Main Suspect in Madeline McCann Disappearance Released From Prison | Crime Alert 6AM 09.24.25

49-year-old Christian Brueckner [BROOK-ner] has spent the last week a free man, after his release from a seven-year sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2005. Ryan Routh is found guilty of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump and then immediately tries to stab himself in the neck with a pen after the verdict. Drew Nelson reports.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime alert, i'm as grace breaking crime news. Now the
primary suspect and three year old Matty McCann's disappearance has
been released. Yes, Christian Bruckner, serving a seven year sentence
for an unrelated rape, now walks free. Reportedly, a former

(00:20):
German federal police employee paid an outstanding fine for Bruckner,
but tried to get the money back after realizing it
would lead to his release. Straight out to Drew Nelson.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
For more Nancy. Forty nine year old Christian Bruckner has
spent the last week of freeman after his release from
a seven year sentence for the rape of a seventy
two year old woman and prior to lose Portugal in
two thousand and five. German police confirmed he left the
high security facility in Zanda around nine to fifteen am
local time last Wednesday. He must wear an electronic tag,

(00:56):
give up his passport, and report to probation staff. His
lawyers are expected to appeal the restrictions. Prosecutors say he
is still dangerous and could re offend. A psychiatric report
found he refused treatment in custody and remains a risk.
He also faces an October court date in Oldenburg where
he is accused in a verbal altercation with a prison employee.

(01:17):
Police in Britain, Germany and Portugal all confirmed Bruckner remains
a suspect in Madeleine McCann's case. He has denied involvement.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell of the Metropolitan Police say
they will quote continue to pursue any viable lines of inquiry.
In June, German and Portuguese police carried out a major
search in the Algarba. Investigators dug near derelict farm buildings

(01:41):
and pumped out wells, hoping to find traces of Madeline
or her clothing. Sein and Portugal reported the search focused
on a route between Bruckner's former house and the cliffs
of Prior to Leuse. The theory was that he may
have used the path to dispose of her body. Nothing
conclusive was found. Madeleine McCann vanished on May third of two,
one thousand and seven, during a family holiday in Pria

(02:02):
to Lose. She was three years old. Her parents, Kate
and Jerry McCann, had left her and her twin siblings
asleep in their apartment while they dined at a nearby restaurant.
When Kate returned at ten pm, she found her daughter gone.
Witnesses recalled her screaming quote, Madeleine's gone, Someone's taken her.
Hundreds joined the search that night. Police initially believed Madeleine

(02:22):
was alive and abducted. Later, suspicion briefly turned on her parents,
who were both named as formal suspects, but were cleared
in two thousand and eight. Scotland Yard launched its own
inquiry in twenty eleven, known as Operation Grange. Over the years,
detectives reviewed tens of thousands of documents, collected over a
thousand exhibits, and chased more than eight thousand possible sightings,

(02:43):
but no breakthroughs. The case reignited in June of twenty twenty,
when German prosecutors identified Bruckner as their prime suspect. Phone
records placed him in pria to lose the night Madeline vanished.
A former acquaintance told police Bruckner once remarked she quote
didn't scream. Prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters later told the BBC quote,

(03:03):
if you knew the evidence we had, you would come
to the same conclusion as I do. He says. Investigators
believe Madeline is dead, though nobody has been found. In
a June prison interview with RTL, Bruckner refused to comment
on Madeleine's case. He told the reporter he was looking
forward to quote a decent stake and a beer. After
his release. Madeline would be twenty two years old today.

(03:25):
Her parents mark each anniversary with a message of hope,
writing on their website quote we love her dearly and
miss her beyond words. The investigation into what happened into
their daughter remains open.

Speaker 1 (03:36):
Thanks Drew more Crime and Justice news after this.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
Ryan Ruth has found guilty of trying to assassinate President
Donald Trump and then immediately tries to stab himself in
the neck with a pen. After the verdict, a jury
in Fort Pierce, Florida, convicted Ruth, aged fifty nine, found
guilty of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting
a federal officer, and three firearms charges. He now faces

(04:04):
a possible life sentence when Judge Aleen Cannon rules on
December eighteenth. Jurors reach their verdict in less than three hours.
Moments after the decision was read, Ruth lunged at his
own neck with a pen. His daughter cried out, quote,
oh my god, he's trying to kill himself. He's trying
to kill himself. Someone stop him, please. US marshals rushed
to restrain him and dragged him from the room. He

(04:25):
returned minutes later in shackles. There was no apparent blood.
Ruth had chosen to act as his own lawyer during
the two week trial. His closing argument ran for nearly
an hour, during which he claimed there was no crime
because quote the trigger was never pulled, the gun was
never fired, and that no one was hurt, so no crime.
At another point, he insisted, although quote I wanted to kill,

(04:46):
my actions within the community and toward my coworkers and
families should show my obvious non violence and gentleness. He
argued the attempt was quote never in his heart. But
prosecutors said Ruth spent weeks building a sniper's nest near
the sixth Green of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm.
A Secret Service agent testified that he saw Ruth aiming
his rifle before mister Trump came into view. Prosecutor Christopher

(05:09):
Brown said, hit a loaded round in the chamber and
the safety off. We don't have to prove motive, but
you already have it. You only have to decide intent.
Evidence included call logs, texts, bank records, and video surveillance.
FBI agent Kimberly McGreevy testified that Ruth's phones showed searches
for quote Trump's upcoming rallies end quote, Palm Beach traffic cameras.

(05:31):
He also looked up quote directions to Miami Airport end
quote flights to Mexico. On September fifteenth of last year,
just before his arrest, he sent farewell messages to his children,
writing to his daughter quote love you so much. You
are the best daughter, and to his son quote quote
you are so awesome, dude, Love you so much. Attorney
General Pam Bondi said the conviction quote illustrates the Department

(05:54):
of Justice's commitment to punishing those who engage in political violence.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the case sent a
clear message that quote, an attempt to assassinate a presidential
candidate is in attack on our republic and on the
rights of every citizen. President Trump posted untruth social quote
congratulations to Attorney General Pambondi. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche

(06:16):
and the entire DOJ team on the conviction in Florida
of the person who attempted an assassination on my life.
This was an evil man with an evil intention, and
they caught him.

Speaker 1 (06:26):
Thanks Drew for the latest crime and justice to use.
Go to crimeonline dot com and please join us for
our daily podcast, Crime Stories, where we do our best
to find missing people, especially children, and help solve unsolved homicides.
With this crime Alart, I'm Nancy Grace.