A renewed search for Madeleine McCann, who vanished from a family vacation in Portugal on May 3, 2007, was likely prompted by a reliable inside source, according to Bryan Stern, founder of Grey Bull Rescue.

Madeleine, then 3, was taken from her family’s ground-floor apartment in Praia da Luz, a coastal city in southern Portugal.

Portuguese and German police conducted a new search in Praia da Luz this week, concluding on Thursday. Authorities have not yet disclosed whether any significant evidence was found.

“The fundamental questions remain unanswered: Who was responsible? How did it occur? When did it happen? Where did it happen?” Stern, a U.S. Army and Navy veteran who now specializes in rescue operations, told Digital.

“These situations are incredibly frustrating because there are far more questions than answers. The only certainty is that a young girl who once walked the streets is now missing.”

Stern suggested that the renewed search indicates law enforcement’s continued pursuit of answers in the unsolved case. He believes a tip may have come from someone familiar with the prime suspect or from the suspect himself, possibly as part of a deal with prosecutors.

In 2020, identified Christian Brueckner, 45, as the primary suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance. That same year, German officials declared her dead.

Brueckner maintains his innocence. He resided in Portugal for an extended period, around the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.

He is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for the 2005 rape of a 72-year-old woman and is scheduled for release in September, according to Reuters.

Brueckner was also charged in 2022 with sex crimes against children allegedly committed in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.

A source involved in the Praia da Luz search told Reuters that it encompassed several abandoned houses, wells, and reservoirs across “dozens of hectares.”

Stern mentioned that officials likely employed ground-penetrating radar technology.

“They consistently find items buried in the ground. Technology, especially DNA technology, is advanced. DNA persists,” Stern said. “Technology exists to see beneath the surface, used for fossil discovery, locating missing persons, and even oil drilling and water detection. It involves radar that emits sound and energy, analyzing the returning signals with remarkable detail.”

Stern frequently works with parents of missing children, describing it as the most challenging aspect of his job.

“I’m not concerned with criminals or geopolitical adversaries. My focus is on the mothers who rely on me to bring their children home. That’s my driving force and my greatest fear. My biggest worry is telling a mother that I failed. After 729 missions and 7,128 people rescued, we’ve never failed.”

In the McCann case, Stern noted that the absence of Madeleine’s remains makes it difficult to definitively conclude that she is deceased, which is “painful.”

Madeleine was born in May 2003 and would be 22 years old this year.

The Official Find Madeleine Campaign, managed by Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, did not respond to a request for comment from Digital regarding the search.

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