Five words said by Madeleine McCann convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner to a former friend led to him becoming the focus of involvement her disappearance, it has been claimed.
The German national was first identified as a suspect in 2022, after reports he was driving around the Portuguese resort, Praia da Luz, at the time the missing British toddler disappeared 15 years earlier.
German authorities have carried out an extensive search for Madeleine at a reservoir in Portugal after receiving “credible” evidence which led them to the site.
However, they have requested more time to investigate as they couldn’t confirm whether the items found in the dig were connected to Madeleine.
Brueckner has consistently maintained his innocence since the allegations emerged.
He has written several letters criticising the police and others involved in the investigation. He is serving a prison sentence for the rape and murder of a pensioner, aged 72.
According to the Mirror, in one of his recent letters, he criticised his former friend, Helge Busching, who provided key information to the police in 2017 regarding the high-profile missing persons case.
Brueckner claimed that they had a falling out over a drug deal in 2007, the same year Madeleine disappeared.
READ MORE: Results of Madeleine McCann reservoir search could come by tomorrow
In the letter, Brueckner addressed the claims made, including his alleged fear of being around the police in Portugal due to the “missing girl” and the statement that Madeleine “did not scream.”
Brueckner denied the claims and said the conversation had not taken place.
Blusching reportedly said of Brueckner: “I was at the hippy festival in 2008 in Spain.” The letter went on to say that “Christian and I then started talking about Portugal.”
“It was then Christian made a comment about the missing girl. Christian asked me if I was still going to Portugal, I replied; ‘I’m no longer going to Portugal because there are too many problems there, Portugal has too many police for me on account of the missing child.
“It is indeed strange that she disappeared without a trace. Christian replied:’ ‘Yes, she did not scream.'”
German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters issued an update after the search at the reservoir.
He said: “Whether some of the items actually relate to the Madeleine McCann case cannot yet be confirmed.”
According to the Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha, at least one “relevant clue” has been found in the search.
The dam is 31 miles from where Madeleine McCann was last seen.
In a statement, Mr Wolters said: “We thank all officers who participated in the search. The cooperation between the Portuguese police, the British officers and the German federal police was outstanding and very constructive.”
