McCann suspect admits being near resort night she vanished

Christian Brueckner, the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, has admitted he was approximately 150 yards from the resort where the three-year-old was staying on the night she vanished in 2007. In a recent interview, Brueckner stated he was selling drugs on a beach near the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal's Algarve region on the evening of May 3, 2007, but denied any involvement in the child's case. Brueckner, 49, told the Mail on Sunday that he was stopped by police three times in his van that night while they were searching for Madeleine. "I was on the beach, not far from Maddie's hotel, selling drugs," he said. "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 his previous silence about his whereabouts that night by claiming, "the police want to frame me for the Maddie thing." Brueckner maintained his innocence, stating, "I have nothing to do with the little girl's disappearance." German prosecutors named Brueckner as their prime suspect in the suspected kidnapping and murder investigation in 2020.