✕ Close Police continue search for Madeleine McCann in Portugal: The Independent reports from abandoned site

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Police are now in a race against the clock to find forensic evidence in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, who vanished from a holiday home in Portugal 18 years ago.

German investigators have been given until Friday to search an area between Praia da Luz and the cottage where he lived at the time of the toddler’s disappearance in 2007, but it is understood that they will end their hunt at the end of Thursday if they fail to find anything significant.

Christian Brueckner, a suspect in case, is due to be released from prison within months.

A neighbour who lived near Brueckner around the time of Madeleine’s disappearance described him as “quite angry”, and said she would hear him having rows with his girlfriend.

Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann ramped up their hunt of scrubland and abandoned buildings on Wednesday with heavy machinery, including JCB and ground-penetrating radar.

Madeleine was three when she disappeared, sparking a Europe-wide police investigation.

German national Brueckner, who was formally identified as a suspect in 2022, has denied any involvement.

LIVE – Updated at 16:43

Police are now in a race against the clock to find forensic evidence in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, who vanished from a holiday home in Portugal 18 years ago.

German investigators have been given until Friday to search an area between Praia da Luz and the cottage where he lived at the time of the toddler’s disappearance in 2007, but it is understood that they will end their hunt at the end of Thursday if they fail to find anything significant.

Christian Brueckner, a suspect in case, is due to be released from prison within months.

A neighbour who lived near Brueckner around the time of Madeleine’s disappearance described him as “quite angry”, and said she would hear him having rows with his girlfriend.

Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann ramped up their hunt of scrubland and abandoned buildings on Wednesday with heavy machinery, including JCB and ground-penetrating radar.

Madeleine was three when she disappeared, sparking a Europe-wide police investigation.

German national Brueckner, who was formally identified as a suspect in 2022, has denied any involvement.

Key Points Search expected to end today if no significant evidence found

Former neighbour describes suspect as ‘angry’ young man

Officers scour undergrowth as search nears its end

Little sign of Madeleine McCann horror in Praia da Luz, 18 years on

Mapped: where the renewed search is focused

Day three of search: Dozens of police hunt scrubland for signs of Madeleine McCann 16:43 , Rachel Clun 16:43 , Rachel Clun Using everything from JCBs and ground penetrating radar to shovels, pickaxes and their hands, dozens of police officers from Germany and Portugal toiled in 29C heat near Praia da Luz in their search for clues. Their search area: a 120-acre tract of countryside within walking distance of the holiday town, which is covered in scrub and dotted with abandoned farm buildings in various states of disrepair. Their goal: any hard evidence in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Her Eeyore pyjamas, perhaps, or more grimly, her body. German officers were hoping to find evidence linking the toddler’s disappearance more than 18 years ago with their suspect, Christian Brueckner, who is currently in prison for the 2005 rape of a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz. Brueckner, who has denied any involvement, was living in the area at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance. Police are yet to make any official comments, and any findings will need to be carefully analysed, meaning their investigation is far from over.

In pictures: the cottage where the prime suspect allegedly lived 16:20 , Rachel Clun 16:20 , Rachel Clun Christian Brueckner lived just outside Praia da Luz around the time Madeleine McCann disappeared. He has denied any involvement in her disappearance, but police have spent the week searching scrubland near this cottage for potential evidence linking him to the case.

Mapped: The area where police have been searching 15:58 , Rachel Clun

Full story: Why did police ignore Christian Brueckner when Maddie McCann disappeared? 15:37 , Rachel Clun 15:37 , Rachel Clun Will Christian Brueckner ever face charges over the disappearance of Maddie McCann?

Why the urgency in today’s search? 15:16 , Rachel Clun 15:16 , Rachel Clun There are two reasons police from Germany will be hoping to uncover concrete evidence of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance today. The first is, if they do not, their search will end shortly – this afternoon rather than tomorrow – and they will be returning to Germany without significant forensic evidence. They had been hoping to secure evidence linking the toddler’s disappearance to their prime suspect, Christian Brueckner. Brueckner has denied any involvement, and his prison sentence (for raping a woman in Praia da Luz in 2005) will end in September unless fresh charges are brought. In an interview with RTL, Brueckner said he would disappear once released, due to the intense attention the case has received – which would make it difficult for authorities to track him down should they eventually find the evidence they need to charge him.

In pictures: Police search by hand, scouring bushes in last ditch hunt for evidence 14:54 , Rachel Clun 14:54 , Rachel Clun

Animal bones among the limited findings in final hours of the search, report claims 14:34 , Rachel Clun 14:34 , Rachel Clun Neither German nor Portuguese police have released official statements since the renewed search began this week for solid answers over the disappearance of Madeleine McCann 18 years ago. However, local media has reported that some evidence has been collected over the past day for testing. Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha reported that some material had been gathered on Wednesday and was being processed and analysed to see if it contained anything relevant to the investigation. A local television station, SIC, reported that animal bones were among the limited findings of the large-scale investigation. Since Tuesday, dozens of police from Germany and Portugal have been scouring a 120-acre swathe of scrubland, just a couple of miles from where Madeleine was last seen alive. The search is expected to finish this afternoon if nothing significant has been found.

Watch: Police continue search for trace of Madeleine McCann near Praia da Luz 14:15 , Rachel Clun

Full story: A timeline of the 18 year missing girl mystery 13:57 , Rachel Clun 13:57 , Rachel Clun The current search, a few miles from where Madeleine McCann was last seen in a Praia da Luz resort, is just the latest in the years-long, internationl effort to find answers. Read the full history of the toddler’s disappearance and the effort to find her below: What happened to Madeleine McCann? Timeline of the 18 year missing girl mystery

Officers scour undergrowth as search nears its end 13:37 , Rachel Clun, PA 13:37 , Rachel Clun, PA Police looking into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are expected to end their latest search today, after three days scouring scrubland and abandoned structures. Officers could be seen holding pitchforks as they combed land in an area on the outskirts of Lagos in Portugal on Thursday. Search teams of German and Portuguese police officers used pick-axes and shovels to dig some of the undergrowth and a digger was again used to remove rubble from one of the abandoned structures at the site.

In pictures: Search continues through scrub and abandoned buildings 13:16 , Rachel Clun 13:16 , Rachel Clun

Watch live: search continues for evidence in Madeleine McCann disappearance 12:56 , Rachel Clun

Former neighbour of suspect says renewed search ‘beggars belief’ 12:36 , Rachel Clun 12:36 , Rachel Clun A neighbour of German suspect Christian Brueckner, who lived near Praia da Luz at the time of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance, said locals were exhausted by the renewed search. Brueckner had lived near Praia da Luz in 2007, when Madeleine went missing. He has denied any involvement in her disappearance. Asked for her opinion on the search operation, the neighbour said: “It’s a pile of rubbish, we are all so exhausted, it just goes on and on. “It beggars belief.”

Little sign of Madeleine McCann horror in Praia da Luz, 18 years on 12:16 , Amy-Clare Martin 12:16 , Amy-Clare Martin Amy-Clare Martin is reporting from Praia da Luz: With whitewashed walls and bars on the windows, there’s little sign of the horror of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance at the apartment where she vanished in Praia da Luz 18 years ago. Holidaymakers from across Europe were sunbathing by the pool inside the Ocean Club resort on Thursday as search efforts entered their third day on a remote area of clifftop scrubland less than a mile away. After almost two decades of media scrutiny as her unsolved disappearance has continued to make worldwide headlines, staff at the complex said they were unable to comment on the ongoing investigation. Eric Hoffman, 78, told The Independent he had no idea he was staying at the infamous spot where Maddy vanished when he booked a two-week holiday from Switzerland. “We were surprised, we know of the case from the papers but we didn’t know before we booked that it was this building,” he said. Asked about the latest searches, he added: “It’s quite difficult now to find something because it’s been so long.”

Race to find evidence before suspect disappears 11:56 , Rachel Clun 11:56 , Rachel Clun Christian Brueckner was first named as a suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in 2020, but police have so far not charged him. Currently serving a seven-year sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005, Brueckner is set to be released by September unless further charges are brought. Earlier this year, German prosecutors confirmed Brueckner had applied for early release, after he was cleared in October last year by a German court of unrelated sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. In a recent and rare interview with RTL, Brueckner said he planned to vanish after his release thanks to the intense attention he had received as a suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance. He has denied any involvement. A Portuguese police source told the Mirror that the current search was a “last ditch effort” to find concrete forensic evidence linking Brueckner to the toddler’s disappearance. “Officers are determined to do everything they possibly can before Brueckner walks free. They know what is at stake,” the source said.

Search expected to end today if no significant evidence found 11:35 , Rachel Clun 11:35 , Rachel Clun German police were given most of this week to conduct a search of a vast stretch of scrubland near Praia da Luz for evidence in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. But it’s understood that unless significant evidence is uncovered today, the search will end tonight – a day earlier than initially announced. Searchers have used a JCB to move rubble from abandoned farm buildings, and various machinery to clear scrub to try to uncover any trace of the then-three-year-old. On Wednesday, police deployed aerial drones and ground penetrating radar as they ramped up efforts. German police are racing to find evidence that they hope will tie their prime suspect, Christian Brueckner, to the case. Brueckner, who has denied any involvement, is due to be released from a German prison within months.

Former neighbour describes suspect as ‘angry’ young man 11:15 , Amy-Clare Martin 11:15 , Amy-Clare Martin Amy-Clare Martin reports from Praia da Luz: A neighbour of German suspect Christian Brueckner, who lived near Praia da Luz at the time of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance, described him as an “angry” young man who she would hear having rows with his girlfriend. Brueckner, who has denied any involvement in the McCann case, was living in the town around the time of Madeleine’s disappearance. The neighbour said: “If I was riding past and he’d be standing outside, we’d say hello, you know, how are you,” she said. “Nothing more. Then we found out he was a really nasty piece of work.” The resident, who used to ride her horse around the 120-acre search area, said the farmhouses and outbuildings on the site have been derelict since at least the 80s. “It is the first time I’ve heard of Atalaia being searched,” she said. “I know the properties because I used go up there all the time with my horse. I know exactly where they are. Whether he’d been up there or done anything, no clue.” The neighbour said locals were “exhausted” by the search operation – just the latest in a long history of investigations in the 18 years since Madeleine disappeared.

In pictures: Dozens of police gather to continue search for trace of Madeleine McCann 10:54 , Rachel Clun 10:54 , Rachel Clun Teams of police officers, forensic experts and other personnel have resumed the search near Praia da Luz this morning. Unless anything significant is found, it’s expected to be the last day of the latest search for a trace of Madeleine McCann.

Vast search involving dozens of police and high-tech equipment to cost £300,000, according to reports 10:34 , Rachel Clun 10:34 , Rachel Clun Dozens of police from Germany and Portugal have spent most of the week scouring a 120-acre stretch of scrubland and abandoned buildings for clues about Madeleine McCann’s disappearance. That effort, set to end today unless significant evidence is uncovered, is estimated to have cost at least £300,000, The Times reports. The newspaper reports more than 60 officers have been involved in the hunt, and on Wednesday aerial drones were deployed and an excavator was brought in to help clear rubble. Searchers also used ground penetrating radar, which can detect abnormalities underground, such as a hidden burial. The search area is just a couple of miles from Praia de Luz and the Ocean Club resort where Madeleine had been sleeping before she vanished on May 3, 2007.

In pictures: Search resumes as police race against the clock 10:13 , Rachel Clun 10:13 , Rachel Clun

Box of material taken for analysis on day two of search, reports claim 09:53 , Rachel Clun 09:53 , Rachel Clun German and Portuguese police haven’t made any official comments about the search while it has been underway. But yesterday, searchers were seen taking a box from the site of one of their search efforts, taken into a tent in their operations centre. Local newspaper Correio da Manha reported the material had been collected from one of the abandoned buildings being searched, just a couple of miles from Praia da Luz. The newspaper reported the material will be processed and analysed to see whether it contains anything relevant to the investigation.

Watch: The Independent reports from abandoned site of search 09:33 , Rachel Clun

McCanns not commenting while investigation is underway 09:15 , Rachel Clun 09:15 , Rachel Clun Madeleine McCann’s parents are not making any public statements while the current search is underway. Kate and Gerry McCann, who last month marked the 18th anniversary of her disappearance, are not commenting during the “active police investigation”, the Find Madeleine Campaign said.

Mapped: The search area near Praia da Luz 08:59 , Rachel Clun

The search so far: From shovels to JCBs, police scour scrubland 08:57 , Rachel Clun 08:57 , Rachel Clun Police from Germany and Portugal have spent two days already, scouring a vast area of scrubland just a few miles from Praia da Luz for any evidence of what happened to Madeleine McCann. On Tuesday searchers used mostly hand tools, including pickaxes, strimmers and shovels to clear vegetation and search around an abandoned building. The next day they brought in an excavator to help clear rubble, and used ground penetrating radar to search for signs of anything unusual – such as an unmarked grave – underground. It’s understood that if nothing of significance is found today, the search will end tonight.

Why is this new search being carried out in the Madeleine McCann case? 08:53 , Rachel Clun 08:53 , Rachel Clun German federal police requested this week’s search as they look for evidence that could implicate prime suspect Christian Brueckner. Bueckner is in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005, and is due to be released from jail in September if no further charges are brought. Earlier this year, Brueckner also applied to be released early. That application came after Brueckner was cleared in October last year by a German court of unrelated sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. He has denied having any involvement in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance.

In pictures: Searchers ramped up effort with JCB and radar on Wednesday 08:45 , Rachel Clun 08:45 , Rachel Clun

Clock ticks on search for evidence in Madeleine McCann case 08:24 , Rachel Clun 08:24 , Rachel Clun Police from Germany are resuming their hunt for evidence this morning, with limited time left to find concrete evidence connecting their prime suspect with the case. Christian Brueckner was first named as a suspect in 2020, but police have not charged him in relation to Madeleine’s disappearance and he has denied any involvement. Brueckner is nearing the end of a seven-year prison sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in rape in Praia da Luz in 2005. German investigators were granted permission to search in an area near Praia da Luz just miles from where Madeleine was last seen, but only until Friday, but it’s understood that unless they find anything significant by the end of today they will pack. up and head home.

Watch live: Search for clues in disappearance of Madeleine McCann continues 08:19 , Rachel Clun

Full report: Search intensifies with police using hi-tech radar close to suspect’s former home 07:01 , Andy Gregory 07:01 , Andy Gregory Police have turned to specialist ground penetrating radar as searches intensified in the desperate hunt to finally solve the mystery of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. The hi-tech equipment, which can map underground terrain up to 10 feet deep, arrived at a remote area along with a JCB digger on the second day of renewed searches for the missing toddler on Wednesday. Our crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin reports from Praia da Luz: Search for Madeleine McCann escalates with hi-tech radar used close to suspect’s home

Police searching up to 21 derelict buildings near suspect’s former home 06:03 , Amy-Clare Martin, in Praia da Luz 06:03 , Amy-Clare Martin, in Praia da Luz Investigators are scouring a string of derelict farmhouses and outbuildings in a remote stretch of scrubland just over a mile from the resort of Praia da Luz, where the British toddler vanished in 2007. The 120-acre area, off a dramatic clifftop path along the coast between Atalaia and Lagos, is said to have once been populated by a farming community, but has long-been abandoned because it is so arid. Now up to 21 of these derelict structures are understood to be the focus of a fresh searches initiated by German investigators 18 years after Madeleine disappeared as they face a race against time to bring charges against their only suspect, Christian Brueckner.

Video report: Police continue search for Madeleine McCann 05:05 , Andy Gregory

Watch: Inside an abandoned farm building in search area for Madeleine McCann 04:06 , Andy Gregory 04:06 , Andy Gregory Amy-Clare Martin reports from on the ground: Journalists were able to enter one of the abandoned structures after police spent the morning clearing rubble and debris inside. The small stone farm building in the remote area of scrubland is strewn with graffiti and there is evidence of old campfires outside. It appeared police had cleared the floor inside the outbuilding. It is not known if they will return to carry out further searches at the site. Reports had suggested ground radar will be brought in but crews have so far been using shovels, chainsaws and a digger to remove rubble as they clear multiple sites across the vast stretch of scrubland.

Christian Brueckner says he will ‘disappear’ following release from prison 03:07 , Andy Gregory 03:07 , Andy Gregory Speaking to German broadcaster RTL, Christian Brueckner said he planned to disappear after his release from prison. He is due to be released in September as his seven-year term for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Praia da Luz in 2005 comes to an end. The 48-year-old said: “The fact is that I have been in prison for many years for something that I cannot have committed and that therefore, through the participation of the media, half the world considers me a cruel rapist.”

Search expected to end on Thursday if no significant evidence found 02:09 , Andy Gregory 02:09 , Andy Gregory The fresh search for evidence in Atalaia is expected to be entering its final day on Thursday. Portuguese police haven’t been told what intelligence German investigators are acting on, but unless they uncover anything significant by the end of Thursday they will pack up and head home, it is understood.

Madeleine’s parents not commenting on police investigation, campaign group says 01:13 , Andy Gregory 01:13 , Andy Gregory Kate and Gerry McCann, who last month marked the 18th anniversary of their daughter Madeleine’s disappearance, are not commenting during the “active police investigation”, the Find Madeleine Campaign said.

Brueckner’s former neighbour calls for him to be ‘locked away for rest of his life’ Thursday 5 June 2025 00:19 , Andy Gregory Thursday 5 June 2025 00:19 , Andy Gregory Now knowing the full extent of the allegations against him, a former neighbour of Christian Brueckner’s in Atalaia called for him be locked away for the rest of his life “because of what he has done”. Brueckner, who denies any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance, is due to be released from prison in September as his seven-year term for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Praia da Luz in 2005 comes to an end. The former neighbour told The Telegraph that “what’s been uncovered about him is quite despicable”. Brueckner was also cleared by a German court last year of unrelated sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.

Atalaia resident says it is first time area has been searched for evidence Wednesday 4 June 2025 23:26 , Amy-Clare Martin Wednesday 4 June 2025 23:26 , Amy-Clare Martin A British local, who has lived in Atalaia since the 1980s and used to be a neighbour of Christian Brueckner, said she believes it is the first time police have searched the area. The resident, who used to ride her horse around the 120-acre remote area being searched by police, said the farmhouses and outbuildings on the site have been derelict since at least the 80s. “It is the first time I’ve heard of Atalaia being searched,” she said. “I know the properties because I used go the up there all the time with my horse. I know exactly where they are. Whether he’d been up there or done anything, no clue.”

MADDIE SEARCH WOE Madeleine McCann search officially ENDS: Agony as JCB, radar & fingertip trawl of Brueckner’s ‘rat run’ turns up nothing

THE last-gasp search for Madeleine McCann has been called off at the end of the third day – dashing hopes of nailing Christian Brueckner to the case with DNA evidence.

Scores of cops painstakingly combed scrubland near Praia da Luz with JCBs, radar and fingertip searches, believing the tot or her pyjamas could have been buried there.

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5 Around 60 cops scoured the area but found nothing Credit: Dan Charity

5 The search was focused on a handful of derelict buildings Credit: Dan Charity

5 Madeleine McCann went missing while on holiday with her family in 2007 Credit: PA

5 Christian Brueckner appears in court in Germany last month Credit: Dan Charity

5

There was an option to extend the search until tomorrow if any clues had been found – but cops turned up “nothing of consequence”.

Despite initial suggestions samples collected during the search would be sent to Germany for analysis, Portuguese sources this afternoon confirmed that would not happen.

Animal bones and adult clothing were unearthed, but no traces linked to Madeleine McCann, so there is no cause for further inspection.

A Portuguese police officer told The Sun: “We have found nothing. There is nothing worth being sent to Germany for testing. We are finishing today.”

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A group of 30 officers was seen searching scrubland on foot before dismantling the cordon tape around 4pm.

Attention now turns to prime suspect Brueckner’s impending release from jail, when he is expected to flee from Germany and slip away for good.

Prosecutors have until September to rustle up an extension to his sentence to guarantee the opportunity to bring him to justice in the event of conclusive evidence.

At least five abandoned stone farmhouses and barns were scoured in the area, where Brueckner is known to have lived in a “wild camp”.

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Particular attention was paid to a farmhouse where 2007 satellite images showed what appeared to be a white tent.

A trench was dug out with an excavator and officers returned today to conduct a close fingertip search.

This week’s search – the first since May 2023 – deployed special radar technology which can scan the ground and detect buried objects.

Plans to scour the whole area were scrapped yesterday – and cops focused all their efforts on at least five abandoned buildings.

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The Sun revealed that this search was ordered after key figures in the case were flown back to Germany to again give statements on the claims Brueckner kidnapped and killed the toddler in 2007.

He has never been formally charged over Madeleine’s disappearance and denies any involvement – but German cops are convinced he is guilty.

The Sun revealed in a documentary last month that German police uncovered a cache of disturbing evidence revealing Brueckner’s obsession with young kids.

There was also a hard-drive of pictures, which German investigators continue to keep secret, that is believed to indicate why they are sure Madeleine is dead.

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After a similar search of the nearby Arade Dam two years ago, soil and other samples were sent to Germany for checks but found to have no evidential value.

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The Carabinieri released an image of Christian Brueckner, arrested in 2018 under an international warrant for drug trafficking and other crimes.

www.newser.com

Christian Brueckner, a man linked to serious criminal activities, was arrested in 2018 under an international warrant for drug trafficking. This case has drawn global attention, particularly since it resurfaced on June 5, 2025, amid ongoing investigations.

5 Key Takeaways Image released by Italian Carabinieri police

Date of distribution: June 8, 2020

Subject: Christian Brueckner’s arrest in 2018

Arrest linked to international drug trafficking

Charges include multiple other crimes

Brueckner’s arrest by the Carabinieri, Italy’s paramilitary police, highlights the complexities of international crime and law enforcement collaboration. As authorities continue to unravel his connections, the implications for global security and crime prevention are significant.

Fast Answer: Christian Brueckner’s arrest underscores the challenges of international crime, emphasizing the need for global cooperation in law enforcement.

What does this mean for international law enforcement? Brueckner’s case raises questions about the effectiveness of current strategies in combating organized crime. It also highlights the importance of international collaboration in addressing such issues.

Brueckner was wanted for multiple crimes, including drug trafficking.

His arrest showcases the role of international agencies in crime prevention.

Global cooperation is crucial in tackling organized crime networks.

The case serves as a reminder of the ongoing battle against international crime, affecting nations worldwide.

As investigations continue, it is vital for countries to strengthen their partnerships in law enforcement to ensure a safer future for all. Will we see more collaborative efforts in combating such crimes?