[imagesource: Getty Images]

After more than 13 years of uncertainty, it appears as though Madeleine McCann’s parents may finally find a degree of closure.

German investigators spoke last week of having evidence that Maddie was dead, with German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters saying he had written a letter to her family.

In comments to German media, Wolters said the letter stated that prosecutors had “concrete evidence” of her murder, although how they knew would not be revealed to avoid jeopardising an ongoing investigation.

The prime suspect, Christian Bruckner, is currently in prison in Germany for a drugs offence.

Despite these claims, the McCanns say they have not received a letter, reports the Telegraph:

The McCann’s have reacted to the reports of his [Wolters’] claims, calling them “false”.

“Since the recent police appeals regarding Madeleine’s disappearance there have been many inaccurate stories reported in the media,” they said.

“The widely reported news that we have a received a letter from the German authorities that states there is evidence or proof that Madeleine is dead is false.

“Like many unsubstantiated stories in the media, this has caused unnecessary anxiety to friends and family and once again disrupted our lives.

A lawyer for the family said they are growing increasingly frustrated with how key information coming out of Germany is being withheld from the Metropolitan Police or the Portuguese Policia Judiciaria, despite it being a joint investigation.

Bruckner, the prime suspect, has now released his first public statement on the matter, with his lawyers saying their client “denies any involvement” in the case.

The evidence collected thus far may refute those claims, reports the Independent:

According to an investigation by ‘Der Spiegel’, police recovered “countless children’s items, most of them small swimsuits” when they searched Bruckner’s US-style camper van in May 2016.

Officers viewed more than 8,000 photos and videos on six USB sticks and two memory cards showing the abuse of young children and around 100 of the files were pictures of Bruckner partly naked or in black stockings performing a sex act, the newspaper reported.

The same investigation spoke with a former friend of Bruckner’s, who says the suspect told him “I can transport children, kids, in this space. Drugs and children, you can transport them in this van, it’s a safe space in the van, nobody can find them. Nobody can catch you.”

Whatever happens from here on out, German prosecutors may want to ensure they communicate more clearly with Maddie’s family.

[sources:telegraph&independent]