McCann Suspect Released: Brückner Claims Explosive 'Evidence'

Christian Brückner walked out of Sehnde prison in northern Germany on September 22, 2025, driven away in a black Audi by his lawyer and a police escort—his destination unknown. The 48-year-old has been publicly identified by German prosecutors as the prime suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann, who vanished from her family's vacation rental in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007.

Brückner's release marked the end of a seven-year sentence for the 2005 rape of a 72-year-old American woman in the same Portuguese resort town where McCann disappeared. The conviction came in 2019, nearly two decades after the crime. He also served time for the abuse of a 5-year-old girl, receiving a 15-month jail term for that offense.

Despite the severity of suspicion surrounding him in the McCann case, Brückner has never been charged. German prosecutors have stated they are operating on the assumption that Madeleine McCann is dead and are conducting a murder investigation. However, the case remains hampered by insufficient direct evidence to meet German legal standards—circumstantial evidence alone has not been deemed sufficient to proceed with charges.

The evidence implicating Brückner includes cell phone data placing him near the Praia da Luz resort at the time of McCann's disappearance in 2007. Investigators also uncovered evidence that he was part of a pedophile network that communicated via Skype, revealing what authorities described as an obsession with small children. Horrors were discovered at his abandoned factory lair during the investigation.

The case against Brückner received additional weight from witness testimony. Helge Busching, who provided evidence that helped convict Brückner of the 2005 rape, has claimed that Brückner confessed to abducting Madeleine McCann after leaving a music festival overnight.

Brückner's post-release behavior has only intensified scrutiny. While shopping for a phone shortly after his release, he approached shop manager Farouk Salah-Brahim and made extraordinary claims. According to Salah-Brahim, Brückner stated he possesses "information" and "evidence"—possibly on USB sticks—that could "end the scandal of the century" and "end all accusations against him," while also providing "his own solution" to the case.