It’s been nearly two decades since 3-year-old Madeleine McCann disappeared from a Portuguese resort in 2007 — a case that sparked global headlines and remains unsolved to this day.

Now, German authorities believe they may finally have the evidence to prove what happened.

Main suspect: Christian Brueckner

In 2020, convicted rapist Christian Brueckner was named the prime suspect. Currently in prison in Germany, Brueckner lived near the Praia da Luz resort when Madeleine disappeared. He has a disturbing history and is also suspected in other crimes against children.

A former cellmate, Laurentiu Codin, recently testified that Brueckner bragged in prison about abducting a child in Portugal. “He said he stole something… in a rich resort area,” Codin told a German court.

Disturbing discoveries

Authorities searching Brueckner’s remote compound in Germany uncovered alarming items: masks, weapons, 75 children’s swimsuits, toys — even though he had no children — and disturbing writings describing child abductions and abuse.

Also recovered were sickening online chats where Brueckner talked about “capturing something small and using it for days.”

Photos also reportedly place Brueckner near Arade Dam — just 35 miles from where Maddie disappeared — a location searched multiple times by police.

The hard drive

The most damning evidence may be a hard drive discovered years ago. According to The Mirror, German officials believe it contains photos suggesting Madeleine is dead. Its full contents are still sealed, but some details are expected to be revealed in a new documentary airing May 7.

Back in 2020, prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters stated:

“We have strong evidence that Madeleine McCann is dead and that our suspect killed her. We don’t have a body, but we believe we know what happened.”

Unless prosecutors move forward soon, Brueckner could be released as early as September 2025.