Kerry Needham is nervously waiting for DNA test results on a US man who bears an uncanny resemblance to her son Ben, who disappeared on the Greek island of Kos in 1991
The mother of missing Ben Needham is “nervously” awaiting DNA test results on a man who believes he could be her son, after receiving photographs which show an ‘uncanny’ likeness to her family.
She claims the pictures forwarded to her also resemble her vanished son’s age progression photograph. Ben, from Sheffield, vanished on the Greek island of Kos on July 24, 1991, aged 21 months. His relatives, including Kerry’s parents and two brothers, had relocated to Kos earlier that year to begin a fresh chapter.
Despite one of Britain’s most extensive missing person inquiries – featuring two excavations at the farmhouse where he was last spotted – his location remains a mystery. US police have recently been examining reports of a potential sighting, following suggestions he might have been unlawfully adopted, though their probe has ground to a halt.
Unlawful adoption in America throughout the 1980s and 1990s has been linked to global child trafficking operations. Private adoption organisations and solicitors frequently circumvented rules, pairing abducted youngsters with American families, reports the Mirror.
Kerry has now been approached by a woman alleging her partner could be amongst those unlawfully adopted children. She contacted Kerry, stating her adopted boyfriend “looks exactly like this future drawing” and revealed he was “supposedly adopted in 1993”.
She alleged they refused to provide his birth certificate and behaved “insane” when he enquired. “I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, especially Kerry’s, but I feel like he is Ben. He is really hoping so as well…There are too many coincidences to ignore this.”
Responding to the development, Kerry remarked: “This is another mystery email from a similar area and sounds pretty genuine. This man was adopted. I’m not going to sit here and get my hopes up but there are similarities. There are things not quite right about it, it can’t be ignored. It probably isn’t Ben but this is again out of the blue and again it’s America.
“More and more lately there have been some bizarre links with the US. He has agreed to have his DNA taken but doesn’t want any publicity.”
Kerry could now face weeks of anticipation whilst Interpol organises the DNA examination.
“The next step is to hopefully obtain a DNA sample through a request via Interpol. This process can take time, but we are grateful that things are now moving forward again and that there is still a path towards getting the answers we’ve all been hoping for.
“Out of respect for his privacy and well-being, we won’t be sharing any personal details about him. What matters most is making sure he feels supported and protected throughout this process.
“We want him to know that he is not alone in this. We will continue to do everything we can to support him and help guide this process in the most respectful and careful way possible.
“Thank you to everyone who continues to follow, care, and offer support to our family. We’ve been here many times before. It’s an anxious time, you are on edge, waiting.
“We have been down this road before and I feel for the person in question as they have not been down this road before. He must be nervous.”
Kerry encourages anyone to visit Ben’s website and examine the photographs to see if they can assist in ending her ordeal, which started 35 years ago in July. https://findbenneedham.com.