trace while on holiday with her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, in Portugal's Praia da Luz.

Now, in a bizarre twist, Eugenea Collins, an American woman from Arkansas, claims she is the missing child. Despite the unusual nature of her assertions and a lack of concrete evidence, Collins insists she is Madeleine McCann and even alleges she has DNA proof to support her claim.

The Unusual Origins of the Claim

According to Eugenea, she experienced a sudden realisation while watching an episode of Dr Phil in early 2023.

The show featured Julia Wandelt, another woman who had previously claimed to be Madeleine McCann. Although Wandelt's bizarre assertion to be the missing child made waves, nothing substantial came out of it. Also, Wandelt was arrested at Bristol Airport last Wednesday for harassing the McCann family.

However, Collins claims she saw something on the show that sparked her belief.

While speaking to Daily Mail, Collins said seeing Wandelt's claims triggered something inside her. 'If it wasn't for me seeing her on the Dr. Phil show, I would've never known,' Collins said. The 22-year-old, who is blonde-haired and blue-eyed, added that after seeing Wandelt and the age progression images of Madeleine, she could not ignore the similarities she felt she saw between herself and the missing girl.

According to reports, Collins and Wandelt were born in 2003, just like Madeleine. Hence, she would be around 22-23 today.

However, it should be noted that her assertion is based mainly on the striking physical resemblances she believes she shares with Madeleine. Collins' story takes an odd turn as she draws connections between herself and the British girl.

The DNA 'Proof' and Lack of Records

According to Collins, another key element of her claim lies in her DNA results.

Collins says that when she took an ancestry test, she found that 68% of her heritage is English and Northwestern European, proving she is connected to Madeleine. However, the results do not indicate any familial ties to the McCann family.

Further adding to her confusing story, Collins claims that her lack of identification documents, particularly a birth certificate, raised suspicions about her true identity. 'I've never seen an original birth certificate. The one I've seen has someone else's name on it,' Collins said.

Eyebrows are being raised about the authenticity of Collins' story, especially since she has not shared any concrete information about her mother or family history.

Alleged Connection to Christian Brueckner

Collins' claims take another bizarre turn when she suggests that her biological father might be Christian Brueckner, the German man who has been identified as a key suspect in Madeleine's disappearance.

Brueckner, who has been convicted of separate crimes, including child sexual abuse, was linked to Praia da Luz, where Madeleine vanished in 2007. Collins claims she saw a photo of Brueckner and immediately recognised him as the man she had been told was her father. 'I saw pictures of the suspect, and he looks like my biological father,' she said, suggesting that she has had no relationship with this man but has been told about him throughout her life.

However, Collins has provided no concrete evidence to establish her father's identity beyond her assertion.

Public Reaction on Collins' Claim

Collins' story has received public reactions across social media, with many dismissing her claims as an attempt to gain attention. While discussing the topic on a Reddit thread, one person wrote, 'She doesn't have a mark on her eye, and she has photos that seem to be from younger than Maddie was when she went missing.'

'Not to be rude here, but your eye doesn't have that defect in it like she does,' another social media user wrote.

Notably, Collins' case poses a stark resemblance to Julia Wandelt's claims of being Madeleine. Wandelt attempts were ultimately disproven by DNA tests, which eventually showed she was of Polish descent.

However, Collins is thankful for Wandelt's appearance on the Dr. Phil show. 'If it wasn't for me seeing her on the Dr. Phil show, I would've never known. In a way, her stupidity actually helped me find my family,' Collins said.

For now, Collins' claims will likely fade into the growing list of similar ones made over the years. However, the McCann family still awaits answers to the mystery of what truly happened to their daughter.