Christian Brueckner named as key suspect in Madeline McCann case | German Police state this is a murder investigation

[jungledrums]

I think I just figured it out but I'm not going to say because it's absolutely fecking horrific to think about.

Seconded - what are you thinking?

 

[Castia]

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They must have some pretty damning evidence then. If they’re writing to the parents to say she’s dead they know something.

 

[Pexbo]

Im not sure if it’s what Dwazzer was thinking but I’ll go ahead and speculate - they’ve carried out searches on any properties he owns and discovered a trophy. Maybe a toy, some clothing or a lock of hair. Hopefully nothing any more grisly than that.

 

[antsmithmk]

Im not sure if it’s what Dwazzer was thinking but I’ll go ahead and speculate - they’ve carried out searches on any properties he owns and discovered a trophy. Maybe a toy, some clothing or a lock of hair. Hopefully nothing any more grisly than that.

Hopefully it's not too horrific. But wasn't he caught for a previous crime becuase he had filmed himself doing it?

 

[UncleBob]

Hopefully it's not too horrific. But wasn't he caught for a previous crime becuase he had filmed himself doing it?

Yup.
Doesn't mean it has to be the case here, but it's certainly a possibility.

 

[arnie_ni]

Im not sure if it’s what Dwazzer was thinking but I’ll go ahead and speculate - they’ve carried out searches on any properties he owns and discovered a trophy. Maybe a toy, some clothing or a lock of hair. Hopefully nothing any more grisly than that.

Why would that lead to the conclusion she is dead rather than say trafficked on?

 

[sullydnl]

Hopefully it's not too horrific. But wasn't he caught for a previous crime becuase he had filmed himself doing it?

Surely if they found something like that they'd be able to charge him though?

 

[altodevil]

Yeah a bit of reading between the lines. Sickening. Everyone wanted closure but not like this

 

[UncleBob]

Surely if they found something like that they'd be able to charge him though?

If the video is of her alone he could claim he got it from someone else.


The witness told the court that he stole the camera from his friend's house in Praia da Luz in 2006 and that it showed an older woman being tied up, beaten and raped.

In her statement the woman said she was beaten with a metal pole.

Brueckner was charged in August last year after a 'cold case' team re-examined all the evidence. A hair found at the villa linked the German to the assault.

 

[buchansleftleg]

From the typical approach that they do with cold cases it would normally be the case that they proceed to a serious investigation if...

a) new more sensitive forensic procedures are done on old evidence - this would seem possible in this case
b) you get a "prisoner confession" by someone bragging / speaking to someone they think they can trust / stool-pidgeon in prison - this has been referenced by the media in this case, but they can be very unreliable
c) a previously "stone cold" alibi, presumption or timetable is proven to be false allowing re-inspection of other suspects previously discounted. These can often highlight poor initial investigations. Look at the Yorkshire Ripper case. He was interviewed 4 times before finally being charged. The investigations team were convinced this was a case of a psycho killer attacking only "prostitutes and women of low character" so discounted the fact he had previous for attacking a woman with a hammer in a country lane.

The "certainty" with which the German police are talking about her death implies they have some sort of physical evidence rather than just a Prisoners confession.

 

[sullydnl]

If the video is of her alone he could claim he got it from someone else.


The witness told the court that he stole the camera from his friend's house in Praia da Luz in 2006 and that it showed an older woman being tied up, beaten and raped.

In her statement the woman said she was beaten with a metal pole.

Brueckner was charged in August last year after a 'cold case' team re-examined all the evidence. A hair found at the villa linked the German to the assault.

That would make sense.

Either way, with "concrete evidence" that she's dead, I guess this breakthrough is the real deal then. This case finally being solved is quite the story.

 

[balaks]

All I can say is rest in peace to the poor girl at the centre of this. I can't imagine what her parents have gone through and to know that their little girl is definitely dead although this may give them some peace it will restart the grieving all over again. Bloody awful case.

 

[altodevil]

So now supposedly that was bullshit per the McCanns statement.

 

[sullydnl]

So now supposedly that was bullshit per the McCanns statement.

Strange. Multiple outlets have reported direct quotes from the prosecutor saying he had sent the letter.

 

[Paxi]

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[Dr. Dwayne]

What you thinking?

Seconded - what are you thinking?

Honestly lads, I don't want to say it directly. Not something anyone would want to think about.

Im not sure if it’s what Dwazzer was thinking but I’ll go ahead and speculate - they’ve carried out searches on any properties he owns and discovered a trophy. Maybe a toy, some clothing or a lock of hair. Hopefully nothing any more grisly than that.

There won't be any trophies.

 

[Wibble]

I think I just figured it out but I'm not going to say because it's absolutely fecking horrific to think about.

I can think of 5 ways 1) they found something in his possession linked to her, b) he has confessed off the record subject to a plea deal, c) photos or videos he took, 4) evidence from a witness or accomplice, or 5) forensic evidence.

 

[sullydnl]

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Interesting mix of information.

They say they are 100% convinced he is the perpetrator and do have enough evidence to charge him but (because he's already in jail) are happy to keep building evidence against him for now and hope to bring charges next year.

However they also say they can't prove McCann is dead, have no DNA evidence and have no photo evidence. He also says "If we had a video of the act or a picture of Madeleine dead with Brueckner on camera, we wouldn’t have had to make a public appeal. But we only have circumstantial evidence."

But nonetheless, based on the evidence they do have, there's no hope that she's alive. "Based on the evidence we have, it leads to no other conclusion."

 

[Jippy]

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Interesting mix of information.

They say they are 100% convinced he is the perpetrator and do have enough evidence to charge him but (because he's already in jail) are happy to keep building evidence against him for now and hope to bring charges next year.

However they also say they can't prove McCann is dead, have no DNA evidence and have no photo evidence. He also says "If we had a video of the act or a picture of Madeleine dead with Brueckner on camera, we wouldn’t have had to make a public appeal. But we only have circumstantial evidence."

But nonetheless, based on the evidence they do have, there's no hope that she's alive. "Based on the evidence we have, it leads to no other conclusion."

Why do they keep going public with these contradictory statements? It must be horrific for the parents getting this dripfeed of nonsense from them.

 

[sullydnl]

Why do they keep going public with these contradictory statements? It must be horrific for the parents getting this dripfeed of nonsense from them.

Maybe they're still appealing for information and talking about it publicly for that reason? I'm not sure if these quotes come from that context or of it's just them updating journalists to no purpose.

 

[maniak]

I'm not sure if this made english news, but for years a former police inspector involved in this case here in Portugal has been going on tv shows (and also wrote a book) saying Maddie was killed by her parents. Even last week he told a german newspaper the parents did it and this german guy had nothing to do with it. I hope when all is said and done, Maddie's parents sue him into oblivion, he's been such a gigantic cnut though all this.

 

[sullydnl]

I'm not sure if this made english news, but for years a former police inspector involved in this case here in Portugal has been going on tv shows (and also wrote a book) saying Maddie was killed by her parents. Even last week he told a german newspaper the parents did it and this german guy had nothing to do with it. I hope when all is said and done, Maddie's parents sue him into oblivion, he's been such a gigantic cnut though all this.

Yep, Goncalo Amaral.

I think I'm right in saying he was later given an 18-month sentence for perjury in regard to a different case where he (along with four others) were accused of attacking a woman whose daughter had gone missing in an attempt to get her to confess. He was found to have falsified documents.

He has a new book coming out soon about the McCann case too. Not that he's profiteering, of course. *cough*

 

[maniak]

Yep, Goncalo Amaral.

I think I'm right in saying he was later given an 18-month sentence for perjury in regard to a different case where he (along with four others) were accused of attacking a woman whose daughter had gone missing in an attempt to get her to confess. He was found to have falsified documents.

He has a new book coming out soon about the McCann case too. Not that he's profiteering, of course. *cough*

Yes, that guy. Public opinion kinda gave him a pass on that because the woman actually killed her baby daughter, but he's as rotten as they come. Been milking the Maddie cow for years.

 

[Jippy]

Maybe they're still appealing for information and talking about it publicly for that reason? I'm not sure if these quotes come from that context or of it's just them updating journalists to no purpose.

Not sure and given he's in jail and you'd imagine the likelihood of credible new witnesses coming forward is so low now, I'm not sure what it all achieves. It's still unclear what the German prosecutors told the McCanns after the earlier claims of a letter being sent were denied.

 

[Eyepopper]

Yeah, but they still should at least be charged with negligence or some shit, right?

I mean that's what loads of people have been calling for for the last 15 years... that the parents of a child disappearance/likely murder, face charges.

Anyone still beating that drum?

 

[sullydnl]

Yeah, but they still should at least be charged with negligence or some shit, right?

I mean that's what loads have people have been calling for for the last 15 years... that the parents of a child disappearance/likely murder, face charges.

Anyone still beating that drum?

Not sure how easy it would be to actually convict them of negligence.

I say that because a lot of hotels (at the time at least) offer baby listening services that consist of staff listening into the room via phone/monitor or consist of a nanny stopping outside the door at regular intervals to listen in. In fact in this case the owner of this chain of resorts was criticised for not offering that service in this location when they do in others.

At which point the McCann's could presumably argue that leaving their kids on their own and checking on them occasionally by going into the apartment is no more negligent than leaving your kids alone and having a stranger check on them occasionally without going into the apartment, which is a legal service offered by similar resorts that other parents presumably make use of.

Of course that begs the question why resorts offer those services and why parents are happy to use them but bad parenting isn't the same as provable negligence. Especially in a case where a third party (the kidnapper) actively intervened.

 

[Eyepopper]

Not sure how easy it would be to actually convict them of negligence.

Which, in turn, would mean that they (probably) weren't negligent, right?

 

[sullydnl]

Which, in turn, would mean that they (probably) weren't negligent, right?

Well, legally at least. According sullydnl from Redcafe's knowledge of the Portuguese legal system. If I was the McCanns, I'd get a second opinion.

 

[Eyepopper]

Well, legally at least.

So they weren't negligent then, OK, cool, we agree.

 

[Champ]

So they weren't negligent then, OK, cool, we agree.

Well, if you feel that leaving your kids alone in an unlocked apartment whilst enjoying tapas and alcohol when babysitting services were available isn't negligent....

 

[golden_blunder]

Yeah, but they still should at least be charged with negligence or some shit, right?

I mean that's what loads of people have been calling for for the last 15 years... that the parents of a child disappearance/likely murder, face charges.

Anyone still beating that drum?

What good would it serve to punish the parents at this stage for neglect? They are living the worst punishment you can imagine.

 

[arnie_ni]

What good would it serve to punish the parents at this stage for neglect? They are living the worst punishment you can imagine.

It wouldn't do much good but eye popper is arguing they don't nothing wrong, I think.

 

[Eyepopper]

What good would it serve to punish the parents at this stage for neglect? They are living the worst punishment you can imagine.

No idea, but that hasn't stopped a load of knuckle dragging pond life making it their main concern anytime the case comes up for the best part of 15 years.

Victim blaming in all its glory.

 

[The Boy]

It wouldn't do much good but eye popper is arguing they don't nothing wrong, I think.

and he is right.

 

[Relevated]

Yeah, but they still should at least be charged with negligence or some shit, right?

I mean that's what loads of people have been calling for for the last 15 years... that the parents of a child disappearance/likely murder, face charges.

Anyone still beating that drum?

Youre a funny guy

 

[Relevated]

and he is right.

How come?

 

[Eyepopper]

It wouldn't do much good but eye popper is arguing they don't nothing wrong, I think.

Have they ever been accused or charged, never mind convicted, of doing anything wrong by anyone* other than, "I've done my research", Internet dwellers... anyone actually involved or close to the case?

Edit: *who wasn't trying to sell a book.

 

[The Boy]

How come?

Only 50 metres away checking on the kids regularly and yet they get treated as though they sold their daughter to Nazi paedophiles. What they did was perfectly reasonable.

 

[Relevated]

Only 50 metres away checking on the kids regularly and yet they get treated as though they sold their daughter to Nazi paedophiles. What they did was perfectly reasonable.

Thats interesting. Do you have children, out of curiosity? Also, how come the investigation period was so odd for them. Their behaviour afterwards wasn't very reasonable.

 

[Relevated]

Have they ever been accused or charged, never mind convicted, of doing anything wrong by anyone* other than, "I've done my research", Internet dwellers... anyone actually involved or close to the case?

Edit: *who wasn't trying to sell a book.

Yes.