Night Watch: Julia Wandelt Believed She was a Missing Child, DNA Said Otherwise

By the time 24-year-old Julia Wandelt walked into a British courtroom in October 2025, she had already spent years chasing a life that was never hers. Haunted by painful childhood memories and convinced her own parents were hiding the truth, Julia turned to missing persons databases and fixated on one of the most recognizable cases in the world: Madeleine McCann. What started as late-night searches spiraled into an online campaign as she posted side-by-side photos, built a following, and repeatedly tried to force contact with Madeleine’s parents. Her harassment trial pulled the family back into the spotlight and revealed how grief, obsession, and untreated mental illness collided in the long shadow of an unsolved disappearance. Head over to our Crime House Daily YouTube channel to WATCH this episode: https://www.youtube.com/@CrimeHouseDaily If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Crime House Daily to never miss a case! For Ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Crime House Daily is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge? Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crime House Daily, Killer Minds, Murder True Crime Stories and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse | @crimehouse247 TikTok: @Crimehouse | @crimehouse247 Facebook: @crimehousestudios X: @crimehousemedia YouTube: @crimehousedaily Crime House Daily is hosted by Katie Ring Instagram: @the.self.defense.girl TikTok: @the.self.defense.girl Episode Sponsor: Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/CRIMEHOUSE . Promo Code CRIMEHOUSE To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices