German police have issued a statement on Madeleine McCann after a hard drive discovery reportedly ‘shows evidence she’s dead’.
It’s been nearly two decades since she vanished from a Portuguese holiday apartment on 3 May 2007 and Christian Brueckner has long been named as a prime suspect in the young girl’s disappearance. He was previously acquitted of sex crime charges in a separate case and could be released as early as September.
With that, German prosecutors were previously said to be ‘rushing’ to seek charges against him. He was initially named by German police as the prime suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance in June 2020.
When seeking evidence against the man, police discovered horrifying items in his so-called ‘lair’.
As per The Sun, this included the likes of masks, unlicensed guns and ammunition, children’s toys, and bikes, despite him having no children himself.
Brueckner is a suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. (Carabinieri Milano via Getty Images)
As many as 75 children’s swimming costumes were also discovered.
There was also a hard drive of images on the suspect’s computer found. While it’s thought to be key in bringing him down, its exact contents have been kept secret since.
But with a new documentary set to air tonight (7 May), it is believed that some of the contents are going to be revealed for the first time. And it is thought by many and suggested by The Sun that this will include evidence that McCann is dead.
A spokesperson for local force, Braunschweig police, told LADbible: “I can’t comment on the documentary because I haven’t seen it. In my opinion, the article in The Sun doesn’t contain any real news and also contains few direct references to Madeleine McCann.
“I assume the article was published only because of the anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance and not because of the timeliness of the alleged evidence.”
It has been 18 years since Maddie went missing. (PA)
The Sun’s investigation is documented in Channel 4’s Madeleine McCann: The Unseen Evidence.
Set to air at 9pm tonight, it ‘uncovers further evidence that could point towards the prime suspect’s involvement in this unsolved crime’.
Much of this evidence was found ‘by chance’ at a disused factory Brueckner reportedly bought for £20,000 in 2008 – the year after Madeleine vanished.
It is also said that local officers found the suspect’s dead dog, with six USB sticks and two memory cards containing ‘highly disturbing material’ found underneath.
Brueckner has denied any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance. It is suspected he abducted and killed the then three-year-old while she was on holiday with her family in Portugal.
German police have found compelling evidence which suggests that Madeleine McCann is dead, according to reports.
What happened to the Brit toddler after she disappeared in Praia da Luz, Portugal, back in May 2007 has remained a mystery for the last 18 years.
Her parents, Kate and Gerry, vowed to never give up hope of finding their daughter alive – but have previously prepared themselves for the worst, given the lack of prominent leads.
“All we have ever wanted is to find her, uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice,” the couple said in 2020, as per People.
“We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive but whatever the outcome may be, we need to know, as we need to find peace.”
But it seems the investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance may have just turned a corner, after German authorities reportedly made a string of damning findings.
After raiding long-time suspect Christian Brueckner’s bolthole, cops discovered masks, unlicensed guns and ammunition, children’s toys and bikes – although he has no children himself.
Up to 75 children’s swimming costumes were also chillingly found, according to The Sun, while six USB sticks and two memory cards containing disturbing material were said to have been uncovered.
The publication also alleged that stories written by Brueckner discussing his obsession with snatching children was also found by cops during a raid in 2008 at a disused factory in Neuwegersleben, that he reportedly bought for £20,000.
Images which show the prime suspect at the Arade Dam, an area situated around 35 miles from where Madeleine first went missing, were also found on Brueckner’s computer, it has been claimed.
Police also supposedly have proof which definitively demonstrates that he was at a festival in April 2008 where he allegedly confessed killing the little girl to a friend, as he is said to have told the pal that Madeline ‘did not scream’.
Authorities have been compiling a cache of evidence against Brueckner for years, despite him denying any involvement – so let’s take a look back at how they have now reached the conclusion that Madeleine is sadly deceased.
May 2007
Madeleine, who would be turning 4 in a few days, disappeared from the apartment her family were staying in during a holiday to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal.
A huge investigation which spanned across the globe was launched to find the then-three-year-old.
January 2016
Brueckner came on the cops’ radar in regards to Maddie after a neighbour reported a possible ‘grave’ at his so-called lair in the east of Germany, The Sun reported.
Officers are then said to have found the USB sticks which contained horrifying content, prompting a full-scale search of the abandoned property.
February 2016
Brueckner was found guilty of abusing a girl, aged five, in a park after police found chilling images on his computer.
He received a 15-month sentence – but he was already on the run.
The prime suspect pictured in a German court in September 2024 (MICHAEL MATTHEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
May 2017
Around the time of the ten-year anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance, an information hotline received a call from a man known as Helge B.
The caller alleged that Brueckner confessed taking the little girl in Portugal, saying he was compelled to share the information after watching a TV programme about the notorious missing person’s case.
September 2018
Brueckner is apprehended in Italy while on the run, regarding outstanding drugs charges.
He was extradited back to Germany a year later.
December 2019
Brueckner is convicted on home soil for the rape of a US woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
His DNA was found at the scene and he was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Kate and Gerry have never given up hope of finding their daughter (Miguel Villagran/Getty Images)
June 2020
Authorities in Germany announced that they have a prime suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance in custody, while suggesting they believed the missing girl is dead.
The suspect in question was later identified as Brueckner by local media.
February 2024
Brueckner stood trial for rape and sexual assault charges, which did not relate to the Madeleine’s case.
It was hoped that they could nail a conviction, with German lawmakers reportedly intending on then prosecuting him in Madeleine’s case.
October 2024
Months later, Brueckner was sensationally cleared of all of the allegations.
German prosecutors lodged an appeal against the ruling, the outcome of which is still yet to be decided.
Brueckner is set to be released from prison on 17 September later this year in relation to his seven-year sentence.
He has never been formally charged in relation to Madeleine’s disappearance.
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing
A new investigative documentary claims it provides shocking evidence that Madeleine McCann is dead.
The groundbreaking documentary, which is set to air on British television tonight, involves an investigation into convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner following a police raid of his alleged hideaway in Germany’s Neuwegersleben, a small settlement close to major cities such as Wolfsburg and Hannover.
Brueckner has long been a police suspect in the 18-year-old case, which saw Maddie go missing while on holiday with her parents in Portugal back in April 2007.
Nearly 20 years on and police may finally have the evidence they need to convict Brueckner, who is currently set to be released from prison early.
Christian Brueckner at his trial for five unrelated sex crimes last year (MICHAEL MATTHEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The raid of his abandoned lair resulted in some terrifying findings, including around 75 children’s swimsuits, toys, bikes and a hard drive of pictures which The Sun suggest could prove that Maddie is deceased.
Police reportedly believe that they are finally able to prove that Brueckner attended a festival, where it is alleged that he told a friend that Maddie ‘didn’t scream’ in what is the closest we have come to a confession in what is perhaps the most followed missing persons case in history.
For those of you true crime fans who want to sit down and take in this evidence, having already watched the Netflix documentary on the three-year-old’s chilling disappearance, then you can do so at 9pm tonight (7 May).
The Sun’s investigation and the search conducted by police in Germany will be broadcast on British TV at 9pm tonight on Channel 4.
Madeleine McCann: The Unseen Evidence ‘uncovers further evidence that could point towards the prime suspect’s involvement in this unsolved crime.’
Madeleine McCann vanished while on holiday with her family in Portugal back in 2007 (PA)
Much of the newly uncovered evidence was found by chance at a disused factory Brueckner reportedly bought for £20,000 in 2008, a year after Madeleine first vanished.
It is suggested that local cops discovered Brueckner’s dead dog, with six USB sticks and two memory cards containing ‘highly disturbing material’ found underneath.
Police also found some horrifying stories allegedly written by Brueckner which describe him drugging a mum and her daughter outside a pre-school, as well as him abusing a blonde girl aged just four.
While Brueckner was acquitted of other sexual abuse crimes last year, the German could well find himself stuck behind bars for a while longer, if this documentary does indeed provide police with the evidence they finally need to convict the prime suspect.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.
Featured Image Credit: Channel 4