Mother a Suspect in Missing-Girl Case

Sept. 7, 2007 — -- After months of appealing to the public for help, the mother of a missing British girl has been named a suspect by Portuguese police. A family spokeperson says they expect the father will also be named a suspect.

Police in Portimao Portugal confirmed that Kate McCann, mother of 4-year-old Madeleine, was a suspect shortly after she arrived at the local police headquarters for another round of questioning on Friday.

Kate was seen leaving after a few hours, and a short time later, her husband Gerry entered the same police station.

Madeleine has been missing since May, when she vanished from the family's hotel room in Portugal.

Police would not comment on details of the investigation, but there is speculation that this latest development was triggered by forensic test results released by a British crime lab.

Thursday, Kate McCann emerged after 11 hours with police — 127 days after Madeleine disappeared while her parents ate dinner nearby. This morning, Kate McCann was called back for more questioning.

Neither Kate nor Gerry McCann has been formally arrested or charged in the disappearance of Madeleine.

"If we'd had to think for one second that this was taking a risk, it wouldn't have happened," Kate McCann told "GMA" in June.

The British papers are abuzz with speculation. Today's Daily Mail led with "They're trying to frame me," quoting Kate McCann, while The Sun says police asked her, "Did you sedate Maddie?" The Mirror trumpeted "Suspects" across the McCanns' pictures.

The McCanns have scaled back their media campaign and currently are suing one paper that claimed police believe they killed their daughter.

Two weeks ago, Gerry McCann urged the media to stop speculating.

"What is being said officially is that we are not suspects, that there is no evidence that we're involved in Madeleine's disappearance," the father said.

But the tides have turned as Kate McCann has officially been named a suspect.

The McCanns deny that they have any involvement in their daughter's disappearance.