German investigated in Madeleine McCann disappearance released after serving time in unrelated case

A German man who is under investigation in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann 18 years ago was released from prison Wednesday after serving his sentence in an unrelated case, police said.

The man, who has been identified by media as Christian Brückner, had been serving a seven-year sentence that stemmed from his 2019 conviction for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Portugal.

He left the prison at Sehnde, near Hannover in northern Germany, on Wednesday morning.