03 June 2023 , 18:45
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Christian Brueckner's shocking five words to his former friend led to him being named prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, it is claimed.
The convicted German sex offender was first identified as a suspect in 2022, after it emerged he had reportedly been driving around the Praia da Luz resort at the time the British three-year-old went missing fifteen years earlier.
A friend is believed to have reported him to police, after he said the chilling words: "Yes, she did not scream," during a conversation referencing missing Maddie.
He is currently serving a prison sentence in Germany for the rape and murder of a 72-year-old woman.
Last week, German police began the first physical search for her in nine years after prosecutors received "credible" evidence to lead them to a site near a dam in Portugal.
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Madeleine McCann disappeared in Praia da Luz, Portugal on May 3, 2007 (METROPOLITAN POLICE/AFP via Gett)
Brueckner is is currently serving a prison sentence in Germany for the rape and murder of a 72-year-old woman (Carabinieri Milano via Getty Images)Officials have since appealed for more time after they could not confirm whether items found in a dig were connected to Madeleine.
Brueckner has maintained his innocence since allegations first surfaced, and has written a number of letters condemning police and others involved in the investigation.
One recent letter in particular saw him hit out at key informant and former friend Helge Busching, who first approached police in 2017 to say he had information on the high-profile missing persons case.
German police began the first physical search for Madeleine in nine years last week after prosecutors received 'credible' evidence (METROPOLITAN POLICE/AFP via Gett)According to Mail Online, Brueckner said that the pair had fallen out over a drug deal in 2007, the same year Madeleine disappeared.
In this letter, he details Mr Blusching's claims against him - including that he had told him he feared being around police in Portugal around this time because of the "missing girl", and that he had said Madeleine "did not scream".
Mr Blusching reportedly said of Brueckner: "I was at the hippy festival in 2008 in Spain. Manfred (Seyferth another witness) was also there as well and Michael (Tatschl another witness), Manfred, Christian and I then started talking about Portugal.
'"It was then Christian made a comment about the missing girl. Christian asked me if I was still going to Portugal, I replied; 'I'm no longer going to Portugal because there are too many problems there, Portugal has too many police for me on account of the missing child.
'"It is indeed strange that she disappeared without a trace. Christian replied:' 'Yes, she did not scream.''"
But Brueckner has described these claims as "not even worthy of comment", and said such a conversation had never taken place.