German police have broken their silence, calling the latest search for Madeleine McCann “very constructive.”
Clothing and bone fragments recovered from the site have been sent for forensic examination. According to *The Olive Press*, two guns were also discovered during the search.
Initially dismissed as unsuccessful, the recent high-profile search near Praia da Luz in Portugal has now taken a potentially significant turn. Authorities have confirmed that items recovered during this renewed investigation into Madeleine McCann’s 2007 disappearance are undergoing forensic testing, raising hopes that these findings might finally connect suspect Christian Brueckner to the case.
**A promising development**
The three-day operation took place last week at a remote site in Portugal, where Brueckner, 38 at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance, is believed to have camped. During the search, which occurred in a rugged area nicknamed Brueckner’s “rat run,” police found clothing items and possible bone fragments.
While early assessments suggested the bones likely belonged to animals, prosecutors have retained them for further forensic analysis, as reported by *The Sun*.
Hans Christian Wolters, the lead prosecutor in Braunschweig, described the joint search by German and Portuguese authorities as “very constructive,” offering a rare note of optimism in a case that has been filled with heartbreak and stalled leads for years.
*The Olive Press* reported that two firearms were also recovered during the search. A source told the outlet, “We found two guns, but it’s unclear if they’re connected to Christian Brueckner or any of his crimes. We also found bones and fragments, most likely not human, which have been sent to Germany for expert forensic testing.”
**The search location and Brueckner’s connection**
The area searched is located near the resort in Praia da Luz where Madeleine vanished in May 2007, just days before her fourth birthday. Despite global attention and years of investigation, she has never been located.
Images from the site show police employing heavy machinery and ground-penetrating radar to comb through the terrain. Although initial reports suggested little progress, the latest revelations could mark a crucial breakthrough.
Christian Brueckner, now 48, is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for the 2005 rape of a woman in Praia da Luz—two years before Madeleine disappeared. While he denies involvement in her disappearance, German prosecutors continue to name him as the primary suspect.
**Disturbing discoveries**
A recently released documentary, *Madeleine McCann: Inside the Secret Evidence*, sheds further light on Brueckner’s disturbing past. According to the film, items found at one of his former factory hideouts included children’s swimwear, a toddler’s bicycle, toys, masks, and weapons. The documentary also revealed that Brueckner once wrote about using ether to abduct a mother and child from a preschool.
Despite these chilling findings, prosecutors acknowledge that without solid forensic evidence directly linking him to Madeleine’s disappearance, they may not have enough to keep him imprisoned. Brueckner is scheduled for release in September 2025—unless new evidence emerges.