Madeleine McCann case has major update after German police find hard drive that 'contains evidence she is dead'

Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.

There is a major update in the Madeleine McCann case after German police found a hard drive that 'contains evidence she is dead'.

It's now been 18 years since little Madeleine disappeared while holidaying with her family in Portugal back in 2007.

Madeleine was sleeping in her Praia da Luz hotel apartment alongside her younger twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, while her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, enjoyed a dinner at the Ocean Club restaurant on the night she vanished. The restaurant they visited was around 100 yards from the bedroom.

Only when returning to the two-bedroom apartment at around 10pm did Madeleine's mum discover the youngster was missing.

Madeleine McCann, who was three years old at the time, went missing while holidaying in Portugal back in 2007 (PA)

After the news broke of her disappearance, millions have been invested into the investigation into Madeleine's whereabouts, which has often been branded the 'most reported on missing person's case in modern history'.

The latest update in the case has detailed a hard drive which was uncovered at a disused factory bought by the prime suspect in the McCann investigation, which reportedly contains evidence she is dead.

According to The Telegraph, German prosecutors believe Christian Brueckner, who was first confirmed to be under investigation back in 2020, killed the three-year-old after she vanished during a family holiday.

The Sun additionally reports that masks, unlicensed guns and ammunition, children’s toys, and bikes were found at Brueckner's hideaway, despite him having no children himself, while as many as 75 children's swimming costumes were also discovered.

Child abuse images of four and five-year-old girls were also said to have been found during the searches.

German prosecutors believe Christian Brueckner killed the three-year-old after she vanished during a family holiday (Handout / Handout / Getty Images)

In the factory, German police also discovered six USB sticks and two memory cards in a wallet - evidence which was detected by a dog back in 2016.

A Sat Nav also showed Brueckner had been in the Algarve in the years after Madeleine disappeared.

While German investigators have kept the exact content of the hard drive secret, but it is believed to contain evidence that McCann is dead.

The claims will air in full in a Channel 4 documentary set to be released on Wednesday night (7 May).

Brueckner is currently behind bars for the 2005 rape of an American woman in Praia da Luz but was acquitted of all of these claims last year and could be released as early as September 2025, unless prosecutors are able to prove that he is the man who killed McCann, who would now be 21, all those years ago.

• Kate McCann revealed one ‘bitter’ regret she’ll have for ‘the rest of her days’ following Madeleine’s disappearance
• What actually happened to holiday apartment where Madeleine McCann went missing nearly two decades ago
• Kate McCann has one regret for ‘the rest of her days’ over disappearance of daughter Madeleine
• Real story behind infamous Madeleine McCann photo revealed