Police were scouring the remote Barragem do Arade reservoir in the Algarve, Portugal last week, around 35 miles from where the then-three-year-old went missing in 2007 while on a family holiday in Praia da Luz
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Soil from a reservoir in Portugal searched by police last month is being compared with samples from main suspect Christian Brueckner’s camper van, it has been reported.
Detectives believe Brueckner visited the remote Barragem do Arade reservoir in Portugal’s Algarve region days after Madeleine disappeared.
Officials now believe they can prove that Brueckner’s van was in the area at the time the three-year-old was abducted , sources told The Daily Mirror.
The insider claimed that if the soil sample analysis reveals a “positive match”, police may be able to further “close the net” around Brueckner, 45, who has not yet been charged.
Earlier, a forensics expert warned that “traditional” evidence will be difficult to find after 16 years have passed since Madeleine McCann’s disappearance.
Dan Matthews said that investigators would have searched the remote reservoir in Portugal for “things that could’ve stood the test of time and not been destroyed by its passage”, such as clothing fragments or jewelry.
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Police who searched reservoir were looking for a gun and camcorder
Detectives in the Madeleine McCann case who searched a reservoir in Portugal were looking for Christian B’s gun and camcorder, it has been reported.
The paper said German police were tipped off by a criminal informer who said the items had been stolen from Christian B’s house.
Matt Mathers5 June 2023 14:05
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ICYMI: Madeleine McCann police confirm ‘number of items’ recovered from Algarve reservoir search
German authorities last week helped Portuguese crews comb a remote area inland from the Algarve coastal resort where Madeleine went missing from her bedroom during a family holiday in 2007.
Matt Mathers5 June 2023 10:55
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ICYMI: Madeleine McCann police shouldn’t just focus on prime suspect, forensics expert warns
Forensics experts have warned investigators in the Madeleine McCann case cannot focus purely on their prime suspect and that, 16 years after she disappeared, “traditional” evidence may not have survived.
German authorities last week helped Portuguese crews comb a remote reservoir inland from the Algarve coastal resort in Portugal where the then-three-year-old Madeleine went missing from her bedroom on a family holiday in 2007.
Matt Mathers5 June 2023 10:30
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Sixteen years and countless heartbreaks: Where are Madeleine McCann’s family now?
Parents refuse to give up hope and have spoken movingly about ‘new normality’ of raising twins without their missing daughter, Joe Sommerlad reports.
Read the full story here:
Matt Mathers5 June 2023 10:00
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Recap: Timeline of Madeleine’s disappearance
Madeleine McCann, a three-year-old girl from Rothley, Leicestershire, went missing from the Portuguese holiday resort of Praia da Luz on the Algarve on 3 May 2007, a case still unsolved and still the subject of intense interest among the public and press.
Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, posted a statement on the Find Madeleine website on 3 May 2023 marking the latest anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance, reiterating their hopes of being reunited with her one day and posting a poem, “The Contradiction” by Clare Pollard, to express their feelings.
“Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleine’s abduction. Still missing… still very much missed,” they wrote.
“The police investigation continues, and we await a breakthrough. Thank you to everyone for your support- it really helps.”
Here is a reminder of the events of the case:
Matt Mathers5 June 2023 09:33
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Christian B ‘claims five chilling words made him prime Madeleine McCann suspect’
The prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case has claimed he became the focus of the investigation after a former friend alleged he made a chilling comment about the case, according to reports.
German prisoner Christian Brueckner was first named in connection with the unsolved mystery in the summer of 2020, and officially named as a suspect last year.
His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly identified as having been near to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal where the young girl went missing on May 3, 2007.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:
Matt Mathers5 June 2023 09:06
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Recap: How Madeleine McCann search at reservoir unfolded – and what police found
Police combed the remote Barragem do Arade in response to what was vaguely described as “certain tips” about an area the prime suspect in the case, Christian Brueckner, regularly frequented between 2000 and 2017.
Jane Dalton and Joe Sommerlad report:
Matt Mathers5 June 2023 09:01
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Detectives compare soil from reservoir to main suspect’s camper van
Soil from a reservoir in Portugal searched by police last month is being compared with samples from Christian Brueckner’s camper van, it has been reported.
Detectives believe Brueckner visited the remote Barragem do Arade reservoir in the Algarve days after Madeleine disappeared.
Officials now believe they have a good chance of proving that Brueckner’s van was in the area at the time of Madeleine’s abduction, sources told The Daily Mirror.
The insider claims that if the soil sample analysis reveals a “positive match”, police may be able to further “close the net” around Brueckner, 45, who has not yet been charged.
Matt Mathers5 June 2023 08:58
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Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s rolling coverage of the Madeleine McCann case.
Investigators are still looking into German national Christian Brueckner, who is the main suspect.
We’ll bring you updates on this story throughout the day.
Matt Mathers5 June 2023 08:52
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Blog closed
The blog is now closed. For the latest news on Madeleine McCann’s disappearance click here.
Joe Middleton2 June 2023 23:00
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/madeleine-mccann-news-update-today-b2351434.html
