Madeleine McCann: German prisoner identified as suspect - #11

[NewAvenger]

The judges will certainly be keeping in mind the MM case whilst making their decision on CB but obviously won't be vocal about it.

 

[Betty_Boop88]

Maybe because of the Hazel Behan rape case back in 2005? That it may now be being seen as definitely connected with CB, hence the Irish participation?

I’m hoping that’s why, the Met have interviewed her and have told her they’re taking it seriously. But the Portuguese have already ruled him out apparently - and destroyed whatever evidence they collected from her apartment.

The Dublin woman revealed that police told her to keep quiet about her brutal attack, as "I would bring bad publicity to the resort and put off the tourists".
https://www.irishpost.com/news/irish-woman-raped-in-portugal-believes-attacker-may-be-madeleine-mccann-suspect-186563

All these b@st@rds seem to care about.

 

[sleuth-d-]

I’m hoping that’s why, the Met have interviewed her and have told her they’re taking it seriously. But the Portuguese have already ruled him out apparently - and destroyed whatever evidence they collected from her apartment.

The Dublin woman revealed that police told her to keep quiet about her brutal attack, as "I would bring bad publicity to the resort and put off the tourists".
https://www.irishpost.com/news/irish-woman-raped-in-portugal-believes-attacker-may-be-madeleine-mccann-suspect-186563

All these b@st@rds seem to care about.

hopefully things have changed a bit in 15 years. plus, there are different countries' LE involved now, who have no interest in portuguese resorts or tourists. and hopefully every interest in ensuring justice is done.

 

[Betty_Boop88]

hopefully things have changed a bit in 15 years. plus, there are different countries' LE involved now, who have no interest in portuguese resorts or tourists. and hopefully every interest in ensuring justice is done.

Hopefully, Sleuth. However, I read an article recently where a local in PdL was interviewed re:MM and how people in the resort think back on it now. He/she said the people just want to forget about it, that it’s been so long and everyone just needs to “move on”. Apparently they said “with a smile” that during the 10 year appeal when her posters were placed around the town again, a lot of them were pulled down or defaced Can’t tar everyone in the resort with the same brush though, so hopefully it’s just a small minority.
But that’s the locals. As you say, hopefully the LE has had a shake up and are more focused on getting justice than keeping their tourist numbers up.
Even though the evidence in HB’s case was destroyed, would you or anyone else have any idea if that means everything, or just the physical evidence? Might any DNA sequence found be stored on file? I’ve no idea how stuff like this works, but it seems appalling to me that all evidence could just be tossed when the case was never solved.

 

[Muebles]

Okay - I've had to "skip" over about 200 posts here - sorry - no time to read...
so hopefully someone will correct me - IF - this is not happening today.

I've been taking notes as I've read along here - so it's quite long but wanted to get the info down in one place - but I shall shorten it up a bit after posting it here.

And - IF I have anything wrong - please let me know! TIA!

Thursday, July 16th:
*Ruling Hearing (@ am CET) – Germany/Portugal – Madeleine Beth McCann (3) (May 3, 2007, disappeared from hotel room while sleeping with her younger twin siblings, while parents ate at restaurant near the Mark Warner Ocean Summer Club in Praia da Luz; not found) - *Christian Brueckner (43) Suspect.
Back in Germany in 2011, he was sentenced for trafficking narcotic drugs, and then in 2016 he was convicted for child sex abuse & possessing indecent images. His reported total of 17 previous convictions also include theft & forging documents. In December last year, Brueckner was convicted of the 2005 rape in Portugal & jailed for seven years, but the sentence has not yet been imposed because of an ongoing appeal (set for 7/16/20). He is currently serving a 21-month sentence for drug trafficking on the Island of Sylt in the northern German city of Kiel. After traveling to Italy to take a holiday, he was arrested again at the end of September 2018 in Milan, and extradited to Germany. In August 2019 authorities in Braunschweig charged him with the 2005 rape of the US woman, with his conviction following in December, 2019. CB was caught stealing diesel & got 8 ½ months in prison on remand waiting for a trial in Portimao, Spain. Jailed from April 7, 2006 to December 21, 2006.
6/1/20 Update: The Metropolitan Police have not named the man who is described as white with short blond hair, possibly fair, and about 6 ft. tall with a slim build. The 43-year-old drifter, who was living in a camper van close to where Maddie went missing, is considered a prime suspect in the case. According to the German Federal Criminal Police Office the suspect is a sex offender with multiple previous convictions. The suspect, who is in prison in Germany for an unrelated matter, has been linked to an early 1980s camper van - with a white upper body & yellow skirting, registered in Portugal - which was pictured in the Algarve in 2007. The day after Maddie went missing, the suspect got the car re-registered in Germany under someone else's name, although it is believed the vehicle was still in Portugal. He's 43 now. At the time he was 30, but he could have looked aged somewhere between 25 and 32.
6/7/20 Update: Christian Brueckner is facing investigations over the deaths or disappearance of at least three other children. Prosecutors in Belgium have confirmed they are investigating if he was connected to the murder of 16-year-old Carola Titze, whose body was found in sand dunes in De Haan, near Ostend, July 5, 1996. August 4, 1995: disappearance of the Rotterdam boy Jaïr Soares (7), while he is playing on the beach at Monster (the Netherlands). René Hasee was six when he went missing June 21, 1996 while on holiday in Aljezur, around 25 miles from Praia da Luz. Brueckner was living in the region at the time. Police in Germany are also investigating whether Brueckner was involved in the disappearance of five-year-old Inga Gehricke on May 2, 2015, after it emerged he had been nearby. Inge has not been found. In Portugal, police face pressure to re-examine the case of Joana Cipriano, eight, who disappeared in 2004 from Figueira, seven miles from Praia da Luz. Her mother & uncle allegedly confessed to her killing but her mother has since said she was forced to admit to the crime by police who beat her. Joana has never been found. German police are probing whether Brueckner was responsible for abducting Inga five years ago, and snatching and killing a nine-year-old girl almost two decades ago. The death of Peggy Knobloch, dubbed the "German Maddie" by British tabloids over the years, has been called Germany's most mysterious criminal case. The youngster vanished on her way home from school in May 2001 and her remains weren't discovered until July 2016, when mushroom pickers found human bones in a forest nine miles from Peggy's home in Lichtenberg, Bavaria. More info: Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner faces probes over FIVE child murder victims | Daily Mail Online
6/8/20 Update: The Portuguese police are on the trail of an ex-employee of the holiday domain where the McCann family stayed in 2007 when daughter Maddie disappeared there. The man is suspected of complicity in the Maddie McCann case. The night before the disappearance of the British toddler he had several contacts with the German prime suspect Christian Brückner. A crooked hotel worker and an innocent receptionist may have given Madeleine McCann's suspected abductor the opportunity to break in to her family's holiday apartment. The holiday complex receptionist noted the block dinner reservation in a staff register that was available for all to see at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz. The employee tipped off Christian B that the McCanns and their friends ate each night at the same poolside bar. It also reported that the employee had Christian B's mobile phone number in his own phone.
6/17/20 Update: There is a chance Brueckner could be released from prison on July 17 if the European Court of Justice overturns his conviction for the rape of the 72-year-old American woman in Portugal. The ruling is set to be made in a July 16 hearing which has been fast-tracked because of the nature of Brueckner’s case. Of the potential outcomes, Portugal could give retrospective permission for the extradition, or the court could order a retrial. The third possibility is that Brueckner could have his conviction overturned and be released – potentially then fleeing to a country without an extradition treaty with Germany. Bundesgerichtshof must decide whether or not to release suspect Brückner.

So this part here: "CB was caught stealing diesel & got 8 ½ months in prison on remand waiting for a trial in Portimao, Spain. Jailed from April 7, 2006 to December 21, 2006." MT and CB were stealing diesel in Spain, not Portugal?
Another question I have: does anyone know what color hair MT had in 2007? Many thanks

 

[Anxala]

I’m hoping that’s why, the Met have interviewed her and have told her they’re taking it seriously. But the Portuguese have already ruled him out apparently - and destroyed whatever evidence they collected from her apartment.

The Dublin woman revealed that police told her to keep quiet about her brutal attack, as "I would bring bad publicity to the resort and put off the tourists".
https://www.irishpost.com/news/irish-woman-raped-in-portugal-believes-attacker-may-be-madeleine-mccann-suspect-186563

All these b@st@rds seem to care about.

That was then and this is now. Allow, at least, for a change in approach over time, instead of perpetuating the idea that this is still the mindset of the '*advertiser censored*' Portuguese police.

 

[Betty_Boop88]

So this part here: "CB was caught stealing diesel & got 8 ½ months in prison on remand waiting for a trial in Portimao, Spain. Jailed from April 7, 2006 to December 21, 2006." MT and CB were stealing diesel in Spain, not Portugal?
Another question I have: does anyone know what color hair MT had in 2007? Many thanks

Portimão is in Portugal, not Spain bad reporting.

 

[Dlk79]

hopefully things have changed a bit in 15 years. plus, there are different countries' LE involved now, who have no interest in portuguese resorts or tourists. and hopefully every interest in ensuring justice is done.

I hope that too, but I do wonder what dynamic is happening behind the scenes. You have German LE hiding evidence from SY and PJ which can't be going down well. PJ are surely feeling somewhat knocked about through all the crticism. SY have spent an absolute fortune on the case and have nothing and now BKA claim to be on the verge of solving it. Personally, I do think a joint task force would be the best way forward for this case but I suspect politics and fear of leaks may be preventing that happening.

 

[Betty_Boop88]

That was then and this is now. Allow, at least, for a change in approach over time, instead of perpetuating the idea that this is still the mindset of the '*advertiser censored*' Portuguese police.

I probably should have used the past tense, “seemed”, as I was obviously talking about past cases of HB and MM and the people involved in the handling of those. But my opinion stands. Those handling both those cases were more concerned about tourism than solving crime, so are complete b@st@rds, to put it mildly.

 

[Muebles]

Madeleine McCann prime suspect 'trying to exploit loophole' to get out of jail

So it looks like we will find out in 3 weeks if CB's appeal is successful or not. Interestingly though, the article talks about the contention point being around the 2017 extradition from Portugal and not the 2018 extradition from Italy.

It's a bit complex but the crux seems to be that CB's lawyers are arguing that the extradition warrant needs to be signed off by Portugal (the scene of the crime) and not Italy. There was an extradition agreement from Portugal in 2017 (following his capture in the playground in Messines) but that this was not for the crime of the 2005 rape and therefore CB has been detained and tried illegally. The prosecutors seem to be arguing this is not relevant since CB was already in breach of law for fleeing to Italy in order to evade a pending sentence in Germany.

Hopefully the judges use common sense and don't allow CB to overturn the rape conviction on a technicality.

ETA: Anyone know what this quote is about in the article? What does Ireland have to do with this?:

Representatives of the Irish government also took part in the case held in the main ECJ courthouse via video conference.

There is an Irish woman who believes CB is the man who raped her. Perhaps that is it.

 

[sleuth-d-]

I hope that too, but I do wonder what dynamic is happening behind the scenes. You have German LE hiding evidence from SY and PJ which can't be going down well. PJ are surely feeling somewhat knocked about through all the crticism. SY have spent an absolute fortune on the case and have nothing and now BKA claim to be on the verge of solving it. Personally, I do think a joint task force would be the best way forward for this case but I suspect politics and fear of leaks may be preventing that happening.

i like to think some [most?, all?] of the stories about lack of co-operation etc etc etc are just media hacks filing their one story a day obligation. i must have missed wolters saying he is hiding evidence, and not co-operating with other LE. but i am sure you have a link )))

 

[Muebles]

I hope that too, but I do wonder what dynamic is happening behind the scenes. You have German LE hiding evidence from SY and PJ which can't be going down well. PJ are surely feeling somewhat knocked about through all the crticism. SY have spent an absolute fortune on the case and have nothing and now BKA claim to be on the verge of solving it. Personally, I do think a joint task force would be the best way forward for this case but I suspect politics and fear of leaks may be preventing that happening.

I think it's pretty clear that someone is l

Portimão is in Portugal, not Spain bad reporting.

Thanks Betty. It got me confused again, which happens easily.

 

[Betty_Boop88]

I think it's pretty clear that someone is l

Thanks Betty. It got me confused again, which happens easily.

There’s absolutely nothing simple about this case, Muebles, and the patched-together reporting of it doesn’t help. There’s not a single person on here that hasn’t been confused by one thing or another since CB came to the forefront, so don’t be too hard on yourself!

 

[Dlk79]

i like to think some [most?, all?] of the stories about lack of co-operation etc etc etc are just media hacks filing their one story a day obligation. i must have missed wolters saying he is hiding evidence, and not co-operating with other LE. but i am sure you have a link )))

I don't think I said anything about not co-operating with other LE, where did you attribute that comment from? The comment about hiding evidence relates to this "concrete evidence" they claim to have, that they have already stated they are not sharing with PJ, SY or the McCann's. "hiding" or "not sharing" is just semantics, ultimately the BKA know something they are not telling their LE equivalents. That's all I'm saying. We don't know what is happening behind the scenes, but I can imagine there is some friction.

 

[Muebles]

I have read through this particular thread. Forgive me if this was discussed in an earlier one.

In trying to sort through the how of the MM abduction, I have found myself tripped up over the front open window of the apartment. Not because he couldn't have gotten in and out himself; but how do you get through that window with a child? That doesn't make sense to me.

In the Netflix doc, there is a British woman who is vacationing with her sister in an apartment on the other side of the complex. The day MM was taken, they both saw two blonde men. They were in the terrace area of an apartment that wasn't occupied. The woman was interviewed by police England.

MT, who claimed to be CB's best friend, seemed to talk way too much to the press when this story broke in June. I find it inconceivable that he didn't have an idea of what was going on.

There were also sightings of a very ugly man, and the drawing I saw in the Netflix doc was very similar to MT's face. The nose and hairline. CB isn't very ugly. MT might pass as such.

Another family saw someone exiting the McCann's apartment in a furtive manner that day. He was very careful closing the gate.

So. I have a possible theory here, and again, if it's been stated, forgive me.

CB enters the apartment while they were at tennis, etc., in the day. He could have checked to see if front shutter was unlocked. He exits.

CB and his accomplice, possibly MT, work together to abduct MM. CB climbs through window, while accomplice is lookout. Picks up MM, and hands her to MT. Then he climbs out himself.

There's a reference to a car park outside the window. They could have just waited in the car park.

It still bothers me that the window was used at all, with the back door unlocked. But because there was too great a chance of being spotted, I guess it makes some sort of sense.

CB does seem like lone wolf to me, but I get tripped up on that damned window. Would appreciate any thoughts. Thanks.

 

[Dlk79]

I have read through this particular thread. Forgive me if this was discussed in an earlier one.

In trying to sort through the how of the MM abduction, I have found myself tripped up over the front open window of the apartment. Not because he couldn't have gotten in and out himself; but how do you get through that window with a child? That doesn't make sense to me.

In the Netflix doc, there is a British woman who is vacationing with her sister in an apartment on the other side of the complex. The day MM was taken, they both saw two blonde men. They were in the terrace area of an apartment that wasn't occupied. The woman was interviewed by police England.

MT, who claimed to be CB's best friend, seemed to talk way too much to the press when this story broke in June. I find it inconceivable that he didn't have an idea of what was going on.

There were also sightings of a very ugly man, and the drawing I saw in the Netflix doc was very similar to MT's face. The nose and hairline. CB isn't very ugly. MT might pass as such.

Another family saw someone exiting the McCann's apartment in a furtive manner that day. He was very careful closing the gate.

So. I have a possible theory here, and again, if it's been stated, forgive me.

CB enters the apartment while they were at tennis, etc., in the day. He could have checked to see if front shutter was unlocked. He exits.

CB and his accomplice, possibly MT, work together to abduct MM. CB climbs through window, while accomplice is lookout. Picks up MM, and hands her to MT. Then he climbs out himself.

There's a reference to a car park outside the window. They could have just waited in the car park.

It still bothers me that the window was used at all, with the back door unlocked. But because there was too great a chance of being spotted, I guess it makes some sort of sense.

CB does seem like lone wolf to me, but I get tripped up on that damned window. Would appreciate any thoughts. Thanks.

There's a number of theories on the window. One, is as you described, that MM was passed through the window to an accomplice. Other theories involve the possibility that the window was unlocked (as the McCanns say it may have been) and/or that the abductor had a key to the front door (keys for the doors held in the Ocean club apparently went missing a few weeks before)

One possibility is that the abductor left through the front door and opened the window just to survey if anyone was outside before they left via the blind spot door next to the window.

Or, the abductor didn't want to make it obvious they had a key and opened the window as a diversion to make it appear the point of entry.

Alternatively, the abductor lifted the shutters from outside, opened the window and reached in to the pulley to hold the shutter up. Then, they called MM to them under some false pretence about their parents needing them etc and simply lifted her through the window without even entering the apartment.

There's also the possibility that CB did indeed go in through the window and back out with MM. It's certainly tricky, but not impossible.

 

[Anxala]

... but I get tripped up on that damned window.

There's no evidence to date that the window was actually open. Or that the shutters had been tampered with. On the contrary.

So I wouldn't put too much effort into pursuing that angle.

 

[sleuth-d-]

I don't think I said anything about not co-operating with other LE, where did you attribute that comment from? The comment about hiding evidence relates to this "concrete evidence" they claim to have, that they have already stated they are not sharing with PJ, SY or the McCann's. "hiding" or "not sharing" is just semantics, ultimately the BKA know something they are not telling their LE equivalents. That's all I'm saying. We don't know what is happening behind the scenes, but I can imagine there is some friction.

you mentioned hiding evidence - which is not co-operating.
we just have the public statements. wolters is a prosecutor, just doing what is best for the public facing side of his case. i agree with you that what is in the public domain is nowhere near the full story. i just don't imagine friction. a joint country task force is a good idea, maybe that already exists - but is behind the scenes.

 

[Muebles]

There's a number of theories on the window. One, is as you described, that MM was passed through the window to an accomplice. Other theories involve the possibility that the window was unlocked (as the McCanns say it may have been) and/or that the abductor had a key to the front door (keys for the doors held in the Ocean club apparently went missing a few weeks before)

One possibility is that the abductor left through the front door and opened the window just to survey if anyone was outside before they left via the blind spot door next to the window.

Or, the abductor didn't want to make it obvious they had a key and opened the window as a diversion to make it appear the point of entry.

Alternatively, the abductor lifted the shutters from outside, opened the window and reached in to the pulley to hold the shutter up. Then, they called MM to them under some false pretence about their parents needing them etc and simply lifted her through the window without even entering the apartment.

There's also the possibility that CB did indeed go in through the window and back out with MM. It's certainly tricky, but not impossible.

This is most helpful. Thank you.

 

[Dlk79]

you mentioned hiding evidence - which is not co-operating.
we just have the public statements. wolters is a prosecutor, just doing what is best for the public facing side of his case. i agree with you that what is in the public domain is nowhere near the full story. i just don't imagine friction. a joint country task force is a good idea, maybe that already exists - but is behind the scenes.

I like you D, but please don't twist my words. The BKA are withholding evidence from SY and PJ. That might be interpreted as non-cooperation by some, but I didn't say that, nor did I mean it.

I'm positive the BKA have good reason for doing so, but I'm just not sure how everyone else in the Portuguese and British LE are viewing it. Hopefully they are all working towards the common goal, it's just the stuff coming out in the press (which admittedly may be bull) isn't giving me much confidence.