Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner makes bombshell admission about her disappearance

Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner has dropped a bombshell new update after claims emerged that he was writing a tell-all memoir.

Brueckner has never been charged over Madeleine’s disappearance, but remains the prime suspect in both the German and British investigations into what happened to her.

However, the convicted rapist who was freed from jail last September after serving a seven-year prison sentence for the rape of an elderly woman, has previously denied any involvement in the case.

A number of searches have been carried out by German, Portuguese and British authorities since Madeleine vanished in 2007, with the latest taking place near the Portuguese municipality of Lagos in June 2025.

In 2023, investigators carried out searches near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz.

Madeleine was three when she disappeared (PA)

Brueckner spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017 and had photographs and videos of himself near the reservoir.

In a new admission, he has confirmed he was just 150 yards from the McCann’s family holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on the night she vanished.

The 49-year-old has said police stopped him in his van containing drugs three times that evening while he was making a 'quick getaway'.

He revealed his whereabouts on the night the three-year-old disappeared in a bombshell new interview with the Mail.

Christian has shared his whereabouts (Alexander Koerner/Getty Images)

“I was on the beach, not far from Maddie’s hotel, selling drugs," he said. “I’d been in Spain and smuggled the weed into Portugal.

“I was even stopped by police three times on the street [in Praia da Luz] while they were looking for Maddie.

“Luckily, they didn’t find the drugs. My van was full of them.”

He explained how police never searched his vehicle as officers began flooding the area following the report of Maddie's disappearance, prompting him to try and get away.

He said: “I was making a quick getaway; there were flashing blue lights and checkpoints everywhere. I just thought, ‘Get me out of here’.”

Announcing his whereabouts, he said he hadn't spoken out before 'because the police want to frame me for the Maddie thing'.

Madeleine, then aged three, vanished in the Portuguese resort shortly after she was left sleeping by her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, who went for dinner in a nearby restaurant.

Madeleine has never been found (Handout/Getty Images)

British police have their own investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance in which Brueckner is also a suspect, but the UK probe remains a missing persons not a murder inquiry.

The revelations come amid claims that Brueckner is planning a 'tell all' book. The Mirror reported that he is thought to be working on a first draft and has approached at least one professional writer to help him, with hopes to publish in both German and English.

An insider was quoted as saying: "Brueckner is desperate to tell his side of the story. He believes that writing about his innocence will help him.

"Ultimately he also sees it as a way to help him financially."