Madeleine McCann: The emerging key witness who is a friend of the Queen's
A tourist who may have spotted Madeleine McCann’s kidnapper is a friend of the Queen, reports said.
British tourist Carole Tranmer, who was staying in the flat above where Madeleine was staying with her parents in the Praia da Luz resort in May 2007, is once again in the spotlight after a man resembling her e-fit image was reported to emerge as the “person of interest” in the case.
Tranmer, who used to work at Windsor Castle, claimed she saw a “prowler” coming out of the ground floor apartment gate “very carefully and quietly” hours before the then 3-year-old girl disappeared.
In her police statement, Tranmer said: “Looking down below the McCann flat I saw someone come out of the ground floor apartment closing the gate very carefully and quietly.
“It looked very strange to me. He looked to one side and the other, shut the gate and walked very quickly below.”
The man resembled convicted German serial killer Martin Ney, who has been speculated to be the “figure of interest” for the Portuguese police.
According to The Sun, 71-year-old Tranmer has been interviewed three times in the past by the British and Portuguese police about “the man acting suspiciously” in the holiday apartment.
To help assess her reliability as a witness, Tranmer shared with the police that she worked for the Royal Collection and that she knew the Queen personally. She also makes frequent, private visits to the royal family.
Madeleine vanished from her room in May 2007 when her parents were dining nearby with some family friends. Earlier this month, Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, marked the 12th anniversary of the disappearance with a statement: “Madeleine will be 16 this month. It’s impossible to put into words just how that makes us feel … Thank you to everyone who continues to support us and for your ongoing hope and belief.”