Mobile phone seized in case involving woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann: police

In a dramatic twist in the case of the woman who claimed she could be Madeleine McCann, US police have her phone in their possession.

Police in California have seized a cell phone related to a case involving the Polish woman who claimed to be missing toddler Madeleine McCann, officials said.

Police in the US have seized a mobile phone related to a case involving the Polish woman who claimed to be missing toddler Madeleine McCann, officials have said.

Speaking to The New York Post on Tuesday morning, Seargent Mike Woodroof of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, south of Los Angeles in California, confirmed that a phone tied to Julia Faustyna’s case was recently recovered, but declined to give further details.

Self-proclaimed psychic Detective Dr Fia Johansson, who brought Ms Faustyna, 21, to California last month following a spate of death threats, previously told entertainment website RadarOnline that the device was voluntarily handed over to investigators during a search and seizure.

It’s unclear what the nature of the investigation is.

Julia Wandelt claimed she may have been missing Madeleine McCann. Picture: Dr Fia Johansson

Faustyna – also known as Julia Wendell – made headlines earlier this year when she posted on social media claiming to be Madeleine McCann, a British toddler who disappeared on holiday in Portugal in May 2007.

In addition to sharing childhood photos and theories Ms Faustyna doubled down on her allegations during an appearance on “Dr. Phil.”

In early April, however, a DNA test reportedly proved that Ms Faustyna was not the missing girl.

“She is absolutely 100 per cent from Poland,” Dr Johansson told RadarOnline at the time.

Ms Faustyna – who previously batted down her parents’ claims that she stole her own birth certificate and childhood pictures – subsequently apologised to Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann.

DNA proved the Polish woman was not Madeleine McCann. (Photo by Handout / METROPOLITAN POLICE / AFP)

“It wasn’t my intention to bring sadness or any other negative emotion to anyone, especially to McCann’s family,” she wrote in the 17-page statement.

“My main purpose was always to find out who I am and what exactly happened in my very hurtful past.”

She also slammed Dr Johansson, who she said did not give her all the documents related to the test results and was “trying to scare [her.]”

In an interview with the UK newspaper The Mirror, Dr Johansson fired back that Ms Faustyna was “immature,” “vulnerable,” and dealing with a myriad of mental health issues.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Kate and Gerry McCann declined to comment on the DNA results.

Julia Wandelt (R) and private investigator Dr. Fia Johansson (L). Picture: Dr Fia Johansson

The couple – who is also parents to a set of twins – were thrust into the spotlight when their three-year-old daughter vanished from their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal on the night of May 3, 2007.

After years of intense media scrutiny, the investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance was closed by the London police in March 2022. One month later, German sex offender Christian Brueckner was declared a suspect in the case.

Although he has not been formally charged in the McCann investigation, Brueckner is already in prison on charges related to a string of sex crimes against adults and children that he allegedly committed in Portugal.

This story appeared in the New York Post and is reproduced with permission.