10 years ago this month, on May 3, 2007, 3-year-old Madeleine McCann and her family were at a vacation villa in Portugal. Her parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, were at a popular restaurant at the resort; a place they visited frequently during their stay, dining with several other couples. While her parents dined, young Madeleine was taken from the villa, never to be seen again.

As stated by Madeleine’s parents, they sat at the same table, so they could see their villa/apartment from the restaurant (as did the other couples who were dining with them). They all took turns making 20 minute checks to see if their children were safe.

At about 9:05 pm, Madeleine’s parents claimed that Madeleine and her baby brother were sleeping peacefully together in their bed. They went back to diner then took another trip before they ended their meal. At about 10:00 when they went to check, Madeleine was gone.

The case led the search group everywhere to all ends, but with no luck of finding her. The only piece of evidence that they have after 10 years was a woman who was spotted near the villa on the night Madeleine vanished. Madeleine’s parents are still hopeful she is alive. Although they say this, at the press conferences, they never showed any signs of being upset or grieving, which many found suspicious. Because of this, some people feel the family is responsible for her disappearance.

Since the case is a decade old, the kidnapper must have changed his/her appearance and name so it will be even harder to find the perpetrator. But many believe that Madeleine is still alive and that she can still be found. There are also many theories concerning this case and the vanishing of this sweet child. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Theory One: It was the parents…Many believe that Madeleine died in the villa and that her parents disposed of the body.

Theory Two: It was a burglary gone wrong…A robber entered the room and got scared when Madeleine woke up, killed her, and tried to dispose of the body. No real evidence of this was found.

Theory Three: Madeleine was attacked by a pedophile…Witnesses say that they saw 3 men watching the McCann’s villa in the 3 days prior to the event. Police found and took in one who was identified, but was ruled out due to DNA testing.

Theory Four: Madeleine was taken by a childless couple. Some people who can’t have children often seek one. Perhaps to one couple, Madeleine was the perfect child.

Theory Five: Madeleine was killed in a tragic accident. It is possible that the 4 year old could have gotten out and searched for her parents and got lost. Or got hit by a car as the panicked driver disposed of the body. Or found and squeezed into a tight spot or fell in a well and drowned.

Remember, these are just theories. But ten years later, no one really knows what happened to this precious child.