(NewsNation) — A new search has begun for Madeleine McCann, a British toddler who became one of the most famous unsolved missing person cases in the world.
The fresh hunt, nearly two decades after she went missing and just two years after another search failed to find evidence, is leading to a big unanswered question: Why now?
German and Portuguese police are looking for clues in the Algarve, a vast region in southern Portugal known for its coastline, sandy beaches, dense shrubbery and woodlands.
Madeleine was 3 years old when she disappeared in 2007 during a family vacation at a popular resort. She vanished from her bed in the middle of the night while her parents dined at a nearby restaurant.
German prosecutors investigating man they believe killed Madeleine McCann
The new search was prompted by a request from prosecutors in Germany who are investigating a man who they believe killed McCann. That man is Christian Bruckner, a 48-year-old German national serving seven years for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in that same resort town in Portugal.
Criminologist and former senior British detective Graham Hill joined “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” on Tuesday. He was sent to Portugal just days after Madeleine went missing and worked on the case.
Hill said he believes the search has been renewed because of two theories — that she was killed nearby, or the greater likelihood of strong, new evidence. “This time, I think they’re working to some very strong intelligence that they’ve gleaned as part of their investigation,” he said.
Bruckner lived in the Algarve region during the time Madeleine went missing, and his phone records placed him near the resort on that night. Bruckner has denied any involvement in her disappearance. He faces no formal charges in her case, and he’s set to be released from prison in September.
Hill believes Portuguese police failed in their initial search and that if they had conducted a more adequate investigation, Bruckner would have been a “prime suspect.”
Investigators using ground radar technology during search: Report
The Independent reported that dozens of German police officers, forensic experts and Portuguese authorities began using drones and a digger Wednesday. Police were reportedly searching farm buildings after spending time Tuesday digging up dirt and clearing scrub around an abandoned farmhouse.
Firefighters also reportedly drained a well Tuesday during the search. The Independent said the searches are expected to last until Friday. Investigators are reportedly using ground radar technology to see approximately 15 feet underground. The area they’re searching includes a cottage where Bruckner used to live.
Hill believes there is little to no likelihood that Madeleine is alive, as is typical in many child abduction cases.
“What we do know is that if a child is murdered as a result of an abduction, then they’re likely to be dead within three to six hours,” he said.
“This idea, this Hollywood version of people keeping children hostages, and feeding them, and keeping them in cages is just not practical. … In most cases, children that are abducted are sexually abused [and] murdered very quickly,” he said.
Madeleine McCann goes missing on vacation
On May 3, 2007, Madeleine disappeared from her bed while on vacation with her parents, Kate and Gerry; her twin siblings, Amelia and Sean; and other family friends. The Independent reported that the McCann parents planned to ensure all children were checked on every 30 minutes.
A picture of missing toddler Madeleine McCann is held by her aunt Philomena McCann as she gives television interviews after visiting Parliament on May 16, 2007, in London. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) 
Kate and Gerry McCann display a poster of their missing daughter during a news conference on June 6, 2007, in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Miguel Villagran/Getty Images) 
Kate and Gerry McCann, wearing T-shirts printed with a photo of their missing daughter Madeleine, attend the Miles For Missing People 10km fundraising event at Hyde Park on March 13, 2010, in London, England. (Photo by Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage) 
The apartment hotel building where Madelaine McCann disappeared in Praia da Luz, southern Portugal, on May 9, 2007. (VASCO CELIO/AFP via Getty Images) Kate and Gerry McCann hold an age-progressed police image of their daughter during a news conference to mark the fifth anniversary of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, on May 2, 2012, in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) 
Yellow ribbon, candles and a picture of Madelaine McCann are seen on the railings outside the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 12, 2007. (MELANIE MAPS/AFP via Getty Images) 
Brian Kennedy, the great uncle of missing child Madeleine McCann, stands amongst the messages of support at the War memorial in Rothley Village Centre on May 21, 2007, in Rothley, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images) 
A picture of Madeleine McCann is tied to a post outside St Andrews Cathedral on May 12, 2007, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) 
Moroccan children hold placards showing portraits of Madeleine McCann, the British girl who vanished in Portugal, on June 11, 2007, during a visit of Madeleine’s parents in Rabat. (ABDELHAK SENNA/AFP via Getty Images) 
England players hold a banner calling for the safe return of missing child Maddie McCann, before England B team training at the Carrington training ground on May 24, 2007, in Manchester, England. (Photo by Gary M. Prior/Getty Images).
Kate McCann reportedly checked on the children at around 10 p.m. and discovered Madeleine was missing. Police officers, aided by 60 staff members and guests, searched for her until the morning. Border police and airport staff were also alerted.
After 100 days, police admitted Madeleine might never be found and informed her parents the investigation had moved from an abduction case to homicide.
In 2022, Bruckner was formally identified as a suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance. He has denied any involvement and has not been charged.
The McCann case has received worldwide interest for several years, with sightings reported as far as Australia. Many books and documentaries have been written about the disappearance.
The last time police searched for evidence in the case was in 2023. Detectives from three different countries had searched near a dam and reservoir about 30 miles from the resort where McCann went missing, the Praia da Luz resort.
The McCann family recently marked the 18th anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance and expressed their determination to continue searching.