As new evidence comes to light in one of the world’s most haunting missing persons cases, a chilling detail from the night Madeleine McCann disappeared has resurfaced — one that might have tragically tipped someone off that the young girl was left alone with her siblings.
Three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from her bed on May 3, 2007, while on a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal. Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were dining at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends when she went missing.
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Now, almost two decades later, German authorities are intensifying efforts to build a case against long-time suspect Christian Brueckner — before he walks free from prison this September.
German police rush to act before suspect's release
Brueckner, 47, has long been the central figure in the investigation. A convicted rapist with a disturbing history of abuse and violent fantasies, he has denied involvement in the McCann case and has not been formally charged. But with his release expected on September 17, German investigators are “rushing” to bring charges.
“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 Sun. “Their best option could be intervention from UK cops - but they have to be prepared to take it on.”
The push comes amid concerns that Brueckner might evade justice. Authorities are reportedly urging the UK’s Metropolitan Police to reopen its probe under Operation Grange, with German officials prepared to translate over 20,000 pages of evidence.
The Met Police responded, stating: "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."
New discoveries raise chilling questions
The urgency from German authorities follows the discovery of six new pieces of evidence linked to Brueckner, found in an abandoned factory he bought in 2008. The site in Neuwegersleben, central Germany, was first searched after a dog began digging at what looked like a grave. What police unearthed stunned even seasoned investigators.
Beneath Brueckner’s dead dog, they discovered a wallet containing six USB sticks and two memory cards. Further searches uncovered children’s clothes, toys, over 75 children's swimming costumes, unlicensed guns, ammunition, chemicals, bikes, and disturbing images stored in a metal suitcase.
Even more horrifying were stories Brueckner had written himself, including one where he detailed how he drugged a mother and daughter outside a pre-school and abused a four-year-old blonde girl. In Skype chats with other suspected paedophiles, he spoke about wanting to “capture something small and use it for days.”
Photos found on his hard drive show Brueckner naked and masked at the Arade Dam—another key search site. Satnav data also placed him repeatedly in the area in the years following Madeleine’s disappearance.
A car believed to be Brueckner’s was found with bottles of unknown substances, which were destroyed before they could be tested. Investigators suspect they may have contained chloroform or ether—chemicals Brueckner had fantasized about using to kidnap victims.
One witness, Helge B., claimed Brueckner admitted to killing Madeleine, saying she “didn’t scream.” While the confession is unverified, documentation places Brueckner at a festival in Spain where the confession allegedly occurred.
In 2020, German officials formally named Brueckner the prime suspect and publicly stated they believe Madeleine is dead. Despite this, no charges have been brought.
"To my horror": Kate McCann recalls haunting note
Amid the renewed attention, a heartbreaking revelation from Kate McCann has resurfaced.
In her 2011 book Madeleine: Our Daughter’s Disappearance and the Continuing Search For Her, she shared details about a note in the resort’s restaurant reservation book that might have made their children vulnerable.
She and her friends had asked to be seated at the same table each night for a specific reason — the table had a clear view of their apartments, where their children were asleep. But a seemingly innocent entry by a receptionist may have triggered a devastating chain of events.
"To my horror, I saw that, no doubt in all innocence and simply to explain why she was bending the rules a bit, the receptionist had added the reason for our request: we wanted to eat close to our apartments as we were leaving our young children alone there and checking on them intermittently," she wrote.
Author Robbyn Swan, who co-wrote the book Looking for Madeleine and appeared in Netflix’s documentary on the case, described the note as “the stuff of nightmares.”
Brueckner, meanwhile, was reportedly living in a camper van near the resort at the time and was linked to the area by mobile phone records. A call from his phone placed him within a 30-minute window of the disappearance, per BBC News.
Despite a vast collection of disturbing evidence against him, Brueckner has not been charged with any crime related to Madeleine McCann’s disappearance and continues to deny involvement.
"We need to find peace"
Kate and Gerry McCann have remained publicly resolute in their desire for answers.
“All we have ever wanted is to find her, uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice,” they said in a 2020 statement to 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.”
As the countdown to Brueckner’s possible release continues, both German and British authorities face mounting pressure to ensure that a case nearly 20 years in the making is not left unresolved.