Madeleine McCann Update: Previous Theory About Suspect Resurfaces Following Christian Brückner's Identification

Since Madeleine McCann's 2007 disappearance from her parents' hotel room in Praia da Luz, Portugal, police have been following new details as they have tried to find out what happened to the 3-year-old. In the subsequent years, her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were looked at as suspects. However, in recent weeks, law enforcement officials have identified Christian Brückner as the prime suspect in McCann's case.

Now, Goncalo Amaral, a former Portuguese police officer, has spoken out about how the identification of "Christian B" coincides with a similar theory he once had about Maddie's disappearance.

READ: Madeleine McCann Update: Evidence Tying Christian Brückner To Crime Could've Been Destroyed, Says Report

According to The Sun, Amaral told a Portuguese TV interviewer that he believed Brückner was an "almost perfect suspect." He then discussed how his profile fits one that the one-time official had previously formed of the person responsible for taking her from her hotel room.

"When I spoke last year I was talking about the situation that’s happening now," he said, adding, "It matters little who the paedophile is."

When asked if he believed that the police had the right man in their sights, he responded, "To answer that question it has to be proven first that an abduction took place."

This is not the first time that Amaral has publicly discussed McCann's disappearance. Prior to his new interview, he released the controversial 2008 book "Maddie: A Verdade da Mentira," which translates to "Maddie: The Truth of the Lie." After the work's release, Kate and Gerry took legal action against the former official in 2009 due to claims that were made in "Maddie." In 2015, they were awarded £450,000 (approximately $563,382 U.S. dollars) in libel damages by a Portuguese court, but that ruling was later overturned.

READ: Madeleine McCann Update: Prime Suspect's Past May Link Him To Another Missing Girl

Aside from Amaral's recent conversation about her assumed abduction, other developments have occurred over the past few weeks that have continued to push the "unsolvable" case forward. Not only have some indicated that they believe "knockout" evidence could be provided by unexpected people, but police have also reportedly been fighting over a DNA sample from the McCanns' hotel room.

As for "Christian B" himself, various people from his past have come forward to speak about their personal experiences with him. Per their accounts, he previously "freaked out" when her name was once mentioned and was allegedly "obsessed with the dark web" at one time. It has also been said that he has been refusing to cooperate throughout the investigation and has stated his innocence through his attorney.