Timeline of the McCanns staged abduction

Timeline of the McCanns staged abduction

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21 April 2009
Timeline

21H20, Executive Chef A. E. G. F. P. heard some clamour, which made him leave toward the restaurant, a few meters away, and was then informed that a child had disappeared.
at around 21:40, he left the restaurant passing through the same esplanade where moments before, he had seen the same table occupied by the three couples, empty, who had left in the meanwhile various items, principally clothing. He was told by his colleagues that the child who had disappeared was a child of one of those couples;

Property manager B. J. J. W. heard about the news being investigated on the evening of 3rd May at about 21.30 – 21.40 from P.B., a Dutchman and owner of the Atlántico restaurant, who passed by the witness near the Baptista supermarket, in P da L and who asked for his help in searching for Madeleine. He then went to the place where the events occurred which was at about 21.45 – 21.50. At this time various local people and MW staff were present. When questioned he said that the police had not yet arrived and that about 5 minutes had passed.

Dinner finished at around 21H45 and some minutes passed where waiter R. A.E D. L. O. looked towards the table but saw no one—his colleague told him that all the guests of that table left rapidly and abruptly. He remembers having heard shouts in the direction of the McCann apartment;

Between 21.30 and 22: Fitness instructor/Waiter J. R. S. went over to the table and joked with (Diane Webster): “They’ve left you alone?” She responded more of less with these words: “No, they went to see if the little girl was there.” I responded that I hoped they would find her somewhere in the apartment. At saying this, I saw the man. Who I knew later to be Madeleine’s father, running to the pool and to the children’s play area in the Tapas zone as if looking for someone. It immediately hit me that after talking to the older woman, that the little girl had not been found. I offered to alert the workers at the Milenium Restaurant and the man agreed. He then left again running to continue searching. I believe that this was between 21H30 and 22H00 but do not remember with certainty.

approx. 21.55 pm The Smith Family, (4 adults and 5 children) are returning from 'Kelly's Bar', heading north, all spread out along the street and they pass a man walking down the middle of the street, carrying a child, with the head against his left shoulder and the arms hanging down alongside the body, in light colored or pink pyjamas, bare feet, pale skin typical of British and blond, shoulder-length hair; the girl is about 3-4 years old, about 1 metre tall. - The man is not dressed like a tourist; he's wearing cream or beige trousers, classic cut, of linen or cotton. He is white, 30-35 yrs, 1.70-1.80 meters tall, average build, physically fit, short, brown hair, with a face that looks tanned. (GA)

M. M. M. d. S. declares that on the night 03-05-07, she left the apartment at around 21H58—she remembers the exact time because she asked her friend the time and she responded after checking this on the telephone in the lounge;
. They left the building and the deponent and her boyfriend took the Opel Frontera, previously indicated, which was parked out front of the apartment, in the private parking area of Block 6 where her friend’s apartment was located;
. She declares that the night was good with a breeze, and that it was dark;
. After leaving Block 6, they turned right and after left, passing in front of the block occupied by the McCanns. She states that she saw no movement of people, and that in the immediate areas of the blocks she saw no vehicle with the exception of a small car, that appeared to her grey in colour, parked close to the window of the McCann apartment;
She declares further that she mentioned this fact to her boyfriend and that it wasn’t yet summer given the movement on the roads, and at that hour movement was nill;
. States that she looked at the exit of the apartment and that from the flat above the McCanns, she saw light, and also in from of the apartment, but she could not define, concretely, where she saw the light when she passed the McCann apartment;
. Next to the tree, she did not detect any movement of people or vehicles, and nothing struck her as abnormal in that zone that would have raised her suspicions;

Receptionist Ocean Club H. J. S. L. was on duty and was contacted by a member of staff from the Tapas Restaurant between 21.30 and 22.00 who informed him that the daughter of some guests who were dining there had disappeared. He immediately contacted the GNR in Lagos, shortly after this the child’s father and John Hill arrived at the reception and he phoned the GNR again.

Bar chef M. J. d. S. R. heard about it on that night at about 22.00 when an English tourist arrived at the Millenium restaurant to ask whether anyone had seen a lost little girl.

After 22:00 R. R. S. B. and his wife were still sitting on the veranda in the B. family apartment. They heard noises downstairs and afterwards found out that a child had disappeared. Gerald was seen and spoken to by N.B. and R.R.S.B. They heard him calling for Madeleine when they were sitting on N.B.’s balcony, not far from the McCann’s apartment. They both went down to talk to Gerald and helped in the search.

Between 22H00 and 22H30, waiter J. J. M. B. was in the kitchen, and was alerted, by a colleague, to the fact that a guest entered the restaurant screaming, and at this point, the entire group left in a panic; his colleague proceeded to tell him that the (screaming) individual indicated that a child had gone missing.

about 22.15 Owner of “Duque de Holanda” Bar J. O. W. was working in her bar when some employee who she cannot identify (but whom she knows works for Mark Warner) informed them that a girl had disappeared from the OC.

At about 22.17 Hotel manager E. L. K. received a call from L.J., the Crèche Manager, informing her that the girl had gone missing. She met L.J. and the Service Manager, A.T., near to the Tapas Bar and they initiated the “Mark Warner procedures for the search of a missing child”.

Tennis coach D. J. S. knew about the disappearance of little MBM that same night, about 22h20, because he was contacted by a resort worker having attended and partcipated in the searches.

Tennis coach G.L.J. knew about the disappearance of little MBM that same night, about 22h20, because she lives in the same house as another OC worker and (s)he told her.

22.28 Manager J.H. gets a phone call from L.J., head of the child care service, who told him about a female child staying at the resort who had disappeared. This phone call was made to his mobile phone at about 22.28 on 03-05-2007. About 5 minutes later J.H presented himself at the resort. Upon arriving at the scene he saw about 100 people, employees, guests and residents searching the grounds, the beach and adjoining areas calling out the child’s name.

Head of Maintenance J. C. S. B. was informed about 22.30 by phone by the OC administrator, who had contacted his wife, S.B..

Manager G. R. C. arrived at 22H25 and there found J.H. and other functionaries, S.B., J.B., the former who is employee manager and the latter maintenance; when he arrived at the Ocean Club, he went to the entry of the pool and the restaurant (Tapas) areas of said establishment, having there come across various individuals in the local, all of which were participating in the search for the lost child, and was made up of guests and other people;

At around 22h30, after having left the apartment where she is living, close to the establishment mentioned, together with two more colleagues, also residents there, whose name are Leanne and Sarah, nanny K. M. found her colleague Amy. That during their discussion she was informed that Madeleine McCann had disappeared and that they were looking for her. For this reason, together with her colleagues, they also began searching for Madeleine McCann.

Millennium waitress A. N. d. . heard about the events on the same day at about 22.30 when she was at the restaurant bar where she works, relaxing with her mother and sister. At that moment, a British individual, a tennis instructor entered the restaurant, and told them what had happened, and headed towards the interior of the space where the pool are, looking for the girl. She says that because she had had some alcoholic drinks, she was not in a condition to participate in the searches. However, her sister did take part in the searches, together with her boyfriend.

Just after 22.30 upstairs neighbor Mrs. F. heard the hysterical shouts from a female person, calling out “we have let her down” which she repeated several times, quite upset. Mrs Fenn then saw that it was the mother of little Madeleine who was shouting furiously. Upon leaning over the terrace, after having seen the mother, Mrs. F. asked the father, Gerry, what was happening to which he replied that a small girl had been abducted. When asked, she replied that she did not leave her apartment, just spoke to Gerry from her balcony, which had a view over the terrace of the floor below. She found it strange that Gerry when said that a girl had been abducted, he did not mention that it was his daughter and that he did not mention any other scenarios. At that moment she offered Gerry help, saying that he could use her phone to contact the authorities, to which he replied that this had already been done. It was just after 22.30.

Millinnium restaurant employee D. J. A. V. d. S. stated that an individual, tall and of British nationality, appeared in the restaurant at about 22.30/22.45, who asked him whether he had seen a little girl who had disappeared, describing her as blonde and three years old and that she was probably wearing pyjamas. The witness and his colleague, M.d.F., replied that they hadn’t, upon which the individual ran out.

Millennium waiter G. C. C. C. says that when the events occurred he was working in the restaurant and heard about the disappearance at about 22.30 – 23.00 from a Mark Warner employee (he doesn’t know his name, but he is of English nationality) who, at that moment asked to use a telephone in the bar to make a call as he had received information about the disappearance of the girl on his mobile. He does not know the concrete terms of the conversation but he is clear that something had happened. The employee then left the bar/restaurant. When his shift ended he joined in the searched with his colleague Nelson. He searched until 03.00 AM.

Around 22H45, nanny S. B. O. was in the bar known as ‘Mirage’ together with her colleagues, whose names are Emma, Shinead, Najoua, Hayley and Stacy, which is situated close to the perimeter of the aforementioned resort. After returning from the bathroom, she was informed by her colleague Hayley that a child, of about 3 years of age, and whom was staying at the Ocean Club, had disappeared; she immediately, together with her colleagues, went to the area of a restaurant (Milenium) in the establishment in question near to the bar they were at and began searching for the missing child; during the search, she realised, together with her colleagues of the Ocean Club, others (tourists/owners) were also participating in the search;

22.45/22.50 Manager J. H. went to the apartment being used by the McCanns, where he saw that both members of the couple were in a panic and were shouting that the child had been taken. He always saw the McCanns together in the apartment they were occupying at the time, with the exception of an episode when Gerry went to the main 24 hour reception, with the purpose of speaking to a GNR officer

22.50 pm - First call to GNR Lagos precinct (Guarda Nacional Republicana, rural police); The first call to Police Precinct of GNR (Portuguese Rural Police) in Lagos, reporting a missing child and asking for Police help was made at 10.50pm and a patrol was sent, arriving at Ocean Club 12/15 minutes later, according to Lieutenant-Colonel Costa Cabral, Head of Public Relations of GNR.

About 22.55/23.00 manager E. L. K. went to the McCann’s apartment to obtain the girl’s description and of the clothes she was wearing when she disappeared. When she arrived at the apartment, there was a lady on the terrace, whom she now know to be Kate McCann, accompanied by the wife of one of her friends, David Payne. Kate could not say a word, looked very upset and about to cry. It was Mrs Payne who provided her with the details that she needed.

Head of Maintenance J. C. S. B. arrived at about 23.00 and immediately began to search the resort and the beach area, searching in all the places where the child might be. The searches were carried out by employees from the Tapas and the restaurant who had just finished their shifts and by some local people.

Accountant J. D. N. d. O. N. notes that on May 03, 2007, (Thursday), at around 23H00, at home, in Ramalhete, Casa ***, Praia da Luz, Luz, Lagos, situated close to the OC resort, he noticed “much movement and traffic that was out of the ordinary,” outside (vehicles and individuals passing by frequently) for that time of night. For this reason, he went to look out of his window. Whilst this was happening, he noticed a colleague, J.C.B. (Head of Maintenance at the resort) standing next to his house, who told him what had happened. J.C.B. told him that a child staying at the tourist complex had disappeared.

about 23.00 hrs, OC guest G. McK. approached the McCann’s apartment from the bushes at the rear of the apartment. He was searching the gardens. He did not know it was the McCann’s apartment. He saw Mr Gerry McCann standing alone in the doorway at the rear of the apartment talking on his mobile telephone. Mr McCann was looking our over the swimming pool and did not see Mr McKenzie. Mr McCann was absolutely distraught telling the person receiving the call that he feared “she (Madeleine McCann) had been taken by paedophiles”. He does not know who the person receiving the calls was but presumes it to be a family member: “I worked my way around the area, eventually coming around the back of the tennis courts and up towards what I now know to be the McCanns apartment a couple of hours later. I was looking in the little gardens on the poolside of that block, I was in the end garden when I heard a male voice, he sounded distraught his voice cracking with emotion. I looked to see who I now know to be Gerry McCann stood above me on the balcony/patio about 3 metres away speaking on a mobile phone. I cannot recall his exact words but I got the impression that he was speaking to perhaps a family member or someone he was very close to due to the nature of his conversation. He said something along the lines of there being Paedophile gangs in Portugal and that they had abducted Madeleine. I was so shocked by this, having originally thought that she had just wandered off.”

After she arrived about 23.00 S.B. went immediately to the apartment A5 where she found several people inside the apartment and outside of it. She entered in the flat but soon left without having spoken with anyone, because she was informed that elements of the GNR were in the principal reception. She went there to meet them.
When she came close to the elements of the GNR she found that behind her was
Gerry, Madeleine's father, accompanied by another man whose identity she doesn't remember. Then Gerry kneeled down, hit the floor with both hands, positioning himself as if he were a praying Arab, and screamed twice of anger, what he said being impossible to understand. Then Gerry stand up and accompanied her (the witness) and the other man in the car of the GNR to the apartment A5. S.B. walked Gerry to the GNR car, so he could deliver the requested documents. She states that she carried out these diligences, and other diligences, at the request of the GNR Commander as they used the deponent’s knowledge of the English language to translate the questions that were asked from the missing person’s family members, and the answers that were given. She remembers that Gerry gave the GNR Commander several photographs of the missing person. These were postcard-type photographs, taking their size and shape into account. They were actually photographs of the size and shape of a postcard, and they seemed to be all similar to her.

23.00/23.05 pm - A GNR patrol arrives at Ocean Club (two men); When they arrived they saw the girl’s father, a friend whom GNR Officer N. F. P. d. C. describes as tall and blond, an OC employee and a translator who was also an OC employee, named S.B.. He found it notable that when they were still at the main reception, the father kneeled down, laying his head on the ground and crying, at the same time as making an expression which GNR Officer N. F. P. d. C. did not understand.

Estimated time around 23.10 pm Both David Payne and Matthew Oldfield were seen by E.L.K. when she was on her way to the beach, the search area to which she was assigned by L. J. (child care director and search coordinator).

23:14 Gerry calls Kate (8 seconds)

23:17 Gerry calls Kate (31 seconds)

Estimated time 23.15 - After hearing about the circumstances of the disappearance (from the father with the help of translation) GNR Officer N. F. P. d. C. does not remember whether the word abduction was mentioned, and he went in his police car, to the apartment, accompanied by the father, the friend and the translator.

After hearing about the circumstances of the disappearance (from the father with the help of translation) at a determined moment GNR Officer J. M. B. R. thinks it was the father who told the translator that it was an abduction, at least this is how it was translated. He then went to the apartment, accompanied by his colleague, the father and friend as well as the translator. When he arrived at the apartment he saw the mother there, who opened the wooden door, now referred to as the main door. When he entered, apart from the mother, there were three individuals, one female and two male, whom he cannot identify.

After the search, GNR Officer J. M. B. R. noticed a situation that seemed unusual to him, when at a determined moment, the girl’s parents kneeled down on the floor of their bedroom and placed their heads on the bed, crying. He did not notice any comments or expression from them, just crying. He says that at the main reception the father also knelt down, placing his head on the floor and crying. He did not hear the father say anything.

After the search of the interior, GNR Officer J. M. B. R. went to check the area around the apartments and the Tapas Bar, while GNR Officer N. F. P. d. C. remained next the apartment, just outside it. At that moment a female individual, he does not know whether she was a member of the group of friends, who was in the neighbouring apartment, said that she saw an individual carrying a child, running, and that because of the pyjamas she was wearing it could have been Madeleine. It was in these circumstances that abduction began to be talked about. He made a report about this situation and sent it to the police. This sighting did not seem to him to be very credible, because when he asked her about the physical characteristics of the individual, she said it was very dark, however she saw the pyjamas clearly.

S.B. translated the deposition from one of the ladies that belonged to the group of English people, namely one that she indicates as being a brunette. This lady told the GNR officers, and S.B. translated, that she had seen a man crossing the road, possibly carrying a child. S.B. found that situation strange because she was convinced that when she saw this man, the lady was positioned in a spot that has no viewing angle to the location where she had seen the man. She doesn’t know exactly where the lady was positioned when she saw the man passing by, but she knows that she indicated that she saw him passing on the street that lies in front of the window to the bedroom where Madeleine was, walking into the direction of the street that leads to the Baptista supermarket.

GNR Officer J. M. B. R. found the parents to be nervous and anxious, he did not see any tears from either of them although they produced noises identical to crying. He did not feel that this was an abduction, although this was the line indicated by the father.

S.B. also realised that from the very first moment on, both Gerry and the rest of the group members insisted in stating that Madeleine had been abducted, all of them using the word “abducted” instead of missing, and they all showed great interest in informing the press about the situation.

S.B. further recalls that she entered the room where Madeleine had been sleeping. She now remembers that the door was closed. The inside of the room was dark. The shutters were down, and light entered only through its holes. The windows were closed and the curtains slightly open. Gerry, who accompanied S.B. during this visit, with the GNR officers also present, said that it had been him who had closed the window because the babies were still sleeping inside, which S.B. could verify as true. Gerry mentioned that when he noticed that Madeleine was missing, he had found the window and shutters open, and the curtains fluttering.

S.B. recalls that the cots that were used by the babies were placed in the middle of the room and aligned, and therefore she found it strange that someone could have taken Madeleine from the bed where she was sleeping up to the window, because there was no space to get through. S.B. opened the bedroom’s wardrobe to check if eventually Madeleine was hiding inside. Then they all left the room, and someone closed its door again. The deponent remained in the living room for a while, with the GNR officers, Gerry and the other group members that were there in a frenzy, going in and out and speaking on their mobile phones. She noticed that none of the group members, including the child’s mother and father, were busy looking for her. The mother was sitting on the master bedroom’s bed, the father accompanied S.B. and the GNR officers and the other group members walked in and out and spoke on the phone, apparently concerned about informing the press about the event.

She thought that the child’s mother was downbeat with the situation, the father showed his concern and also asked both for the press to be alerted and for dogs to be brought in for the search. Concerning the others, she can only recall that Fiona and her husband, Payne, were hysterical about the situation.

At about 23.30 a white fair haired man aged about 30, one of the friends of the McCann group was seen by V. K. and her family when he asked them if they had seen Madeleine. They were near to the chapel.

23.20/23.30 Manager J.H. asked hotel manager E. L. K. to go to the apartment the girl had disappeared from and, on behalf of Mark Warner, provide all the help the family might need. She went to the McCann’s apartment, entered by the patio doors and introduced herself to Kate and Mrs Payne. She entered the apartment living room and Kate and Mrs Payne stayed in the main bedroom, from where she could hear them both crying.
The twins were still asleep in the children’s bedroom and the door was half open.
A short while later, Gerry returned to the apartment accompanied by Russell. They also entered by the patio doors. She doesn’t remember the exact sequence of events at this time, but she does remember that she phoned John, who informed her that the police were on their way.

23.30/23.40 A CID team leaves from Portimão to Praia da Luz.

John McCann stated on MSNBC that at ‘twenty to twelve’ 23.40 pm Gerry calls his brother John: "I've got crying for help from my brother and I'm stuck couple of thousand miles away from him. I can't do anything concrete. And then eventually he just said, "I don't know what to think. I think some paedophile or some other swine has taken Madeleine".

23.40 Gerry calls Trish Cameron (11.13 minutes)
"It was my younger brother Gerry distraught on the phone, breaking his heart. He said: 'Madeleine is abducted, she's been abducted'. 'They kept going back to check the kids every half hour. The restaurant was only 40 yards away. He went back at 9 o’clock to check the children. They were all sound asleep, windows shut, shutters shut'.
Kate then went over to the two-bedroom ground-floor apartment and 'came out screaming', said Mrs. Cameron. 'The door was lying open, the window in the bedroom and the shutters had been jimmied open'. "They think someone must have come in the window and gone out of the front door with Madeleine." (timesonline 6 may)
Sandy Cameron statement: “On the night of Thursday, May 3, 2007, Patricia received a telephone call from Gerry informing us of the disappearance of Madeleine. Gerry manifested all those emotions one expects from a father who has lost a child in the circumstances. He was distraught and spoke at the same time he cried. He seemed frustrated with the slowness of the searches in Portugal, with the fact that the borders had not been closed, and with the fact that sniffer dogs were not being used. Patricia and I contacted the British Embassy to try and help in this regard.”

Hotel owner P. R. W. arrived at the scene of the events at about 23.45, there were already many people and police officers.

23.52 Gerry calls Brian and Janet Kennedy (2.30 minutes)

Barman Millennium Restaurant L. M. d. S. B. was dining with his wife, son and friends in a restaurant in P da L, before 24.00 he received a call to his mobile from the fixed network phone in the Millenium restaurant, informing him about the disappearance. It was his colleague Nelson who contacted. He was not asked anything in particular, just informed, however he felt that he should go to the resort, which he did immediately, making himself available for whatever was needed. He remembered that there was great panic amongst all the people looking for Madeleine. He helped search, remaining at the OC until 05.00, searching the entire resort. They did not find anything to help locate the child.

at about 24.00, A. T. was at her desk at the Tapas bar, inside the resort, when at a certain time, one of the friends of the McCann couple, Russell, asked for a USB memory stick reader, in order to print photographs of Madeleine. Immediately the deponent replied that she did not have an USB reader, but that she had a printer with this hardware, which could read from memory sticks. She went to her room and returned to the Tapas with the printer where she printed out 20 to 30 photographs of the girl, using her own paper, in 10x15 format mentioned previously. The memory stick containing the photos belonged to the McCann couple, and came from their camera.

between 00.00 and 00.30, the police arrived, entered by the main door and went to the kitchen with Gerry. Hotel manager E. L. K. went to the bedroom where Kate and Mrs Payne were. Kate was still upset, crying and calling Madeleine’s name, shouting “where is she?” She also banged on the headboard. At that moment Hotel manager E. L. K. went to check on the twins in their room and they were ok. She remembers being in the main bedroom with Kate, Mrs Payne, Gerry, Russell and David who were sitting on the bed and she sat on the floor. At that moment David suggested that the press should be contacted. Russell disagreed, saying they should keep calm and let the police take care of the situation.
At that moment Kate appeared to lose control, crying and constantly asking “where is she?” whilst banging on the bed.
Gerry remained calm throughout. On one occasion Kate and Gerry both went to the main bedroom and Hotel manager E. L. K. could hear both of them crying.

0.00.27 am Kate calls Sue and Brian Healy (128 seconds)

0.05.00 am Gerry calls Brian and Janet Kennedy (3 seconds)

0.05.45 am Gerry calls Trish Cameron (3 seconds)

0.06.15 am Gerry calls Brian and Janet Kennedy (2.47 minutes)

0.13.14 am Gerry calls Trish Cameron (3 seconds)

0.13.50 am Kate calls Sue and Brian Healy (407 seconds)

0.21.36 am Gerry calls Trish Cameron (23 seconds)

0.23.12 am Gerry calls …. (3.55 minutes)

0.27.07 am Trish Cameron calls Gerry (2.28 minutes)

0.29.37 am Angela Morado at UK Consulate calls Gerry (4.53 minutes)

0.36.21 am Kate calls … (31 seconds)

0.37.05 am voicemail calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

0.38.40 am … calls Gerry (6.40 minutes)

0.39.58 am Kate calls voicemail (34 seconds)

0.40.50 am voicemail calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

0.45.15 am Brian and Janet Kennedy call Gerry (1.18 minutes)

0.45.49 am Kate calls voicemail (31 seconds)

0.47.23 am … calls Kate (2.39 minutes)

0.47.41 am Angela Morado at UK Consulate calls Gerry (2.15 minutes)

0.53.08 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

PJ Officer V. M. M. arrived on the scene at about 00.40/00.50.
At the scene, there were already some elements from the GNR and some people walking around the OC grounds, searching for the child.
In the apartment where the family was staying, there were different persons, including the friends of the girl’s parents, who were immediately invited to leave the apartment, in order to preserve the scene.
Inside the room that was indicated as being that of the missing girl, there were two children, babies, who appeared to sleeping in two cots placed in the middle of the room.
A request was made to the OC services director for the family to be re-allocated and accordingly the babies were taken out of the room, so that the site could be searched.
The OC services manager introduced him to the missing girl’s parents, who looked quite tired and anguished, particularly the mother who appeared more upset and was therefore less receptive to conversation, which led the witness to converse only with the girl’s father.
After the site had been isolated, he proceeded to make an inspection, together with the inspection and photographic report carried out by Deputy Specialist J.B..

Deputy Specialist J. B. arrived about 00.40/00.50.
When they arrived at the scene, which they immediately identified due to the presence of GNR officers, as well as quite a lot of people who were walking around the street searching for the child, they immediately went to the apartment in question, where they found several people, including some GNR officers, as well as the head of the Lagos GNR station.
He states that the people inside the apartment and close to it, entered and left the building and circulated in the whole apartment, completely freely, in other words, without there being any restriction or care in preserving the scene. .
He said that these people were the friends of the parents of the missing girl and a lady responsible for the resort called S.B..
He was shown the room the child had disappeared from, having noticed that people also entered and left that room without any care in the sense of preserving traces. Inside this room there were two children, babies, sleeping in two cots placed in the middle of the room.
It was requested that the babies were moved, which was done accordingly, the witness having subsequently put his gloves on to begin the on-site inspection.
At that moment one of the GNR officers told the witness that they had already searched for the girl in the wardrobes and other places in the apartment without having taken any care as to leaving their own traces or for destroying or adulterating any traces that might be of interest to the investigation. The witness states that, at a given moment, the father of the missing girl led him to understand that he had already contacted the Sky News TV station and informed them of the situation.
As much the father as the girl’s mother looked quite worried with the situation and he can even confirm that the mother was very agitated and out of control, crying a lot and shouting in an uncontrolled manner, saying in English “They have taken her”. He remembers that he remained on the scene until about 04.00.

Estimated time between 0.30 and 1.00 am Two timelines written by Russel O’Brien on the covers ripped off Madeleine’s stickerbook are provided to the GNR officers.

Sometime between 0.30 and 1 a.m Kate calls her parents: "I had a phone call from Kate asking me to contact Father P.S. He’s a friend of Kate and Gerry’s. Paul married Kate and Gerry and baptised Madeleine and she needed to speak to him".

Sometime between 0.30 and 1 am, A.G., the owner of a bar at the marina in Vilamoura got a phonecall from an old customer: P.P., the human resources director from a public English organism. She calls him, upset: "She told me the daughter of British friends of her, who were vacationing close to Lagos, had disappeared over 3 hours ago, that they were completely alone and that nobody was helping them to search for her". P.P. confirms she was at Kate's parents house at the time.

At about 01.00 Matthew Oldfield was with J. H. (resort manager) when they knocked on Jeremy Wilkins’s door to ask if he had seen anything. It was them who told what had happened. Jez did not take part in any searches. He offered his help but was told it was not necessary.

1.02.08 am … calls Kate (2.23 minutes)

1.16.11 am Gerry calls A. M. UK Consulate(1.57 minutes)

1.29.58 am Phil McCann calls Gerry (3.36 minutes)

At about 1.30 that morning Kate called Father P. S. in a state of great agitation. He tried to calm her as well as he could saying that Madeleine could have had a bout of sleepwalking and that she would be all right. He remembesr that Kate was worried by the fact that Madeleine was wearing short sleeved pyjamas and that she could catch a cold. He felt that only a mother could think like that and say such a thing. He could perceive the trauma that Kate was experiencing from her voice. He led with prayers and other situations in his role as priest.
Gerry phoned him on the same night and he also seemed to me to be quite traumatised and at the same time very upset and angry. His Scottish accent, which was normally very slight, became so heavy that his sentences were almost incomprehensible

1.43.55 am … calls Gerry (3.29 minutes)

Estimated time: between 1.30 and 2.00 am Hotel manager E. L. K. remembers the police asking everyone to leave the apartment. She received a call from John informing her that he had arranged for another apartment for the McCanns. She went to reception and helped Lyndsey to move the two cots to the new apartment
The McCanns went to the new apartment and she remembers seeing Kate and Mrs Payne seated on the sofa, each holding one of the twins.

S. B. states that right after the PJ’s elements arrived, the child’s parents removed the twins from the cots where they still slept, and took them into the apartment on the first floor. At Kate’s request, the deponent removed the soft toys and a blanket from the cots, and also took them to the first floor. The babies’ cots were left only with the mattresses.

2.07.03 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

2.18.29 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

2.20.03 am Kate calls … (0 seconds) SMS

2.21.12 am Kate calls … (0 seconds) SMS

2.23.27 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

2.27.28 am Kate calls … (27 seconds)

Before 2.30 am (the time he left the scene) GNR Officer J. M. B. R. refers to a situation when he was searching outside, near the pool, that someone from the OC whom he cannot identify, passed him a mobile phone, as a British Consulate employee who spoke in Portuguese, wanted to talk to the authorities. Upon speaking to him, he told him that the investigation and subsequent actions were under the responsibility of the PJ.

about 02.00/02.30, as the child had not been found, PJ Inspector M. J. P. d. L. Q. decided to contact SEF at Faro airport with the aim of alerting them in case anyone would board accompanied by some child, whoever she was and those accompanying her should be duly identified, however the various calls made were not attended. In the face of this situation he contacted the Faro Station from the police and told them what was going on and asked them to alert the SEF.
He also decided to alert the GNR in Lagos so that they would send out a warning so that the car and foot patrols that were out on the ground would pay attention and identify cars with people out driving at that time who were accompanied by a child (children).

2.38.58 am Lynda and Mark call Kate (9.45 minutes)
“On the morning of 4 May 2007 the mother of Kate telephoned my mother who, in turn, telephoned me. My mother told me that something terrible had happened, that somebody had taken Madeleine. I later sent a text message to Kate that same night and
I spoke with her on the telephone. She was hysterical, saying only that she wanted to be able to hug Madeleine. She was worried by the fact that there were only two police officers in the place and thought that the police were not helping her with anything. She continued to speak about Madeleine, of the cold that she could feel since she was dressed only in pyjamas and continued to look at the situation from the perspective of Madeleine. She told me that Gerry was outside to find the girl and during the following day we spoke on the telephone and we frequently sent messages [to each other].”

2.53.49 am Kate calls Michelle and Jon (16 seconds)

GNR Officer N. F. P. d. C. refers to a situation at about 02 or 03.00, that the parents asked for a priest and his colleague had tried to contact one on his mobile, but did not manage to find one.
Hotel Manager E. L. K. remembers that on the night Madeleine disappeared, Kate wanted to contact the local priest, but it was not possible to reach him by phone.
S. B. mentions that at around 3 a.m. Madeleine’s parents asked for the presence of a priest on location. They didn’t explain the reason why they wanted a priest, but the deponent found the fact strange as there were no indications that the little girl was dead, and that’s the circumstance under which usually the presence of a priest is requested.

3.05.03 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

3.06.17 am Kate calls … (0 seconds) SMS

3.06.54 am Kate calls Michelle and Jon (5 seconds)

3.07.38 am Kate calls Jon Corner (3 seconds)

3.07.57 am Kate calls Michelle’s cellphone (3 seconds)

3.08.33 am Kate calls Michelle and Jon (3 seconds)

3.09.05 am Kate calls Michelle and Jon (4 seconds)

3.10.29 am Kate calls … (10 seconds)

3.20.21 am Kate calls Michelle and Jon (14 seconds)

3.23.28 am Jon Corner calls Kate (184 seconds)

3.28.46 am Jon Corner calls Kate (416 seconds)
Michelle Thompson statement: “Kate must have tried Jon’s mobile once as we stirred when it rang at about 03h20. Jon spoke briefly with Kate and then called her around 03h30. I knew that Kate and Gerry were on holidays in Portugal. Kate was very anguished and on the telephone and told me that she had checked on the children every half-hour. It was around 22h00, and when she went to check on the children she found that someone had entered the apartment and taken Madeleine from where she slept; that Madeleine had been abducted. The person must have entered, passed by the twins and taken her.
Kate continued that when she entered the apartment via the patio doors, a breeze hit her in the face as if a door or window was open. When she entered the children’s room, the window was open, the blind had been forced and Madeleine had disappeared. Kate urged me to call all the close family and to ask them to pray for Madeleine. My family is catholic and Kate knew this. Even though I am catholic, I have to admit that Kate has more faith than I. I did not speak to Gerry that night.”

3.31.13 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

3.55.21 am Jon Corner calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

3.55.56 am Kate calls Jon Corner (0 seconds) SMS

4.03.44 am Jon Corner calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

4.05.40 am Kate calls Jon Corner (0 seconds) SMS

4.12.33 am Kate calls Jon Corner (0 seconds) SMS

4.14.41 am Gerry calls … (01 seconds) SMS

4.15.23 am Gerry calls … (01 seconds) SMS

4.15.43 am Gerry calls … (01 seconds) SMS

4.19.02 am Sue and Brian Healy call Gerry (01 seconds) SMS

4.20.34 am John McCann calls Gerry (01 seconds) SMS

4.22.12 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

Hotel manager E. L. K. left the new apartment at 04.30 in the morning after instructions from J.H. She was the last to leave, the police had already left, but she left her number saying that she was available for anything that might be needed.

4.31.30 am Jon Corner calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

4.31.41 am Jon Corner calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

4.36.30 am … calls Kate (17.27 minutes)

4.52.16 am Kate calls Jon Corner (0 seconds) SMS

4.55.54 am Kate calls … (0 seconds) SMS

During the early morning in question PJ Inspector M. J. P. d. L. Q. received some telephone calls from people whom, with the exception of one, expressed themselves in Portuguese to ask whether an English girl had really disappeared in Lagos and about what was being done with relation to this and he informed them that this was true and that inquiries were being made in order to find her. One of these calls, from the person who did not express themselves in Portuguese but in English and which was received between 04.30 and 05.30, was made by someone who identified themselves as being from the Sky News TV chain and who requested the same information mentioned earlier.

6.02.08 am Mum mob calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

6.04.11 am Kate calls Mum mob (0 seconds) SMS

6.05.29 am Kate calls Amanda home (7.02 minutes)

6.08.17 am Jon Corner calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

6.18.17 am Kate calls Jon Corner (0 seconds) SMS

6.34.53 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

6.35.23 am Kate calls … (0 seconds) SMS

6.39.38 am Kate calls Jon Corner (0 seconds) SMS

6.47.42 am Jon Corner calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

6.47.54 am Jon Corner calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

6.48.05 am Jon Corner calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

6.59.12 am Jon Corner calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

6.59.44 am Kate calls Jon Corner (0 seconds) SMS

07.00 am GNR Officer P. J. F. N. saw the McCann couple at about 07.00 alone in the street next to the site where they were stationed.

7.06.06 am Sue and Brian Healy call Gerry (01 seconds) SMS

7.09.04 am John McCann calls Gerry (3.26 minutes)

7.15.19 am Gerry calls Angela Morado UK Consulate (4.51 minutes)

7.23.20 am … calls Gerry (5.53 minutes)

7.41.14 am Jill mob calls Kate (3.30 minutes)

7.44.48 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

7.46.36 am Kate calls … (0 seconds) SMS

7.48.12 am … calls Kate (373 seconds)

7.51.14 am … calls Kate (1.26 minutes)

8.06.14 am mum mob calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

8.07.52 am Kate calls mum mob (0 seconds) SMS

8.11.35 am Jill mob calls Kate (1.56 minutes)

8.21.21 am Jill mob calls Kate (153 seconds)

8.27.26 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

8.28.30 am Kate calls … (0 seconds) SMS

8.29.56 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

8.31.00 am Kate calls Michelle mob (3 seconds)

8.31.21 am Jill mob calls Kate (2.33 minutes)

8.34.09 am Kate calls … (32 seconds)

8.34.19 am Kate calls Jon Corner (61 seconds)

8.34.59 am voicemail calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

8.35.15 am Gerry calls Angela Morado, UK consulate (1.43 minutes)

8.35.21 am Kate calls voicemail (20 seconds)

8.36.03 am Kate calls voicemail (37 seconds)

8.45.20 am Kate calls … (136 seconds)

8.50.27 am Gerry calls Angela Morado, UK consulate (4.47 minutes)

8.51.42 am Kate calls … (0 seconds) SMS

8.52.41 am Kate calls Jon Corner (73 seconds)

8.56.15 am Kate calls Nuala (47 seconds)

8.57.17 am Jill mob calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

9.01.55 am … calls Gerry (1.46 minutes)

9.04.16 am … calls Gerry (1.28 minutes)

9.05.38 am anonymous number calls Gerry (2.12 minutes)

9.09.32 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

9.09.44 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

9.09.56 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

9.10.39 am Kate calls … (0 seconds) SMS

9.12.04 am Geteesha mob calls Kate (262 seconds)

9.14.28 am UK consulate in Portugal calls Gerry (3.58 minutes)

9.16.07 am … calls Gerry (1 second)

9.25.51 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

9.26.03 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

9.29.18 am Jill mob calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

9.33.11 am Michelle & Jon call Kate (5.35 minutes)

9.34.42 am Voicemail calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

9.45.21 am Fiona & Richard call Kate (1.45 minutes)

Estimated time 9.45 am Social worker Y. M. met the McCann couple next to the apartment from where the child had disappeared, accompanied by a third person, a male, who seemed quite familiar to her.
- This third person of the group appeared to be an intimate (friend) of the family as he was the one who, when the media arrived, began to explain what was happening and answering questions, thereby saving the couple from this upset. Afterwards, she further confirmed his closeness to the family when she saw him taking care of the couple’s twins, also small children.
- She identified herself and presented her credentials and immediately began talking to the mother of the missing child as she was visibly upset with the situation.
- During the conversation the mother told her that she did not understand why a couple had abducted her daughter.
Because she found it strange that Kate told her that her daughter had been taken by a couple, she tried to separate her from the other two individuals so that she could speak to her with more privacy, suggesting to Kate that they (Y and K) should enter the apartment, Kate aggressively rejected this idea and told her that they could speak on the street.
The witness then asked whether anyone from the Medical Centre had been with Kate as she was very agitated and needed some support, she was told they hadn’t.
At this point, Kate told her that her daughter had disappeared 13 hours ago. It was about 10 in the morning.
- However, the third individual overheard this conversation and interrupted Ms. Martin and took the McCann couple away from her.
- This same individual came shortly afterwards to tell her that the couple did not want to talk to her any further and did not require her help—an action that appeared quite strange to her.
- Meanwhile, she heard comments next to the complex reception that the British Consul was coming to the site and she decided to wait for this person in order to offer her help.
- During this time, she saw the third individual two more times. Firstly, when he was accompanying an older woman and the McCann twins, demonstrating in this way, the trust that the couple had in him by letting him take care of their two children. On the second occasion, he accompanied what appeared to her to be plain clothed police officers.
--YVONNE describes the third individual as follows:
Aged about 35 years
Of about 1,80 metres in height
Of normal physical appearance
Having short, dark hair
Using graduated glasses of small dimensions with rectangular lenses
Having a round face
Presenting a scar above his eyebrow and on his left cheek
Speaking with a Southern English accent
Wearing light trousers, cream or beige coloured, and a dark polo shirt.
– When she was back home, following the case on English television, she saw the same individual and this time, her initial doubt faded and she concluded that she had seen the face in the course of her professional activity in child protection, not being able to discern if he was a suspect/arguido or witness
- She clarifies that she is capable of making a photographic identification of the individual, and emphasises that with the identified photo it is possible to access the database of the British Police and ascertain whether the individual is related to any crimes involving children

9.46.24 am Jill mob calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

9.47.48 am Kate calls voicemail (58 seconds).

9.49.50 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

9.50.23 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

9.50.38 am Kate calls … (0 seconds) SMS

9.58.53 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

9.59.20 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

9.59.31 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

10.01.06 am … calls Kate (0 seconds) SMS

10.00 am, 12 hours after the disappearance, the British Consul from Portimão arrives. PJ tell him all that is going on. He is not satisfied and is heard talking on the phone saying the "PJ are doing nothing. " (GA)

****************************

on 4 May, the parents authorized the police to look at their cellphones to check for calls made and received:

Kate's phone: no calls made from 27April to 4 May; she received no calls from 11h22 on 2 May until 23h17 on 3 May

Gerry's phone: nothing prior to 00h15 on 4 May

However, inside Kate's phone there is a record of a call received from Gerry at 11h17, 3 May. But no record of the call on Gerry's phone. It had been erased. (GA).

*********************************


by Kazlux (http://joana-morais.blogspot.com/)

Has anyone done any work on identifying who the owner of the Atlantico restaurant was? PB the Dutchman? Whereas people constantly get times wrong, it seems mighty strange that the property owner of the OC complex (Barend Jan Jacob Weijdom) first hears about it from someone in the street near the supermarket and at a ridiculously early time of 21:30/40 from someone that wasn't directly involved and who had obviously already been engaged in the search by the time he bumped into BJJW!! The questions are, how reliable is the time given, who told PB, where and at what time etc. etc.

Paul Wortelboer and his wife Joanna run the Atlantico restaurant in Luz .

The Atlantico is down near Chaplins . As far as I'm aware nothing more is said about him 
If you click on the Portuguese transcript of statements it gives you the name which is just initials in the English version .

Thanks sandancer. Working it back the other way, do we know how Amy Tierney got to hear of the "disappearance"? Her statement gives no details and no time.....

Anyone any the wiser as to where the "Time Line Theory" document in the PJ files gets the following quote from?:
"Between 21.30 and 22: Fitness instructor/Waiter J. R. S. - joked with (Diane Webster): They've left you alone?"
Yet the 2 statements from JRS both say that this all occurred:
"at about 22.20 - 22.30 ..... he noticed that there was only one person sitting at the group's table, the oldest of them and he asked her jokingly whether they had left her alone."


Also he offered to alert the Millenium staff. If he did and there's a record it could corroborate the time?

Hi crispbee2000

Actually, Jeronimo (JRS) states the following in his 2008 Rogatory:

'I offered to alert the workers at the Milenium Restaurant and the man agreed. He then left again running to continue searching. I believe that this was between 21H30 and 22H00 but do not remember with certainty'.



This is quite a bit different from the timing he gave on the 6 May 2007, although I personally believe that people were running around looking earlier than 10pm.


According to statements, Amy, Charlotte and Jacky were working in the evening drop in creche when they were alerted by a guest that there was a child missing - this was given as at about 10.05pm by Jacky and about 10.15pm by Charlotte the Fairy. Interestingly, both Jacky and Charlotte state that the three of them confirmed that it was Madeleine by phoning a colleague for confirmation of who the missing child was - Charlotte specifying that 'Amy contacted via telephone her supervisor, Lyndsay, who informed her that Madeleine had indeed disappeared'. And yet, Lindsay says that, 'at around 10.20pm, she was informed by her colleague Amy T. that Madeleine McCann had disappeared. At that, she immediately launched the "missing child" procedure'.



So, as I have asked before - 'Who told who?' Surely not a difficult thing to remember a couple of days after the event. In fact, Lindsay (creche supervisor) specifically ties in the launching of the 'missing child' procedure to this supposed telephone call from Amy. Someone got the script wrong somewhere.

Why look for some invisible clue - why not stick to what is known and work on that?

Apart from the McCanns, their group of friends and anyone directly involved with Madeleine, or can say with any certainty that they saw Madeleine alive and well  at any point after the arrival of the group on Saturday 28th April 2017, memory is but a figment of the imagination. All these witnesses being  scrutinized to the ninth degree were on the periphery - why would their recollection be expected to be precise?

Unless one has a specific reason to remember the time of an event, like arriving 10 minute early for a dentist appointment, it's highly unlikely that the recollection of timing will be accurate, or even remotely close.  As regards the night of 3rd/4th May, the Ocean Club/Warners staff were going about their business when of a sudden all hell let loose when Kate McCann raised the alarm that her daughter had been taken from her bed.  Under such circumstances, don't expect nor even anticipate precise recollections.

The only important witnesses here are Catriona Baker who was or became very close to the McCann family;  Charlotte Pennington who appears to have volunteered her services just for a piece of the action;  Amy Tierney with her tale of printers and a handful of other oddbods who could be considered key witnesses.

I don't believe you will find the missing piece of the jigsaw hidden in a local bar or the vague recollection of anyone who just happened to be in or around Luz during the same period as the McCann group took their holiday.