New disturbing evidence found at the deserted hideout of Christian Brueckner in Germany has escalated the inquiry into the vanishing of Madeleine McCann – with authorities believing the child is deceased.
When she disappeared from the Portuguese holiday spot of Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007, Madeleine was just three years old. A German sex offender, Christian Brueckner, has long been a key figure in the case of her disappearance.
Allegedly, a significant collection of alarming records, photographs, kids’ swimsuits, and playthings was discovered at a former factory that made boxes, purchased by him in 2008, a year following the last sighting of the British girl.
Among the disturbing finds was a hard drive of images that police have kept secret but are believed to uphold investigators’ long-held belief that Madeleine was killed.
Police also later found an insurance document containing an alleged confession to her murder.
The findings, revealed in a Sun investigation to be broadcast on Channel 4 on Wednesday night, shed light on Brueckner’s disturbing obsessions with children and potential involvement in the case.
Brueckner was cleared of unrelated sex attacks in the same area Madeleine vanished from last year.
But in 2016, police searching a factory owned under his name in Neuwegersleben, central Germany, uncovered some 8,000 pieces of disturbing material alleged to include videos and pictures of suspected crimes.
Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner arrives in court in Braunschweig, Germany On October 8 2024
Madeleine McCann (pictured) went missing on May 3, 2007 at the age of just three. She has never been found. German criminal Christian Brueckner has been named by German prosecutors as their chief suspect in her disappearance
Photograph shows Christian Brueckner at the Arade Dam – a key location in the Madeleine McCann investigation which Portuguese police went on to search in 2023
A metal suitcase that was discovered by German police in 2016 after a search. It was found to contain photographs of young girls
Amongst the items found in the bolthole in Neuwegersleben, central Germany, were 75 child’s swimming costumes
Bottles and substances found inside a Jaguar matching the description of Brueckner’s vehicle in Germany
Kate and Gerry McCann, Madeleine’s parents, hold up pyjamas similar to those of their daughter during a press conference in June 2007
Police also discovered a stash of USB sticks and memory cards buried beneath the body of Brueckner’s dead dog, which was buried at the disused factory.
The storage devices contained thousands of files, including images of child abuse, stories detailing fantasies of abducting young girls, and records of Skype chats with other paedophiles.
One story described drugging a mother and daughter outside a pre-school and abusing a four-year-old blonde girl.
These materials have led investigators to believe that Brueckner may have been involved in Madeleine’s disappearance and death.
Further searches of the compound revealed over 75 children’s swimming costumes, toys, small bikes, and masks.
Three unlicensed firearms and ammunition were also found, along with bottles of substances suspected to be chloroform or ether – chemicals associated with abductions.
A satnav traced Brueckner’s movements in the Algarve, including the Arade Dam, approximately 35 miles from where Madeleine vanished in Praia da Luz .
A hard drive containing photographs taken in Portugal is believed to be crucial in persuading investigators that Madeleine died shortly after her disappearance in May 2007.
Additionally, an insurance claim signed by Brueckner indicates he was at a festival in Orgiva, Spain, in April 2008, where he allegedly told a friend that Madeleine ‘did not scream’ .
Despite these findings, German prosecutors have yet to charge Brueckner in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance.
Brueckner is currently serving seven years for raping an elderly American woman in the Algarve the year before Madeleine disappeared and he is due to be released later this year.
An insurance document proving for the first time Brueckner was at a festival in April 2008 when he allegedly all but confessed to killing Madeleine McCann
A hard drive of images was found inside Brueckner’s abandoned factory in Germany. The photos take in Portugal are said to be crucial in persuading cops that Madeleine McCann is dead
Police recovered three black market guns and also ammunition
Christian Brueckner (pictured) is likely to walk free from prison as there is ‘no prospect of an indictment in the Maddie Case’
Brueckner (pictured) is currently serving seven years for raping an elderly American woman in the Algarve the year before Madeleine disappeared and he is due to be released later this year
A Home Office source told MailOnline: ‘The ongoing police investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, known as Operation Grange, is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police Service’
Prosecutors are awaiting a final judgement on his acquittal last October before deciding on an appeal, but Brueckner’s lawyers have told MailOnline it ‘only has a ten per cent chance of succeeding’.
Just last month MailOnline revealed that the budget for detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann had been slashed.
They have been granted a further £108,000 to carry on the search for her – a drop of £84,000 on the amount awarded last year.
The money was approved in April following a request from the Metropolitan Police’s Operation Grange team who were specifically tasked with finding the toddler.
With the latest £108,000 Operation Grange has spent almost £13.5million investigating the case – prompting some to question whether it is viable considering no arrests or charges have been made.
The money comes from a special Home Office fund and is reviewed annually with Operation Grange making a request which is submitted and then considered.
Last week marked the 18th anniversary of her disappearance on May 3, and also her 22nd birthday but there has been no real breakthrough in the hunt.
