pleaded for her safe return. she was just days shy of her 4th birthday. it was may 2007. we beg you to let madeleine come home. madeleine did not come home, and now 15 years later, prosecutors say they believe madeleine is dead and they know who killed her. he told portuguese broadcaster that investigators had found new evidence that connects this man to madeleine s disinterred appearance. he s a convicted rainist and child sex abuser. it is true that if you find something belonging to madeleine in the caravan of christian brooker? to the details of the invest gag, i cannot give you but you cannot deny it, can you? i don t want to deny it. the prosecutor told them he
out, but authorities are still seeking answers. randi kaye has travelled to por g gal and london years ago. and tonight she has more information on the case. please, if you have madeleine, let her come home to her mommy, daddy, brother, and sister. reporter: just hours after madeleine mccann vanished, her parents pleaded for her return. she was just shy of her fourth birthday. it was may 2007. we beg you to let madeleine come home. reporter: madeleine did not come home. and now 15 years later, prosecutors say they believe madeleine is dead and that they know who killed her. der man prosecutors hans christian walters told portuguese tv that investigators found new evidence that connects this man, christian brooker in, to madeleine s disappearance. he is a convicted rapist and
3-year-old british girl. hundreds of people have been searching. the next morning, the news carried the story. she s gone missing in portugal. within 24 hours, the tiny little village was swarming with media. and the mccanns gave their first press conference. please, if you have madeleine, let her come home to her mummy, daddy, brother and sister. four days after madeleine vanished, kate made another appeal. we beg you to let madeleine come home. we need our madeleine. but did it help or hurt? kate and gerry, they were very serious. they didn t cry when they were in the press, and that s something that we began to look
were called very early on, we left with them almost immediately. reporter: police arrived and a team of detectives was assembled just before midnight. along with resort guests, authorities searched throughout the night. at that point, police believed madeleine had been kidnapped. they did not secure the apartment. we tried to do a strategic search from the right-hand side of the village across the street to the left. reporter: but there was no sign of missing madeleine. please, please, do not hurt her. please don t scare her. please tell us where to find her or put her in a place of safety and let somebody know where she is. we beg you to let madeleine come home. reporter: rumors have been rampant, their position,
before midnight, along with resort guests. authorities searched throughout the night. at that point police believe madeleine had been kidnapped. they did not secure the apartment. we tried to do a strategic search from the right-hand side of the village across through to the left. reporter: but there was no sign of missing madeleine. please do not hurt her. please don t scare her. please tell us where to find her. or put her in a place of safety and let somebody know where she is. we beg you to let madeleine come home. reporter: rumors have been rampant. facts scarce. those final hours of may 3rd, 2007 remain a mystery, except to the person or persons who harmed madeleine mccann. gary tuchman, cnn, praya deluj, portugal. it s impossible to know what these years have been like. ed smart knows. his daughter was kidnaped from her bedroom in the middle of the night in 2002. she was 14.