New Suspect Identified in Madeleine McCann Case 13 Years after the Little Girl Went Missing

A 43-year-old German inmate has been identified as the new suspect in the Madeleine McCann case 13 years after the little girl went missing in Portugal.

Thirteen years after then-3-year-old Madeleine McCann went missing in Portugal, the British authorities have finally made progress in identifying a suspect.

As reported by BBC, a 43-year-old German inmate has been identified by the police as a new suspect in the case. According to the official, the inmate, who is serving time for a sex crime, is believed to have been around the area where Madeleine was last seen.

Her disappearance, which caused a ruckus, resulted in a costly police hunt around Europe, which is estimated to be £11 million.

They explained that a day after she went missing, the suspect, whose name has been withheld, transferred a Jaguar car he owned to someone else's name.

It was revealed that he was in the Praia de Luz area in Portugal ―where Madeleine and her parents were staying upon her disappearance― receiving a call between the hours of 7:32 pm and 8:02 pm.

Authorities believe that this call to an unknown dialler is critical to the investigation. According to German authorities, the inmate, who was 30 years old as at the time of her disappearance, has been convicted twice for sexual crimes involving girls.

With this new-found progress in the case, her parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, are grateful to the police as they emphasize the need to find their little girl. They released a statement, saying:

"All we have ever wanted is to find her, uncover the truth, and bring those responsible to justice."

As recalled by People Magazine, Madeleine went missing from her family's vacation villa in the Algarve region of Portugal on May 3, 2007.

Her disappearance, which caused a ruckus, resulted in a costly police hunt around Europe, which is estimated to be £11 million.

A spokesperson for the McCanns revealed to The Guardian that the bereaved parents believe that this new suspect's identification is "potentially very significant," given that it's the first time in 13 years that the police are focused their investigations on one person.

A timeline of Madeleine's disappearance, as recounted by BBC, shows that it happened at the Ocean club while she was with her younger brother and younger twin sisters, and her parents were away at a restaurant with a group of friends.

Over the years, there has been news and rumors of Madeleine's sightings, but nothing concrete has been established.