It’s been 18 years since Madeleine McCann vanished during a family vacation in Praia da Luz, Portugal. Now, a chilling update from German authorities suggests the unthinkable — that Madeleine may no longer be alive.
The focus of the investigation has shifted to Christian Brueckner, a 48-year-old German man with a disturbing criminal record. Brueckner, already imprisoned for rape, was named a suspect in 2020. A former cellmate, Laurentiu Codin, testified that Brueckner admitted to abducting a child in a wealthy resort area in Portugal.
Authorities searching Brueckner’s remote German property found alarming items: children’s toys, bikes, 75 swimsuits, disturbing writings, and Skype messages with other pedophiles. One message chillingly described plans to “capture something small and use it for days.”
Brueckner denies involvement, but prosecutors face a pressing deadline: if no formal charges are filed by September 2025, he could be released. Adding to the urgency is photographic evidence placing him near Arade Dam, about 35 miles from where Madeleine disappeared — a location he allegedly referenced in a cryptic comment.