My first thought when I saw the image
was 'Who is this little stranger''
"It was
only after looking closer that I
realised it was her - and that is why
this image is needed so badly because
many people could have walked straight
past her."
New
York Police Department forensic artist
Stephen Mancusi who also advises the
FBI, altered a photograph of Madeleine
to show how she might look after eight
months in the hands of an abductor.
Her
blonde hair has been cut and dyed, her
face looks strained and haggard and her
cheeky smile has gone. But the
distinctive fleck in her right eye - the
so-called 'mark of Madeleine' - remains.
The
techniques are usually used in the case
of children who have been missing for
several years and even grown into
adulthood.
But Mr
Mancusi, whose digital reconstructions
have helped to catch murderers, rapists
and paedophiles, said Madeleine could
already look dramatically different.
He
said: "This tragic ordeal would have
taken her brightness away. Now that
eight months have passed, I think that
sunny little girl illustrated in so many
of her pictures would have faded.
"She
most likely will look tired and possibly
unkempt. Since her image has been so
publicised around the world, the
suspects would want to hide Madeleine as
much as possible.
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"Changing her image would be the first
priority and with the passage of time -
even less than a year - she could look
like a complete stranger."
Mr
Stalker added: "What makes it so
realistic and tragic is that you can
almost see the sorrow in the face - the
pain of being away from her mum and dad
for over eight months. We are looking
for a new Madeleine."
