"Investigate the cremated body thesis" Gonçalo Amaral calls for analysis and reconstruction.

Translated with google.
"Investigate the cremated body thesis" Gonçalo Amaral calls for analysis and reconstruction. 
By  Sergio A. Vitorino, Tania Laranjo 


Gonçalo Amaral, former coordinator of the Judicial investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in May 2007, in the Algarve, of course: "With the failure of all research and millions spent, we just wanted to discredit our line of research [ Maddie died accidentally and parents hid the body], it is time to refocus the investigation. "Gonçalo Amaral said yesterday the CM that is now in Portugal," start with the reconstruction that was never made ​​and the laboratory analysis of evidence ever were truly analyzed, as the hairs on the back of your car where Madeleine fluids were found.
"the investigator in the reform states that it is necessary to follow leads as the" incineration Madeleine's body in a coffin of a British súbdita "and access to medical records girl in the UK, which has never been allowed.


IMO: This is crucial for the case.



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It must surely be dawning on Team McCann and Operation Grange at this juncture that

The truth will out!

Been following this on Facebook and trying to make a coherent timeline. In doing so I found [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] which I'd previously not noticed:

'John Brown

Date: 2007.10.05

I am the above named person and I write this statement in relation to a week I went to Portugal to play golf. I flew from Luton Airport, London to Faro, Portugal Airport on May 8th 2007. I went with my wife B*** B***, Michael WRIGHT a friend and his wife S*** W****, N***** R******, his wife J***** R******.'



'I collected the hire car upon arrival from the rental company at the airport in Faro and returned it to the same spot.'

'The only people to use or get in the car were myself, my wife, mr and mrs Wright and mrs R***** '


Is that the same Michael Wright who was with TM?

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If we could confirm it is, then we have a solid link with the Scenic from May 8th, and from that...the possibility of visiting Ferreira do Alentejo. All that private time in the church is suddenly looking a lot more meaningful. No wonder Father Pacheco felt deceived.

Michael Wright is married to Anne - Marie,  cousin of Kate McCann .

She said this...

Isabel Oliveira 3 shadows of people seen going to the church during night with a bag . There was a coffin in the church with an old lady that was incinerated next day in Ferreira do Alentejo. This is in a police document
------------------------------------
Yes, it's about an elderly British woman, who died with no relatives, whose coffin was in the PdL church that night before the next day's ceremony and afterwards cremated.
--------------------------------------------
The investigator in the reform states that it is necessary to follow leads as the "incineration Madeleine's body in a coffin of a British súbdita" and access the medical records of the girl in the UK, which has never been allowed."

I think súbdita translates as subject/citizen.

So the coffin of a British subject/citizen?
----------------------------------------
canada12 Today at 11:01 am (THX)

There was a lot of speculation in 2007 that Madeleine's body had been cremated but iirc, the focus was on animal cremations and a nearby animal crematorium that had been shut. The speculation was that somehow they'd managed to hide Madeleine's body inside the body of an animal that had been taken to the crematorium. But I can see how this might have been a diversionary tactic to divert the speculation away from a more obvious conclusion, that her body had been hidden inside a coffin in the church. This makes complete sense if true. The McCanns asked for the key to the church and had unprecedented access. IIRC there was speculation at the time that her body had been hidden in a coffin but I'm not sure anyone was ever able to identify who had died around that time, or, indeed, IF anyone had died around that time. Obviously if this is true, the police will have had access to all the church records concerning the funeral and the cremation, and they will know what happened to the ashes. If they're lucky, the ashes are still held somewhere. I know from personal experience that sometimes not all of a body is reduced to ashes. Things like teeth and bone fragments often survive the fire. If they are able to identify, for instance, a tooth or a partial tooth that's obviously a child's tooth, then that might be the smoking gun. Or a bone fragment that can be identified as having come from a child rather than an adult. I wonder if you can extract DNA from cremation ashes. If you can't, then I wonder if sometime in the future it would be possible. If so, and the ashes are still held, then it might be something that a Cold Case investigation might solve at some future point.

Interesting development.
----------------------------------
FACT!

Witness Statement
Date: 2007/05/16 Hours: 15h25m

Rui Segio Lopes Silva

Occupation: GNR Officer

He was immediately sent to one of the search zones, initially accompanied by the post commander.

He never entered the McCann apartment the girl disappeared from.

He only had direct contact with the couple and their friends at about 04.00am when Gerry McCann approached the GNR group of which he was a member to ask whether there was a church close by. He replied to him in English, giving the directions to a nearby church.

4:00am (04/05/2007)

When David P and GM 'went out, again' to erm, 'search'

eta: McCanns, the devout Catholics have been in PDL for almost a week and 'don't know' where  one, of only three, churches are in PDL.

And the 'other' leg has got bells on!

etaa: 'missing' blue sports bag?

IF the GNR officer can 'identify' a church, he gave GM the 'directions to', and IF a 'subject' WAS in a coffin 'there', or just a coffin,........who knows where this will 'lead'.......

The church right next to the beach...which they say they took a trip to with the children. Plausible deniability...

I remembered reading about this on Joana's blog and found this comment:

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Anonymous said...
Joana: Yesterday there was an interesting comment on the Diario Da Noticias discussion thread. The poster using the name Luis Arriaga, made a statement that Madeleine was cremated at Ferreira do Alentejo, where there is a public crematorium. Luis Arriaga claimed to have represented Amaral in court and there is a Luis Arriaga who runs the Justice for Gonacalo Amaral campaign in Portugal. Is this just another hoax message?

...



Don't know if anything came of it.

jeanmonroe wrote:She said this...

Isabel Oliveira 3 shadows of people seen going to the church during night with a bag . There was a coffin in the church with an old lady that was incinerated next day in Ferreira do Alentejo. This is in a police document
------------------------------------
Yes, it's about an elderly British woman, who died with no relatives, whose coffin was in the PdL church that night before the next day's ceremony and afterwards cremated.
--------------------------------------------
The investigator in the reform states that it is necessary to follow leads as the "incineration Madeleine's body in a coffin of a British súbdita" and access the medical records of the girl in the UK, which has never been allowed."

I think súbdita translates as subject/citizen.

So the coffin of a British subject/citizen?
----------------------------------------
canada12 Today at 11:01 am (THX)

There was a lot of speculation in 2007 that Madeleine's body had been cremated but iirc, the focus was on animal cremations and a nearby animal crematorium that had been shut. The speculation was that somehow they'd managed to hide Madeleine's body inside the body of an animal that had been taken to the crematorium. But I can see how this might have been a diversionary tactic to divert the speculation away from a more obvious conclusion, that her body had been hidden inside a coffin in the church. This makes complete sense if true. The McCanns asked for the key to the church and had unprecedented access. IIRC there was speculation at the time that her body had been hidden in a coffin but I'm not sure anyone was ever able to identify who had died around that time, or, indeed, IF anyone had died around that time. Obviously if this is true, the police will have had access to all the church records concerning the funeral and the cremation, and they will know what happened to the ashes. If they're lucky, the ashes are still held somewhere. I know from personal experience that sometimes not all of a body is reduced to ashes. Things like teeth and bone fragments often survive the fire. If they are able to identify, for instance, a tooth or a partial tooth that's obviously a child's tooth, then that might be the smoking gun. Or a bone fragment that can be identified as having come from a child rather than an adult. I wonder if you can extract DNA from cremation ashes. If you can't, then I wonder if sometime in the future it would be possible. If so, and the ashes are still held, then it might be something that a Cold Case investigation might solve at some future point.

Interesting development.
----------------------------------
FACT!

Witness Statement
Date: 2007/05/16 Hours: 15h25m

Rui Segio Lopes Silva

Occupation: GNR Officer

He was immediately sent to one of the search zones, initially accompanied by the post commander.

He never entered the McCann apartment the girl disappeared from.

He only had direct contact with the couple and their friends at about 04.00am when Gerry McCann approached the GNR group of which he was a member to ask whether there was a church close by. He replied to him in English, giving the directions to a nearby church.

4:00am (04/05/2007)

When David P and GM 'went out, again' to erm, 'search'

eta: McCanns, the devout Catholics have been in PDL for almost a week and 'don't know' where  one, of only three, churches are in PDL.

And the 'other' leg has got bells on!

etaa: 'missing' blue sports bag?

IF the GNR officer can 'identify' a church, he gave GM the 'directions to', and IF a 'subject' WAS in a coffin 'there', or just a coffin,........who knows where this will 'lead'.......

Yes that does make more sense now.
Wasn't the priest mad with them after?

Mustardseed wrote:I remembered reading about this on Joana's blog and found this comment:

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Anonymous said...

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Joana: Yesterday there was an interesting comment on the Diario Da Noticias discussion thread. The poster using the name Luis Arriaga, made a statement that Madeleine was cremated at Ferreira do Alentejo, where there is a public crematorium. Luis Arriaga claimed to have represented Amaral in court and there is a Luis Arriaga who runs the Justice for Gonacalo Amaral campaign in Portugal. Is this just another hoax message?

...



Don't know if anything came of it.

What goes round comes round !  Nine years of diversion, the basics have been long forgotten and/or buried.  I've always thought the church played a significant role in this masquerade.

The customary tactic is of course 'look over there, not over here' but a church is hallowed ground protected by 2016 + years of sanctimonious mystery.  What with that and the McCanns feigned belief when suddenly faced with a major seemingly insurmountable problem - it's written in the scriptures.

The mysterious map/papers apparently left by Justine McGuiness pointed at Almodovar, which is pretty much half way on the road to Ferreira do Alentejo, although it is far from clear where this actual location was:
   
‘which includes photos and even a sketch, indicating the detailed location of a place on the border between the Alentejo and the Algarve, to 20 km of Almodôvar, crossed by the Ribeira do Vascão’

Which doctor's GSM was picked up into the direction of the cremation facility?

Matt or Russels?

What was the date of this funeral?

My (limited) understanding of the cremation process, and some questions.......

1. The body is sometimes burned in a cardboard box rather than a coffin, so any transferral would be revealing. In Portugal of course the whole casket may be burned ?

2. Towards the end of the process, some bones and skull can still be intact, and have to be physically broken down to form part of the ashes. 2 skulls ? 

3. If the whole casket were to be burned, how could someone guarantee that a casket would not be checked prior to cremation taking place. I would have thought this would have been standard procedure at a crematorium given that coffins regularly are left in churches overnight the day before cremation ? (Obviously with a burial you can always exhume in the future, but not with cremation).

I think someone elsewhere posted that hiding a body alongside another would require the co-operation of a crematorium worker, which I would probably agree with (again, caveat the above with my limited knowledge).

I think the cremation scenario is a possibility, but it would seem to introduce another accomplice (and risk) at the crematorium ?

Yes, I'm struggling with the risk and complexity of the supposed scenario.

What date was this and how does it fit in with the car?

Does the late night visit to the church, coincide with this scenario:

It is revealed that Portuguese police are investigating a mobile phone call from Russell O'Brien to Gerry McCann that was made on 10 June 2007. A team of telephone surveillance officers highlighted the call as it is understood to have contained key words that aroused police suspicions.

 

Investigators are concentrating on the exact whereabouts of Dr O'Brien when the call was made. It is understood Gerry McCann told detectives the call was made within a 4km radius of Praia da Luz but technicians working on the mobile phone network have dismissed this after examining records. It is believed the call took place 28km from Praia da Luz.

 

It also emerged that each member of the Tapas Nine were placed under surveillance after British communications experts arrived in the resort at the end of May. Mobile phone records, which leave a trail even when switched off, are believed to have been checked against statements made by guests and staff at the Ocean Club complex.

 

The results of these tests are believed to have been handed to the Portuguese prosecutors last week.

 

There is further press speculation about the 'Exeter connection', based around the fact that, just prior to May 3rd, Robert Murat spent 10 days at his sister's home in Exeter. Her house is less than a mile from the house where Jane Tanner and Russell O'Brien live. Tanner and O'Brien are neighbours of James and Charlotte Gorrod, who were also in Praia da Luz, at the same time as the Tapas Nine.  



Above is taken from  [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

28km arc roughly Carvoeiro at 3 o’clock,  Monchique, about 1.30,  Rogil 12 o’clock.
    
Anything else is in the sea.

BlueBag wrote:Yes, I'm struggling with the risk and complexity of the supposed scenario.

What date was this and how does it fit in with the car?

I am struggling with it too. If this did happen it was an almighty risk.  It would also mean that there are a number of people knowingly (and unknowingly) involved outwith the McCann's and their tapas friends to make this work.  Someone local would have had to provide the storage, the freezer, help with transferring her from one place to another. Then there is the crematorium. It reads to me that this crematorium was not local to PdL and the coffin was unusually taken there instead of a local crematorium for the investigation to focus on this as a possibility. Again, who was involved with this?  What happened to the ashes? How were they sure no one would notice the remains of two bodies?  I wonder who this British woman with no relatives was and where she came from.  Was she a holidaymaker or an expat? Did she have friends in the area? Why the need to be cremated elsewhere?  It isn't an  improbable theory but if it did happen, it makes you wonder just how many people are involved and actually know what happened to Madeleine . :-(

Eta not only is it an almighty risk in itself , the fact that there will be so many people involved increases the risk of someone eventually talking .

kinell wrote:Didn't Amaral say "The British Priests know very well what happened that night"? Could it have been Pacheco who helped them do it? He also said he was betrayed by them.


Translated by Joana Morais

McCann Case: 'The British Priest Staged Everything'

We went to Praia da Luz to speak with Father José Manuel – the priest of the local church – who accompanied all the sequence of events, lived after the disappearance of the English girl. Refuting all knowledge regarding the whereabouts of the blanket, the Father also denies the insinuations against his past.

Have you participated in all of the British community celebrations?
-In all.

And, specifically, you participated in religious acts for the girl Madeleine. Have you ever noticed in the existence of a pink blanket that belonged to the child?
- I participated, but I don’t know anything. The British priest, called by Madeleine parents, it was him who celebrated all the masses. In that context, the only thing that I could do for her was to pray. The other priest is the one who knows a lot – and he staged everything – it was him who made statements and who spoke to the PJ.

But, where could Maddie’s blanket be?
-It would be good to know, it’s possible that the other priest and the PJ know.

The PJ doesn’t know. Does that mean that they have ‘lost’ the evidence?
- I don’t know anything; I only know that, when everything was too ‘hot’, various stories were told, badly told and even more about me: that I was ‘exiled’ to the Vatican to speak with the Pope… Just because I missed 2 or three days, I was made an ‘exiled’.

Was it normal to hand out the church keys?
- It’s not me who decides. [silence]

There are some who have accused you of, when you where at the Gaia Seminary, having participated in act of harassment and sexual abuse.
- It’s all a lie; the media have nothing else to do. It is easy to attack the image of a priest. But, at this moment the defamers are being sued.


in Semanário Privado, 1 July 2009 - Paper Edition Only

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This link adds more information:

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Also this link:

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Let's not forget the OC worker who was on 3 days leave at the time of the disappearance but who was pursued by Susan Hubbard and 'Arthur Daley' (one of the private detectives - Dave Edgar?) in an attempt to get her to talk to KM. As the woman said in an interview, 'what have I seen - I don't know'. But she lives near to the church, so perhaps she did see something or at least it was thought she might have seen something. She obviously thinks this is the reason that KM wanted to speak to her.

Thanks to HideHo for the following interview and translation:

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The procedure for cremation is different in Portugal. It is usual for a church service to be held with the coffin present and then the coffin is transported to the crematorium for incineration. The service is not held at the crematorium itself. The crematorium facility referred to by Goncalo was serving the entire Algarve region at the time. If Maddies body was placed in the coffin and it was an Anglican funeral service conducted by Hubbard then little risk of of discovery. The coffin would be whisked up to the facility and destroyed. Ashes and bones are ground into powder after the incineration so little chance of any DNA evidence.

Article from 2014

Gerry and Kate McCann furious at claims they hid daughter Madeleine's body in coffin


Kate and Gerry McCann told of their anguish after disgraced detective Goncalo Amaral threw yet more hurtful allegations at them.

The former police officer claimed the couple could have hidden their daughter Madeleine’s body inside the coffin of a woman, who was due to be cremated, in a church near where [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]


And he today compounded their misery by sacking his lawyer moments before the pair arrived at his libel trial in Lisbon, delaying the hearing for a fourth time.
Kate said outside court: “Every time he postpones the case it brings us more pain and distress. We just want justice. This is not fair.”

Speaking earlier to a Portuguese ­newspaper and its TV channel, Amaral, sacked after botching the initial hunt for Madeleine, repeated his claims the youngster is dead.

But he suggested the McCanns hid her body in the woman’s coffin at Praia da Luz catholic church – which they had a key for – a month after she vanished in 2007.

Amaral added: “The mystery will only end when the McCann couple are no longer being protected. Only then will we understand the truth.”
But a source close to the couple said: “These are sickening allegations that no sane person would believe.

“It’s about time people realised what Mr Amaral is, a liar and a fantasist. He has been making these false claims since he was sacked.

“He is suggesting Kate and Gerry moved Madeleine’s body a month after she vanished.

"At that time they were the most-watched couple in the history of the modern media.”

Read the whole article here [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

'The British Priest Staged Everything'


[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] wrote:Didn't Amaral say "The British Priests know very well what happened that night"?



There were three British Anglican Priests in PDL - Seddon, Heal and Hubbard - but not all at the same time.  Perhaps they all know what happened.  IMO Father Pacheco was used as a scapegoat and that is why he felt betrayed by them. 


 "May 1" gave her insights on this link [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]


"Reverend David Heal seems to have been airbrushed from history, often a sign that something interesting lurks.

The Reverend David W Heal was the priest at St Vincent’s; the Anglican name of the same church which was shared with the Catholic congregation.

According to reports in Correio da Manhã, Sep 19th, 2009: “The keys to the Church, which members of the parish decided to lend to the couple a few days after Madeleine’s disappearance….  were returned to the Anglican priest…who befriended the couple". However, Hubbard‘s comment on the returning of the keys was ambiguous “I agree that the parish decided to lend them the church keys” . He didn’t reveal it was to him that the couple returned the keys.” 

The McCanns were reported to have handed the keys over without saying goodbye to Father Pacheco, so it certainly wasn’t him they were returned to. Even so, Father Pacheco seems to have been severely chastised by his superiors.

He denied taking confessions from the McCanns in his statement, so perhaps he left feeling used and abused. It’s hard to believe any burden he may have carried came from the unlikely event of confessions, but there may have been other reasons.

From what I know of the Catholic Faith, I’m certain that Kate would not have confessed to Father Pacheco. He would have told her that she could not be forgiven unless she confessed what had happened to the authorities. Confession would have brought risk, not forgiveness. A few Hail Mary’s or a decade on the rosary would not be enough! Unless she wanted to compromise him.  

Russell O’Brien, in his rogatory interview, refers to David Priest -a comma between the words is required- and explains why David’s number, beginning 914, is on his mobile phone, immediately after that of Robert Murat.

It seems David, therefore, was the most likely person to have sought the agreement of the Conselho Pastoral. Was it also not more likely that the keys had passed between Geraghty and Heal? Fiona Payne and Rachael Mampilly/Oldfield comment on the perceived strangeness of Kate’s desperate need to speak to a priest in the midst of this maelstrom and seek to explain it in a vague manner.

It seems that concerns were expressed that the McCanns had called the media and a priest before they contacted the police. El Pais in Dec 07 “For the police, the most surprising thing was that the first concern of the parents was to alert the press before the police themselves. They were also struck by the fact that Kate asked the Ocean Club reception for the village priest’s telephone number.” 

Why would they do that?

The following article in First Magazine (with thanks to Pamalan’s site) throws a very interesting spotlight on the involvement of David Heal: “With every squeeze of her daughter’s Cuddle Cat, anguished motherKate McCann willed her little daughter home. Priest’s wife, Pam Heal helped Kate and Gerry through the early, terrifying hours of Madeleine’s disappearance…. “Someone’s taken Madeleine, someone’s taken Madeleine” she wailed over and over again, said Pam. Kate kept playing with the toy. She saidMadeleine had definitely been taken from them because she would never go anywhere without her favourite toy. The night Madeleine disappeared, Kate and Gerry telephoned the local Anglican priest,Father David Heal, asking him to visit them at their apartment…..When he arrived with his wife, 38 year old Kate threw herself into the priest’s arms as she broke down. It took him 3 hours to comfort Kate.” 

There are no statements from the Heals in the available PJ files, in spite of their KEY roles in the early hours of Madeleine’s disappearance.

References to the Heals’ involvement refer to the McCanns contacting them on Friday. The Mail, on Sunday reports “Reverend Heal was called to meet the McCann family on Friday.” 

Well, that would be partly true, if the Heals had arrived around 10 p.m. and had remained at the apartment for 3 hours. None of the T9 mentions the Heals’ visit in their interviews and they quickly disappear from the media radar.  

Father Heal did continue to conduct services at St Vincent’s, although one report suggests that he may have been leaving the next day.

During a service held later in the week Father Heal’s sermon included the following observations“Whatever happens today, whatever happens tomorrow, whatever happens in the days ahead, after this week, life will never be the same again……. We have all been changed and we have all been changed forever.” (Mail on Sunday) 

Then we also have Kate's Bible:

OFFICIAL INQUIRY FILES and DOCUMENTS
THE OPEN PAGE OF KATE MCCANNS BIBLE
2 SAMUEL 12:15 PAGE 320

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THE BIBLE PASSAGE COPS SAY IS PROOF
 
The passage of the Holy Bible that fascinated Portuguese police came from The Old Testament. In Samuel, Book 2, Chapter 12, Verses 15-19, David's child is stricken with illness after he "scorns" the Lord.
 
David fasts for seven days, refusing to get up off the ground, to try and gain redemption - but eventually his child dies.
 
His servants have a dilemma as to whether to tell him as they are afraid that "he may do himself some harm". Eventually he guesses.
 
Police took Kate's Bible away because they said the page with the passage on was crumpled - evidence that she had been reading it.

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However, Witness statement of Peter Neal Patterson in 2008 states that his wife marked the pages.

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Cheshire Cat wrote:The procedure for cremation is different in Portugal. It is usual for a church service to be held with the coffin present and then the coffin is transported to the crematorium for incineration. The service is not held at the crematorium itself. The crematorium facility referred to by Goncalo was serving the entire Algarve region at the time. If Maddies body was placed in the coffin and it was an Anglican funeral service conducted by Hubbard then little risk of of discovery. The coffin would be whisked up to the facility and destroyed. Ashes and bones are ground into powder after the incineration so little chance of any DNA evidence.

I think question raised the doubt was.  Would fragments from a 2nd body be easily spotted?

This is information regarding requirements for death/dying in Portugal.

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It also gives a link to civil registry offices where the death needs to be registered within 48hrs. 

Now if there was only someone who could go and have a little peek at the records for 2007.

MRNOODLES wrote:

Cheshire Cat wrote:The procedure for cremation is different in Portugal. It is usual for a church service to be held with the coffin present and then the coffin is transported to the crematorium for incineration. The service is not held at the crematorium itself. The crematorium facility referred to by Goncalo was serving the entire Algarve region at the time. If Maddies body was placed in the coffin and it was an Anglican funeral service conducted by Hubbard then little risk of of discovery. The coffin would be whisked up to the facility and destroyed. Ashes and bones are ground into powder after the incineration so little chance of any DNA evidence.

I think question raised the doubt was.  Would fragments from a 2nd body be easily spotted?

Normal course of events following a cremation, the ashes are stored in an urne or scattered about somewhere significant to the deceased..

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jeanmonroe wrote:She said this...

Isabel Oliveira 3 shadows of people seen going to the church during night with a bag . There was a coffin in the church with an old lady that was incinerated next day in Ferreira do Alentejo. This is in a police document
------------------------------------
Yes, it's about an elderly British woman, who died with no relatives, whose coffin was in the PdL church that night before the next day's ceremony and afterwards cremated.
--------------------------------------------
The investigator in the reform states that it is necessary to follow leads as the "incineration Madeleine's body in a coffin of a British súbdita" and access the medical records of the girl in the UK, which has never been allowed."

I think súbdita translates as subject/citizen.

So the coffin of a British subject/citizen?
----------------------------------------
canada12 Today at 11:01 am (THX)

There was a lot of speculation in 2007 that Madeleine's body had been cremated but iirc, the focus was on animal cremations and a nearby animal crematorium that had been shut. The speculation was that somehow they'd managed to hide Madeleine's body inside the body of an animal that had been taken to the crematorium. But I can see how this might have been a diversionary tactic to divert the speculation away from a more obvious conclusion, that her body had been hidden inside a coffin in the church. This makes complete sense if true. The McCanns asked for the key to the church and had unprecedented access. IIRC there was speculation at the time that her body had been hidden in a coffin but I'm not sure anyone was ever able to identify who had died around that time, or, indeed, IF anyone had died around that time. Obviously if this is true, the police will have had access to all the church records concerning the funeral and the cremation, and they will know what happened to the ashes. If they're lucky, the ashes are still held somewhere. I know from personal experience that sometimes not all of a body is reduced to ashes. Things like teeth and bone fragments often survive the fire. If they are able to identify, for instance, a tooth or a partial tooth that's obviously a child's tooth, then that might be the smoking gun. Or a bone fragment that can be identified as having come from a child rather than an adult. I wonder if you can extract DNA from cremation ashes. If you can't, then I wonder if sometime in the future it would be possible. If so, and the ashes are still held, then it might be something that a Cold Case investigation might solve at some future point.

Interesting development.
----------------------------------
FACT!

Witness Statement
Date: 2007/05/16 Hours: 15h25m

Rui Segio Lopes Silva

Occupation: GNR Officer

He was immediately sent to one of the search zones, initially accompanied by the post commander.

He never entered the McCann apartment the girl disappeared from.

He only had direct contact with the couple and their friends at about 04.00am when Gerry McCann approached the GNR group of which he was a member to ask whether there was a church close by. He replied to him in English, giving the directions to a nearby church.

4:00am (04/05/2007)

When David P and GM 'went out, again' to erm, 'search'

eta: McCanns, the devout Catholics have been in PDL for almost a week and 'don't know' where  one, of only three, churches are in PDL.

And the 'other' leg has got bells on!

etaa: 'missing' blue sports bag?

IF the GNR officer can 'identify' a church, he gave GM the 'directions to', and IF a 'subject' WAS in a coffin 'there', or just a coffin,........who knows where this will 'lead'.......

It does strike me that where there has been an attempt to fabricate an alternative scenario (i.e. cremation at an animal facility) this only serves as reinforcement that cremation is more of a likelihood as opposed to any other disposal method (eg. burial at sea - which doesn't appear to have any suggestion of two opposing scenarios.)  Fantastic that GA can now speak out freely again and I hope his recommendations are acted upon in Portugal.