Overview: A case intensifies as the court reviews a disturbing letter and a web of communications
The Leicester Crown Court case surrounding Julia Wandelt, who insists she is Madeleine McCann, has shed new light on the chilling communications that followed long after the famous disappearance. Amelie McCann, Madeleine’s sister, has described a message sent through the McCanns’ door as “creepy,” as the court heard about a letter signed off with “Madeleine X.” This letter, allegedly posted the day after a tense face-to-face confrontation in December 2024, has become a focal point in the prosecution’s narrative about the stalker’s intentions and persistent verification efforts.
Key prosecution details: A long trail of claims and misdirected beliefs
Prosecutor Michael Duck KC outlined a wide chronology of Ms Wandelt’s conduct, beginning in June 2022, when she started telling people she was Kate and Gerry McCann’s missing daughter, Madeleine. The court was told that Wandelt initially raised claims that she could be the missing Inga Gehricke and later shifted to other missing persons stories, before asserting a connection to Madeleine.
According to the prosecution, Wandelt’s belief system evolved into persistent outreach to charities connected with historical missing-person cases and a determination to obtain confirmation from the McCanns’ circle. After being rebuffed by these channels, she allegedly attempted to contact the hospital where the McCanns worked. The court heard that she then contacted Madeleine’s younger sister Amelie and even messaged Sean McCann, Madeleine’s twin brother, who did not engage with her.
As the saga progressed, Wandelt allegedly sent doctored images to establish a link and claimed memories of a life prior to the alleged abduction. The prosecution noted that, despite failures to connect, Wandelt pressed on and eventually sought to attend a 2024 vigil in Rothley, Leicestershire, where the McCanns hoped to avoid a direct confrontation. She was not at the vigil on that occasion, but the outreach continued in different forms.
The December 7 confrontation and the door-letter
The case intensified when Wandelt and a collaborator, Karen Spragg, reportedly confronted the McCanns at their home on 7 December 2024, demanding a DNA test. A day later, a letter arrived at the McCanns’ door—an apparent attempt to present new “evidence” and a call for contact. The letter, signed “Madeleine X,” expressed deep distress and a belief that the McCanns could verify her identity through a DNA test. The wording suggested a longing for a familial connection and a request that the McCanns confront what the writer saw as the truth. Amelie McCann has described the letter to her family as “creepy,” highlighting how these messages disrupt a family already living with a decades-long public inquiry into Madeleine’s disappearance.
Testimony from Kate and Gerry McCann: Personal impact in the courtroom
Both Kate and Gerry McCann gave evidence from behind a privacy screen, describing how the contact with Wandelt began several years earlier and how the defendant’s persistence has affected their sense of safety. Kate McCann recounted a voicemail from Wandelt and emphasized that Wandelt contacting Amelie was a “final straw” that prompted police involvement. The couple’s testimony underlined how three long years of alleged manipulation culminated in a highly invasive situation outside their home, reigniting painful memories for the family.
Implications and ongoing questions
As the trial progresses, the jury is weighing the severity of Wandelt’s actions, the authenticity of her claims, and whether there is a credible possibility of DNA testing that could alter the public narrative around Madeleine’s disappearance. The case raises questions about how online identities can morph into real-world confrontations and how families cope with ongoing investigations that blur the line between hope and harmful fixation.
What’s next in the courtroom
The court will continue to hear from witnesses and assess the evidence presented by the Crown regarding Wandelt’s communications, including those targeting Amelie and the broader network around the McCanns. The outcome could influence legal considerations about stalking, harassment, and the handling of high-profile missing-person cases in the digital age.
