Maddie McCann Tipster Claims He Called About Main Suspect 9 Years Ago But Was Ignored, Details Chilling 'Confession'

A German man who led police to main suspect Christian Brückner in the case of missing British toddler Madeleine McCann said his first tip was ignored nine years ago, RadarOnline.com has learned.

Brückner is currently incarcerated for the unrelated rape of a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz, the same resort Maddie went missing from back in May 2007.

The convicted pedophile and rapist was named an official suspect in connection with Maddie's case in April 2022 but has not been charged with any crime.

Brückner's yellow and white campervan was reportedly spotted near where the three-year-old went missing. He denied involvement in a series of jailhouse letters professing his innocence.

RadarOnline.com broke another development in the case in April by obtaining a copy of the DNA test evidence proving the woman claiming to be McCann all grown up was NOT the British girl who vanished despite having a troubled backstory.

More recently, investigators searched the remote Barragem do Arade reservoir, which prime suspect Brückner referred to as a "little piece of paradise" and is located 30 miles from where Maddie was last seen.

"I called Scotland Yard in 2008, ringing the Maddie hotline. I told them I know someone who has something to do with it and gave them his name. They noted my personal details, my telephone number, but nothing happened. Nothing! They never even rang me back. I thought to myself: I guess they'll be in touch at some point," the German man, identified only as Helge B, told tabloid Bild from his home in Corsica.

Helge said they used to carry out petty crime when they both resided near Praia da Luz, having later crossed paths with Brückner again in 2008, in Órgiva, Spain.

The pair had a candid conversation over beers when Brückner asked Helge if he still traveled to Portugal for money-making opportunities.

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"I told him: 'Since that girl disappeared there are too many police around and I don't need it.' We started to talk about Maddie and I said, 'I don't understand how the little one could have disappeared without even a trace.'"

"Christian had drunk two or three beers, and in response he said: 'She didn't scream,'" the tipster alleged.

Helge said the 10th anniversary of Maddie's disappearance led him to follow up.