McCann Pals May Be Named Suspects in Maddy Case

Friends of the parents of missing British toddler Madeleine McCann have been warned they could be named suspects in her disappearance as Portuguese investigators probe inconsistencies in their stories, reports the Times of London. Seven friends dined with
Kate and Gerry McCann the evening Maddy disappeared from her bed during a family vacation in Portugal. They're referred to in the British press as the "Tapas Nine."

One of the friends reported to police she saw a strange man carrying a child Maddy's age the night the adults ate together. Her boyfriend disappeared briefly before Kate McCann reported that Maddy had vanished. Police in Portugal are allowed more freedom in questioning people once a subject is officially named a suspect. (More Madeleine McCann stories.)