Christian Brückner, the prime suspect in the high-profile disappearance of Madeleine McCann, has been released from a German prison where he was serving a sentence for an unrelated offense. Brückner, 48, was driven out of Sehnde prison near Hanover in a black Audi by his lawyer, accompanied by a police escort, early Wednesday morning. While he was not visible in the vehicle, authorities confirmed his departure. Brückner, who has never been charged in connection with the McCann case, denies any involvement. He was previously convicted of raping a 72-year-old American woman in Portugal in 2005 and will now be subject to strict probationary conditions, including wearing an ankle monitor for five years. German prosecutors have pointed to evidence, such as mobile phone data, suggesting Brückner was in the area when Madeleine vanished in 2007, but they lack sufficient evidence to charge him. Despite his release, Brückner remains a suspect in the ongoing investigation. Madeleine McCann, then three years old, disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, while her parents dined nearby. Her case remains one of the most prominent unsolved missing person cases globally. Brückner, a convicted sex offender with a history of petty crimes, has faced multiple searches in recent years, including near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, but no breakthroughs have been made. The Metropolitan Police in the UK continue to treat the case as a missing person inquiry, with over £13.2 million spent on the investigation since 2011.