Missing girl's mother named suspect

PORTIMAO, Portugal: The mother of a missing British girl whose disappearance sparked an international search was formally named as a suspect by Portuguese police on Friday, British media reported.

The Press Association news agency and other outlets quoted unidentified family friends as saying Kate McCann had been declared a suspect under Portuguese law. Earlier, family friend and former spokesman Clarence Mitchell told The Associated Press that police had told Kate McCann and her husband, Gerry, that they would both be named as suspects.

Family spokeswoman Justine McGuinness said Portuguese police had alleged that Kate McCann might have been involved in her daughter's death.