The German FBI has found an email account linking Christian Brueckner to the ‘death’ of the missing Brit Madeleine McCann, according to the latest news during the convicted rapist’s trial in Germany.
The German FBI claimed that they are unable to discuss a particular email account, as it was “related to the killing” of Madeleine, who went missing in Praia de Luz aged three back in 2007. Detective Titus Stampa confirmed that he had found two email accounts connected to the man, who is currently on trial for rape and sexual assault.
The other email account included photos of sexual abuse, but all of the emails for the first half of 2007 - around the time that Maddie had gone missing - had been deleted. They had also uncovered a hard drive, which Detective Stampa also claimed was linked to Madeleine’s death.
He said: “An external hard drive is also belonging to the killing case - and I am not allowed to talk about it.”
© HandoutWhat happened to Maddie McCann?
Madeleine disappeared from her hotel room in 2007 while on holiday with her parents, Kate and Gerry, and twin siblings Sean and Amelie. She was just three at the time.
Who is Christian Brueckner?
Brueckner was named as the German authorities’ prime suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance back in 2022. He had been living in Praia de Luz at the time that she went missing, and a friend testified that he had admitted to him that he had kidnapped the youngster. His camper van was also reportedly spotted near the area at the time.
© GettyAt the time, Gerry and Kate McCann released a statement about the update, writing: “We welcome the news that the Portuguese authorities have declared a German man an 'arguido' in relation to the disappearance of our beloved daughter Madeleine. This reflects progress in the investigation, being conducted by the Portuguese, German and British authorities. We are kept informed of developments by the Metropolitan police.
© Getty“It is important to note the ‘arguido’ has not yet been charged with any specific crime related to Madeleine’s disappearance. Even though the possibility may be slim, we have not given up hope that Madeleine is still alive and we will be reunited with her.”
Since naming him as a suspect, German authorities have searched a nearby reservoir thoroughly, which Brueckner was known for visiting often, calling it “his little paradise”.
Evidence against Brueckner
Brueckner’s former friend Helge Busching was among those to testify against him at court, claiming that he had contacted police about his suspicions that Brueckner had been involved in Madeliene’s disappearance in 2017, and that he had some sexual abuse footage at Brueckner’s home.
© GettyHe said: “I didn’t send them anonymously to the police in Portugal because I didn’t trust the Portuguese police. They would have thrown them away. They wouldn’t have known what to do with this and they would have thrown them away.”
He also claimed that Brueckner told him that Maddie “didn’t cry when I took her”. He told German newspaper Bild in 2023: “I called Scotland Yard back in 2008, at the Maddie hotline. I said I knew someone who might have something to do with it and gave them the name. But nothing happened there. Nothing! I was never called back.”
