German authorities have made a plea to British police after finding new evidence regarding Madeleine McCann in the lead suspect's bolthole.
Madeleine, then three years old, went missing in 2007 while vacationing in Praia da Luz, Portugal, with her family.
Now, a growing body of deeply disturbing evidence has led German authorities to declare that Madeleine is likely dead.
The new evidence revolves around the lead suspect, Christian Brueckner, who is currently behind bars in Germany but is scheduled for release on September 17.
German investigators reportedly believe the British Metropolitan Police's Operation Grange team could hold the key to filing charges in time.
According to The Sun, German authorities are calling for the UK to reopen its investigation urgently.
“There is huge interest in Germany in the British stepping up their investigation again. The clock is against the case here and investigators do not want to see Brueckner walk free,” a source told the publication.
“Their best option could be intervention from UK cops — but they have to be prepared to take it on.
“There are 20,000 pages of Madeleine evidence and the Germans are ready to translate the lot.”
A spokesperson for the Met has responded: "We continue to support Madeleine’s family to understand what happened on the evening of 3 May, 2007 in Praia da Luz. This includes working with our colleagues in Germany and Portugal. Our thoughts remain with the family."
Much of the case against Brueckner stems from a 2016 discovery in a disused factory he purchased in Neuwegersleben, Germany, in 2008.
It began when a dog ran into the factory grounds and started digging at what appeared to be a shallow grave. Investigators soon found Brueckner’s own dead dog buried there — and underneath it, a wallet containing six USB sticks and two memory cards.
That find triggered a full-scale search of the property by 100 officers. What they found next shocked even seasoned detectives.
Inside the lair were:
- Children’s clothes, toys, and bikes
- More than 75 children’s swimming costumes (Brueckner has no children)
- Unlicensed guns and ammunition
- Masks and chemicals
- A suitcase containing images of young girls
- A hard drive with horrifying images and documents
Among the most damning evidence were stories written by Brueckner himself, describing how he drugged a mother and daughter outside a pre-school, abused a four-year-old blonde girl, and fantasised about “capturing something small and using it for days.”
Police also found Skype chats with suspected paedophiles detailing similar fantasies.
“In his stories found on the hard drive, Brueckner fantasised about using ether to kidnap victims,” investigators stated.
Authorities also discovered a car matching Brueckner’s known vehicle, containing bottles of unknown substances.
Though the bottles were never tested, police suspect they may have contained chloroform or ether, based on Brueckner’s own writings.
Photos recovered from Brueckner’s hard drive also linked him to Arade Dam, a location 35 miles from where Madeleine disappeared and later searched by police in 2023.
The images show Brueckner posing naked and wearing a mask at the site, masks identical to those found at his factory.
A satnav recovered from his belongings confirmed he had visited the dam frequently in the years after Madeleine vanished.
A crucial piece of evidence that could tie Brueckner directly to Madeleine’s disappearance is an insurance document placing him at a festival in Orgiva, Spain, in April 2008—almost a year after she went missing.
According to witness Helge B, Brueckner allegedly told him there that Madeleine “didn’t scream.”
Though the credibility of the confession has been questioned, the document verifies Brueckner’s presence at the festival.
Despite this growing mountain of evidence, Brueckner has never been formally charged in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance.
- He was convicted in 2016 for abusing a five-year-old girl and sentenced to 15 months. He was already on the run at the time.
- In 2017, witness Helge B tipped off police after watching a documentary about Madeleine.
- In 2019, Brueckner was convicted of raping a U.S. woman in Praia da Luz—the same resort where Madeleine went missing.
- In 2020, German officials named him as the prime suspect and said they believed Madeleine was dead.
- In 2024, Brueckner was acquitted of two sexual abuse and rape charges in a separate case, clearing the path for his expected release on September 17.