Searches will be conducted between Praia da Luz, where Madeleine vanished, and a residence previously occupied by the main suspect, Christian Brueckner. According to the Daily Mail, requests for these searches have been made by the German police.
“This will be an exclusively land-based search. The primary objective is to look for any evidence of Madeleine’s remains,” stated a source close to the investigation. The search is anticipated to last about three days, barring any new findings.
This marks the first search in Portugal since 2020, following a previous operation that lasted nearly a week involving both Portuguese and German police at a remote dam, located 40 minutes by car from Praia da Luz.
Earlier searches occurred in May 2023 at Arade dam, which was deemed an “area of interest” where Brueckner reportedly referred to as his “little paradise.” However, those efforts yielded no results.
It has been nine years since comprehensive searches were conducted in Portugal for Madeleine, following an operation in June 2014, during which British police were authorized to carry out excavations in Praia da Luz using cadaver dogs and radar technology.
A smaller operation took place in July 2020, when Portuguese police and firefighters searched three wells for potential evidence related to Madeleine’s disappearance, but no findings were made.
The Suspect
The primary suspect, Christian Brueckner, is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for rape. His chances of early release have diminished as new crime investigations against him have surfaced. He is under suspicion for abduction and murder in the McCann case but denies any involvement.
While German investigators have identified Brueckner as a suspect, he has not yet been charged in connection with the case.
Brueckner’s prison sentence is scheduled to end in September. As he nears the completion of his sentence, he is no longer being held in isolation.
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