Christian Brueckner, the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, has stated that he was selling drugs approximately 150 yards, or 450 feet, from the location where the 3-year-old girl vanished in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007. In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Brueckner, 49, claimed he had previously kept this information private due to concerns that police were attempting to frame him for McCann's disappearance.
Brueckner, a convicted rapist and child abuser, mentioned that he was stopped by police three times while making a 'quick getaway' on the night McCann disappeared. He stated, 'I was on the beach, not far from Maddie’s hotel, selling drugs,' and added that he had smuggled the drugs from Spain into Portugal. He described the scene, saying, 'There were flashing blue lights and checkpoints everywhere,' and expressed relief that police did not find the drugs during their searches.
Despite his admissions, Brueckner maintains his innocence regarding McCann's disappearance, asserting, 'I have nothing to do with the little girl’s disappearance.' He expressed a desire for McCann to be found, stating, 'I would be happy if Maddie turned up tomorrow, then everyone would immediately understand that everything against me is and was staged.'
Brueckner was first identified as the prime suspect in the case in 2020 by German authorities, and Portuguese law enforcement later designated him as an 'arguido,' or suspect. He was released from prison last year after serving a seven-year sentence for the 2005 rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Portugal. He has declined requests for interviews with London’s Metropolitan Police, which is conducting an ongoing investigation known as 'Operation Grange.' In response to Brueckner's recent claims, the Metropolitan Police stated, 'As part of ongoing inquiries, we remain in close working discussion with policing colleagues in Germany and Portugal. We will continue to pursue any viable lines of inquiry.'