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Who were the suspects in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance?

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During the course of the investigation into Madeleine McCann’s 2007 disappearance, Portuguese authorities named four primary people as arguidos (formal suspects).

  • Gerry McCann: Madeleine’s father; he was cleared in 2008.
  • Kate McCann: Madeleine’s mother; she was cleared in 2008.
  • Robert Murat: British Portuguese businessman who lived in Praia da Luz and was identified by witnesses as having walked near the McCanns’ apartment the night of May 3, 2007; he was cleared in 2008.
  • Christian BrĂŒckner: German criminal convicted of rape, burglary, and child pornography, among other offenses; he was living in Praia da Luz at the time of the crime and was named an official suspect in Portugal in 2022.