Madeleine McCann's Prime Suspect Christian Brueckner Claims Investigators Will 'Kill' Him to 'Silence Me'... as 'Evil' Rapist Breaks Silence on Toddler's Disappearance
The main suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann fears for his safety.
Oct. 13 2025, Published 2:00 p.m. ET
The prime suspect in the decade-old search for missing Madeleine McCann said he fears for his life, RadarOnline.com can report, after his release from prison on an unrelated crime.
Christian Brueckner recently completed his seven-year sentence for raping a 72-year-old woman two years before McCann vanished.
Brueckner was recently released from prison on an unrelated conviction.
Brueckner has a long history of convictions for theft, sexual abuse of children, and possession of child pornography.
Since his release, authorities have kept Brueckner under electronic surveillance. His movements are tracked through an ankle tag that he is required to wear for five years.
German investigators continue to name him as the prime suspect in McCann’s 2007 disappearance from Praia da Luz, though prosecutors still lack sufficient forensic evidence to bring charges.
The 48-year-old told the Daily Mail he lives under constant suspicion and is scared that now that he is free, police are planning to take their own justice.
"I don't expect to live long. They are doing everything they can to silence me," Brueckner claimed. "I have been completely set up."
Public Panic After Release
McCann went missing in 2007.
McCann disappeared from a Portuguese hotel in 2007. She has not been seen since.
Brueckner’s release triggered public panic in several towns as residents circulated flyers and social-media warnings. The German man insists he is innocent, but is being made out to be the villain by frustrated investigators.
"The investigators have just created a phantom bad guy, and to this phantom they have added the name Christian Brüeckner," he claimed. "But I am not this man."
Brueckner has been the main person of interest in McCann's disappearance since 2020, when police found old pieces of children's clothing and photos of children the same age as McCann at a factory he owned.
However, the convicted sex offender has never been charged in connection with the case and has denied any involvement.
Brueckner's Paranoia
Brueckner lives under constant surveillance.
Despite spending years investigating Brueckner, German lead prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters has admitted his team still doesn't have enough evidence to bring charges over her disappearance.
Wolters previously told reporters: "He is not just our number one suspect, he's our only suspect. We have evidence against him, but in our view it’s not strong enough to make a guilty verdict likely."
Brueckner now lives on state benefits of about $1,200 per month, which would drop to $645 if he accepts state housing. He currently alternates between hostels and budget hotels, convinced he is being followed.
His paranoia stems partly from two years of near-solitary confinement during pre-trial detention, which he says left him physically weakened and mentally scattered.
Prosecutors remain under pressure to decide whether to proceed with new charges.
Brueckner's 'Secret Information'
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McCann's parents have never given up hope she is still alive.
Last month, Brueckner raised suspicions again when he bizarrely boasted about holding information that could solve "the scandal of the century."
While shopping for a new phone, he told shop workers that he could crack one of the "greatest mysteries ever" and showed off his electric ankle tag.
Phone shop manager Farouk Salah-Brahmin claimed: "Brueckner told me he had some information. I don't know if it's the McCann case, but he said he had evidence that could bring the scandal of the century to an end.
"He said he would end all the accusations against him. He said he can bring his own solution. He said something about USB sticks."
The manager added: "The way he said it, he must have been talking about the Madeleine McCann case. What else could he be talking about?"
