Family of Sheffield’s Ben Needham wait for DNA test to see if US man is long-lost toddler
One of the most promising leads in years to solve the disappearance of Sheffield’s Ben Needham has taken a step forward.
The Sheffield toddler was just 21 months old when he vanished on the Greek island of Kos in July 1991 while playing outside a farmhouse his grandparents were renovating.
To this day, his family says there is no proof Ben is dead and that "someone out there knows exactly where Ben is".
In the decades since his disappearance, mum Kerry Needham has never given up hope she will see her son again one day.
It has included years of potential leads and several people taking DNA tests, including a Danish man in 2024, but to no avail.
‘Illegal adoption’ theory
However, in January 2026, Kerry shared how she was emailed by the girlfriend of a man from the United States convinced her boyfriend is Ben, reportedly writing there are “a lot of coincidences” and “a lot of things don’t add up.”
Namely, photos of the man seen by Kerry and her family reportedly bear a strong resemblance to age progression images of Ben.
The Mirror reports the man was adopted and has never known his real parents. Then, when he asked his adopted family, they reportedly “refused” to give him his birth certificate and “acted insane” when pressed.
‘Relief’
In a post on the Help Find Ben Needham Facebook page on March 13, Kerry and her daughter, Leighanna, revealed they lost contact with the man for several weeks leading to concerns the lead would go nowhere.
Now, the page has shared their “relief” that the US man is in touch once again - meaning the next step is to arrange a DNA test.
“Over the past few weeks we unfortunately lost contact with the person who requested the DNA test, which was understandably concerning for everyone involved,” wrote Kerry on March 13.
“We’re very relieved to say that the situation has now been resolved and contact has been re-established.
“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 toward getting the answers we’ve all been hoping for.”
Kerry wrote they would not share the man’s identity out of respect for his privacy, saying: “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. Your kindness and patience truly mean a lot as this journey continues.”
In July 2024, a Danish man claimed his grandparents told him he was taken from Kos as a child, and remembers an incident as a boy where someone approached him from out of a crowd calling him “Ben.”
DNA later proved he was not the missing Sheffield tot.
In 2016, a team of officers from South Yorkshire Police spent three weeks excavating land in Iraklis, Kos, over a tip-off Ben was hit and killed by a digger.