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PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Changes to the original story
Changing the initial version of events, especially concerning a report of a missing child, is a classic ‘red flag’ warning to police investigators to query both, or all, versions of events in great detail. Indeed when presented with changes the Police may begin to focus on that aspect, to the exclusion of the original report.First reports
In the 24 hours following the report of Madeleine’s disappearance the following family members and close friends reported almost identical stories to the pressThey are of course hearsay as to the state of the shutters and window, but they are direct evidence of what they were told by the McCanns.
That is a crucial difference.
Trish Cameron -
Gerry McCanns sister, said she received a telephone call from her 39-year-old brother, a consultant cardiologist, who was "hysterical and crying his eyes out". She said: "They last checked at half past nine and they were all sound asleep, sleeping, windows shut, shutters shut. Kate went back at 10 o'clock to check. The front door was lying open, the window had been tampered with, the shutters had been jemmied open or whatever you call it and Madeleine was missing...” [1]
Brian Healy -
Madeleine's maternal grandfather, told the Guardian his son-in-law had phoned him shortly after returning "Gerry told me when they went back the shutters to the room were broken, they were jemmied up and she was gone," said Mr Healy. "She'd been taken from the chalet. The door was open." [2]
Jon Corner -
a close friend of Kate McCann and godparent of the twins, said she phoned him in the middle of the night distraught. He said: "She just blurted out that Madeleine had been abducted. Kate said the shutters of the room were smashed. Madeleine was missing It looks as though someone had gone straight past the twins to get to her. [3]
Jill (or Gill) Renwick -
a family friend told GMTV the McCanns were certain that Madeleine has been abducted. "They were just watching the hotel room and going back every half-hour and the shutters had been broken open and they had gone into the room and taken Madeleine," she said.” [4]
Observation
1 In all four cases it is reported that the shutters were broken open, smashed, or jemmied.
2 Three of the reports include that the door was open, or hanging open.
As one commentator, Antony Sharples writing under the name John Blacksmith, percipiently noted:
“What must be appreciated, at this point, is that these comments, from closest family and friends - the first to be contacted, are not Chinese whispers. It is not a case that the McCanns rang one person, who got the message wrong, and this got passed on to everyone else. These are four people who received independent telephone calls from Gerry or Kate, in the hours following the 'abduction', and made independent statements. Yet, the statements all recount the same story. The McCanns' apartment was locked, so the 'abductor' must have gained access via the jemmied shutters and left via the front door.” [5]
First change of story.
This change relates to the shutters’ being damaged
This change relates to the shutters’ being damaged
The first police statements were taken during the morning of 4th May 2007, by which time the story had already changed in regard to the shutters having been damaged. Now they are merely “raised”.
It is also notable that all reference to the door being open, or hanging open has been quietly dropped.
Gerald McCann, statement, 4 May 2007: 11:15 a.m.
“. . . Thus, at 9.05 pm, the deponent entered the club, using his key, the door being locked, and went to the children's bedroom and noted that the twins and Madeleine were in perfect condition. . .
“. . . At 10pm, his wife Kate went to check on the children. She went into the apartment through the door using her key and saw right away that the children’s bedroom door was completely open, the window was also open, the shutters raised and the curtains drawn open. The side door that opens into the living room, which as said earlier, was never locked, was closed. [6]
Kate McCann, statement, 4 May 2007 2:15 p.m.
“. . . At around 10pm, the witness came to check on the children. She went into the apartment by the side door, which was closed, but unlocked, as already said, and immediately noticed that the door to her children's bedroom was completely open, the window was also open, the shutters raised and the curtains open, while she was certain of having closed them all as she always did. [7]
Observation
1 The door is now ignored
2 The McCanns and two of their friends were taken from Praia da Luz at around 10 am for the statements to be taken. [8]
Gerry was first. He was interviewed alone. When his statement was completed Kate followed.
Unusually Gerry was permitted to remain in the interview room, whilst Kate was interviewed and her statement was taken. [9]
He was permitted to sit behind her and she states that from time to time he “would place a hand on my shoulder or give me a reassuring squeeze”. [10]
Further observation
3 Physical contact of this sort may be reassuring. It can also be a very effective method of communication.
During the same morning, whilst those two statements were being taken the PJ started the forensic examination of the apartment, including of the shutters, and took photos.
It is clear that the shutters had not been broken, smashed, or jemmied open. [11]
Meanwhile other people with a knowledge of the resort were giving evidence.
John Hill Mr Hill said that despite the report by a family friend that the shutters to the couple's apartment were broken, there was no sign that anyone had forced their way in while the McCanns ate at the tapas restaurant 200 yards away. [12]
"It's still questionable as to whether it's abduction," [13]
Chief Inspector Olegario Sousa, spokesman for the investigation, later confided in British former Chief Inspector Albert Kirby that neither the windows nor their shutters had been tampered with.
Mr Kirby told The Mail on Sunday: "
I had a very interesting chat with the officer in charge. The window shutters are not an issue. Their mechanism makes them almost impossible to open. The door was left unlocked. They did that every night.” [14]
Photos exist of the forensic scientist from the PJ examining the shutters. It is clear that the shutters are in perfect condition. [15]
A short video clip of an attempt to open the shutters from outside may also be seen on YouTube. In this it is clear that the shutters jam into the housing above the window, and do not remain in the raised position once released. [16]
Second change of story
This concerns the point of entry of Gerry and Kate into the apartment
This concerns the point of entry of Gerry and Kate into the apartment
In the second statement, made on 10 May, Dr Gerald McCann changed his story for a second time, this time in relation to his point of entry.
“He is certain that, before leaving home, the children's bedroom was totally dark, with the window closed, but he does not know it was locked, the shutters closed but with some slats open, and the curtains also drawn closed. Asked, he mentions that during the night the artificial light coming in from the outside is very weak, therefore, without a light being lit in the living room or in the kitchen, the visibility inside the bedroom is much reduced. Despite what he said in his previous statements, he states now and with certainty, that he left with KATE through the back door which he consequently closed but did not lock, given that that is only possible from the inside. Concerning the front door, although he is certain that it was closed, it is unlikely that it was locked, because they left through the back door”. [17]
Observation
This brings his version into line with that of Kate’s statement of 4th May, and incidentally makes it more compatible with the first version given by Dr Matthew Oldfield.
“ That the door through which he entered the apartment was closed but not locked. That he doesn't know if it is usual for Madeleine's parents to leave the door closed but not locked in so far as that door is visible from the restaurant.” [18]
It also brings it in line with the statement by John Hill [supra, 14]
Third Change of story
This concerns the first acceptance that the window was not the point of entry.
This concerns the first acceptance that the window was not the point of entry.
On 18 October 2007 the Dispatches programme aired “Searching for Madeleine”. In that programme it was effectively proved that there was no way anybody could break into the apartment and leave no forensic trace or damage to the lightweight aluminium shutters, which are covered with a fine coating of polyurethane paint which marks extremely easily.
David Barclay (Former Head of Physical Evidence UK National Crime and Operations Faculty)
“We must be very careful that we're not saying this is actually staging, but it is difficult to see how anybody could have interfered with those shutters from the outside without leaving some trace. In fact, having looked at them, I think it's almost impossible.” [19]
Important Note: The statements detailed above were not made available for examination and comparison until the case was shelved in July 2008. What follows is therefore a significant announcement, as it was placed into the public domain BEFORE the public at large were made aware of the previous contradictions and changes in stance.
During the week following the Dispatches programme the McCanns’ official spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, announced that the McCanns now reversed their previous stance on the break-in story.
“THE spokesman for the family of Madeleine McCann has reversed a statement made in the early days of the search for the missing child. . . However, in the early part of the hunt, friends and family members told journalists that the shutter on the apartment where the McCanns were staying had been broken. . . "There was no evidence of a break-in," said Mr Mitchell.
"I'm not going into the detail, but I can say that Kate and Gerry are firmly of the view that somebody got into the apartment and took Madeleine out the window as their means of escape, and to do that they did not necessarily have to tamper with anything. They got out of the window fairly easily.” [20]
David Barclay repeated this view on “Madeleine McCann - The Mystery,” by Sky News 24.12.07 when he said,
“I think it is impossible for someone to get in and out of that window without leaving a forensic trace . . .” [21]
The McCanns’ change of view was reinforced 18 months later by the McCanns themselves, on their “Find Madeleine” web site, where they admit the force of some arguments.
“Lisbon 14th January 2010
There are few points which have been raised in the last few days which I would like to address specifically:
Abduction theory: For us, there is only the abduction theory possible because we were not involved in Madeleine's disappearance and we know Madeleine did not wander off by herself. It is obvious and right that the police should consider other theories initially.
The window: I described to the police officers exactly what I found that night, as it was and is highly relevant and I knew that every little detail could be helpful in finding my daughter which is our only aim. The window which is a ground floor window was completely open and is large enough for a person to easily climb through it. Whether it had been opened for this purpose remains unknown. It could of course have been opened by the perpetrator when inside the apartment as a potential escape route or left open as a 'red herring'. [22]
Observation
1 Kate refers to the “abduction” as a theory. Not as a proven fact.
2 Kate described in her statement an open window and wide open curtains. She described in interviews and in the ‘truthful’ book an open window and completely closed curtains.
References
Important Note
A. Many of these references may be accessed on the web site http:/mccannfiles.com which has a good search engine.
We have tried wherever possible to find and to quote the original source.
B. In several cases an original interview was reported by different newspapers. In some cases there are slight differences in the actual words in the quotes used, which may be for several reasons. We have tried to attach the correct reference for the exact wording shown, but there may be instances where a slight variation can be detected.
It is submitted that the importance is the meaning, rather than the actual form of words used.
C. Some of the original web site references are no longer available, having been deleted, or archived beyond the reach of a casual researcher. In those cases we show the original as it was recorded at the time, indicated by strike through that it is no longer available, and where possible show a web reference to which the original material and the original reference was copied and pasted, and where at the time of publication it may still be viewed.
References and Links
1 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/6623127.stm
2 http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/may/05/world.topstories31
3
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/maddy-3-goes-missing-472340
4
Reported on http://hypocriteandliar.wordpress.com/tag/jill-renwick/
5 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id21.html
copied and pasted from Blacksmith bureau blogspot
written by one John Blacksmith
6 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 4th of May 2007, 11.15 a.m. Processos Vol I, pages 34 - 41 Location: CID Portimão
may be accessed on http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html
7 Witness statement of Kate Marie Healy, 4th of May 2007, 2.20 p.m.
Processos Vol I, pages 58-65 Location: CID Portimão
may be accessed on http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html
8 madeleine, by Kate McCann, 2011, Bantam Press, at p.88
9 Ibid. p. 90
10 Ibid. p. 91
11 http://mccannfiles.com/id155.html
12
referring to Press Association ,4 May 2007 By PA Reporters
13 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/6623127.stm
14 h[url=ttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-454466/Madeleines-parents-left- patio-doors-unlocked.html]ttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-454466/Madeleines-parents-left- patio-doors-unlocked.html[/url]
15 http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/ocean_club_appartment-.jpg
16 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IeuMzyaCnnY
17 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th of May 2007, 3.20 p.m. Processos Vol IV, pages 891-903 Location: CID Portimão
may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap10
18 Witness statement of Matthew Oldfield - 11h30, 04 May 2007
may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap3
19
(NB; This is no longer available. That account has been closed.)
Transcript is to be found at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id49.html
20 [url=http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/mccann-family-reverse-story- over-breakin-evidence-1203473.html]http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/mccann-family-reverse-story- over-breakin-evidence-1203473.html[/url]
21 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yFZ2eVuC4Q
22 http://www.findmadeleine.com/updates/updates@page=1.html
--------------------
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Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 2: Did they Search?
Kate McCann - statement 4th May 2007 [1]
The group immediately headed to the club, and set about searching in all the buildings, swimming pool, tennis courts etc. as well as in the apartment with the help of employees.
Gerry McCann - statement 4th May 2007 [2]
Immediately, the group headed for the club and searched across all the facilities, swimming pool, tennis etc., as well as in the apartment, with the help of Ocean Club employees, while at the same time they contacted the authorities, that would later appear.
Gerry McCann - statement 10th May 2007 [3]
They continued with searches outside, around the various apartment blocks, the deponent having asked MATTHEW to go to the secondary reception in order to communicate the fact to the local police, since he had no doubt that his daughter had been abducted.
Gerry McCann statement as Arguido 7th September 2007. [4]
(Status “Arguido”, under caution (In English Law terms), and with Lawyer present.)
When asked why instead of scouring the land next to the complex they remained inside the apartment, he replies that it did not happen that way. While the guests and resort workers were searching, he went to the main reception to check whether they had called the Police, and told Kate to wait inside the apartment. After returning from the reception he went back into the apartment where he stayed in the living room and in their bedroom.
Observations
1 It is evident from the context in the first two statements that “the group” means the rest of the group, and does not include the McCanns themselves.
2 There is a clear contradiction between the 10 May statement where it is stated that Gerry sent Matthew to the reception, and the 7th September statement, where he states that he himself went, before returning to the apartment.
3 Matthew Oldfield’s statements of 4th and 10th May, are silent on this point. Neither statement goes into details of any search.
4 Matthew Oldfield’s rogatory interview a year later states that both he and Gerry went to Reception, apparently independently. [5]
BBC TV interview
A fortnight after Gerry’s second statement, on 25th May 2007, the McCanns were interviewed by Jane Hill of the BBC.
The clip may be viewed on YouTube
Transcript -
Jane Hill: "I met people who didn't go to work for more than a week because everyday they were down on the beach, searching the streets. Did you, as a mother Kate, just sometimes think 'I've got to go and be out there with them. I want to go and just physically look as well."
Kate: “(Pause) I mean, I did. Errm... (Long Pause) Errm, we'd been working really hard really. Apart... I mean, the first 48 hours, as Gerry said, are incredibly difficult and we were almost non-functioning, I'd say, errm, but after that you get strength from somewhere. We've certainly had loads of support and that's given us strength and its been able to make us focus really so we have actually, in our own way, it might not be physically searching but we've been working really hard and doing absolutely everything we can, really, to get Madeleine back."
Gerry: Made no reply.
Observations
1 The parents are being given every opportunity to say publicly what searches they had done. They have the opportunity to emphasise, for example, that Kate had remained to look after the twins and that Gerry had searched extensively. They have the opportunity to explain in great detail what they had done.
2 They remain silent.
3 They do not mention anything which appears in the following extract from
the book, “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, published in 2011.
p. 73 Gerry, David, Russell and Matt split into pairs and dashed around the adjacent apartment blocks, meeting back at our flat within a couple of minutes.
p. 80 On my insistence, Gerry and Dave went out again to look for some sign of Madeleine. They went up and down the beach in the dark, running, shouting, desperate to find something;
p. 81 I walked briskly up and down Rua Dr Agostinho da Silva, sometimes breaking into a jog, clinging to the hope that I’d spot something in the dark.
p. 81 Back in the apartment the cold, black night enveloped us all for what seemed like an eternity. Dianne and I sat there just staring at each other, still as statues. ‘It’s so dark,’ she said again and again. ‘I want the light to come.’ I felt exactly the same way. Gerry was stretched out on a camp bed with Amelie asleep on his chest. He kept saying, ‘Kate, we need to rest.’ He managed to drift off but only briefly, certainly for less than an hour. I didn’t even try. I couldn’t have allowed myself to entertain sleep. I felt Madeleine’s terror, and I had to keep vigil with her. I needed to be doing something, but I didn’t know where to put myself. I wandered restlessly in and out of the room and on to the balcony.
At long last, dawn broke.
p. 83 Friday 4 May. Our first day without Madeleine. As soon as it was light Gerry and I resumed our search. We went up and down roads we’d never seen before, having barely left the Ocean Club complex all week. We jumped over walls and raked through undergrowth. We looked in ditches and holes. All was quiet apart from the sound of barking dogs, which added to the eeriness of the atmosphere. I remember opening a big dumpster-type bin and saying to myself, please God, don’t let her be in here. The most striking and horrific thing about all this was that we were completely alone. Nobody else, it seemed, was out looking for Madeleine. Just us, her parents.
We must have been out for at least an hour before returning to David and Fiona’s apartment . . .
Observations
1 This is the first occasion on which we are told that the parents searched.
2 None of these details were included in any statement, nor in any interview prior to publication.
3 If we add the total time spent by the parents in searching, we find “a couple of minutes,” plus a “run up and down the beach”, plus “a brisk walk up and down the road”, plus “at least an hour”.
Total search time, it seems, no longer than 1 hour 45 min.
4 It is entirely unclear why Kate would need to insist that Gerry went out to search.
5 Matthew Oldfield’s rogatory interview does not say that he and Gerry were searching together. In the rogatory interview there is an ambiguous passage which may indicate that he and Gerry were together on the beach. [7]
6 It is also made clear that both parents spent the latter part of the night either sleeping (Gerry), or “keeping vigil” (Kate)
7 The use of the word “resumed” on p.83 is therefore questionable.
References
Note: Nos 1 - 5, and 7 may be found in http://mccannfiles.com
1 Witness statement of Kate Marie Healy, 4th May 2007,
Processos Vol I, pages 58-65
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta4
2 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 4th May 2007,
Processos Vol I, pages 34 - 41
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta1
3 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007, Processos Vol I, pages 891-903 http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta2
4 Arguido questioning of Gerald Patrick McCann, 7th September 2007 Processos Vol IV, pages 2569-2578
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta3
5 http://mccannfiles.com/id219.html
6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YWCVSjIJk8
7 http://mccannfiles.com/id219.html
The transcript of the Rogatory interview with Matthew Oldfield follows.
The “raw” transcript is given first, and then for ease of understanding the relevant parts are rendered in a more coherent form in Standard English
Matthew Oldfield, Rogatory Interview Leicestershire Police HQ, 9th April 2008.
Reference 5
Raw Transcript
Erm, at some point we were back and forth to the, to the reception as well. And I think what the reception probably did was ring the MARK WARNER people and say, there's somebody that's saying there's a child missing, because by that time there were lots of MARK WARNER people around, erm, and they were very good, they, you know, they obviously, you know, got there and that might have been the impetus that got them to ring the Police, if, because I understand that there is some discrepancy about when we thought we'd called the Police and when the Police were actually called and that might be that they went on the, on that route first and then went, I think it's Stuart HILL or, well the Manager, the sort of Manager got involved, that might have been when it occurred. Erm, so there was plenty of running around through the back streets and back to the apartment and then, you know, where's the, where are the Police, where are the Police, erm, and so went back down to the reception, this would have been about thirty minutes or so later, erm, back to reception, erm, and at that point, Gerry had come down as well, erm, and, erm, you know, was obviously, you know, sort of intermittently sort of calm and then completely, you know, hysterically upset, it was sort of, you know, it was sort of pretty sort of upsetting, because you didn't know what to really say, because you can't really say, you know, it's going to be okay, because, you know, you assume the worst and it's going to be particularly awful, you know, it's going, you know, some, erm, person's got, (inaudible), some xxxxxxx's got my, you know, got my daughter and she's so innocent.
Edited text
. . .we were back and forth to the reception as well.
And I think what the reception probably did was ring the MARK WARNER people and say there's somebody that's saying there's a child missing, because by that time there were lots of MARK WARNER people around,
and they were very good, that might have been the impetus that got them to ring the Police,
so there was plenty of running around through the back streets and back to the apartment and then went back down to the reception, this would have been about thirty minutes or so later, and at that point Gerry had come down as well, and, was sort of intermittently calm and then completely hysterically upset . . .
Reference 7
Edited text
Reply "No I don’t remember much about the weather on that night, I’m just thinking more about when we were actually running along the beach and along the front doing the search and I don’t recall it being particularly windy .
Did the McCanns physically search
for their daughter Madeleine?
for their daughter Madeleine?
Kate McCann - statement 4th May 2007 [1]
The group immediately headed to the club, and set about searching in all the buildings, swimming pool, tennis courts etc. as well as in the apartment with the help of employees.
Gerry McCann - statement 4th May 2007 [2]
Immediately, the group headed for the club and searched across all the facilities, swimming pool, tennis etc., as well as in the apartment, with the help of Ocean Club employees, while at the same time they contacted the authorities, that would later appear.
Gerry McCann - statement 10th May 2007 [3]
They continued with searches outside, around the various apartment blocks, the deponent having asked MATTHEW to go to the secondary reception in order to communicate the fact to the local police, since he had no doubt that his daughter had been abducted.
Gerry McCann statement as Arguido 7th September 2007. [4]
(Status “Arguido”, under caution (In English Law terms), and with Lawyer present.)
When asked why instead of scouring the land next to the complex they remained inside the apartment, he replies that it did not happen that way. While the guests and resort workers were searching, he went to the main reception to check whether they had called the Police, and told Kate to wait inside the apartment. After returning from the reception he went back into the apartment where he stayed in the living room and in their bedroom.
Observations
1 It is evident from the context in the first two statements that “the group” means the rest of the group, and does not include the McCanns themselves.
2 There is a clear contradiction between the 10 May statement where it is stated that Gerry sent Matthew to the reception, and the 7th September statement, where he states that he himself went, before returning to the apartment.
3 Matthew Oldfield’s statements of 4th and 10th May, are silent on this point. Neither statement goes into details of any search.
4 Matthew Oldfield’s rogatory interview a year later states that both he and Gerry went to Reception, apparently independently. [5]
BBC TV interview
A fortnight after Gerry’s second statement, on 25th May 2007, the McCanns were interviewed by Jane Hill of the BBC.
The clip may be viewed on YouTube
[6]
Transcript -
Jane Hill: "I met people who didn't go to work for more than a week because everyday they were down on the beach, searching the streets. Did you, as a mother Kate, just sometimes think 'I've got to go and be out there with them. I want to go and just physically look as well."
Kate: “(Pause) I mean, I did. Errm... (Long Pause) Errm, we'd been working really hard really. Apart... I mean, the first 48 hours, as Gerry said, are incredibly difficult and we were almost non-functioning, I'd say, errm, but after that you get strength from somewhere. We've certainly had loads of support and that's given us strength and its been able to make us focus really so we have actually, in our own way, it might not be physically searching but we've been working really hard and doing absolutely everything we can, really, to get Madeleine back."
Gerry: Made no reply.
Observations
1 The parents are being given every opportunity to say publicly what searches they had done. They have the opportunity to emphasise, for example, that Kate had remained to look after the twins and that Gerry had searched extensively. They have the opportunity to explain in great detail what they had done.
2 They remain silent.
3 They do not mention anything which appears in the following extract from
the book, “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, published in 2011.
p. 73 Gerry, David, Russell and Matt split into pairs and dashed around the adjacent apartment blocks, meeting back at our flat within a couple of minutes.
p. 80 On my insistence, Gerry and Dave went out again to look for some sign of Madeleine. They went up and down the beach in the dark, running, shouting, desperate to find something;
p. 81 I walked briskly up and down Rua Dr Agostinho da Silva, sometimes breaking into a jog, clinging to the hope that I’d spot something in the dark.
p. 81 Back in the apartment the cold, black night enveloped us all for what seemed like an eternity. Dianne and I sat there just staring at each other, still as statues. ‘It’s so dark,’ she said again and again. ‘I want the light to come.’ I felt exactly the same way. Gerry was stretched out on a camp bed with Amelie asleep on his chest. He kept saying, ‘Kate, we need to rest.’ He managed to drift off but only briefly, certainly for less than an hour. I didn’t even try. I couldn’t have allowed myself to entertain sleep. I felt Madeleine’s terror, and I had to keep vigil with her. I needed to be doing something, but I didn’t know where to put myself. I wandered restlessly in and out of the room and on to the balcony.
At long last, dawn broke.
p. 83 Friday 4 May. Our first day without Madeleine. As soon as it was light Gerry and I resumed our search. We went up and down roads we’d never seen before, having barely left the Ocean Club complex all week. We jumped over walls and raked through undergrowth. We looked in ditches and holes. All was quiet apart from the sound of barking dogs, which added to the eeriness of the atmosphere. I remember opening a big dumpster-type bin and saying to myself, please God, don’t let her be in here. The most striking and horrific thing about all this was that we were completely alone. Nobody else, it seemed, was out looking for Madeleine. Just us, her parents.
We must have been out for at least an hour before returning to David and Fiona’s apartment . . .
Observations
1 This is the first occasion on which we are told that the parents searched.
2 None of these details were included in any statement, nor in any interview prior to publication.
3 If we add the total time spent by the parents in searching, we find “a couple of minutes,” plus a “run up and down the beach”, plus “a brisk walk up and down the road”, plus “at least an hour”.
Total search time, it seems, no longer than 1 hour 45 min.
4 It is entirely unclear why Kate would need to insist that Gerry went out to search.
5 Matthew Oldfield’s rogatory interview does not say that he and Gerry were searching together. In the rogatory interview there is an ambiguous passage which may indicate that he and Gerry were together on the beach. [7]
6 It is also made clear that both parents spent the latter part of the night either sleeping (Gerry), or “keeping vigil” (Kate)
7 The use of the word “resumed” on p.83 is therefore questionable.
References
Note: Nos 1 - 5, and 7 may be found in http://mccannfiles.com
1 Witness statement of Kate Marie Healy, 4th May 2007,
Processos Vol I, pages 58-65
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta4
2 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 4th May 2007,
Processos Vol I, pages 34 - 41
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta1
3 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007, Processos Vol I, pages 891-903 http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta2
4 Arguido questioning of Gerald Patrick McCann, 7th September 2007 Processos Vol IV, pages 2569-2578
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta3
5 http://mccannfiles.com/id219.html
6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YWCVSjIJk8
7 http://mccannfiles.com/id219.html
The transcript of the Rogatory interview with Matthew Oldfield follows.
The “raw” transcript is given first, and then for ease of understanding the relevant parts are rendered in a more coherent form in Standard English
Matthew Oldfield, Rogatory Interview Leicestershire Police HQ, 9th April 2008.
Reference 5
Raw Transcript
Erm, at some point we were back and forth to the, to the reception as well. And I think what the reception probably did was ring the MARK WARNER people and say, there's somebody that's saying there's a child missing, because by that time there were lots of MARK WARNER people around, erm, and they were very good, they, you know, they obviously, you know, got there and that might have been the impetus that got them to ring the Police, if, because I understand that there is some discrepancy about when we thought we'd called the Police and when the Police were actually called and that might be that they went on the, on that route first and then went, I think it's Stuart HILL or, well the Manager, the sort of Manager got involved, that might have been when it occurred. Erm, so there was plenty of running around through the back streets and back to the apartment and then, you know, where's the, where are the Police, where are the Police, erm, and so went back down to the reception, this would have been about thirty minutes or so later, erm, back to reception, erm, and at that point, Gerry had come down as well, erm, and, erm, you know, was obviously, you know, sort of intermittently sort of calm and then completely, you know, hysterically upset, it was sort of, you know, it was sort of pretty sort of upsetting, because you didn't know what to really say, because you can't really say, you know, it's going to be okay, because, you know, you assume the worst and it's going to be particularly awful, you know, it's going, you know, some, erm, person's got, (inaudible), some xxxxxxx's got my, you know, got my daughter and she's so innocent.
Edited text
. . .we were back and forth to the reception as well.
And I think what the reception probably did was ring the MARK WARNER people and say there's somebody that's saying there's a child missing, because by that time there were lots of MARK WARNER people around,
and they were very good, that might have been the impetus that got them to ring the Police,
so there was plenty of running around through the back streets and back to the apartment and then went back down to the reception, this would have been about thirty minutes or so later, and at that point Gerry had come down as well, and, was sort of intermittently calm and then completely hysterically upset . . .
Reference 7
Edited text
Reply "No I don’t remember much about the weather on that night, I’m just thinking more about when we were actually running along the beach and along the front doing the search and I don’t recall it being particularly windy .
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 3: Curtains, Door and Windows
“I did my check about ten o’clock and went in through the sliding patio doors, and I just stood actually, and I thought, uh, all quiet. And to be honest, I might have been tempted to turn round then, but I just noticed that the door, the bedroom door where the three children were sleeping, was open much further than we’d left it.
I went to close it to about here, and then as I got to here, it suddenly . . . slammed, and as I opened it, it was then, that I just thought I’ll just look at the children.
I see Sean and Amelie in the cot . . . .
I was looking at Madeleine’s bed which is here, and it was dark and I was looking and I was thinking is that, is that Madeleine or is that the bedding and I couldn't quite make her out, and it sounds really stupid now, but at the time I was just thinking I didn’t want to put the light on because I didn't want to wake them, and literally as I went back in, the curtains of the bedroom which were drawn, [demonstrates with both forearms together] that were closed, “wheesh’ like a gust of wind kind of blew them open.
And cuddle cat was still there, and the pink blanket was still there. I knew straight away that, err, she’d been . . . taken, yer know.” [1]
We notice a number of significant points in this interview.
• We are told that the door was open “further than we had left it”, but on the video it is clear and demonstrated that this did not mean fully open.
• We are told that the curtains were fully closed, and this is demonstrated on the video by the forearms being held vertically in front of the body and together
• We are told that the curtains blew into the room.
There are problems with this version of events.
If the curtains had blown up in the manner described they would have fallen back onto the bed, and have been lying across the bedclothes and across the chair
The photos taken by the PJ show clearly that the curtains are hanging down, and held firmly, one trapped down the side of the bed against the wall, and the other behind the wicker chair. The folds in each curtain are clearly flattened against the wall by the furniture.
The bed is unmade. It is alleged that Kate had slept in this bed the night before.
The photos show the windows closed. They are of the type that lock together automatically when closed, and require a finger inserted into the black mechanism in the centre to release the catch. They also show the shutters in the almost closed position [2]
And the photos also show the curtains half closed, the left curtain slightly more closed than the right one. [3]
However,
From Kate’s police statement, dated 4th May we learn,
“At around 10pm, the witness came to check on the children. She went into the apartment by the side door, which was closed, but unlocked, as already said, and immediately noticed that the door to her children's bedroom was completely open, the window was also open, the shutters raised and the curtains open, while she was certain of having closed them all as she always did.” [4]
Gerry’s statement of 4th May does contain hearsay evidence, but as husband and wife they have obviously spoken between themselves, and the statement can be taken at face value.
“At 10pm, his wife Kate went to check on the children. She went into the apartment through the door using her key and saw right away that the children’s bedroom door was completely open, the window was also open, the shutters raised and the curtains drawn open. The side door that opens into the living room, which as said earlier, was never locked, was closed.” [5]
In Gerry’s 10th May statement we find
“The deponent ran into the apartment accompanied by the rest of the group who, at the time, were seated at the table. When he arrived at the bedroom he first noticed that the door was completely open, the window was also open to one side, the shutters almost fully raised, the curtains drawn back, MADELEINE’s bed was empty but the twins continued sleeping in their cots. He clarifies that according to what KATE told him, that was the scenario that she found when she entered the apartment.
Then he closed the shutters, made his way to the outside and tried to open them, which he managed to do, much to his surprise given that he thought that that was only possible from the inside. “ [6]
Kate made the first half of a statement on 6th September, but it was adjourned late at night, to be resumed the following day. It was at this point that the events of late evening of 3rd May were about to to be discussed.
The following day Kate immediately exercised her right to remain silent as arguida and said nothing more of evidential interest. The more detailed analysis of her story was therefore never undertaken.
So
• in the original statements the curtains were drawn back, or fully open.
• in the police photos they are half drawn.
• In the subsequent explanation they are fully closed
In addition the windows are sliding, so only one half can be open, that pane moving in front of the other. A gust of wind would therefore disturb only one curtain.
But now let us examine the story around the children’s bedroom door.
In her police statement of 4th May, which was then confirmed, albeit in hearsay form in both of Gerry’s statements, she says, explicitly, “. . .the children’s bedroom door was completely open”. The same form of words is used by Gerry. “the door was completely open”. and he clarifies that this is what he was told by Kate.
But months later the story of the slamming door, and the door left open a bit more than we had left it, is told to journalists as in the video [q.v.], and it is this version which appears in the book.
p. 71 “Then I noticed that the door to the children’s bedroom was open quite wide, not how we had left it. At first I assumed that Matt must have moved it. I walked over and gently began to pull it to. Suddenly it slammed shut, as if caught by a draught.” [7]
Leaving aside for a moment the clear indication in that passage, and in the video, [see transcript] that Kate had no intention of looking in at the children, this is clearly at odds with all the police statements so far given, which emphasise and repeat that the door was “completely open”
What are the possible ways of understanding this paradox ?
The first option is that Kate immediately started rearranging the room, but in this case did not make the bed, which was still unmade from the previous night.
It is of interest to note that she had not even pulled the bed straight when she got up, or when she made Madeleine's bed, which is neat and tidy in the photos, with the corner neatly turned down, giving at least the appearance that no one had slept in it. [8]
But she must have tucked the curtains back down the crack between the bed and the wall, certainly having to move the bed out to do so, and made sure they were hanging properly, before pushing it back against the wall before the police arrived.
She must also have done this before returning to the Tapas bar to give the alert, as none of the friends mention any such activity.
Again she must also have partially closed the curtains, since both statements insist that the curtains were “open”, “drawn open” or “drawn back”. and in the photos they are not.
The second option is that the curtains did not "whoosh".
And if the curtains did not "Whoosh" then the door did not slam.
It is important to remember that it was not reported in either of Gerry’s statements, nor in Kate’s statement that the curtains blew open or that the door slammed. This detail was only reported by Kate to journalists several months later.
The weather that night was mild, with a light breeze,. In Faro it was recorded as reaching only Force 3. At 10pm only 14.4kph. This is the bottom end of Force 3. [9]
Beaufort Force 3 Gentle breeze 12–19 km/h (3–5 m/s)
Leaves and small twigs constantly moving, light flags extended. [10]
Might that be enough to slam a door ? Or to whoosh a curtain trapped behind a bed ?
Neither Kate nor Gerry mentions closing the window.
In her statement Kate does not mention Gerry’s closing and opening the shutters.
In view of the evidence of the above, one is surely entitled to question the “official account” or indeed any of them, in that they seem unsupported by evidence.
2 http://mccannfiles.com/id155.html
3 http://mccannfiles.com/id155.html
4 Witness statement of Kate Marie Healy, 4th May 2007,
Processos Vol I, pages 58-65
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta4
5 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 4th May 2007,
Processos Vol I, pages 34 - 41
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta1
6 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007.
Processos Vol I, pages 891-903
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta3
7 ‘”madeleine’”, Kate McCann, Random Press, 2011, at p. 71
8 http://mccannfiles.com/id155.html
9 http://www.wunderground.com
10 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale
We examine Kate's claim that the door slammed, and when she went in the curtains “Whooshed” open.
In 2008 Kate McCann gave an interview in which she described graphically what happened when she entered the apartment for her check, and discovered Madeleine to be missing.“I did my check about ten o’clock and went in through the sliding patio doors, and I just stood actually, and I thought, uh, all quiet. And to be honest, I might have been tempted to turn round then, but I just noticed that the door, the bedroom door where the three children were sleeping, was open much further than we’d left it.
I went to close it to about here, and then as I got to here, it suddenly . . . slammed, and as I opened it, it was then, that I just thought I’ll just look at the children.
I see Sean and Amelie in the cot . . . .
I was looking at Madeleine’s bed which is here, and it was dark and I was looking and I was thinking is that, is that Madeleine or is that the bedding and I couldn't quite make her out, and it sounds really stupid now, but at the time I was just thinking I didn’t want to put the light on because I didn't want to wake them, and literally as I went back in, the curtains of the bedroom which were drawn, [demonstrates with both forearms together] that were closed, “wheesh’ like a gust of wind kind of blew them open.
And cuddle cat was still there, and the pink blanket was still there. I knew straight away that, err, she’d been . . . taken, yer know.” [1]
We notice a number of significant points in this interview.
• We are told that the door was open “further than we had left it”, but on the video it is clear and demonstrated that this did not mean fully open.
• We are told that the curtains were fully closed, and this is demonstrated on the video by the forearms being held vertically in front of the body and together
• We are told that the curtains blew into the room.
There are problems with this version of events.
If the curtains had blown up in the manner described they would have fallen back onto the bed, and have been lying across the bedclothes and across the chair
The photos taken by the PJ show clearly that the curtains are hanging down, and held firmly, one trapped down the side of the bed against the wall, and the other behind the wicker chair. The folds in each curtain are clearly flattened against the wall by the furniture.
The bed is unmade. It is alleged that Kate had slept in this bed the night before.
The photos show the windows closed. They are of the type that lock together automatically when closed, and require a finger inserted into the black mechanism in the centre to release the catch. They also show the shutters in the almost closed position [2]
And the photos also show the curtains half closed, the left curtain slightly more closed than the right one. [3]
However,
From Kate’s police statement, dated 4th May we learn,
“At around 10pm, the witness came to check on the children. She went into the apartment by the side door, which was closed, but unlocked, as already said, and immediately noticed that the door to her children's bedroom was completely open, the window was also open, the shutters raised and the curtains open, while she was certain of having closed them all as she always did.” [4]
Gerry’s statement of 4th May does contain hearsay evidence, but as husband and wife they have obviously spoken between themselves, and the statement can be taken at face value.
“At 10pm, his wife Kate went to check on the children. She went into the apartment through the door using her key and saw right away that the children’s bedroom door was completely open, the window was also open, the shutters raised and the curtains drawn open. The side door that opens into the living room, which as said earlier, was never locked, was closed.” [5]
In Gerry’s 10th May statement we find
“The deponent ran into the apartment accompanied by the rest of the group who, at the time, were seated at the table. When he arrived at the bedroom he first noticed that the door was completely open, the window was also open to one side, the shutters almost fully raised, the curtains drawn back, MADELEINE’s bed was empty but the twins continued sleeping in their cots. He clarifies that according to what KATE told him, that was the scenario that she found when she entered the apartment.
Then he closed the shutters, made his way to the outside and tried to open them, which he managed to do, much to his surprise given that he thought that that was only possible from the inside. “ [6]
Kate made the first half of a statement on 6th September, but it was adjourned late at night, to be resumed the following day. It was at this point that the events of late evening of 3rd May were about to to be discussed.
The following day Kate immediately exercised her right to remain silent as arguida and said nothing more of evidential interest. The more detailed analysis of her story was therefore never undertaken.
So
• in the original statements the curtains were drawn back, or fully open.
• in the police photos they are half drawn.
• In the subsequent explanation they are fully closed
In addition the windows are sliding, so only one half can be open, that pane moving in front of the other. A gust of wind would therefore disturb only one curtain.
But now let us examine the story around the children’s bedroom door.
In her police statement of 4th May, which was then confirmed, albeit in hearsay form in both of Gerry’s statements, she says, explicitly, “. . .the children’s bedroom door was completely open”. The same form of words is used by Gerry. “the door was completely open”. and he clarifies that this is what he was told by Kate.
But months later the story of the slamming door, and the door left open a bit more than we had left it, is told to journalists as in the video [q.v.], and it is this version which appears in the book.
p. 71 “Then I noticed that the door to the children’s bedroom was open quite wide, not how we had left it. At first I assumed that Matt must have moved it. I walked over and gently began to pull it to. Suddenly it slammed shut, as if caught by a draught.” [7]
Leaving aside for a moment the clear indication in that passage, and in the video, [see transcript] that Kate had no intention of looking in at the children, this is clearly at odds with all the police statements so far given, which emphasise and repeat that the door was “completely open”
What are the possible ways of understanding this paradox ?
The first option is that Kate immediately started rearranging the room, but in this case did not make the bed, which was still unmade from the previous night.
It is of interest to note that she had not even pulled the bed straight when she got up, or when she made Madeleine's bed, which is neat and tidy in the photos, with the corner neatly turned down, giving at least the appearance that no one had slept in it. [8]
But she must have tucked the curtains back down the crack between the bed and the wall, certainly having to move the bed out to do so, and made sure they were hanging properly, before pushing it back against the wall before the police arrived.
She must also have done this before returning to the Tapas bar to give the alert, as none of the friends mention any such activity.
Again she must also have partially closed the curtains, since both statements insist that the curtains were “open”, “drawn open” or “drawn back”. and in the photos they are not.
The second option is that the curtains did not "whoosh".
And if the curtains did not "Whoosh" then the door did not slam.
It is important to remember that it was not reported in either of Gerry’s statements, nor in Kate’s statement that the curtains blew open or that the door slammed. This detail was only reported by Kate to journalists several months later.
The weather that night was mild, with a light breeze,. In Faro it was recorded as reaching only Force 3. At 10pm only 14.4kph. This is the bottom end of Force 3. [9]
Beaufort Force 3 Gentle breeze 12–19 km/h (3–5 m/s)
Leaves and small twigs constantly moving, light flags extended. [10]
Might that be enough to slam a door ? Or to whoosh a curtain trapped behind a bed ?
Neither Kate nor Gerry mentions closing the window.
In her statement Kate does not mention Gerry’s closing and opening the shutters.
In view of the evidence of the above, one is surely entitled to question the “official account” or indeed any of them, in that they seem unsupported by evidence.
References
1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhACS6ck-Dw&feature=player_embeddedSee 1:15 onwards
2 http://mccannfiles.com/id155.html
3 http://mccannfiles.com/id155.html
4 Witness statement of Kate Marie Healy, 4th May 2007,
Processos Vol I, pages 58-65
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta4
5 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 4th May 2007,
Processos Vol I, pages 34 - 41
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta1
6 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007.
Processos Vol I, pages 891-903
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta3
7 ‘”madeleine’”, Kate McCann, Random Press, 2011, at p. 71
8 http://mccannfiles.com/id155.html
9 http://www.wunderground.com
10 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 4: The “Window of Opportunity”
From time to time it is of course necessary to ‘interpret”, as when one witness gives more than one version of an event, or when two or more witnesses give inconsistent testimony. Such points will be identified.
In the early stages of the publicity around the mystery of the disappearance of Madeleine Beth McCann it was widely suggested and reported in the Press that the abductor might have had nearly an hour between Gerry McCann’s last visit and Kate’s discovery of Madeleine’s disappearance to prepare for and then to commit the crime. Alternatively that he may have had half that time, after Gerry’s visit but before Matthew Oldfield’s visit, or possibly after Oldfield’s visit and before Kate’s
On subsequent analysis of the main statements, and taking into account the McCann’s very early insistence that Jane Tanner’s sighting was of the abductor with Madeleine, that could no longer be sustained. This fact had been recognised by Gerry McCann as early as 1:00am on 4th May. [1]
The McCanns themselves clearly both accept that the “Window of Opportunity” for an abduction was small. During one interview Kate McCann said - in a high pitched and emotional voice - “Yyyeeah, yeah you’re right. It was a very small window of opportunity but they saw it and then *click*!!!!!! Here Kate makes a clicking sound with her tongue and a simultaneous downward chopping motion with her right hand. [2]
On 10th May 2007 Gerry McCann made a statement in which he confirmed this, although at that time he seemed equivocal about the Jane Tanner sighting.
The passage bears repeating in full, for the avoidance of doubt.
“The deponent had had the wrong idea that MATTHEW had seen the bedroom shutters closed when he was there at 21H30, and therefore he thought the disappearance would have taken place between 21h30 and 22h00, but presently he is fully convinced that the abduction took place during the period of time between his check at 21h05 and MATTHEW's visit at 21H30. It was not until about 01h00 on 4 May 2007 that he learned through RUSSELL that his partner, JANE, at around 21h10, saw a man crossing the top of the road with a child in his arms, that may or may not have been his daughter MADELEINE. [3]
Quite how small was that window and the consequences that follow are examined here.
From their Police statements we learn the following :-
• The McCanns left the apartment to go for dinner around 8:30pm [4]
• Gerry McCann left the Tapas restaurant at 9:04 pm, walked back and re-entered the apartment. He did a physical check on the children. He saw all three. [5]
Observation 1 : From the absence of any further comment in any of his statements it must be assumed that the front door, the patio door, the garden gate and the security gate, and the windows and shutters and curtains in the children’s bedroom, were all in order.
Observation 2 : It takes one minute to walk at a normal speed from the Tapas bar to the small gate at the bottom of the outside stairs. It would take around a further 20 seconds to open the gate, climb the stairs, open the patio doors quietly, enter the apartment and reach the children’s bedroom. [6 ]
• He remained in the apartment for a little time, two or three minutes [7] recording that he stood in the children’s room “and thought to himself, She’s so beautiful.” and took the opportunity to use the bathroom. He then left the apartment through the patio doors, and went down the outside stairs, through the gate and out onto the street. There he met Jeremy (referred to throughout as Jez ) Wilkins. The two men spoke for a short time, estimated at between 3 and 4, or 3 to 5 minutes. [8] [9 ] or “only a few minutes” [10]
• Jane Tanner left the Tapas bar at between 9:05 and 9:10 pm. Significantly she times her own departure at five minutes after Gerry’s [11] She walked past the men whilst they were talking. She reports seeing the two men [12] although the men state they did not see her. [13]
• Immediately after passing the two men Jane Tanner states that she saw a man carrying a child along the road across the top of the street, from left to right. The child was being carried flat, across the forearms, and Jane Tanner saw its feet, which were towards her. She then continued to her own apartment. [14]
• Gerry McCann then returned to the dining table in the Tapas bar. This time is given as between 9:10 and 9:15 pm [15]
Working purely from the statements of Gerry McCann, Jeremy Wilkins, and Jane Tanner, and adding the time as we proceed we can estimate the following -
Gerry McCann left the Tapas bar 9:05 pm
Arrived at gate at bottom of stairs 9:06
Climbed stairs, entered apartment and went to bedroom 9:06.30s
Looked at children and had “proud father” moment 9:07
Used toilet 9:08
Left apartment, closing doors, went down stairs, met Jez Wilkins 9:09
Talked to Jez Wilkins 9:09 - 9:13 pm
Jane Tanner left Tapas bar 9:10 pm
JT arrived bottom of stairs, saw and passed the two men 9:11
JT saw abductor carrying child across top of road 9:11.05s
There is therefore, on their own timings, just two minutes and five seconds for the intruder to get in, seize Madeleine, get out again, and make his way round to the top of the road. To walk from the front door or window of the apartment to the left behind the low wall, then across the car park, then right to the corner of the street takes around 45 seconds, and a further 5 seconds to cross the street. [16]
He has therefore around one minute and twenty seconds to enter, commit the crime, and exit.
This is an important point for the understanding of what happened.
Let it be stated once again.
If the man seen by Jane Tanner was the “abductor’ and was carrying Madeleine, as the McCanns insist, he had available to him the time from Gerry McCann’s leaving the apartment to the sighting by Jane Tanner. And no more.
In this time the intruder has to
• Enter the apartment
• Sedate all three children - in the dark
• Select Madeleine as the victim - in the dark
• Open the shutters and window - if he used the front door to enter
• Pick Madeleine out of her bed - in the dark
• Turn her round so that her head is now to his left, rather than to his right, which is the way he would have approached her in the bed.
• Exit the apartment, either through the opened window and shutters, or through the front door, which he must then close silently behind him.
• Walk to the left along the path in front of the apartment, walk straight ahead across the car park, and then walk to the right along the road, and cross the street in front of Jane Tanner, the father of the very child he had just abducted, and another man who has his own child in a buggy.
Taking into account the travelling time, he has around one minute and twenty seconds in which to achieve the first seven items on the list.
Clearly he could not enter through the patio door within this time frame, since Gerry was standing either at the bottom of the steps, or on the other side of the road, depending whether we follow the statement of Gerry McCann, Jez Wilson, [17] [18] or Jane Tanner. (During the televised “documentary reconstruction” Gerry McCann’s version took precedence, and viewers were treated to the sight of Jane Tanner being reduced to tears as her detailed recollection was publicly destroyed.) [19]
For our purposes this important contradiction is, for the moment, irrelevant.
As Kate has observed, “What may be important is that all three of them were there.” [20]
It is indeed a very important point, as it fixes forever Jane Tanner’s sighting relative to Gerry McCann’s leaving the apartment, in a way which cannot be altered by debate or legal argument.
It could only be altered by admission of error, but Jane Tanner has several times then and since publicly insisted that she was telling the truth. [21] [22]
Possible scenarios.
One scenario is therefore that immediately on Gerry McCann’s leaving the apartment, the intruder entered though the front door by means unknown, or, having forced up the shutters, propped or jammed them in a high position, forced open the window, and climbed in. This is not supported by examination of the operation of the shutters, or the locking mechanism of the windows. No implement to support the shutters was found, and no forensic traces were seen on the window sill, or on the windows.
A second scenario has more recently been put forward to the effect that the intruder may have already been in the apartment as Gerry McCann entered. This would allow him a few more seconds or fractions of a minute in which to complete his crime. And in fact we find that this was raised as a possibility by Dr Gerry McCann himself some time later. [23]
But the apartment is largely open-plan, and this theory leads to some vague stories being suggested about where the intruder might have been secreted. None are persuasive. “Behind the door”, or “in the cupboard,” have been offered. Examination of the photos of the bedroom, and indeed of the entire apartment may lead a researcher to question this. [24]
Gerry McCann recounts seeing all the children, and having the “proud father” moment, and of looking down at Madeleine. In none of his three statements does he report the smell of anaesthetic gas or the presence of any other anaesthetic paraphernalia, and we conclude that this procedure must therefore have been performed after he left.
Kate was initially sure that the children had been sedated. [25]
As the almost infinitely small window of opportunity contracts till further, other possibilities have been put forward.
• The intruder had been watching the apartment [26]
• The intruder had been watching the family and taking notes. This was mentioned two years later in the Vanity Fair interview [27]
It is notable that the more details are provided for this scenario, the more difficult it becomes. Adding the sedation, for example, or the opened window and shutters purely as a “red herring”, as Kate did nearly two years later, [28] cuts down still further the time available to perform the actus reus
Another even more strange possibility put forward by Kate was not only that the intruder had been ‘making notes’, but later still there was even a suggestion that he might have done a preliminary reconnoitre, a “dummy run”, during one of the previous nights.
This is a consequence of the ‘curious incident of the children crying in the night time’, reported at some length and on a number of occasions by Kate. [ 29] [30]
Whether it is remotely credible to think that an intruder would not complete the crime, but would instead choose to repeat the actions on a subsequent evening, when the crying alert given by the children might have been heeded by the parents, is something the critical reader may wish to consider.
I started this piece by attempting to build up a picture of what might have happened during the admitted small window of opportunity.
Gradually, and at each step, the story becomes ever more difficult to follow, and the time available for any action by anyone becomes ever smaller, to the point where one must be permitted to ask if there is anything left which is even remotely possible.
It must surely also be permitted to ask the people who steadfastly proselytise the theory of sedation followed by abduction within the tiny window of opportunity, to give at least some details of how they imagine it might have been carried out.
“Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.” Sherlock Holmes. a.k.a. Sir A Conan Doyle
IMPORTANT OBJECTIONS
There are at least three important objections to what has been written above.
The first objection is that the times given by the various people in their statements were not necessarily accurate. A combination of stress and confusion on the night, and trying to fit the story together within a few hours after the event would have made the times approximate at best.
(In fact one of Clarence Mitchell’s more notorious outright falsehoods was to the effect that none of the group had watches or mobile phones with them, and that therefore the exact times were not to be taken as wholly accurate. [31]
Unfortunately for him he said this nearly a year after the Tapas7 group had drawn up two separate and detailed time lines on the night, and a third mutually agreed amalgamation of both, [32] but also the statements of the Tapas 7, of Gerry McCann “When asked at what time he went to check on the children the night Madeleine disappeared, he recalls that this was around 21:04 according to his watch”, [33], and subsequently Kate McCann in her book “by his watch”. [34] , all contradict his assertion.
He backtracked six weeks later. [35] Quite why Mitchell invented, or was asked to tell this particular lie is difficult to understand.)
But the first objection is a valid one, and it is accepted.
It is however entirely irrelevant whether the events described took place exactly between 9:05 pm and 9:15 pm, or five minutes later, or five minutes earlier.
The time is not important. It is the timing, and the statements of the three main people involved which define the “very small window of opportunity”, and that remains unchanged regardless of the exact start or finish time of that window.
To recap, in case this is not understood or fully appreciated
And that time is measured in only a very few minutes and seconds.
The second objection is that the timings for climbing the stairs and opening the patio doors, for example, or the 45 seconds allowed for walking from the apartment across the car park and then to the right and across the street might be inaccurate, as they would depend on the individual person’s walking speed.
This is again fully accepted. This objection however is dealing in seconds, or small fractions of a minute. It does not go the heart of the issue, and could not for example get near to doubling the time available for the preparation and execution of the crime.
The third objection is that of considering median times. In other words if it is supposed that Gerry McCann’s talk with Jeremy Wilkins was 5 minutes, and that Jane Tanner passed them at the very end of their conversation, so that Gerry returned to the Tapas bar immediately she had passed, then the total apartment time for the abductor might be extended to nearly four minutes.
This is of course accepted, but it still remains to be explained how the first six items on the list of necessary procedures could be carried out, even in this time, undetected and unremarked by two fathers, speaking quietly together in an almost silent street just yards from the locum delicti.
And we must remember that Jeremy Wilkins had his own child in a buggy, and that it was a cold night. This is attested to by Jane Tanner “it was quite a cold night” “It was actually quite cold”: [36] and by Kate McCann “It was so cold and windy”. [37] The actual length of the conversation between the two men, who profess to be only passing acquaintances and one of whom was returning to his interrupted dinner, must be judged against those facts.
Summary and Comments
All the above is based on the assumption that the witnesses have told the truth.
It is difficult to understand how Madeleine Beth McCann could conceivably have been abducted from the apartment in the time available.
The PJ wished the McCanns and their friends to return and to take part in a reconstruction. All refused.
Gerry McCann and Jane Tanner did return to take part in a documentary, in which a partial reconstruction was to take place. The reality was that this was effectively “directed” by Gerry McCann himself, one of only three persons officially named as a suspect, and no important points were explored or challenged. The issue of the “window of opportunity” seems to have been totally ignored. [38]
The bald statement in the book, “I knew”, then repeated in italic, thus - “I knew”, - falls, with respect, somewhat short of the burden required in a court of law for proof that a most serious crime has been committed [39] [40]
Madeleine Beth Mccann remains missing.
Her whereabouts and her fate are still unknown.
A Many of these references may be accessed on the web site
http:/mccannfiles.com which has a good search engine.
We have tried wherever possible to find and to quote the original source.
B In several cases an original interview was reported by different newspapers.
In some cases there are slight differences in the actual words in the quotes
used, which may be for several reasons. We have tried to attach the correct
reference for the exact wording shown, but there may be instances where a
slight variation can be detected.
It is submitted that the importance is the meaning, rather than the actual
form of words used.
C Some of the original web site references are no longer available, having
been deleted, or archived beyond the reach of a casual researcher. In
those cases we show the original as it was recorded at the time, indicate by
strike through that it is no longer available, and where possible show a web
reference to which the original material and the original reference was
copied and pasted, and where at the time of publication it may still be
viewed.
The Appendices contain the extracts from the statements released by the PJ when the file was archived, from the raw transcript of the rogatory interviews, from Kate McCann’s book and from several other sources. In this way it is intended that this document may stand alone, without the need to search for the original sources.
The numbering follows that of the references above and in the body text
References
1 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann,10th May 2007,
Processos Vol I, pages 891-903
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta1
2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaYLHtnEr8I&feature=player_embedded
3 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007, op cit.
4 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 4th May 2007,
Processos Vol I, pages 34 - 41
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta1
Witness statement of Kate Marie Healy, 4th May 2007,
Processos Vol I, pages 58-65
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta4
5 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007, op. cit.
6 Personal visit and timing. Calculation from available maps
7 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007, op.cit.
Witness statement of Kate Marie Healy, 6th September 2007,
Processos Vol X, pages 2359-2548
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta5
8 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007, op.cit.
9 Jeremy Wilkins Statement to Leicester Police 7th May 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id327.html
10 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011. p. 71
11 Jane Tanner, Statement 4th May 2007
Processos Vol I Pages 42 – 50
http://mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap2
12 Jane Tanner, Statement 4th May 2007 op.cit.
13 Jeremy Wilkins, Statement to Leicester Police 5 November 2007
op.cit.
14 Panorama documentary, 'The Mystery of Madeleine McCann', 19 Nov 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id48.html
15 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th of May 2007, op.cit.
16 Personal visit and timing. Calculation from available maps
17 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th of May 2007,op.cit.
18 Jeremy Wilkins Statement to Leicester Police 7th May 2007
Jeremy Wilkins Statement to Leicester Police 5 November 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id327.html
19 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx-ZgNKBM0E&feature=player_embedded
20 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, ibid. p. 71
21 Inspector Roberto Paiva report
http://themaddiecasefiles.com/post513.html
22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx-ZgNKBM0E&feature=player_embedded
23 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-483026/Madeleines-fathers-chilling-belief-Kidnapper-hiding-flat-I-checked-her.html
24 http://mccannfiles.com/id155.html
25 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, ibid.. p. 75
26 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaYLHtnEr8I&feature=player_embedded
27 Vanity Fair interview Judy Bachrach, op.cit.
28 http://www.findmadeleine.com/updates/updates@page=1.html
(accessed 12 Dec 2012)
29 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, ibid. p. 62
30 Interview Sky News, following the Panorama Documentary.
can be found within https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCMNWg0fE5Y
31 The Guardian 06 April 2008
32 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap21
33 Arguido questioning of Gerald Patrick McCann, 7th of September 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta3
34 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, ibid. p.70
35 Yorkshire Post 29 May 2008
36 Panorama documentary, 'The Mystery of Madeleine McCann', ibid
37 “madeleine’, by Kate McCann, ibid. p. 73
38 Panorama documentary, 'The Mystery of Madeleine McCann' ibid.
39 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, ibid.. p. 73
40 http://lawiki.org/lawwiki/Burden_Of_Proof
Appendices
1 The deponent had had the wrong idea that MATTHEW had seen the bedroom shutters closed when he was there at 21H30, and therefore he thought the disappearance would have taken place between 21h30 and 22h00, but presently he is fully convinced that the abduction took place during the period of time between his check at 21h05 and MATTHEW's visit at 21H30. It was not until about 01h00 on 4 May 2007 that he learned through RUSSELL that his partner, JANE, at around 21h10, saw a man crossing the top of the road with a child in his arms, that may or may not have been his daughter MADELEINE.
2 “Yyyeeah, yeah you’re right. It was a very small window of opportunity but they saw it and then *click*!!!!!! Here Kate makes a clicking sound with her tongue and a simultaneous downward chopping motion with her right hand.
3 The deponent had had the wrong idea that MATTHEW had seen the bedroom shutters closed when he was there at 21H30, and therefore he thought the disappearance would have taken place between 21h30 and 22h00, but presently he is fully convinced that the abduction took place during the period of time between his check at 21h05 and MATTHEW's visit at 21H30. It was not until about 01h00 on 4 May 2007 that he learned through RUSSELL that his partner, JANE, at around 21h10, saw a man crossing the top of the road with a child in his arms, that may or may not have been his daughter MADELEINE.
4 Yesterday, after the daily routine, MADELEINE and the twins were put to bed in their respective beds, and he stresses put to bed, at 7.30 pm. The deponent and his wife remained in the apartment to relax and drink a glass of wine until 8.30 pm. After checking the children, the deponent and his wife and the adults went to the "Tapas" restaurant, around 50 metres away, where they had dinner together.
Yesterday, after the daily routine, Madeleine and the twins went into the bedroom and were put in their beds at around 7.30. The witness and her husband stayed in the apartment, relaxing, until 8.30pm. She took a bath, did her make-up and drank a glass of New Zealand wine with her husband. Just after 8.30pm, the witness and her husband, after checking on their children, joined the other adults of the group at the "Tapas" restaurant, about 50 metres away, where they had dinner.
5 Therefore, he entered the children's bedroom and established visual contact with each of them, checking and he is certain of this, that the three were deeply asleep.
6 •
7 He adds that he did not enter any other part of the residence, where he was for only two or three minutes,
8 He crossed the road in JEZ's direction who was walking up on the right-hand side, in the ascending direction, both having chatted for 3 to 4 minutes, about tennis, holidays and children.
9 The conversation lasted for about three (3) to five (5) minutes.
10 “The conversation probably lasted only a few minutes . . . “
11 She remembers that at about 21h10 Gerald left the restaurant (3) to go to the apartment to check on the children. Five minutes later, the witness left, to go to her apartment to see whether her daughters were OK.
12 At this moment she saw Gerry talking to an Englishman called Jez whom they had got to know during the holidays.
13 He was adamant that he did not see any one else in the area. When spoken to in reference to Jane Tanner walking by, he again stated that he saw no one. He also stated that he did not see or hear anyone to his right.
14 About the description of the child, she confirmed that it was being carried in his arms, with the legs in her direction and barefoot. She thought that it was a female child because the pyjamas were a light colour (seemingly pink to her). She never saw the hair of the child. She never saw it move nor make any sound, thinking that it was asleep.
15 He then returned to the TAPAS, between 21h10 and 21h15, dinner having gone as normal.
16 •
17 After leaving through the side gate, and while on his way to the secondary reception entrance, less than 10 metres from the gate, he saw “JEZ” walking up the street on the opposite pavement, bringing with him a baby buggy with his youngest child. He crossed the road in JEZ's direction who was walking up on the right-hand side, in the ascending direction,
18 At this time he was walking on the right side of the road passing the Tapas bar area to his left. He noticed the bad street lighting and although it was not completely dark there was enough light to see clearly. As he approached the corner of the McCanns apartment, he saw Gerry appear from the area of the gate. He crossed the road and engaged in general conversation with Gerry
19 •
20 “Either way, exactly where they were standing is not crucial. What maybe important is that al three of them were there.”
21 She swore "by everything most sacred" that what she said is true, namely that she saw an individual with a child in his arms. Confronted, she demonstrated the distance at which the man with the child had passed her, and that was gauged to be about 5 metres.
Confronted with the information that the [tracker] dog teams had followed/followed the scent trails in which, purportedly, Madeleine Beth McCann had not passed the intersection where she indicated a man carried a child, she affirmed, immediately, that she was not lying, maintaining the honesty of her initial version.
22 •
23 Madeleine McCann's parents say they believe that an intruder hid inside their holiday apartment before snatching their daughter from her bed.
Gerry McCann says he is convinced that, when he checked on Madeleine at 9.05pm on the evening she disappeared, the abductor was somewhere inside the ground-floor flat.
24 •
25 “Had Madeleine been given some kind of sedative to keep her quiet ? Had the twins, too?”
26 “I will tell you what I haven’t told anyone,” says Jon Corner, a family friend. “In August, I was with Kate in Portugal. She told me, ‘I wish I could roll back time and go back to the day before Madeleine was abducted. I would slow down time. I would get a really good look around and have a really good think. And I’d think: Where are you? Who are you? Who is secretly watching my family? Because someone was watching my family very, very carefully. And taking notes.’?”
27 ibid.
28 The window: I described to the police officers exactly what I found that night, as it was and is highly relevant and I knew that every little detail could be helpful in finding my daughter which is our only aim. The window which is a ground floor window was completely open and is large enough for a person to easily climb through it. Whether it had been opened for this purpose remains unknown. It could of course have been opened by the perpetrator when inside the apartment as a potential escape route or left open as a 'red herring'
29 On Thursday 3 May I awoke in the children’s bedroom. I can’t remember who was up first but I know we had all surfaced by about 7.30am. I’m not even sure whether Gerry had actually noticed I’d slept in the other room and I chose not to mention it. At breakfast time, Madeleine had a question for us. ‘Why didn’t you come when Sean and I cried last night?’
We were puzzled. Did she mean when they were having their bath? we asked her. Or just after they’d gone to bed? Children often get a bit fractious around bedtime, though I had no recollection of any tears from either Madeleine or Sean before they settled the previous evening. And it certainly hadn’t been in the early hours, because I’d been in the room with them, even closer than usual.
Madeleine didn’t answer or elaborate. Instead she moved on to some other topic that had popped into her head, apparently unconcerned. She certainly didn’t seem to be at all anxious or upset. Madeleine is bright, articulate and has never been backwards in coming forwards. If something had happened to make her cry, it was pretty unlikely that she wouldn’t tell us about it, assuming she remembered what it was.
Gerry and I were disconcerted. Could Madeleine and Sean have woken up while we were at dinner? If so, it was worrying, obviously, but it didn’t seem very probable. As I’ve said, not only did they rarely stir at all at night, but if they did it was hardly ever, and I mean ever, before the early hours. If they had done so on this occasion, it would mean they’d woken up, cried for a while, calmed themselves down and fallen asleep again – all within the space of half an hour. Or forty-five minutes, if it had been after our last check. Children usually need some soothing back to sleep once they’ve woken, especially if two of them are awake and upset at the same time, and it seemed highly unlikely they’d have gone through all these stages without one of them overlapping with one of our checks. It wasn’t impossible, but it seemed implausible.
Not for a moment did we think there might be some sinister reason for this occurrence, if indeed anything had occurred. If only foresight came as easily to us as hindsight. Within hours, the explanation for this would seem hugely important, and so haunted have I been ever since by Madeleine’s words that morning that I’ve continued to blame myself for not sitting down and making completely certain there was no more information I could draw out of her.
Why hadn’t this rung any alarm bells with me? How did I manage to conclude, subconsciously or otherwise, that if she had woken it was simply a rare aberration with a benign cause: a bad dream, perhaps? If in fact I ever did come to any real conclusion. It was more a case of her question just hanging there quietly, unanswered. This could have been my one chance to prevent what was about to happen, and I blew it. In the infrequent moments when I’m able to be kinder to myself, I can acknowledge, if only temporarily, that there was absolutely nothing to give me any reason for suspicion and that we can all be clever after the event. But it is my belief there was somebody either in or trying to get into the children’s bedroom that night, and that is what disturbed them.
30 “Madeleine made a comment, erm, in passing that, erm, “where were you when I cried” . . .
31 Mitchell said he was not surprised by the inconsistencies in the initial accounts. 'You had nine people in a bar without watches on, without mobile phones, and absolute panic set in when they realised what had happened.”
32 •
33 When asked at what time he went to check on the children the night Madeleine disappeared, he recalls that this was around 21:04 according to his watch.
34 “After ordering his food, Gerry left to so the first check just before 9.05 by his watch.”
35 "It was made out to be the biggest 'conspiracy' since the Diana 'conspiracy,'" says Mitchell. "Some of the group (of friends in the tapas restaurant) had their watches on that night, and others didn't.”
36 Excerpts from transcript:
JT: Well I could see. . . I could tell it was a child, and I could see the feet and... feet and the bottom of the pyjamas, and I just thought that child's not got any shoes on because you could see the feet, and it was quite a cold night in Portugal in May it's not actually that warm, and I'd got a big jumper on, and I can remember thinking oh that parent is not a particularly good parent, they've not wrapped them up.
RB: And could you tell if it was a boy or a girl?
JT: Only because the pyjamas had a pinky aspect to them so you presume a girl. It was actually quite cold.
37 “It was so cold and so windy.”
38 •
39 “I’d done that, and I knew, I knew, that Madeleine had been abducted.”
40 In English criminal law, the burden of Proof generally lies with the prosecution -- it has to prove all the facts that establish the guilt of the accused, except those which are assumed to be obvious (see judicial notice). The standard of proof is, nearly always, beyond reasonable doubt.
The “Window of Opportunity”
for the Abduction of Madeleine Beth McCann
for the Abduction of Madeleine Beth McCann
In this study we shall assume that what the McCanns
and other witnesses said was correct.
and other witnesses said was correct.
From time to time it is of course necessary to ‘interpret”, as when one witness gives more than one version of an event, or when two or more witnesses give inconsistent testimony. Such points will be identified.
In the early stages of the publicity around the mystery of the disappearance of Madeleine Beth McCann it was widely suggested and reported in the Press that the abductor might have had nearly an hour between Gerry McCann’s last visit and Kate’s discovery of Madeleine’s disappearance to prepare for and then to commit the crime. Alternatively that he may have had half that time, after Gerry’s visit but before Matthew Oldfield’s visit, or possibly after Oldfield’s visit and before Kate’s
On subsequent analysis of the main statements, and taking into account the McCann’s very early insistence that Jane Tanner’s sighting was of the abductor with Madeleine, that could no longer be sustained. This fact had been recognised by Gerry McCann as early as 1:00am on 4th May. [1]
The McCanns themselves clearly both accept that the “Window of Opportunity” for an abduction was small. During one interview Kate McCann said - in a high pitched and emotional voice - “Yyyeeah, yeah you’re right. It was a very small window of opportunity but they saw it and then *click*!!!!!! Here Kate makes a clicking sound with her tongue and a simultaneous downward chopping motion with her right hand. [2]
On 10th May 2007 Gerry McCann made a statement in which he confirmed this, although at that time he seemed equivocal about the Jane Tanner sighting.
The passage bears repeating in full, for the avoidance of doubt.
“The deponent had had the wrong idea that MATTHEW had seen the bedroom shutters closed when he was there at 21H30, and therefore he thought the disappearance would have taken place between 21h30 and 22h00, but presently he is fully convinced that the abduction took place during the period of time between his check at 21h05 and MATTHEW's visit at 21H30. It was not until about 01h00 on 4 May 2007 that he learned through RUSSELL that his partner, JANE, at around 21h10, saw a man crossing the top of the road with a child in his arms, that may or may not have been his daughter MADELEINE. [3]
Quite how small was that window and the consequences that follow are examined here.
From their Police statements we learn the following :-
• The McCanns left the apartment to go for dinner around 8:30pm [4]
• Gerry McCann left the Tapas restaurant at 9:04 pm, walked back and re-entered the apartment. He did a physical check on the children. He saw all three. [5]
Observation 1 : From the absence of any further comment in any of his statements it must be assumed that the front door, the patio door, the garden gate and the security gate, and the windows and shutters and curtains in the children’s bedroom, were all in order.
Observation 2 : It takes one minute to walk at a normal speed from the Tapas bar to the small gate at the bottom of the outside stairs. It would take around a further 20 seconds to open the gate, climb the stairs, open the patio doors quietly, enter the apartment and reach the children’s bedroom. [6 ]
• He remained in the apartment for a little time, two or three minutes [7] recording that he stood in the children’s room “and thought to himself, She’s so beautiful.” and took the opportunity to use the bathroom. He then left the apartment through the patio doors, and went down the outside stairs, through the gate and out onto the street. There he met Jeremy (referred to throughout as Jez ) Wilkins. The two men spoke for a short time, estimated at between 3 and 4, or 3 to 5 minutes. [8] [9 ] or “only a few minutes” [10]
• Jane Tanner left the Tapas bar at between 9:05 and 9:10 pm. Significantly she times her own departure at five minutes after Gerry’s [11] She walked past the men whilst they were talking. She reports seeing the two men [12] although the men state they did not see her. [13]
• Immediately after passing the two men Jane Tanner states that she saw a man carrying a child along the road across the top of the street, from left to right. The child was being carried flat, across the forearms, and Jane Tanner saw its feet, which were towards her. She then continued to her own apartment. [14]
• Gerry McCann then returned to the dining table in the Tapas bar. This time is given as between 9:10 and 9:15 pm [15]
Working purely from the statements of Gerry McCann, Jeremy Wilkins, and Jane Tanner, and adding the time as we proceed we can estimate the following -
Gerry McCann left the Tapas bar 9:05 pm
Arrived at gate at bottom of stairs 9:06
Climbed stairs, entered apartment and went to bedroom 9:06.30s
Looked at children and had “proud father” moment 9:07
Used toilet 9:08
Left apartment, closing doors, went down stairs, met Jez Wilkins 9:09
Talked to Jez Wilkins 9:09 - 9:13 pm
Jane Tanner left Tapas bar 9:10 pm
JT arrived bottom of stairs, saw and passed the two men 9:11
JT saw abductor carrying child across top of road 9:11.05s
There is therefore, on their own timings, just two minutes and five seconds for the intruder to get in, seize Madeleine, get out again, and make his way round to the top of the road. To walk from the front door or window of the apartment to the left behind the low wall, then across the car park, then right to the corner of the street takes around 45 seconds, and a further 5 seconds to cross the street. [16]
He has therefore around one minute and twenty seconds to enter, commit the crime, and exit.
This is an important point for the understanding of what happened.
Let it be stated once again.
If the man seen by Jane Tanner was the “abductor’ and was carrying Madeleine, as the McCanns insist, he had available to him the time from Gerry McCann’s leaving the apartment to the sighting by Jane Tanner. And no more.
In this time the intruder has to
• Enter the apartment
• Sedate all three children - in the dark
• Select Madeleine as the victim - in the dark
• Open the shutters and window - if he used the front door to enter
• Pick Madeleine out of her bed - in the dark
• Turn her round so that her head is now to his left, rather than to his right, which is the way he would have approached her in the bed.
• Exit the apartment, either through the opened window and shutters, or through the front door, which he must then close silently behind him.
• Walk to the left along the path in front of the apartment, walk straight ahead across the car park, and then walk to the right along the road, and cross the street in front of Jane Tanner, the father of the very child he had just abducted, and another man who has his own child in a buggy.
Taking into account the travelling time, he has around one minute and twenty seconds in which to achieve the first seven items on the list.
Clearly he could not enter through the patio door within this time frame, since Gerry was standing either at the bottom of the steps, or on the other side of the road, depending whether we follow the statement of Gerry McCann, Jez Wilson, [17] [18] or Jane Tanner. (During the televised “documentary reconstruction” Gerry McCann’s version took precedence, and viewers were treated to the sight of Jane Tanner being reduced to tears as her detailed recollection was publicly destroyed.) [19]
For our purposes this important contradiction is, for the moment, irrelevant.
As Kate has observed, “What may be important is that all three of them were there.” [20]
It is indeed a very important point, as it fixes forever Jane Tanner’s sighting relative to Gerry McCann’s leaving the apartment, in a way which cannot be altered by debate or legal argument.
It could only be altered by admission of error, but Jane Tanner has several times then and since publicly insisted that she was telling the truth. [21] [22]
Possible scenarios.
One scenario is therefore that immediately on Gerry McCann’s leaving the apartment, the intruder entered though the front door by means unknown, or, having forced up the shutters, propped or jammed them in a high position, forced open the window, and climbed in. This is not supported by examination of the operation of the shutters, or the locking mechanism of the windows. No implement to support the shutters was found, and no forensic traces were seen on the window sill, or on the windows.
A second scenario has more recently been put forward to the effect that the intruder may have already been in the apartment as Gerry McCann entered. This would allow him a few more seconds or fractions of a minute in which to complete his crime. And in fact we find that this was raised as a possibility by Dr Gerry McCann himself some time later. [23]
But the apartment is largely open-plan, and this theory leads to some vague stories being suggested about where the intruder might have been secreted. None are persuasive. “Behind the door”, or “in the cupboard,” have been offered. Examination of the photos of the bedroom, and indeed of the entire apartment may lead a researcher to question this. [24]
Gerry McCann recounts seeing all the children, and having the “proud father” moment, and of looking down at Madeleine. In none of his three statements does he report the smell of anaesthetic gas or the presence of any other anaesthetic paraphernalia, and we conclude that this procedure must therefore have been performed after he left.
Kate was initially sure that the children had been sedated. [25]
As the almost infinitely small window of opportunity contracts till further, other possibilities have been put forward.
• The intruder had been watching the apartment [26]
• The intruder had been watching the family and taking notes. This was mentioned two years later in the Vanity Fair interview [27]
It is notable that the more details are provided for this scenario, the more difficult it becomes. Adding the sedation, for example, or the opened window and shutters purely as a “red herring”, as Kate did nearly two years later, [28] cuts down still further the time available to perform the actus reus
Another even more strange possibility put forward by Kate was not only that the intruder had been ‘making notes’, but later still there was even a suggestion that he might have done a preliminary reconnoitre, a “dummy run”, during one of the previous nights.
This is a consequence of the ‘curious incident of the children crying in the night time’, reported at some length and on a number of occasions by Kate. [ 29] [30]
Whether it is remotely credible to think that an intruder would not complete the crime, but would instead choose to repeat the actions on a subsequent evening, when the crying alert given by the children might have been heeded by the parents, is something the critical reader may wish to consider.
I started this piece by attempting to build up a picture of what might have happened during the admitted small window of opportunity.
Gradually, and at each step, the story becomes ever more difficult to follow, and the time available for any action by anyone becomes ever smaller, to the point where one must be permitted to ask if there is anything left which is even remotely possible.
It must surely also be permitted to ask the people who steadfastly proselytise the theory of sedation followed by abduction within the tiny window of opportunity, to give at least some details of how they imagine it might have been carried out.
“Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.” Sherlock Holmes. a.k.a. Sir A Conan Doyle
IMPORTANT OBJECTIONS
There are at least three important objections to what has been written above.
The first objection is that the times given by the various people in their statements were not necessarily accurate. A combination of stress and confusion on the night, and trying to fit the story together within a few hours after the event would have made the times approximate at best.
(In fact one of Clarence Mitchell’s more notorious outright falsehoods was to the effect that none of the group had watches or mobile phones with them, and that therefore the exact times were not to be taken as wholly accurate. [31]
Unfortunately for him he said this nearly a year after the Tapas7 group had drawn up two separate and detailed time lines on the night, and a third mutually agreed amalgamation of both, [32] but also the statements of the Tapas 7, of Gerry McCann “When asked at what time he went to check on the children the night Madeleine disappeared, he recalls that this was around 21:04 according to his watch”, [33], and subsequently Kate McCann in her book “by his watch”. [34] , all contradict his assertion.
He backtracked six weeks later. [35] Quite why Mitchell invented, or was asked to tell this particular lie is difficult to understand.)
But the first objection is a valid one, and it is accepted.
It is however entirely irrelevant whether the events described took place exactly between 9:05 pm and 9:15 pm, or five minutes later, or five minutes earlier.
The time is not important. It is the timing, and the statements of the three main people involved which define the “very small window of opportunity”, and that remains unchanged regardless of the exact start or finish time of that window.
To recap, in case this is not understood or fully appreciated
Any abduction, and all ancillary matters necessary for an abduction,
must have been carried out
between the time Gerry McCann left the apartment having seen the children
and the time Jane Tanner passed him and saw the abductor carrying Madeleine
whilst he was talking to Jez Wilkins in the street outside.
must have been carried out
between the time Gerry McCann left the apartment having seen the children
and the time Jane Tanner passed him and saw the abductor carrying Madeleine
whilst he was talking to Jez Wilkins in the street outside.
And that time is measured in only a very few minutes and seconds.
The second objection is that the timings for climbing the stairs and opening the patio doors, for example, or the 45 seconds allowed for walking from the apartment across the car park and then to the right and across the street might be inaccurate, as they would depend on the individual person’s walking speed.
This is again fully accepted. This objection however is dealing in seconds, or small fractions of a minute. It does not go the heart of the issue, and could not for example get near to doubling the time available for the preparation and execution of the crime.
The third objection is that of considering median times. In other words if it is supposed that Gerry McCann’s talk with Jeremy Wilkins was 5 minutes, and that Jane Tanner passed them at the very end of their conversation, so that Gerry returned to the Tapas bar immediately she had passed, then the total apartment time for the abductor might be extended to nearly four minutes.
This is of course accepted, but it still remains to be explained how the first six items on the list of necessary procedures could be carried out, even in this time, undetected and unremarked by two fathers, speaking quietly together in an almost silent street just yards from the locum delicti.
And we must remember that Jeremy Wilkins had his own child in a buggy, and that it was a cold night. This is attested to by Jane Tanner “it was quite a cold night” “It was actually quite cold”: [36] and by Kate McCann “It was so cold and windy”. [37] The actual length of the conversation between the two men, who profess to be only passing acquaintances and one of whom was returning to his interrupted dinner, must be judged against those facts.
Summary and Comments
All the above is based on the assumption that the witnesses have told the truth.
It is difficult to understand how Madeleine Beth McCann could conceivably have been abducted from the apartment in the time available.
The PJ wished the McCanns and their friends to return and to take part in a reconstruction. All refused.
Gerry McCann and Jane Tanner did return to take part in a documentary, in which a partial reconstruction was to take place. The reality was that this was effectively “directed” by Gerry McCann himself, one of only three persons officially named as a suspect, and no important points were explored or challenged. The issue of the “window of opportunity” seems to have been totally ignored. [38]
The bald statement in the book, “I knew”, then repeated in italic, thus - “I knew”, - falls, with respect, somewhat short of the burden required in a court of law for proof that a most serious crime has been committed [39] [40]
Madeleine Beth Mccann remains missing.
Her whereabouts and her fate are still unknown.
References And Appendices
Important NoteA Many of these references may be accessed on the web site
http:/mccannfiles.com which has a good search engine.
We have tried wherever possible to find and to quote the original source.
B In several cases an original interview was reported by different newspapers.
In some cases there are slight differences in the actual words in the quotes
used, which may be for several reasons. We have tried to attach the correct
reference for the exact wording shown, but there may be instances where a
slight variation can be detected.
It is submitted that the importance is the meaning, rather than the actual
form of words used.
C Some of the original web site references are no longer available, having
been deleted, or archived beyond the reach of a casual researcher. In
those cases we show the original as it was recorded at the time, indicate by
strike through that it is no longer available, and where possible show a web
reference to which the original material and the original reference was
copied and pasted, and where at the time of publication it may still be
viewed.
The Appendices contain the extracts from the statements released by the PJ when the file was archived, from the raw transcript of the rogatory interviews, from Kate McCann’s book and from several other sources. In this way it is intended that this document may stand alone, without the need to search for the original sources.
The numbering follows that of the references above and in the body text
References
1 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann,10th May 2007,
Processos Vol I, pages 891-903
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta1
2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaYLHtnEr8I&feature=player_embedded
3 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007, op cit.
4 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 4th May 2007,
Processos Vol I, pages 34 - 41
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta1
Witness statement of Kate Marie Healy, 4th May 2007,
Processos Vol I, pages 58-65
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta4
5 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007, op. cit.
6 Personal visit and timing. Calculation from available maps
7 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007, op.cit.
Witness statement of Kate Marie Healy, 6th September 2007,
Processos Vol X, pages 2359-2548
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta5
8 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007, op.cit.
9 Jeremy Wilkins Statement to Leicester Police 7th May 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id327.html
10 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011. p. 71
11 Jane Tanner, Statement 4th May 2007
Processos Vol I Pages 42 – 50
http://mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap2
12 Jane Tanner, Statement 4th May 2007 op.cit.
13 Jeremy Wilkins, Statement to Leicester Police 5 November 2007
op.cit.
14 Panorama documentary, 'The Mystery of Madeleine McCann', 19 Nov 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id48.html
15 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th of May 2007, op.cit.
16 Personal visit and timing. Calculation from available maps
17 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th of May 2007,op.cit.
18 Jeremy Wilkins Statement to Leicester Police 7th May 2007
Jeremy Wilkins Statement to Leicester Police 5 November 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id327.html
19 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx-ZgNKBM0E&feature=player_embedded
20 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, ibid. p. 71
21 Inspector Roberto Paiva report
http://themaddiecasefiles.com/post513.html
22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx-ZgNKBM0E&feature=player_embedded
23 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-483026/Madeleines-fathers-chilling-belief-Kidnapper-hiding-flat-I-checked-her.html
24 http://mccannfiles.com/id155.html
25 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, ibid.. p. 75
26 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaYLHtnEr8I&feature=player_embedded
27 Vanity Fair interview Judy Bachrach, op.cit.
28 http://www.findmadeleine.com/updates/updates@page=1.html
(accessed 12 Dec 2012)
29 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, ibid. p. 62
30 Interview Sky News, following the Panorama Documentary.
can be found within https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCMNWg0fE5Y
31 The Guardian 06 April 2008
32 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap21
33 Arguido questioning of Gerald Patrick McCann, 7th of September 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta3
34 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, ibid. p.70
35 Yorkshire Post 29 May 2008
36 Panorama documentary, 'The Mystery of Madeleine McCann', ibid
37 “madeleine’, by Kate McCann, ibid. p. 73
38 Panorama documentary, 'The Mystery of Madeleine McCann' ibid.
39 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, ibid.. p. 73
40 http://lawiki.org/lawwiki/Burden_Of_Proof
Appendices
1 The deponent had had the wrong idea that MATTHEW had seen the bedroom shutters closed when he was there at 21H30, and therefore he thought the disappearance would have taken place between 21h30 and 22h00, but presently he is fully convinced that the abduction took place during the period of time between his check at 21h05 and MATTHEW's visit at 21H30. It was not until about 01h00 on 4 May 2007 that he learned through RUSSELL that his partner, JANE, at around 21h10, saw a man crossing the top of the road with a child in his arms, that may or may not have been his daughter MADELEINE.
2 “Yyyeeah, yeah you’re right. It was a very small window of opportunity but they saw it and then *click*!!!!!! Here Kate makes a clicking sound with her tongue and a simultaneous downward chopping motion with her right hand.
3 The deponent had had the wrong idea that MATTHEW had seen the bedroom shutters closed when he was there at 21H30, and therefore he thought the disappearance would have taken place between 21h30 and 22h00, but presently he is fully convinced that the abduction took place during the period of time between his check at 21h05 and MATTHEW's visit at 21H30. It was not until about 01h00 on 4 May 2007 that he learned through RUSSELL that his partner, JANE, at around 21h10, saw a man crossing the top of the road with a child in his arms, that may or may not have been his daughter MADELEINE.
4 Yesterday, after the daily routine, MADELEINE and the twins were put to bed in their respective beds, and he stresses put to bed, at 7.30 pm. The deponent and his wife remained in the apartment to relax and drink a glass of wine until 8.30 pm. After checking the children, the deponent and his wife and the adults went to the "Tapas" restaurant, around 50 metres away, where they had dinner together.
Yesterday, after the daily routine, Madeleine and the twins went into the bedroom and were put in their beds at around 7.30. The witness and her husband stayed in the apartment, relaxing, until 8.30pm. She took a bath, did her make-up and drank a glass of New Zealand wine with her husband. Just after 8.30pm, the witness and her husband, after checking on their children, joined the other adults of the group at the "Tapas" restaurant, about 50 metres away, where they had dinner.
5 Therefore, he entered the children's bedroom and established visual contact with each of them, checking and he is certain of this, that the three were deeply asleep.
6 •
7 He adds that he did not enter any other part of the residence, where he was for only two or three minutes,
8 He crossed the road in JEZ's direction who was walking up on the right-hand side, in the ascending direction, both having chatted for 3 to 4 minutes, about tennis, holidays and children.
9 The conversation lasted for about three (3) to five (5) minutes.
10 “The conversation probably lasted only a few minutes . . . “
11 She remembers that at about 21h10 Gerald left the restaurant (3) to go to the apartment to check on the children. Five minutes later, the witness left, to go to her apartment to see whether her daughters were OK.
12 At this moment she saw Gerry talking to an Englishman called Jez whom they had got to know during the holidays.
13 He was adamant that he did not see any one else in the area. When spoken to in reference to Jane Tanner walking by, he again stated that he saw no one. He also stated that he did not see or hear anyone to his right.
14 About the description of the child, she confirmed that it was being carried in his arms, with the legs in her direction and barefoot. She thought that it was a female child because the pyjamas were a light colour (seemingly pink to her). She never saw the hair of the child. She never saw it move nor make any sound, thinking that it was asleep.
15 He then returned to the TAPAS, between 21h10 and 21h15, dinner having gone as normal.
16 •
17 After leaving through the side gate, and while on his way to the secondary reception entrance, less than 10 metres from the gate, he saw “JEZ” walking up the street on the opposite pavement, bringing with him a baby buggy with his youngest child. He crossed the road in JEZ's direction who was walking up on the right-hand side, in the ascending direction,
18 At this time he was walking on the right side of the road passing the Tapas bar area to his left. He noticed the bad street lighting and although it was not completely dark there was enough light to see clearly. As he approached the corner of the McCanns apartment, he saw Gerry appear from the area of the gate. He crossed the road and engaged in general conversation with Gerry
19 •
20 “Either way, exactly where they were standing is not crucial. What maybe important is that al three of them were there.”
21 She swore "by everything most sacred" that what she said is true, namely that she saw an individual with a child in his arms. Confronted, she demonstrated the distance at which the man with the child had passed her, and that was gauged to be about 5 metres.
Confronted with the information that the [tracker] dog teams had followed/followed the scent trails in which, purportedly, Madeleine Beth McCann had not passed the intersection where she indicated a man carried a child, she affirmed, immediately, that she was not lying, maintaining the honesty of her initial version.
22 •
23 Madeleine McCann's parents say they believe that an intruder hid inside their holiday apartment before snatching their daughter from her bed.
Gerry McCann says he is convinced that, when he checked on Madeleine at 9.05pm on the evening she disappeared, the abductor was somewhere inside the ground-floor flat.
24 •
25 “Had Madeleine been given some kind of sedative to keep her quiet ? Had the twins, too?”
26 “I will tell you what I haven’t told anyone,” says Jon Corner, a family friend. “In August, I was with Kate in Portugal. She told me, ‘I wish I could roll back time and go back to the day before Madeleine was abducted. I would slow down time. I would get a really good look around and have a really good think. And I’d think: Where are you? Who are you? Who is secretly watching my family? Because someone was watching my family very, very carefully. And taking notes.’?”
27 ibid.
28 The window: I described to the police officers exactly what I found that night, as it was and is highly relevant and I knew that every little detail could be helpful in finding my daughter which is our only aim. The window which is a ground floor window was completely open and is large enough for a person to easily climb through it. Whether it had been opened for this purpose remains unknown. It could of course have been opened by the perpetrator when inside the apartment as a potential escape route or left open as a 'red herring'
29 On Thursday 3 May I awoke in the children’s bedroom. I can’t remember who was up first but I know we had all surfaced by about 7.30am. I’m not even sure whether Gerry had actually noticed I’d slept in the other room and I chose not to mention it. At breakfast time, Madeleine had a question for us. ‘Why didn’t you come when Sean and I cried last night?’
We were puzzled. Did she mean when they were having their bath? we asked her. Or just after they’d gone to bed? Children often get a bit fractious around bedtime, though I had no recollection of any tears from either Madeleine or Sean before they settled the previous evening. And it certainly hadn’t been in the early hours, because I’d been in the room with them, even closer than usual.
Madeleine didn’t answer or elaborate. Instead she moved on to some other topic that had popped into her head, apparently unconcerned. She certainly didn’t seem to be at all anxious or upset. Madeleine is bright, articulate and has never been backwards in coming forwards. If something had happened to make her cry, it was pretty unlikely that she wouldn’t tell us about it, assuming she remembered what it was.
Gerry and I were disconcerted. Could Madeleine and Sean have woken up while we were at dinner? If so, it was worrying, obviously, but it didn’t seem very probable. As I’ve said, not only did they rarely stir at all at night, but if they did it was hardly ever, and I mean ever, before the early hours. If they had done so on this occasion, it would mean they’d woken up, cried for a while, calmed themselves down and fallen asleep again – all within the space of half an hour. Or forty-five minutes, if it had been after our last check. Children usually need some soothing back to sleep once they’ve woken, especially if two of them are awake and upset at the same time, and it seemed highly unlikely they’d have gone through all these stages without one of them overlapping with one of our checks. It wasn’t impossible, but it seemed implausible.
Not for a moment did we think there might be some sinister reason for this occurrence, if indeed anything had occurred. If only foresight came as easily to us as hindsight. Within hours, the explanation for this would seem hugely important, and so haunted have I been ever since by Madeleine’s words that morning that I’ve continued to blame myself for not sitting down and making completely certain there was no more information I could draw out of her.
Why hadn’t this rung any alarm bells with me? How did I manage to conclude, subconsciously or otherwise, that if she had woken it was simply a rare aberration with a benign cause: a bad dream, perhaps? If in fact I ever did come to any real conclusion. It was more a case of her question just hanging there quietly, unanswered. This could have been my one chance to prevent what was about to happen, and I blew it. In the infrequent moments when I’m able to be kinder to myself, I can acknowledge, if only temporarily, that there was absolutely nothing to give me any reason for suspicion and that we can all be clever after the event. But it is my belief there was somebody either in or trying to get into the children’s bedroom that night, and that is what disturbed them.
30 “Madeleine made a comment, erm, in passing that, erm, “where were you when I cried” . . .
31 Mitchell said he was not surprised by the inconsistencies in the initial accounts. 'You had nine people in a bar without watches on, without mobile phones, and absolute panic set in when they realised what had happened.”
32 •
33 When asked at what time he went to check on the children the night Madeleine disappeared, he recalls that this was around 21:04 according to his watch.
34 “After ordering his food, Gerry left to so the first check just before 9.05 by his watch.”
35 "It was made out to be the biggest 'conspiracy' since the Diana 'conspiracy,'" says Mitchell. "Some of the group (of friends in the tapas restaurant) had their watches on that night, and others didn't.”
36 Excerpts from transcript:
JT: Well I could see. . . I could tell it was a child, and I could see the feet and... feet and the bottom of the pyjamas, and I just thought that child's not got any shoes on because you could see the feet, and it was quite a cold night in Portugal in May it's not actually that warm, and I'd got a big jumper on, and I can remember thinking oh that parent is not a particularly good parent, they've not wrapped them up.
RB: And could you tell if it was a boy or a girl?
JT: Only because the pyjamas had a pinky aspect to them so you presume a girl. It was actually quite cold.
37 “It was so cold and so windy.”
38 •
39 “I’d done that, and I knew, I knew, that Madeleine had been abducted.”
40 In English criminal law, the burden of Proof generally lies with the prosecution -- it has to prove all the facts that establish the guilt of the accused, except those which are assumed to be obvious (see judicial notice). The standard of proof is, nearly always, beyond reasonable doubt.
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 5: Sedation
1 Were the twins sedated on the night of 3rd May 2007?
2 If so, were they sedated by an intruder ?
3 If so, but not by an intruder, then by whom ?
1 Were the twins sedated on the night of 3rd May 2007?
The question of sedation of the three McCann children is one which has caused problems since the very beginning.
Reported facts.
Around 10 pm 3rd May 2007 Kate McCann entered the apartment in the holiday resort and reported Madeleine missing. The younger twins were still in their travel cots in the same room, and were asleep.
What followed is a matter of public record. The apartment was searched, several times, by many people, the surrounding area was searched by large numbers of police and ex-pats and villagers, and huge amount of activity was directed to discovering Madeleine’s whereabouts. All were in vain.
BUT . . . during all of this commotion -
despite a window and shutters having been open for an hour on a cold night,
despite the door slamming shut,
despite curtains blowing into the room,
despite their mother frantically opening and closing wardrobes and cupboards
despite their mother rushing out screaming for help,
despite the entire Tapas 7 group searching throughout the apartment,
despite Kate and the Tapas group shouting Madeleine’s name outside,
despite Gerry McCann’s closing and opening the shutters multiple times
despite Mrs Webster’s similarly attempting to open the shutters but failing,
despite the Police investigating the scene,
despite Gerry’s “roaring like a lion” and then prostrating himself on the floor,
despite both parents repeating this action and wailing
despite Kate’s checking the twins for vital signs,
despite the twins being lifted from their cots by people not their parents, and
despite their being carried out into the cold night air, and to another apartment. [1.1]
Despite all of this . . . the twins did not wake
Kate McCann stated in 2011 that she had suspected sedation from the very first. Given the above perhaps this is understandable. [1.2]
In her book, “madeleine’, which she described as “A Version of the Truth”, she says this explicitly.
3 May 2007 (NOTE: this information was not released until May 2011)
p. 75 “Had Madeleine been given some kind of sedative to keep her quiet ? Had the twins, too ?” [1.3]
She also reported this to the Officer in the case
3 August 2007 (NOTE: this information was not released until June 2008)
“due to which she now presumes that they were under the effect of some sedative drug that a presumed abductor had administered to the three children in order to be able to abduct Madeleine, a situation which Kate refers to being possible . .” [1.4]
The McCanns then organised their own drug tests
24 September 2007
Forensic scientist from Control Risks take hair samples from Kate and the twins at the McCanns’ own request [1.5]
A family member was ‘allowed’ to release this to the press.
02 October 2007
“Madeleine was drugged by her abductor”, says her grandmother [1.6]
Gerry McCann reconfirms their suspicions
19 Nov. 2007
“Gerry McCann: The twins were still sleeping in the their cots so . . . we tried to leave it as undisturbed as possible, and they slept very soundly until we moved them out their cots into another apartment . . which does make you wonder if there was [sic] any substances used to keep them asleep.” [1.7]
Independent witnesses report and confirm the McCanns’ suspicions
25 April 2008 (referring to early May 2007)
They also wanted to know whether the PJ had any evidence that would suggest that the person who took Madeleine had used any substance to facilitate the abduction. [1.8]
5 Nov. 2007
Diane Webster - Fiona Payne’s mother: “Err the twins were still asleep in the cot and I, with all the noise going on I don’t know how they slept through it which makes me think there was, they must have been err drugged with something.” . . .
Q: “So how would you imagine that they may have been drugged?”
DW: “Err by the abductor. I think Madeleine would have been drugged as well.” [1.9]
10 April 2008
Fiona Payne: “But they were okay, I mean, they were fine, they didn’t, they were asleep, but at the time it did seem weird . . . they didn’t wake up and, again, that was quite strange, even in the transfer and, and being handled by people that weren’t their parents, they didn’t, they didn’t wake up.” [1.10]
Their own private detectives make a statement
11 Oct. 2009
Former police detectives David Edgar and Arthur Cowley . . . are convinced the abductor went to the family’s apartment on May 3 2007 fully prepared with sufficient drugs, probably chloroform, to knock out all three children. The fact that Sean and Amelie, then just 18 months old, failed to wake when the alarm was raised, nor even as they were taken to another apartment in the cold night air, has persuaded the detectives that they, too, must have been drugged. [1.11]
And just before the release of her book ‘madeleine’, Kate says she believes they were drugged.
13 May 2011
Kate McCann: I believe kidnapper drugged my twins on the night Madeleine was taken. Kate McCann said the kidnapper who seized Madeleine may also have drugged her other two children, as she launched a new appeal in the hunt for her missing girl today.
Mrs McCann said she had to check that twins Sean and Amelie were still breathing because they did not wake as they began a frantic search for the missing three-year-old. [1.12]
Those then are the facts relating to the McCanns’ belief in sedation of the twins, and by extension, of Madeleine.
NOTE:
Levels of sedation are assessed according to the The Ramsay Sedation Scale. RSS. This was the first scale to be defined for sedated patients and was designed as a test of rousability. The RSS scores sedation at six different levels, according to how rousable the patient is. It is an intuitively obvious scale and therefore lends itself to universal use, not only in the ICU, but wherever sedative drugs or narcotics are given. It can be added to the pain score and be considered the sixth vital sign.
Ramsay Sedation Scale
1 Patient is anxious and agitated or restless, or both
2 Patient is cooperative, oriented and tranquil
3 Patient responds to commands only
4 Patient exhibits brisk response to light glabellar (forehead) tap or loud auditory stimulus
5 Patient exhibits a sluggish response to light glabellar tap or loud auditory stimulus
6 Patient exhibits no response [1.13]
The twins are clearly in point 6 on the scale. They are failing to respond to external stimuli, cold, light, noise - including screaming, the inevitable jolting of the cots placed so close together in a small room during the search and window / shutter procedures, human touch, being picked up by person other than their own parents, and so on. [1.14]
We should remember that Kate McCann and Fiona Payne are both qualified anaesthetists. Even a non qualified parent should recognise the difference between a child which was merely asleep, and one that was sedated. or unconscious. We return to this aspect in the third question.
So to restate the original question - were the twins sedated ?
The reply must surely be, that having regard to all the available evidence, we can confirm the parents’ and witnesses original and subsequent thoughts and say that on the balance of probabilities -
the twins Amelie and Sean McCann were sedated
We now turn to the second question
2 Were the twins sedated by an “intruder”.
Medical note for non-medical readers
There are five routes for the administration of sedation.
Injection, inhalation of gas, or by mouth are the most common three.
Absorption per rectum or per vaginam are possible, but specialised and rare.
All methods require some co-operation on the part of the patient.
* Injection of three small children without raising the alarm is almost unthinkable. Intra-muscular injections take between 3 and 15 minutes to work. Intravenous injection is difficult. (Paediatric anaesthetics is a specialised subject: finding a vein is more difficult than with an adult )
Injection of three children, in turn, in silence, is a suggestion which is difficult to accept by anyone with experience of children.
* Administration of sedative by mouth would require all three to be at least half awake, so they could sit up to drink and swallow, and in any event drugs taken in this way require time to act. The fastest acting such drugs in regular use take around 20 minutes to begin acting.
Each child, in turn, would need to have the drug administered.
* Anaesthetic gas requires equipment for its effective administration, and leaves a distinctive smell. The classic “filling the room with chloroform” , or other gas exists only in Victorian novels, and in any event would overcome the intruder himself, unless he had breathing equipment, in addition to the equipment for administering to the children. (It would incidentally also require the window and door to be shut ! ) Even properly administered gas inhalation normally requires time, measured in minutes, before sedation begins.
Again, each child would have to be sedated in turn.
Because it has been raised, we must briefly consider the McCanns’ principal private detectives, Edgar and Cowley, and their statement that chloroform was used on all three children. [2.1}
Chloroform is the stuff of Victorian melodrama, and like ether has no place in modern medical practice. It has a distinctive sweet smell that lingers for a very long time. Inhalation of the vapour gives an ice-cold feeling that can cause immediate vomiting. Any doctor, and indeed any O level chemistry student knows and can immediately identify chloroform. The liquid produces burn marks on the sensitive skin round the nose and mouth, [2.2]
What is interesting is that the McCanns have allowed this suggestion to remain in the public consciousness, and have never corrected the impression given. Even less have they specifically repudiated the possibility of the use of chloroform. Matthew Oldfield was asked in detail about any unusual smell in the apartment when he entered. He stated he detected nothing. [2.3]
As on commentator has aptly said, an intruder would need nothing more than a bottle of chloroform, a rag, and a kidney dish for the vomit. [2.4]
Given a sufficiently heavy dose a child could be unconscious in 15 seconds.
But importantly it would start to wake immediately the anaesthesia were stopped. It would wake, cry, and probably vomit. It would NOT remain comatose for three or more hours, then drift into normal sleep, and then wake the next morning with no after effects. [2.5]
Observation.
Jane Tanner’s description of the “abductor’ did not include anaesthetic equipment or gas cylinders, nor even a back pack in which they might be carried, and nothing was found in the apartment or the immediate surrounding area.
The “Window of Opportunity”
The window of opportunity for an intruder has been discussed in another study. This is a straightforward assessment based on the times taken from Gerry McCann’s leaving the Tapas bar, walking to the apartment, entering, seeing the children, completing the tasks he reports, and then leaving by the patio doors. Jane Tanner who left the table five minutes later by her own account, saw him talking to Jez Wilkins the street a few seconds before she saw the person who the McCanns now insist was the ‘abductor’ of Madeleine. [2.6]
Allowing for the time to exit the apartment and cross the car park to the point where he was seen, gives the window of opportunity inside the apartment of around 1 minute and 20 seconds.
In that time he has to
• Enter the apartment
• Sedate all three children - in the dark
• Select Madeleine as the victim - in the dark
• Open the shutters and window - if he used the front door to enter
• Pick Madeleine out of her bed - in the dark
• Turn her round so that her head is now to his left, rather than to his right, which is the way he would have approached her in the bed.
• Exit the apartment, either through the opened window and shutters, or through the front door, which he must then close silently behind him.
and then
• Walk to the left along the path in front of the apartment, walk straight ahead across the car park, and then walk to the right along the road, and cross the street in front of Jane Tanner, the father of the very child he had just abducted, and another man who has his own child in a buggy.
• No equipment or paraphernalia was found.
• There was no smell of anaesthetic gas
• Two children aged 2 years were left comatose for 10 hours
* When they woke no after effects were recorded. [2.7]
So to restate the original question - were the twins sedated by an intruder ?
The answer must be, that having regard to all the available evidence, we can surely say that on the balance of probabilities -
the twins Amelie and Sean McCann were not sedated by an intruder.
In fact the evidence and logic is such that this conclusion moves on the legal continuum a long way from merely “On the balance of probabilities” and very much further towards “Beyond a reasonable doubt”
This is a more problematic issue. The parents clearly now accept that the twins were sedated, and if they wish to deny the second answer will have to draw on their medical and expert anaesthetic knowledge to show why that conclusion is wrong, how it might have achieved, and what substance or technique might have been used.
In the absence of such an explanation, however, it is surely justifiable to continue to examine some features of this extraordinary case.
The McCanns have wavered between initial acceptance, through a period of stout denial during which they aggressively threatened to sue, and ultimately back to a clear statement that they now believe the children were indeed sedated.
This is part of the genesis of the story. It repeats some of what was seen earlier.
Initial recognition and acceptance
3 May 2007 (NOTE: this information was not released until May 2011)
p. 75 “Had Madeleine been given some kind of sedative to keep her quiet ? Had the twins, too ?” [3.1]
5 May 2007 (NOTE: statement dated 25 April 2008)
“They also wanted to know whether the PJ had any evidence that would suggest that the person who took Madeleine had used any substance to facilitate the abduction.” [3.2]
3 August 2007 (NOTE: this information was not released until June 2008)
“due to which she now presumes that they were under the effect of some sedative drug that a presumed abductor had administered to the three children in order to be able to abduct Madeleine, a situation which Kate refers to being possible . .” [3.3]
August 2007
Q: Do you think the children were sedated?
A: There is no doubt. (Here he told an anecdote: that Kate called a colleague of Gonçalo Amaral's in the PJ, in August, to ask them to check the twins for traces of sedation. Apparently Kate was alone when she called, and a bit upset. That same afternoon, Gerry called and cancelled the request.) [3.4]
First denials that the parents had used sedation
August 2007
See previous entry. “That same afternoon, Gerry called and cancelled the request.” [3.5]
10 August 2007 ( or thereabouts)
Gerry: “you know we’re not gonna comment, on anything but you know there is absolutely no way we use any sedative drugs or anything like that an’ you know we we have co-operated with the police we’ll answer any queries ermm … any tests that they want to do. . . “ [3.6]
Implied acceptance of possibility
24 September 2007
Forensic scientist from Control Risks take hair samples from Kate and the twins at the McCanns’ own request [3.7]
2 October 2007
“Madeleine was drugged by her abductor”, says her grandmother [3.8]
Resumed denials
20 October 2007
Scientific tests now support the denials by Gerry and Kate McCann that they ever sedated their children, it emerged yesterday. [3.9]
25 Oct. 2007
The McCanns, of Rothley, Leics, were asked if reports that they sedated their children were true. Cardiologist Gerry replied: "It is ludicrous. These sort of questions are nonsense and we shouldn't be giving them the time of day. There is absolutely no suggestion that Madeleine, or the children, were drugged. It's outrageous." [3.10]
Oct 2007
Oprah Winfrey "And then, there were the... the hurtful rumours that you drugged Madeleine or that you gave her sedatives; that you accidentally caused her... her death..."
KM: (After a long pause) "I mean we know it's all lies."
GM: "It's just nonsense you know, there's no... that people can have theories and that's all it is, there's no evidence to suggest any of that and it's absolute ludicrous, you know, and it's..." [3.11]
Second acceptance of possibility
19 Nov. 2007
“Gerry McCann: The twins were still sleeping in the their cots so . . . we tried to leave it as undisturbed as possible, and they slept very soundly until we moved them out their cots into another apartment . . which does make you wonder if there was [sic] any substances used to keep them asleep.” [3.12]
Independent Witnesses
25 April 2008 (referring to early May 2007)
They also wanted to know whether the PJ had any evidence that would suggest that the person who took Madeleine had used any substance to facilitate the abduction. [3.13]
5 Nov. 2007
Diane Webster - Fiona Payne’s mother: “Err the twins were still asleep in the cot and I, with all the noise going on I don’t know how they slept through it which makes me think there was, they must have been err drugged with something.” . . .
“So how would you imagine that they may have been drugged?”
“Err by the abductor. I think Madeleine would have been drugged as well.” [3.14]
10 April 2008
Fiona Payne: “But they were okay, I mean, they were fine, they didn’t, they were asleep, but at the time it did seem weird . . . they didn’t wake up and, again, that was quite strange, even in the transfer and, and being handled by people that weren’t their parents, they didn’t, they didn’t wake up.” [3.15]
NOTA BENE: July 2008
Documents in the case including witness statements were released to the public. At this point Diane Webster’s and Fiona Payne’s statements (above) became public knowledge, and may have been seen by the McCanns for the first time.
Public statements that it MUST have happened11 Oct. 2009
Former police detectives David Edgar and Arthur Cowley . . . are convinced the abductor went to the family’s apartment on May 3 2007 fully prepared with sufficient drugs, probably chloroform, to knock out all three children. The fact that Sean and Amelie, then just 18 months old, failed to wake when the alarm was raised, nor even as they were taken to another apartment in the cold night air, has persuaded the detectives that they, too, must have been drugged. [3.16]
13 May 2011
Kate McCann: I believe kidnapper drugged my twins on the night Madeleine was taken. Kate McCann said the kidnapper who seized Madeleine may also have drugged her other two children, as she launched a new appeal in the hunt for her missing girl today.
Mrs McCann said she had to check that twins Sean and Amelie were still breathing because they did not wake as they began a frantic search for the missing three-year-old. [3.17]
How then are we to make sense of this ?
Firstly we note that on occasion the question being asked is whether the children were sedated, but the McCanns answer a totally different one. The parents deny sedating the children themselves, but often do not address the question of whether they were sedated by someone else.
Some forensic linguistics analysts have proffered views on why this might happen.
It is also striking that we are never told of the laboratory which performed the analysis on the hair samples, we are never shown the results, and in fact we have to turn to an Indian newspaper to find these details. Here it is stated that a company called TrichoTest performed the analysis. [3.18] [3.19]
And yet even then we have this strange passage,
“All the hair samples produced negative results. While this didn’t totally exclude the possibility that the children had been sedated, especially given the time that had elapsed, it meant nobody else (including the PJ and the media) could prove otherwise.” [3.20]
The emphasis is not on the twins’ welfare or whether some noxious substance had been administered. Kate McCann is purely concerned with whether there is sufficient “proof” against the parents. But at the same time she is by implication admitting that the twins might have been sedated.
There are other bizarre aspects of the hair analysis. Laboratories advertise their ability for analyse for a period of 90 days. The McCanns’ samples were not taken until 24th September, almost six months = 144 days later. Although it is possible at that stage to test for continuous drug use, it is not believed in any event that a single dose of a drug, given in the tiny amount appropriate to a 2 year old would be sufficient for successful identification on analysis.
Kate describes the process as leaving her looking as it she had alopecia. [3.21] The laboratories state they need one sample taken from close to the scalp, no larger than “a shoelace tip” [3.22] Whilst this may simply be “journalistic licence” to evoke sympathy from the reader, or to add some human interest, that could be accepted if the book were not described as “very truthful”.
So we look to the statements
Gerry McCann made three statements. 4 May, 10 May, 7 Sept. 2007
Kate McCann made two statements. 4 May, 9 Sept. 2007
In each of these in relation to the continued sleeping of the twins through the entire episode, and the possibility of sedation there is precisely - NOTHING.
The whole issue is simply side-stepped. Even in the book it is glossed over
p. 75 “I wandered into the children’s bedroom several times to check on Sean and Amelie. They were both lying on their fronts in a kind of crouch, with their heads turned sideways and their knees tucked under their tummies. In spite of the noise and lights and general pandemonium, they hadn’t stirred. They’d always been sound sleepers, but this seemed unnatural. Scared for them, too, I placed the palms of my hands on their backs to check for chest movement, basically, for some sign of life. Had Madeleine been given some kind of sedative to keep her quiet? Had the twins, too? It was not until about 11.10pm that two policemen arrived from the nearest town, Lagos, about five miles away. To me they seemed bewildered and out of their depth, and I couldn’t shake the images of Tweedledum and Tweedledee out of my head. I realise how unfair this might sound, but with communication hampered by the language barrier and precious time passing, their presence did not fill me with confidence at all.” [3.23]
There are some strange and worrying aspects to this extract.
The use of “wandered” as a verb of motion during this frantic phase of a search for a missing child.
On the previous and adjacent pages we find ”Yelled”, “hitting out at things”, “banging my fists on the railings”, ” running from pillar to post”, “ran back”, “dashed over”., “throwing open” “hurtling out” “started screaming”,” was hysterical”, “sprinted back” and many other more intensely active verbs clearly carefully selected to give a real impression of terror, speed and urgency. [3.24]
Here we are given “wandered into the bedroom” as the verbal phrase defining the action of the mother of an missing child checking that her two remaining children who she suspected had been anaesthetised, were still alive ! [3.25]
A number of other points surely present themselves for further comment.
• The strange way in which the children were lying,. Though this position is in itself not unusual, there is the fact that both were lying in the same way
• The fact that “despite the noise and pandemonium they hadn’t stirred” still less woken.
• Kate describing this as “unnatural”.
• Kate placing the palms of hands on their backs, to check for “chest movement”.
• Her chilling use of the phrase “. . .basically, for sign of life”
• Her thoughts “Had the twins too [been given some kind of sedative] ?”
For many people this passage will sound quite extraordinary. Doctors, nurses, police officers, ambulance crews, fire officers, paramedics, St John Ambulance staff, and many others are taught in their basic training about the importance of rousing people. Drunks, drug addicts, people with head injuries, and those who have suffered smoke inhalation are roused, and in some cases are to be shaken into consciousness. Failure to rouse a patient should lead to immediate medical assistance being sought, or transportation to the nearest casualty department.
Failure regularly to rouse someone in a police cell is a very serious disciplinary offence, the penalty for which may be dismissal from the service.
But we are told that a qualified anaesthetist merely “. . placed the palms of my hands on their backs to check for chest movement, basically, for some sign of life”. [3.26]
The Royal College of Nursing is quite clear about this.
In “Standards for assessing, measuring and monitoring vital signs in infants, children and young people - RCN guidance for children’s nurses and nurses working with children and young people”
they say, very simply
Infants and children less than six to seven years of
age are predominantly abdominal breathers
therefore, abdominal movements should be counted.
They emphasise “the particular vulnerability of infants and young children to rapid physiological deterioration”
And later discussing recovery room protocols
• following a simple procedure – vital signs should be recorded every 30 minutes for two hours, then hourly for two to four hours until the child is fully awake, eating and drinking. [3.27]
When we add to this the curious way the children were lying, on their fronts in a kind of crouch, with their heads turned sideways and their knees tucked under their tummies.“ which clearly must restrict the abdominal breathing in a child of that age, the failure by either of the parents or the other qualified anaesthetist present to modify this posture is very difficult to understand.
Levels of sedation are assessed according to the Ramsay Sedation Scale (RSS)
1 Patient is anxious and agitated or restless, or both
2 Patient is cooperative, oriented and tranquil
3 Patient responds to commands only
4 Patient exhibits brisk response to light glabellar (forehead) tap or loud auditory stimulus
5 Patient exhibits a sluggish response to light glabellar tap or loud auditory stimulus
6 Patient exhibits no response [3.28]
The twins are clearly in point 6 on the scale. They are failing to respond to external stimuli, cold, light, noise - including screaming, the inevitable jolting of the cots placed so close together in a small room during the search and window / shutter procedures, human touch, and then being picked out of their cots by persons not their parents, taken outdoors into the dark and cold air, into the light and warmth of a neighbouring apartment, where they are placed in different cots.
it is hard to believe that neither parent would have picked them up, but there is no evidence that they did. It is also worthy of note that Dr. Fiona Payne was with Kate McCann at this time. It seems no one was with the twins.
Although it is capable of interpretation this piece is placed in the narrative of the book around 11:00pm, an hour after the discovery. It is placed between the incident when both Kate and Fiona Payne shout “something short and to the point” at Mrs Fenn, and the arrival of the police at 11:10pm. [3.29]
Kate herself states
p. 74 “He’d [Gerry had] asked Fiona to stay with me. I was in our bedroom, on my knees beside the bed, just praying and praying and praying. . . “ [3.30]
The next paragraph talks of Kate’s “sitting on the bed” whilst Emma Knights from Mark Warner came in, and then goes on to talk about Kate’s being out on the veranda when another woman appeared, and so on.
In other words neither doctor was in the twins’ room performing any clinical checks for vital signs, or carrying out any procedures for rousing them.
Both doctors, each of whom is a qualified anaesthetist, failed to address the simplest but the most important questions.
Why can they not be roused ?
And then -
Given that they cannot be roused, what procedure, and / or what substance has been used to sedate these two children to this extent ?
We now know that any sedation must have been administered within 1 minute and 20 seconds, in a narrow time window between Gerry McCann’s leaving the apartment, and Jane Tanner’s seeing the abductor carrying Madeleine, so obviously the substance was extremely fast acting, and very powerful.
The two anaesthetists did not have that information, but must nevertheless have believed that sedation had occurred within the previous half hour between Oldfield’s visit and Kate’s.
So what precisely did the two qualified anaesthetists assume had been used, and how did they suppose it had been administered ?
Why did they accept that the dosage had been exactly correct for children of this age and size ?
Was it still being absorbed and was the level in the tissues still increasing ? Were they coming round, or were they drifting into even deeper level of unconsciousness, coma, and possible death ?
What were the likely or possible side effects - vomiting, breathing difficulties, lung congestion, ventricular or atrial fibrillation, brain damage, liver or kidney failure, or any of the many other possible sequelae that both will have studied at length and been examined on in detail.
What precisely did they identify or diagnose ?
* Injection
* By mouth
* Inhalation of anaesthetic gas
being the three most usual.
Observation.
Jane Tanner’s description of the “abductor’ did not include anaesthetic equipment or gas cylinders, nor even a back pack in which they might be carried, and nothing was found in the apartment or the immediate surrounding area.
Reminder
The McCanns, and many of their Tapas7 friends are medically trained.
Both Dr. Kate McCann and Dr. Fiona Payne are trained to a high standard in anaesthetics. In fact both were Junior Registrars.
Their continued insistence on sedation by an ‘intruder’ as a viable proposition, when combined with the unambiguous admission in their statements, in interviews, and in the book, of clearly defined professional negligence in their manifest failure to provide, or even consider, any form of resuscitation or aftercare, is baffling.
But these qualified anaesthetists simply put a palm on a child’s back, or a finger under its nose, (according to Dr Fiona Payne). There is no record of whether each child was turned, undressed and examined minutely for needle stick marks, or had its mouth, nose and throat cleared or checked for the presence of a chloroform soaked rag, had its breath smelled for evidence of drugs, gas or ketones, had its pupil response monitored, had its heart rate taken, had other reflexes tested, or was roused until fully conscious. These would be standard procedures.
There is no record of proper and medically correct post-anaesthesia care. None. Nothing.
On the contrary, what evidence there is points to the twins’ having simply been left for a considerable period unattended, and then some two hours later scooped up out of their travel cots, in the bedclothes in which they slept, and being carried, still sleeping, out into the cold night air and round to an adjacent apartment where they were again left to sleep. [3.31]
Neither doctor performed any of the usual and medically required tests or procedures appropriate to recovery from anaesthesia. It is a matter of record that the twins were not taken to a hospital for assessment.
On the facts therefore the doctors were in serious and negligent breach of a whole series of medical protocols for which people have been struck off the register. [3.32]
And even more strangely, they have admitted this in statements and in the book. They have made no attempt to suggest that they acted correctly.
If we rely purely on what they have said, we find that it is corroborated by independent witnesses, and it leads to the following conclusion -
They would be guilty of a most serious breach of professional standards, so serious that striking off the Medical Register would be appropriate.
We are given many instances in her own book of Kate McCanns’ loss of control, kicking out at inanimate objects, hitting railings with her fists, throwing herself on the floor, wailing and so on. We are however also given clear examples where she was not acting in this way, being more calm and professionally purposeful, going out into the street to see what was happening, having a blunt discussion with a witness in the apartment above, “wandering” into the twins’ room, and ultimately “keeping vigil” in total silence for the rest of the night. [3.33]
However, it must be said
• For a normal distressed and anxious parent to behave in this way towards two apparently anaesthetised children would be unforgivable.
• For an educated professional person it would be grossly negligent.
• For two qualified anaesthetists it is absolutely unthinkable.
If we find that it is indeed unthinkable, then we must wish to believe that their actions were not negligent, that they were not in breach of any protocols, and that their apparent lack of action does not bear any negative interpretation.
But for that to be true they would have to have known precisely why the twins were unconscious, what substance had been administered, in what dose, by whom, and when.
And they have always denied this.
But despite that, and to address the original question, having regard to the available evidence, we may be tempted to take the charitable view, and to conclude that, on the balance of probabilities,
1.1 “madeleine” by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 70 - 81
1.2 “madeleine” op.cit, p. 273-4
1.3 “madeleine” op.cit, p. 75
1.4 From: Inspector Ricardo Paiva, For: Gonçalo Amaral
Processos Vol X Pages 2533 - 2534 Date: 2007/09/03
1.5 Book p. 274-5
[url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1570315/Madeleine-McCanns- mother-takes-drug-test.html]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1570315/Madeleine-McCanns- mother-takes-drug-test.html[/url]
1.6 [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485005/Madeleine-drugged- abductor-says-grandmother.html]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485005/Madeleine-drugged- abductor-says-grandmother.html[/url]
1.7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix6bKUnmOCM&feature=related
1.8 Statement of Steven Markley, PC Leics, 25 April 2008
1.9 Witness Statement Dianne Webster
Processos Vol IV Pages 949 – 954 Date:2007/05/11
http://mccannfiles.com/id254.html
1.10 Fiona Payne rogatory interview at Leicestershire Police Headquarters
10/4/2008
1.11 [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper- drugged-twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper- drugged-twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html[/url]
1.12 [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper- drugged-twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper- drugged-twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html [/url]
1.13 http://www.frca.co.uk/article.aspx?articleid=100192
1.14 Fiona Payne rogatory interview at Leicestershire Police Headquarters 10/4/2008
2.1 [url=http://www.sundayexpress.co.uk/posts/view/133307/MADELEINE-EXCLUSIVE-All- three-children-drugged]http[/url]://www.sundayexpress.co.uk/posts/view/133307/MADELEINE-EXCLUSIVE-All- three-children-drugged
2.2 http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/chloroform/recognition.htmlhttp://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/chloroform/recognition.html
2.3 [url=https://www.blogger.com/Matthew Oldfield interview at Leicestershire Police Headquarters Matthew]http://www.mccannfiles.com/id219.html]Matthew Oldfield interview at Leicestershire Police Headquarters ]http://www.mccannfiles.com/id219.html[/url]
2.4 http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/chloroform/recognition.html
2.5 Diane Webster rogatory
2.6 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p. 76, & p. 84
2.7 Diane Webster rogatory
3.1 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 75.
3.2 Statement of Steven Markley PC Leics 25 April 2008
3.3 From: Inspector Ricardo Paiva, For: Gonçalo Amaral
Processos Vol X Pages 2533 - 2534 Date: 2007/09/03
3.4 Gonçalo Amaral in Amsterdam, 05 May 2009 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id232.html
3.5 Gonçalo Amaral, Op. cit.
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id232.html
3.6 [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v= uMUdynuECbE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v= uMUdynuECbE[/url]
3.7 “madeleine”, op.cit. p. 274
3.8[url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485005/Madeleine-drugged-abductor-says- grandmother.html] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485005/Madeleine-drugged-abductor-says- grandmother.html[/url]
3.9 [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485005/Madeleine-drugged-abductor-says- grandmother.html]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1570315/Madeleine-McCanns-mother-takes- drug-test.html[/url]
3.10 The Sun By Antonella Lazzeri and Clodagh Hartley 25 Oct. 2007
3.11 [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix6bKUnmOCM&feature= player_embedded]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix6bKUnmOCM&feature= player_embedded[/url]
3.12 BBC Panorama, 19 Nov. 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix6bKUnmOCM
3.13 Statement of Steven Markley, Leics Police. 25 April 2008
3.14 Diane Webster, Rogatory Interview,
3.15 Fiona Payne, Rogatory Interview
3.16 [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper-drugged- twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper-drugged- twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html [/url]
3.17 http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2011/05/12/18139856.html
3.18 http://dalje.com/en-world/new-evidence-in-madeleine-mccann-case/92936
3.19 http://www.concateno.com/products-and-services/laboratory-testing/hair-testing/
3.20 “madeleine”, op.cit. p. 274
3.21 “madeleine”, op.cit. p. 274
3.22 http://www.craigmedical.com/Hair_Drug-Test_FAQ.htm
3.23 “madeleine”, op.cit. p. 75
3.24 “madeleine”, op.cit., pp. 73 - 81
3.25 “madeleine”, op.cit., p . 75
3.26 “madeleine”, op.cit., p . 75
3.27 http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/114484/003196.pdf
3.28 http://www.frca.co.uk/article.aspx?articleid=100192
3.29 “madeleine”, op.cit., p. 74-5
3.30 “madeleine”, op.cit., p. 74-5
3.31 Fiona Payne rogatory interview at Leicestershire Police Headquarters 10/4/2008
3.32 [url=http://www.hospitalerror.com/hospital-error/washington-dc-recovery-room-error- lawyers/]http://www.hospitalerror.com/hospital-error/washington-dc-recovery-room-error- lawyers/[/url]
3.33 “madeleine”, op.cit. pp. 73, 74, 81 etc.
Sedation
In this study we attempt to answer three questions1 Were the twins sedated on the night of 3rd May 2007?
2 If so, were they sedated by an intruder ?
3 If so, but not by an intruder, then by whom ?
1 Were the twins sedated on the night of 3rd May 2007?
The question of sedation of the three McCann children is one which has caused problems since the very beginning.
Reported facts.
Around 10 pm 3rd May 2007 Kate McCann entered the apartment in the holiday resort and reported Madeleine missing. The younger twins were still in their travel cots in the same room, and were asleep.
What followed is a matter of public record. The apartment was searched, several times, by many people, the surrounding area was searched by large numbers of police and ex-pats and villagers, and huge amount of activity was directed to discovering Madeleine’s whereabouts. All were in vain.
BUT . . . during all of this commotion -
despite a window and shutters having been open for an hour on a cold night,
despite the door slamming shut,
despite curtains blowing into the room,
despite their mother frantically opening and closing wardrobes and cupboards
despite their mother rushing out screaming for help,
despite the entire Tapas 7 group searching throughout the apartment,
despite Kate and the Tapas group shouting Madeleine’s name outside,
despite Gerry McCann’s closing and opening the shutters multiple times
despite Mrs Webster’s similarly attempting to open the shutters but failing,
despite the Police investigating the scene,
despite Gerry’s “roaring like a lion” and then prostrating himself on the floor,
despite both parents repeating this action and wailing
despite Kate’s checking the twins for vital signs,
despite the twins being lifted from their cots by people not their parents, and
despite their being carried out into the cold night air, and to another apartment. [1.1]
Despite all of this . . . the twins did not wake
Kate McCann stated in 2011 that she had suspected sedation from the very first. Given the above perhaps this is understandable. [1.2]
In her book, “madeleine’, which she described as “A Version of the Truth”, she says this explicitly.
3 May 2007 (NOTE: this information was not released until May 2011)
p. 75 “Had Madeleine been given some kind of sedative to keep her quiet ? Had the twins, too ?” [1.3]
She also reported this to the Officer in the case
3 August 2007 (NOTE: this information was not released until June 2008)
“due to which she now presumes that they were under the effect of some sedative drug that a presumed abductor had administered to the three children in order to be able to abduct Madeleine, a situation which Kate refers to being possible . .” [1.4]
The McCanns then organised their own drug tests
24 September 2007
Forensic scientist from Control Risks take hair samples from Kate and the twins at the McCanns’ own request [1.5]
A family member was ‘allowed’ to release this to the press.
02 October 2007
“Madeleine was drugged by her abductor”, says her grandmother [1.6]
Gerry McCann reconfirms their suspicions
19 Nov. 2007
“Gerry McCann: The twins were still sleeping in the their cots so . . . we tried to leave it as undisturbed as possible, and they slept very soundly until we moved them out their cots into another apartment . . which does make you wonder if there was [sic] any substances used to keep them asleep.” [1.7]
Independent witnesses report and confirm the McCanns’ suspicions
25 April 2008 (referring to early May 2007)
They also wanted to know whether the PJ had any evidence that would suggest that the person who took Madeleine had used any substance to facilitate the abduction. [1.8]
5 Nov. 2007
Diane Webster - Fiona Payne’s mother: “Err the twins were still asleep in the cot and I, with all the noise going on I don’t know how they slept through it which makes me think there was, they must have been err drugged with something.” . . .
Q: “So how would you imagine that they may have been drugged?”
DW: “Err by the abductor. I think Madeleine would have been drugged as well.” [1.9]
10 April 2008
Fiona Payne: “But they were okay, I mean, they were fine, they didn’t, they were asleep, but at the time it did seem weird . . . they didn’t wake up and, again, that was quite strange, even in the transfer and, and being handled by people that weren’t their parents, they didn’t, they didn’t wake up.” [1.10]
Their own private detectives make a statement
11 Oct. 2009
Former police detectives David Edgar and Arthur Cowley . . . are convinced the abductor went to the family’s apartment on May 3 2007 fully prepared with sufficient drugs, probably chloroform, to knock out all three children. The fact that Sean and Amelie, then just 18 months old, failed to wake when the alarm was raised, nor even as they were taken to another apartment in the cold night air, has persuaded the detectives that they, too, must have been drugged. [1.11]
And just before the release of her book ‘madeleine’, Kate says she believes they were drugged.
13 May 2011
Kate McCann: I believe kidnapper drugged my twins on the night Madeleine was taken. Kate McCann said the kidnapper who seized Madeleine may also have drugged her other two children, as she launched a new appeal in the hunt for her missing girl today.
Mrs McCann said she had to check that twins Sean and Amelie were still breathing because they did not wake as they began a frantic search for the missing three-year-old. [1.12]
Those then are the facts relating to the McCanns’ belief in sedation of the twins, and by extension, of Madeleine.
NOTE:
Levels of sedation are assessed according to the The Ramsay Sedation Scale. RSS. This was the first scale to be defined for sedated patients and was designed as a test of rousability. The RSS scores sedation at six different levels, according to how rousable the patient is. It is an intuitively obvious scale and therefore lends itself to universal use, not only in the ICU, but wherever sedative drugs or narcotics are given. It can be added to the pain score and be considered the sixth vital sign.
Ramsay Sedation Scale
1 Patient is anxious and agitated or restless, or both
2 Patient is cooperative, oriented and tranquil
3 Patient responds to commands only
4 Patient exhibits brisk response to light glabellar (forehead) tap or loud auditory stimulus
5 Patient exhibits a sluggish response to light glabellar tap or loud auditory stimulus
6 Patient exhibits no response [1.13]
The twins are clearly in point 6 on the scale. They are failing to respond to external stimuli, cold, light, noise - including screaming, the inevitable jolting of the cots placed so close together in a small room during the search and window / shutter procedures, human touch, being picked up by person other than their own parents, and so on. [1.14]
We should remember that Kate McCann and Fiona Payne are both qualified anaesthetists. Even a non qualified parent should recognise the difference between a child which was merely asleep, and one that was sedated. or unconscious. We return to this aspect in the third question.
So to restate the original question - were the twins sedated ?
The reply must surely be, that having regard to all the available evidence, we can confirm the parents’ and witnesses original and subsequent thoughts and say that on the balance of probabilities -
the twins Amelie and Sean McCann were sedated
We now turn to the second question
Medical note for non-medical readers
There are five routes for the administration of sedation.
Injection, inhalation of gas, or by mouth are the most common three.
Absorption per rectum or per vaginam are possible, but specialised and rare.
All methods require some co-operation on the part of the patient.
* Injection of three small children without raising the alarm is almost unthinkable. Intra-muscular injections take between 3 and 15 minutes to work. Intravenous injection is difficult. (Paediatric anaesthetics is a specialised subject: finding a vein is more difficult than with an adult )
Injection of three children, in turn, in silence, is a suggestion which is difficult to accept by anyone with experience of children.
* Administration of sedative by mouth would require all three to be at least half awake, so they could sit up to drink and swallow, and in any event drugs taken in this way require time to act. The fastest acting such drugs in regular use take around 20 minutes to begin acting.
Each child, in turn, would need to have the drug administered.
* Anaesthetic gas requires equipment for its effective administration, and leaves a distinctive smell. The classic “filling the room with chloroform” , or other gas exists only in Victorian novels, and in any event would overcome the intruder himself, unless he had breathing equipment, in addition to the equipment for administering to the children. (It would incidentally also require the window and door to be shut ! ) Even properly administered gas inhalation normally requires time, measured in minutes, before sedation begins.
Again, each child would have to be sedated in turn.
Because it has been raised, we must briefly consider the McCanns’ principal private detectives, Edgar and Cowley, and their statement that chloroform was used on all three children. [2.1}
Chloroform is the stuff of Victorian melodrama, and like ether has no place in modern medical practice. It has a distinctive sweet smell that lingers for a very long time. Inhalation of the vapour gives an ice-cold feeling that can cause immediate vomiting. Any doctor, and indeed any O level chemistry student knows and can immediately identify chloroform. The liquid produces burn marks on the sensitive skin round the nose and mouth, [2.2]
What is interesting is that the McCanns have allowed this suggestion to remain in the public consciousness, and have never corrected the impression given. Even less have they specifically repudiated the possibility of the use of chloroform. Matthew Oldfield was asked in detail about any unusual smell in the apartment when he entered. He stated he detected nothing. [2.3]
As on commentator has aptly said, an intruder would need nothing more than a bottle of chloroform, a rag, and a kidney dish for the vomit. [2.4]
Given a sufficiently heavy dose a child could be unconscious in 15 seconds.
But importantly it would start to wake immediately the anaesthesia were stopped. It would wake, cry, and probably vomit. It would NOT remain comatose for three or more hours, then drift into normal sleep, and then wake the next morning with no after effects. [2.5]
Observation.
Jane Tanner’s description of the “abductor’ did not include anaesthetic equipment or gas cylinders, nor even a back pack in which they might be carried, and nothing was found in the apartment or the immediate surrounding area.
The “Window of Opportunity”
The window of opportunity for an intruder has been discussed in another study. This is a straightforward assessment based on the times taken from Gerry McCann’s leaving the Tapas bar, walking to the apartment, entering, seeing the children, completing the tasks he reports, and then leaving by the patio doors. Jane Tanner who left the table five minutes later by her own account, saw him talking to Jez Wilkins the street a few seconds before she saw the person who the McCanns now insist was the ‘abductor’ of Madeleine. [2.6]
Allowing for the time to exit the apartment and cross the car park to the point where he was seen, gives the window of opportunity inside the apartment of around 1 minute and 20 seconds.
In that time he has to
• Enter the apartment
• Sedate all three children - in the dark
• Select Madeleine as the victim - in the dark
• Open the shutters and window - if he used the front door to enter
• Pick Madeleine out of her bed - in the dark
• Turn her round so that her head is now to his left, rather than to his right, which is the way he would have approached her in the bed.
• Exit the apartment, either through the opened window and shutters, or through the front door, which he must then close silently behind him.
and then
• Walk to the left along the path in front of the apartment, walk straight ahead across the car park, and then walk to the right along the road, and cross the street in front of Jane Tanner, the father of the very child he had just abducted, and another man who has his own child in a buggy.
We repeat, taking into account the travelling time, he has around one minute and twenty seconds in which to achieve the first seven items on the list
• No equipment or paraphernalia was found.
• There was no smell of anaesthetic gas
• Two children aged 2 years were left comatose for 10 hours
* When they woke no after effects were recorded. [2.7]
So far as can be ascertained - there is NO substance or technique known to medical science which can do this.
So to restate the original question - were the twins sedated by an intruder ?
The answer must be, that having regard to all the available evidence, we can surely say that on the balance of probabilities -
the twins Amelie and Sean McCann were not sedated by an intruder.
In fact the evidence and logic is such that this conclusion moves on the legal continuum a long way from merely “On the balance of probabilities” and very much further towards “Beyond a reasonable doubt”
We now turn to the third question
If the twins were sedated, but not by an ‘intruder” -
then by whom ?
Specifically we must ask whether the parents were involved
If the twins were sedated, but not by an ‘intruder” -
then by whom ?
Specifically we must ask whether the parents were involved
This is a more problematic issue. The parents clearly now accept that the twins were sedated, and if they wish to deny the second answer will have to draw on their medical and expert anaesthetic knowledge to show why that conclusion is wrong, how it might have achieved, and what substance or technique might have been used.
In the absence of such an explanation, however, it is surely justifiable to continue to examine some features of this extraordinary case.
The McCanns have wavered between initial acceptance, through a period of stout denial during which they aggressively threatened to sue, and ultimately back to a clear statement that they now believe the children were indeed sedated.
This is part of the genesis of the story. It repeats some of what was seen earlier.
Initial recognition and acceptance
3 May 2007 (NOTE: this information was not released until May 2011)
p. 75 “Had Madeleine been given some kind of sedative to keep her quiet ? Had the twins, too ?” [3.1]
5 May 2007 (NOTE: statement dated 25 April 2008)
“They also wanted to know whether the PJ had any evidence that would suggest that the person who took Madeleine had used any substance to facilitate the abduction.” [3.2]
3 August 2007 (NOTE: this information was not released until June 2008)
“due to which she now presumes that they were under the effect of some sedative drug that a presumed abductor had administered to the three children in order to be able to abduct Madeleine, a situation which Kate refers to being possible . .” [3.3]
August 2007
Q: Do you think the children were sedated?
A: There is no doubt. (Here he told an anecdote: that Kate called a colleague of Gonçalo Amaral's in the PJ, in August, to ask them to check the twins for traces of sedation. Apparently Kate was alone when she called, and a bit upset. That same afternoon, Gerry called and cancelled the request.) [3.4]
First denials that the parents had used sedation
August 2007
See previous entry. “That same afternoon, Gerry called and cancelled the request.” [3.5]
10 August 2007 ( or thereabouts)
Gerry: “you know we’re not gonna comment, on anything but you know there is absolutely no way we use any sedative drugs or anything like that an’ you know we we have co-operated with the police we’ll answer any queries ermm … any tests that they want to do. . . “ [3.6]
Implied acceptance of possibility
24 September 2007
Forensic scientist from Control Risks take hair samples from Kate and the twins at the McCanns’ own request [3.7]
2 October 2007
“Madeleine was drugged by her abductor”, says her grandmother [3.8]
Resumed denials
20 October 2007
Scientific tests now support the denials by Gerry and Kate McCann that they ever sedated their children, it emerged yesterday. [3.9]
25 Oct. 2007
The McCanns, of Rothley, Leics, were asked if reports that they sedated their children were true. Cardiologist Gerry replied: "It is ludicrous. These sort of questions are nonsense and we shouldn't be giving them the time of day. There is absolutely no suggestion that Madeleine, or the children, were drugged. It's outrageous." [3.10]
Oct 2007
Oprah Winfrey "And then, there were the... the hurtful rumours that you drugged Madeleine or that you gave her sedatives; that you accidentally caused her... her death..."
KM: (After a long pause) "I mean we know it's all lies."
GM: "It's just nonsense you know, there's no... that people can have theories and that's all it is, there's no evidence to suggest any of that and it's absolute ludicrous, you know, and it's..." [3.11]
Second acceptance of possibility
19 Nov. 2007
“Gerry McCann: The twins were still sleeping in the their cots so . . . we tried to leave it as undisturbed as possible, and they slept very soundly until we moved them out their cots into another apartment . . which does make you wonder if there was [sic] any substances used to keep them asleep.” [3.12]
Independent Witnesses
25 April 2008 (referring to early May 2007)
They also wanted to know whether the PJ had any evidence that would suggest that the person who took Madeleine had used any substance to facilitate the abduction. [3.13]
5 Nov. 2007
Diane Webster - Fiona Payne’s mother: “Err the twins were still asleep in the cot and I, with all the noise going on I don’t know how they slept through it which makes me think there was, they must have been err drugged with something.” . . .
“So how would you imagine that they may have been drugged?”
“Err by the abductor. I think Madeleine would have been drugged as well.” [3.14]
10 April 2008
Fiona Payne: “But they were okay, I mean, they were fine, they didn’t, they were asleep, but at the time it did seem weird . . . they didn’t wake up and, again, that was quite strange, even in the transfer and, and being handled by people that weren’t their parents, they didn’t, they didn’t wake up.” [3.15]
NOTA BENE: July 2008
Documents in the case including witness statements were released to the public. At this point Diane Webster’s and Fiona Payne’s statements (above) became public knowledge, and may have been seen by the McCanns for the first time.
Public statements that it MUST have happened11 Oct. 2009
Former police detectives David Edgar and Arthur Cowley . . . are convinced the abductor went to the family’s apartment on May 3 2007 fully prepared with sufficient drugs, probably chloroform, to knock out all three children. The fact that Sean and Amelie, then just 18 months old, failed to wake when the alarm was raised, nor even as they were taken to another apartment in the cold night air, has persuaded the detectives that they, too, must have been drugged. [3.16]
13 May 2011
Kate McCann: I believe kidnapper drugged my twins on the night Madeleine was taken. Kate McCann said the kidnapper who seized Madeleine may also have drugged her other two children, as she launched a new appeal in the hunt for her missing girl today.
Mrs McCann said she had to check that twins Sean and Amelie were still breathing because they did not wake as they began a frantic search for the missing three-year-old. [3.17]
How then are we to make sense of this ?
Firstly we note that on occasion the question being asked is whether the children were sedated, but the McCanns answer a totally different one. The parents deny sedating the children themselves, but often do not address the question of whether they were sedated by someone else.
Some forensic linguistics analysts have proffered views on why this might happen.
It is also striking that we are never told of the laboratory which performed the analysis on the hair samples, we are never shown the results, and in fact we have to turn to an Indian newspaper to find these details. Here it is stated that a company called TrichoTest performed the analysis. [3.18] [3.19]
And yet even then we have this strange passage,
“All the hair samples produced negative results. While this didn’t totally exclude the possibility that the children had been sedated, especially given the time that had elapsed, it meant nobody else (including the PJ and the media) could prove otherwise.” [3.20]
The emphasis is not on the twins’ welfare or whether some noxious substance had been administered. Kate McCann is purely concerned with whether there is sufficient “proof” against the parents. But at the same time she is by implication admitting that the twins might have been sedated.
There are other bizarre aspects of the hair analysis. Laboratories advertise their ability for analyse for a period of 90 days. The McCanns’ samples were not taken until 24th September, almost six months = 144 days later. Although it is possible at that stage to test for continuous drug use, it is not believed in any event that a single dose of a drug, given in the tiny amount appropriate to a 2 year old would be sufficient for successful identification on analysis.
Kate describes the process as leaving her looking as it she had alopecia. [3.21] The laboratories state they need one sample taken from close to the scalp, no larger than “a shoelace tip” [3.22] Whilst this may simply be “journalistic licence” to evoke sympathy from the reader, or to add some human interest, that could be accepted if the book were not described as “very truthful”.
So we look to the statements
Gerry McCann made three statements. 4 May, 10 May, 7 Sept. 2007
Kate McCann made two statements. 4 May, 9 Sept. 2007
In each of these in relation to the continued sleeping of the twins through the entire episode, and the possibility of sedation there is precisely - NOTHING.
The whole issue is simply side-stepped. Even in the book it is glossed over
p. 75 “I wandered into the children’s bedroom several times to check on Sean and Amelie. They were both lying on their fronts in a kind of crouch, with their heads turned sideways and their knees tucked under their tummies. In spite of the noise and lights and general pandemonium, they hadn’t stirred. They’d always been sound sleepers, but this seemed unnatural. Scared for them, too, I placed the palms of my hands on their backs to check for chest movement, basically, for some sign of life. Had Madeleine been given some kind of sedative to keep her quiet? Had the twins, too? It was not until about 11.10pm that two policemen arrived from the nearest town, Lagos, about five miles away. To me they seemed bewildered and out of their depth, and I couldn’t shake the images of Tweedledum and Tweedledee out of my head. I realise how unfair this might sound, but with communication hampered by the language barrier and precious time passing, their presence did not fill me with confidence at all.” [3.23]
There are some strange and worrying aspects to this extract.
The use of “wandered” as a verb of motion during this frantic phase of a search for a missing child.
On the previous and adjacent pages we find ”Yelled”, “hitting out at things”, “banging my fists on the railings”, ” running from pillar to post”, “ran back”, “dashed over”., “throwing open” “hurtling out” “started screaming”,” was hysterical”, “sprinted back” and many other more intensely active verbs clearly carefully selected to give a real impression of terror, speed and urgency. [3.24]
Here we are given “wandered into the bedroom” as the verbal phrase defining the action of the mother of an missing child checking that her two remaining children who she suspected had been anaesthetised, were still alive ! [3.25]
A number of other points surely present themselves for further comment.
• The strange way in which the children were lying,. Though this position is in itself not unusual, there is the fact that both were lying in the same way
• The fact that “despite the noise and pandemonium they hadn’t stirred” still less woken.
• Kate describing this as “unnatural”.
• Kate placing the palms of hands on their backs, to check for “chest movement”.
• Her chilling use of the phrase “. . .basically, for sign of life”
• Her thoughts “Had the twins too [been given some kind of sedative] ?”
For many people this passage will sound quite extraordinary. Doctors, nurses, police officers, ambulance crews, fire officers, paramedics, St John Ambulance staff, and many others are taught in their basic training about the importance of rousing people. Drunks, drug addicts, people with head injuries, and those who have suffered smoke inhalation are roused, and in some cases are to be shaken into consciousness. Failure to rouse a patient should lead to immediate medical assistance being sought, or transportation to the nearest casualty department.
Failure regularly to rouse someone in a police cell is a very serious disciplinary offence, the penalty for which may be dismissal from the service.
But we are told that a qualified anaesthetist merely “. . placed the palms of my hands on their backs to check for chest movement, basically, for some sign of life”. [3.26]
The Royal College of Nursing is quite clear about this.
In “Standards for assessing, measuring and monitoring vital signs in infants, children and young people - RCN guidance for children’s nurses and nurses working with children and young people”
they say, very simply
Infants and children less than six to seven years of
age are predominantly abdominal breathers
therefore, abdominal movements should be counted.
They emphasise “the particular vulnerability of infants and young children to rapid physiological deterioration”
And later discussing recovery room protocols
• following a simple procedure – vital signs should be recorded every 30 minutes for two hours, then hourly for two to four hours until the child is fully awake, eating and drinking. [3.27]
When we add to this the curious way the children were lying, on their fronts in a kind of crouch, with their heads turned sideways and their knees tucked under their tummies.“ which clearly must restrict the abdominal breathing in a child of that age, the failure by either of the parents or the other qualified anaesthetist present to modify this posture is very difficult to understand.
Levels of sedation are assessed according to the Ramsay Sedation Scale (RSS)
1 Patient is anxious and agitated or restless, or both
2 Patient is cooperative, oriented and tranquil
3 Patient responds to commands only
4 Patient exhibits brisk response to light glabellar (forehead) tap or loud auditory stimulus
5 Patient exhibits a sluggish response to light glabellar tap or loud auditory stimulus
6 Patient exhibits no response [3.28]
The twins are clearly in point 6 on the scale. They are failing to respond to external stimuli, cold, light, noise - including screaming, the inevitable jolting of the cots placed so close together in a small room during the search and window / shutter procedures, human touch, and then being picked out of their cots by persons not their parents, taken outdoors into the dark and cold air, into the light and warmth of a neighbouring apartment, where they are placed in different cots.
it is hard to believe that neither parent would have picked them up, but there is no evidence that they did. It is also worthy of note that Dr. Fiona Payne was with Kate McCann at this time. It seems no one was with the twins.
Although it is capable of interpretation this piece is placed in the narrative of the book around 11:00pm, an hour after the discovery. It is placed between the incident when both Kate and Fiona Payne shout “something short and to the point” at Mrs Fenn, and the arrival of the police at 11:10pm. [3.29]
Kate herself states
p. 74 “He’d [Gerry had] asked Fiona to stay with me. I was in our bedroom, on my knees beside the bed, just praying and praying and praying. . . “ [3.30]
The next paragraph talks of Kate’s “sitting on the bed” whilst Emma Knights from Mark Warner came in, and then goes on to talk about Kate’s being out on the veranda when another woman appeared, and so on.
In other words neither doctor was in the twins’ room performing any clinical checks for vital signs, or carrying out any procedures for rousing them.
Both doctors, each of whom is a qualified anaesthetist, failed to address the simplest but the most important questions.
Why can they not be roused ?
And then -
Given that they cannot be roused, what procedure, and / or what substance has been used to sedate these two children to this extent ?
We now know that any sedation must have been administered within 1 minute and 20 seconds, in a narrow time window between Gerry McCann’s leaving the apartment, and Jane Tanner’s seeing the abductor carrying Madeleine, so obviously the substance was extremely fast acting, and very powerful.
The two anaesthetists did not have that information, but must nevertheless have believed that sedation had occurred within the previous half hour between Oldfield’s visit and Kate’s.
So what precisely did the two qualified anaesthetists assume had been used, and how did they suppose it had been administered ?
Why did they accept that the dosage had been exactly correct for children of this age and size ?
Was it still being absorbed and was the level in the tissues still increasing ? Were they coming round, or were they drifting into even deeper level of unconsciousness, coma, and possible death ?
What were the likely or possible side effects - vomiting, breathing difficulties, lung congestion, ventricular or atrial fibrillation, brain damage, liver or kidney failure, or any of the many other possible sequelae that both will have studied at length and been examined on in detail.
What precisely did they identify or diagnose ?
Medical Note for non-medical readers - shortened (see earlier)
There are five routes for the administration of sedation. * Injection
* By mouth
* Inhalation of anaesthetic gas
being the three most usual.
Observation.
Jane Tanner’s description of the “abductor’ did not include anaesthetic equipment or gas cylinders, nor even a back pack in which they might be carried, and nothing was found in the apartment or the immediate surrounding area.
Reminder
The McCanns, and many of their Tapas7 friends are medically trained.
Both Dr. Kate McCann and Dr. Fiona Payne are trained to a high standard in anaesthetics. In fact both were Junior Registrars.
Their continued insistence on sedation by an ‘intruder’ as a viable proposition, when combined with the unambiguous admission in their statements, in interviews, and in the book, of clearly defined professional negligence in their manifest failure to provide, or even consider, any form of resuscitation or aftercare, is baffling.
But these qualified anaesthetists simply put a palm on a child’s back, or a finger under its nose, (according to Dr Fiona Payne). There is no record of whether each child was turned, undressed and examined minutely for needle stick marks, or had its mouth, nose and throat cleared or checked for the presence of a chloroform soaked rag, had its breath smelled for evidence of drugs, gas or ketones, had its pupil response monitored, had its heart rate taken, had other reflexes tested, or was roused until fully conscious. These would be standard procedures.
There is no record of proper and medically correct post-anaesthesia care. None. Nothing.
On the contrary, what evidence there is points to the twins’ having simply been left for a considerable period unattended, and then some two hours later scooped up out of their travel cots, in the bedclothes in which they slept, and being carried, still sleeping, out into the cold night air and round to an adjacent apartment where they were again left to sleep. [3.31]
Neither doctor performed any of the usual and medically required tests or procedures appropriate to recovery from anaesthesia. It is a matter of record that the twins were not taken to a hospital for assessment.
On the facts therefore the doctors were in serious and negligent breach of a whole series of medical protocols for which people have been struck off the register. [3.32]
And even more strangely, they have admitted this in statements and in the book. They have made no attempt to suggest that they acted correctly.
If we rely purely on what they have said, we find that it is corroborated by independent witnesses, and it leads to the following conclusion -
They would be guilty of a most serious breach of professional standards, so serious that striking off the Medical Register would be appropriate.
We are given many instances in her own book of Kate McCanns’ loss of control, kicking out at inanimate objects, hitting railings with her fists, throwing herself on the floor, wailing and so on. We are however also given clear examples where she was not acting in this way, being more calm and professionally purposeful, going out into the street to see what was happening, having a blunt discussion with a witness in the apartment above, “wandering” into the twins’ room, and ultimately “keeping vigil” in total silence for the rest of the night. [3.33]
However, it must be said
• For a normal distressed and anxious parent to behave in this way towards two apparently anaesthetised children would be unforgivable.
• For an educated professional person it would be grossly negligent.
• For two qualified anaesthetists it is absolutely unthinkable.
If we find that it is indeed unthinkable, then we must wish to believe that their actions were not negligent, that they were not in breach of any protocols, and that their apparent lack of action does not bear any negative interpretation.
But for that to be true they would have to have known precisely why the twins were unconscious, what substance had been administered, in what dose, by whom, and when.
And they have always denied this.
But despite that, and to address the original question, having regard to the available evidence, we may be tempted to take the charitable view, and to conclude that, on the balance of probabilities,
the parents may have been involved in the sedation of the twins.
PLEASE NOTE: I am fully aware that this logical progression may offend, and that lawyers may wish to say it is defamatory.
If so, I not only apologise unreservedly and withdraw it, but on receipt of any complaint of defamation will immediately refer the matter to the GMC, with a view to the striking off the Medical Register of
Dr Fiona Payne and Dr Kate Healy / McCann.
The GMC is the proper authority in matters of this nature.
This is not a matter for legal argument.
It is a question of professional competence.
References for Question 1
PLEASE NOTE: I am fully aware that this logical progression may offend, and that lawyers may wish to say it is defamatory.
If so, I not only apologise unreservedly and withdraw it, but on receipt of any complaint of defamation will immediately refer the matter to the GMC, with a view to the striking off the Medical Register of
Dr Fiona Payne and Dr Kate Healy / McCann.
The GMC is the proper authority in matters of this nature.
This is not a matter for legal argument.
It is a question of professional competence.
References for Question 1
1.1 “madeleine” by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 70 - 81
1.2 “madeleine” op.cit, p. 273-4
1.3 “madeleine” op.cit, p. 75
1.4 From: Inspector Ricardo Paiva, For: Gonçalo Amaral
Processos Vol X Pages 2533 - 2534 Date: 2007/09/03
1.5 Book p. 274-5
[url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1570315/Madeleine-McCanns- mother-takes-drug-test.html]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1570315/Madeleine-McCanns- mother-takes-drug-test.html[/url]
1.6 [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485005/Madeleine-drugged- abductor-says-grandmother.html]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485005/Madeleine-drugged- abductor-says-grandmother.html[/url]
1.7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix6bKUnmOCM&feature=related
1.8 Statement of Steven Markley, PC Leics, 25 April 2008
1.9 Witness Statement Dianne Webster
Processos Vol IV Pages 949 – 954 Date:2007/05/11
http://mccannfiles.com/id254.html
1.10 Fiona Payne rogatory interview at Leicestershire Police Headquarters
10/4/2008
1.11 [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper- drugged-twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper- drugged-twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html[/url]
1.12 [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper- drugged-twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper- drugged-twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html [/url]
1.13 http://www.frca.co.uk/article.aspx?articleid=100192
1.14 Fiona Payne rogatory interview at Leicestershire Police Headquarters 10/4/2008
References for Question 2
2.1 [url=http://www.sundayexpress.co.uk/posts/view/133307/MADELEINE-EXCLUSIVE-All- three-children-drugged]http[/url]://www.sundayexpress.co.uk/posts/view/133307/MADELEINE-EXCLUSIVE-All- three-children-drugged
2.2 http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/chloroform/recognition.htmlhttp://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/chloroform/recognition.html
2.3 [url=https://www.blogger.com/Matthew Oldfield interview at Leicestershire Police Headquarters Matthew]http://www.mccannfiles.com/id219.html]Matthew Oldfield interview at Leicestershire Police Headquarters ]http://www.mccannfiles.com/id219.html[/url]
2.4 http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/chloroform/recognition.html
2.5 Diane Webster rogatory
2.6 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p. 76, & p. 84
2.7 Diane Webster rogatory
References for Question 3
3.1 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 75.
3.2 Statement of Steven Markley PC Leics 25 April 2008
3.3 From: Inspector Ricardo Paiva, For: Gonçalo Amaral
Processos Vol X Pages 2533 - 2534 Date: 2007/09/03
3.4 Gonçalo Amaral in Amsterdam, 05 May 2009 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id232.html
3.5 Gonçalo Amaral, Op. cit.
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id232.html
3.6 [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v= uMUdynuECbE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v= uMUdynuECbE[/url]
3.7 “madeleine”, op.cit. p. 274
3.8[url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485005/Madeleine-drugged-abductor-says- grandmother.html] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485005/Madeleine-drugged-abductor-says- grandmother.html[/url]
3.9 [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485005/Madeleine-drugged-abductor-says- grandmother.html]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1570315/Madeleine-McCanns-mother-takes- drug-test.html[/url]
3.10 The Sun By Antonella Lazzeri and Clodagh Hartley 25 Oct. 2007
3.11 [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix6bKUnmOCM&feature= player_embedded]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix6bKUnmOCM&feature= player_embedded[/url]
3.12 BBC Panorama, 19 Nov. 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix6bKUnmOCM
3.13 Statement of Steven Markley, Leics Police. 25 April 2008
3.14 Diane Webster, Rogatory Interview,
3.15 Fiona Payne, Rogatory Interview
3.16 [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper-drugged- twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper-drugged- twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html [/url]
3.17 http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2011/05/12/18139856.html
3.18 http://dalje.com/en-world/new-evidence-in-madeleine-mccann-case/92936
3.19 http://www.concateno.com/products-and-services/laboratory-testing/hair-testing/
3.20 “madeleine”, op.cit. p. 274
3.21 “madeleine”, op.cit. p. 274
3.22 http://www.craigmedical.com/Hair_Drug-Test_FAQ.htm
3.23 “madeleine”, op.cit. p. 75
3.24 “madeleine”, op.cit., pp. 73 - 81
3.25 “madeleine”, op.cit., p . 75
3.26 “madeleine”, op.cit., p . 75
3.27 http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/114484/003196.pdf
3.28 http://www.frca.co.uk/article.aspx?articleid=100192
3.29 “madeleine”, op.cit., p. 74-5
3.30 “madeleine”, op.cit., p. 74-5
3.31 Fiona Payne rogatory interview at Leicestershire Police Headquarters 10/4/2008
3.32 [url=http://www.hospitalerror.com/hospital-error/washington-dc-recovery-room-error- lawyers/]http://www.hospitalerror.com/hospital-error/washington-dc-recovery-room-error- lawyers/[/url]
3.33 “madeleine”, op.cit. pp. 73, 74, 81 etc.
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Appendices for Question 1
1.1 •
1.2 Since Madeleine was snatched apparently without making a sound, we had always suspected that all three children might have been sedated by the abductor. We mentioned this to the police that night and several more times in the following weeks, but no testing of urine, blood or hair, which could have revealed the presence of drugs, had ever been done.
1.3 Had Madeleine been given some kind of sedative to keep her quiet ? Had the twins, too ?
1.4 Strangely, Kate also made several requests, three months after the disappearance of Madeleine, that the police should take blood, hair and nail tests of Madeleine's twin siblings, because, as she said, she remembered that on the day of Madeleine's disappearance, in spite of all the commotion and noise made by the authorities and other persons who were looking for Madeleine in apartment 5ª of the Ocean Club, the twins never woke up, having been transported to another apartment, they remained asleep, due to which she now presumes that they were under the effect of some sedative drug that a presumed abductor had administered to the three children in order to be able to abduct Madeleine, a situation which Kate refers to being possible according to what she read in a criminal investigation manual given to her by the British authorities, that would have been the procedure of the abductor in the real case involving abduction, rape and murder of the girl.
1.5 I asked for samples of my own hair to be taken as well simply because I was fed up with the constant insinuations that I took tranquillisers, sleeping pills or any medication, for that matter.
The process seemed to take ages and we all lost loads of hair. I couldn’t believe they had to take so much. The scientist cut chunks of it from Sean and Amelie’s heads while they were sleeping. I cried as I heard the scissors in their baby-blond hair. I felt angry that the children had to go through this further insult. As for me, I looked as if I had alopecia.
The mother of missing Madeleine McCann has undergone a drugs test to prove she was not on medication at the time of her daughter's disappearance, it has been revealed. . . . But the results of toxicology tests on a strand of Mrs McCann's hair showed no evidence that she had taken drugs in the past eight months, her legal team announced.
The McCanns' two-year-old twins, Sean and Amelie, have also been tested to prove they were never given sedatives, after claims that Madeleine may have died of an accidental overdose.
1.6 Madeleine was drugged by her abductor, says her grandmother 2/10/07
The grandmother of missing Madeleine McCann believes the four-year-old was drugged by her abductor before being carried from the apartment.
Eileen McCann claims otherwise the child would have shouted and screamed for her parents if she was being carried off by a stranger.
Speaking from her Scottish home, the 69-year-old said the family had gone through hell since Madeleine went missing 151 days ago.
"I really believe [whoever took her] gave her a drug," she said. "There is no way they carried her out of there without her wakening.
"If she was taken when she was sleeping by somebody she did not know she would have screamed the place down."
1.7 “Gerry McCann: The twins were still sleeping in the their cots so . . . we tried to leave it as undisturbed as possible, and they slept very soundly until we moved them out their cots into another apartment . . which does make you wonder if there was [sic] any substances used to keep them asleep.”
1.8 However, in relation to the above, I would like to add the following: At about 20.00 on Saturday 5th May 2007, I arrived at the apartment where Kate and Gerry were staying, with other officers. During the meeting Gerald and Kate had a number of questions to which they wanted follow up and responses from the PJ.
One of these questions was that they wanted the PJ to be aware of was Madeleine's revelation about Wednesday night, when she said that she was left alone during the night. She told Kate and Gerry that she remembered the twins crying and that she wanted to know why neither her mother nor her father had gone to the room to see what was happening.
They also wanted to know whether the PJ had any evidence that would suggest that the person who took Madeleine had used any substance to facilitate the abduction.
1.9 “Err the twins were still asleep in the cot and I, with all the noise going on I don’t know how they slept through it which makes me think there was, they must have been err drugged with something.” . . .
“So how would you imagine that they may have been drugged?”
“Err by the abductor. I think Madeleine would have been drugged as well.”
1.10 “But they were okay, I mean, they were fine, they didn’t, they were asleep, but at the time it did seem weird . . . they didn’t wake up and, again, that was quite strange, even in the transfer and, and being handled by people that weren’t their parents, they didn’t, they didn’t wake up.”
1.11 Former police detectives David Edgar and Arthur Cowley . . . are convinced the abductor went to the family’s apartment on May 3 2007 fully prepared with sufficient drugs, probably chloroform, to knock out all three children. The fact that Sean and Amelie, then just 18 months old, failed to wake when the alarm was raised, nor even as they were taken to another apartment in the cold night air, has persuaded the detectives that they, too, must have been drugged.
1.12 Kate McCann: I believe kidnapper drugged my twins on the night Madeleine was taken. Kate McCann said the kidnapper who seized Madeleine may also have drugged her other two children, as she launched a new appeal in the hunt for her missing girl today.
Mrs McCann said she had to check that twins Sean and Amelie were still breathing because they did not wake as they began a frantic search for the missing three-year-old.
1.13 Levels of sedation are assessed according to the The Ramsay Sedation Scale. RSS. This was the first scale to be defined for sedated patients and was designed as a test of rousability. The RSS scores sedation at six different levels, according to how rousable the patient is. It is an intuitively obvious scale and therefore lends itself to universal use, not only in the ICU, but wherever sedative drugs or narcotics are given. It can be added to the pain score and be considered the sixth vital sign.
Ramsay Sedation Scale
1 Patient is anxious and agitated or restless, or both
2 Patient is cooperative, oriented and tranquil
3 Patient responds to commands only
4 Patient exhibits brisk response to light glabellar (forehead) tap or loud auditory stimulus
5 Patient exhibits a sluggish response to light glabellar tap or loud auditory stimulus
6 Patient exhibits no response
1.14 Reply: “Sean and Amelie were fast asleep in their cots, they didn’t stir, you know, I was opening the cupboards in the room and moving around the room, they didn’t stir at all, which that was, that was odd.”
1485 “Did the twins wake up at all?”
Reply “They didn’t. They didn’t”.
1485 “In the aftermath?”
Reply “No, and that was the other thing, she kept going into the twins, she kept putting her hands on the twins to check they were breathing, she was very much concerned in checking that they were okay. But they were okay, I mean, they were fine, they didn’t, they were asleep, but at the time it did seem weird, I remember thinking, you know, when the Police came they turned the lights on, there was loads of noise, obviously from the moment Kate discovered that Madeleine was gone, the screaming and the shouting and there was a lot of noise and they, they didn’t, you know, so much as blink”.
LATER IN SAME INTERVIEW
“Erm, so I’d suggested putting the twins up in our apartment, erm, Emma, who was there, had arranged some of the MARK WARNER Nannies to get some extra cots and more bedding, erm, and we set up the cots in our living room and a bed for Kate and Gerry as well, not that they used it, but, erm, and then I think, I think they were Policemen, I can’t remember who carried up Sean and Amelie. Erm, and we sat on the sofa, me and Kate with the twins asleep on us for a while, erm, and they didn’t wake up and, again, that was quite strange, even in the transfer and, and being handled by people that weren’t their parents, they didn’t, they didn’t wake up.
Appendices for Question 2
2.1 Former police detectives David Edgar and Arthur Cowley have spent months re-analysing every shred of evidence. They are convinced the abductor went to the family’s apartment on May 3 2007 fully prepared with sufficient drugs, probably chloroform, to knock out all three children. The fact that Sean and Amelie, then just 18 months old, failed to wake when the alarm was raised, nor even as they were taken to another apartment in the cold night air, has persuaded the detectives that they, too, must have been drugged.
2.2 2. Effects on Humans: The toxicity of chloroform is well understood because of its long history of use as an anaesthetic. Inhalation of 10,000 ppm of chloroform vapour produces clinical anaesthesia. Inhalation of higher doses causes cardiovascular depression, with death resulting from ventricular fibrillation. Delayed death is associated with liver necrosis [ACGIH 1991]. Chronic inhalation of chloroform may cause psychiatric and neurological symptoms, including depression, hallucinations, and moodiness [NLM 1995]. In studies with human volunteers, exposure to 4,100 ppm causes serious disorientation, and 1,000 ppm caused dizziness, nausea, and after effects of fatigue and headache. Exposures of 20 to 70 ppm for undefined lengths of time caused less extreme, but still evident, effects on the central nervous system [Hathaway et al. 1991]. Liver enlargement was demonstrated in 17 of 68 workers exposed to chloroform at concentrations of 10 to 200 ppm for 1 to 4 years. Among other factors that increase the toxic effects of chloroform is ethanol [Hathaway et al. 1991]. As a result, alcoholics react more severely to exposure [Genium 1992]. Exposure to high concentrations of chloroform vapour causes redness and twitching of the eyes. Liquid chloroform splashed into the eye causes immediate burning, pain, and possible injury to the cornea. The eye returns to normal in 1 to 3 days [Grant 1986]. Application of chloroform to the skin causes burning, pain, redness, and vesiculation. Based on experimental animal studies, IARC has concluded that chloroform should be regarded as a cancer risk to humans. One study of people exposed to chloroform in their drinking water showed a correlation between chloroform concentration and rectal and bladder cancer [Hathaway et al. 1991].
If chloroform contacts the skin, workers should immediately wash the affected areas twice with soap and water and use cream or lotion to replace skin oils.
Clothing contaminated with chloroform should be removed immediately, and provisions should be made for the safe removal of the chemical from the clothing. Persons laundering the clothes should be informed of the hazardous properties of chloroform, particularly its potential for causing eye and skin irritation, and anaesthesia when inhaled.
A worker who handles chloroform should thoroughly wash hands, forearms, and face with soap and water before eating, using tobacco products, using toilet facilities, applying cosmetics, or taking medication.
Chloroform begins to act within a few seconds of inhalation, provided the method of delivery has sufficient concentration and the user takes a deep enough breath. First your extremities begin to go numb; next your vision and hearing begin to fail. Complete unconsciousness sets in a few seconds later, provided you keep breathing. Recovery generally occurs as soon as the chloroform is removed, though it may be a few minutes before the user feels completely normal
2.3 4078 "Is there anything else, that you smelt, could you smell anything?"
Reply "No, no, we've talked about that before, I didn't smell anything, I mean, I could see the children breathing, but I didn't clock it as abnormal, erm, it'd be completely to speculate to say whether their breathing was fast or, I couldn't say, I mean, they were breathing and that's what, you know, and that was what I was there to check, erm, no, no funny sort of smells, no sort of funny draughts, no sort of funny sort of noises, no, erm, nothing that I can think of for that. I mean, it was a complete just a shock out of the blue when, you know, I'd been in and then suddenly somebody's saying Madeleine's missing, there was nothing that made me think, oh".
2.4 Another possible consequence of smothering someone's face with a chloroform-soaked cloth is that the victim may vomit immediately. Chloroform is a sickeningly sweet smelling, ice-cold feeling vapour.
2.5 4078 “How were they when they woke up the following morning?”
Reply “Oh fine, yeah.”
4078 “No different to normal?”
Reply “Yeah, lively twins.”
2.6 p. 76 “I didn’t yet know that at about 9.15pm Jane had seen a man . . .carrying a child who appeared to be asleep.. . . .As soon as she heard about Madeleine’s disappearance, everything fell into place, and she felt sick.”
p. 84 “There was little doubt in my mind then, nor is there now, that what Jane saw was Madeleine’s abductor taking her away.
2.7 4078 “How were they when they woke up the following morning?”
Reply “Oh fine, yeah.”
4078 “No different to normal?”
Reply “Yeah, lively twins.”
Appendices for Question 3
3.1 “Had Madeleine been given some kind of sedative to keep her quiet ? Had the twins, too ?”
3.2 They also wanted to know whether the PJ had any evidence that would suggest that the person who took Madeleine had used any substance to facilitate the abduction.
3.3 “due to which she now presumes that they were under the effect of some sedative drug that a presumed abductor had administered to the three children in order to be able to abduct Madeleine, a situation which Kate refers to being possible . .”
3.4 Q: Do you think the children were sedated?
A: There is no doubt. (Here he told an anecdote: that Kate called a colleague of Gonçalo Amaral's in the PJ, in August, to ask them to check the twins for traces of sedation. Apparently Kate was alone when she called, and a bit upset. That same afternoon, Gerry called and cancelled the request.)
3.5 That same afternoon, Gerry called and cancelled the request.
3.6 Reporter Sandra Felgueiras for RTP television asks the McCann's whether they gave the children something to help them sleep. Gerry denies it.
Interviewer question
“On that evening did you give to your kids something like calpol to help them sleep?”
Gerry McCann - “ you know we’re not gonna comment, on anything but you know there is absolutely . . No way we use any sedative drugs or anything like that an’ ( you know we’ll we have co-operated with the police we’ll answer any queries ermm … any tests that they want to do. . .”
3.7 “It was worth a shot, at least. I asked for samples of my own hair to be taken as well simply because I was fed up with the constant insinuations that I took tranquillizers, sleeping pills or any medication, for that matter.”
3.8 The grandmother of missing Madeleine McCann believes the four-year-old was drugged by her abductor before being carrried from the apartment.
Eileen McCann claims otherwise the child would have shouted and screamed for her parents if she was being carried off by a stranger.
Speaking from her Scottish home, the 69-year-old said the family had gone through hell since Madeleine went missing 151 days ago.
"I really believe [whoever took her] gave her a drug," she said. "There is no way they carried her out of there without her wakening.
"If she was taken when she was sleeping by somebody she did not know she would have screamed the place down."
3.9 The mother of missing Madeleine McCann has undergone a drugs test to prove she was not on medication at the time of her daughter's disappearance, it has been revealed.
Kate McCann, 39, has rejected claims that she was "mentally unstable" and taking anti-depressants when Madeleine disappeared from the family's rented Algarve holiday apartment on May 3.
This is one of theories being explored by Portuguese police, who have suggested Mrs McCann had problems "coping" with her "hyperactive" children.
Detectives believe Madeleine may have died in the apartment and her body was hidden by her parents, who were made arguidos - or formal suspects - on September 7.
At the time it was claimed that Portuguese detectives had seized journals written by Mrs McCann and commissioned criminal psychologists to analyse her mental state.
It was reported that police had applied to see her medical records to prove she was suffering from clinical depression.
But the results of toxicology tests on a strand of Mrs McCann's hair showed no evidence that she had taken drugs in the past eight months, her legal team announced.
The McCanns' two-year-old twins, Sean and Amelie, have also been tested to prove they were never given sedatives, after claims that Madeleine may have died of an accidental overdose.
3.10 SOBBING Kate McCann battled to contain her emotion yesterday as she said: "Madeleine needs our help — she needs her family."
The anguished mum broke down time and again as she insisted she STILL believes her missing daughter is alive.
Red-eyed Kate, 39, said: "I don't know why anyone could harm her.
"I don't know how anyone could harm anyone as beautiful as Madeleine. I don't mean her appearance — I mean as a beautiful person.
"As Madeleine's mummy, I feel in my heart that she is out there and I want her back."
In a rare display of distress, GP Kate wept: "I feel lonely and our life is not as happy without Madeleine. I feel anxious she is not with us. We have not even seen her since she was four. She needs our help."
The cameras stopped to allow Kate time to compose herself.
. . . .
The McCanns, of Rothley, Leics, were asked if reports that they sedated their children were true.
Cardiologist Gerry replied: "It is ludicrous. These sort of questions are nonsense and we shouldn't be giving them the time of day.
"There is absolutely no suggestion that Madeleine, or the children, were drugged. It's outrageous."
3.11 Oprah W: "And then, there were the... the hurtful rumours that you drugged Madeleine or that you gave her sedatives; that you accidentally caused her... her death..."
KM: (After a long pause) "I mean we know it's all lies."
GM: "It's just nonsense you know, there's no... that people can have theories and that's all it is, there's no evidence to suggest any of that and it's absolute ludicrous, you know, and it's..."
3.12 Gerry McCann talks about sedatives (BBC Panorama 19/11/07)
The twins were still sleeping in the their cots so . . . we tried to leave it as undisturbed as possible, and they slept very soundly until we moved them out their cots into another apartment . . which does make you wonder if there was [sic] any substances used to keep them asleep.
3.13 They also wanted to know whether the PJ had any evidence that would suggest that the person who took Madeleine had used any substance to facilitate the abduction.
3.14 Diane Webster rogatory
1/2
Err the twins were still asleep in the cot and I, with all the noise going on I don’t know how they slept through it which makes me think there was, they must have been err drugged with something.”
. . . .
So just before we move on to asking the questions from the Portuguese, there are two things that I wanted to go back over with you, one thing was about the twins and how deeply they’d slept that night.”
Reply “Mm.”
4078 “And you said you wondered if they’d perhaps been drugged.”
Reply “Mm.”
4078 “I think it’s one of the questions that the MCCANN’S want us to ask anyway, but have you ever seen their children being given any medication?”
Reply “Oh no, no.”
4078 “So how would you imagine that they may have been drugged?”
Reply “Err by the abductor. I think Madeleine would have been drugged as well.”
4078 “Yeah, and the night when they were sleeping, did anybody try to wake them? Other than it being noisy and they were moved.”
Reply “No, no I mean err when they, when they were brought up to our apartment err they had a sort of blanket over them and they were asleep on err I think it was David and Fiona that carried them up and they were just sleeping on their shoulder and obviously didn’t want to wake them up because the cots were being brought up and they were put, put, but you know my, my feeling is that they, I think a child normally would haven woken up under the circumstances.”
. . .
Reply “Yeah, I mean because it happened so, there’s such a short err time and I also think that the children would have been sleeping soundly when Gerry saw them because maybe by that time they had been err drugged with, I don’t know, I mean I wouldn’t know whether there’s anything, chloroform had been put over them.”
3.15 Fiona Payne Rogatory
“Reply: “Sean and Amelie were fast asleep in their cots, they didn’t stir, you know, I was opening the cupboards in the room and moving around the room, they didn’t stir at all, which that was, that was odd.”
1485 “Did the twins wake up at all?”
Reply “They didn’t. They didn’t”.
1485 “In the aftermath?”
Reply “No, and that was the other thing, she kept going into the twins, she kept putting her hands on the twins to check they were breathing, she was very much concerned in checking that they were okay. But they were okay, I mean, they were fine, they didn’t, they were asleep, but at the time it did seem weird, I remember thinking, you know, when the Police came they turned the lights on, there was loads of noise, obviously from the moment Kate discovered that Madeleine was gone, the screaming and the shouting and there was a lot of noise and they, they didn’t, you know, so much as blink”.
LATER IN SAME INTERVIEW
“Erm, so I’d suggested putting the twins up in our apartment, erm, Emma, who was there, had arranged some of the MARK WARNER Nannies to get some extra cots and more bedding, erm, and we set up the cots in our living room and a bed for Kate and Gerry as well, not that they used it, but, erm, and then I think, I think they were Policemen, I can’t remember who carried up Sean and Amelie. Erm, and we sat on the sofa, me and Kate with the twins asleep on us for a while, erm, and they didn’t wake up and, again, that was quite strange, even in the transfer and, and being handled by people that weren’t their parents, they didn’t, they didn’t wake up.
3.16 Former police detectives David Edgar and Arthur Cowley have spent months re-analysing every shred of evidence.
They are convinced the abductor went to the family’s apartment on May 3 2007 fully prepared with sufficient drugs, probably chloroform, to knock out all three children.
The fact that Sean and Amelie, then just 18 months old, failed to wake when the alarm was raised, nor even as they were taken to another apartment in the cold night air, has persuaded the detectives that they, too, must have been drugged.
Kate McCann said the kidnapper who seized Madeleine may also have drugged her other two children, as she launched a new appeal in the hunt for her missing girl today.
Mrs McCann said she had to check that twins Sean and Amelie were still breathing because they did not wake as they began a frantic search for the missing three-year-old.
3.17 Talking to Jenni Murray on BBC 4 on Thursday -- Madeleine's eighth birthday -- the British mom also said she believes someone tried to take Madeleine the night before she disappeared, but was scared off when the children began to cry.
Madeleine McCann was four when she went missing during a family vacation in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007. She has never been located. The McCanns believe she was kidnapped.
Kate McCann said the morning of the day Madeleine was taken, Madeleine asked her mom why she hadn't immediately come to the room when she had been crying the night before.
"I never thought for one minute that there was something sinister, I just worried, had she woken up and nobody had been there? But obviously, when we discovered she'd gone, it just seemed very likely to me that in fact, somebody had maybe tried the same thing the night before and had been disturbed, maybe when the children started screaming," Kate said, but added now, looking back, "There was something about it that just didn't seem right."
She said when Madeleine was discovered missing, the twins didn't wake up, despite the noise and commotion
"On the night, I just remember the twins lying in the cots and not moving. And obviously there was a lot of noise," McCann said. "They just didn't move."
She said she did check to make sure they were breathing.
"I did feel it was a bit strange they weren't moving, let alone waking up," she said.
Kate said she did think the twins had been drugged, and perhaps Madeleine had been given a sedative "so she could be moved easily."
3.18 THEY WERE NOT SEDATED OCTOBER 25 2007
New Evidence in Madeleine McCann Case
She was very happy and very loved and I know Madeleine was pleased with her life. She is special, Kate McCann said.
The development of the Madeleine McCann case shows that the Portuguese police did not have solid evidence for suspecting the McCann parents after all. Forensic tests of Madeleine`s brother and sister showed neither of them were sedated.
- Anything that enters the blood-stream also enters the root of hairs and stays in the same position as the hair grows. If there was nothing found in the hair, that’s pretty clear-cut – says Rachel Woods, the general manager of TrichoTech, a private toxicology laboratory that carries out tests on behalf of the Home Office.
The McCanns decisively denied sedating their children and threatened to sue the Portuguese press that continued to claim Madeleine and her brother and sister were drugged.
3.19 The TrichoTest: hair samples are sent to our laboratory where in-depth testing is performed by specialist laboratory technicians to detect drugs.
Hair testing shows long term substance use over a period of months. How do drugs get into hair?
When a substance is ingested it is absorbed into the blood and circulates around the body. Every hair follicle has its own blood supply and the drug transfers from the blood to the hair and is absorbed into its core. As the hair grows, the drug stays in that same portion of the strand, acting like a record or timeline of drug use. Hair drug testing can provide trends of drug use or abstinence by sectioning a hair sample and testing each segment for a more detailed month on month analysis.
3.20 “All the hair samples produced negative results. While this didn’t totally exclude the possibility that the children had been sedated, especially given the time that had elapsed, it meant nobody else (including the PJ and the media) could prove otherwise.”
3.21 “The process seemed to take ages and we all lost loads of hair. I couldn’t believe they had to take so much. The scientist cut chunks of it from Sean and Amelie’s heads while they were sleeping. I cried as I heard the scissors in their baby-blond hair. I felt angry that the children had to go through this further insult. As for me, I looked as if I had alopecia.”
3.22 Q: What drugs does HairConfirm screen for?
A: HairConfirm screens for five different drug classes: Cocaine (cocaine & benzoylecgonine), Marijuana (THC-COOH), Opiates (Codeine, Morphine & 6-monacteyl morphine), Amphetamines (Meth/amphetamines & Ecstasy) and Phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust).
Q: How many hairs are required for laboratory testing?
A: Approximately 40-50 strands cut from the scalp line at the crown (or when bundled, about the diameter of a shoelace tip).
Q: What time period does the HairConfirm test cover?
A: HairConfirm will detect drugs for a period of 90 days. The test requires a hair sample of 1.5 inches in length. Each 0.5 inch represents 30 days. The hair sample must be cut as close to the scalp as possible and only the most recent 1.5 inches are tested.
Q: How does the test work?
A: Using the detailed instructions as a guide, collect a hair sample of approximately the diameter of a shoelace tip. Mail the hair sample to the CLIA certified laboratory, Omega Laboratories, Inc, using the pre-addressed, prepaid envelope provided. The laboratory will analyze the hair sample for evidence of drug use. Using the HairConfirm Specimen ID number, passcode and email address, you must register your test online once you have mailed the samples to the laboratory. Go to the results section to obtain the results. Complete instructions on how to register and obtain the test result report are included with the test collection kit.
Q: What if a sample of very long hair is submitted, will the laboratory test show drug use for a longer historical period?
A: No. The laboratory only considers the first 1.5" of hair from the root end. If a longer sample is sent, the laboratory cuts the hair to 1.5" to conform to the 90 day historical time period.
Q: What if a historical period of 6 months of drug use is required, can the laboratory test for that?
A: Yes. However two separate testing kits would have to be purchased and two separate hair samples be submitted for laboratory processing. The length of the hair would have to start out at a minimum of 3 inches in length from the root end. One sample would then be submitted cut at 1.5" from the root end for the first test kit, and the second sample representing the remaining hair length be submitted for the second test kit. It is extremely important to place the root end, or the end closest to the root end aligned properly in the foil as described in the kit instructions.
3.23 “I wandered into the children’s bedroom several times to check on Sean and Amelie. They were both lying on their fronts in a kind of crouch, with their heads turned sideways and their knees tucked under their tummies. In spite of the noise and lights and general pandemonium, they hadn’t stirred. They’d always been sound sleepers, but this seemed unnatural. Scared for them, too, I placed the palms of my hands on their backs to check for chest movement, basically, for some sign of life. Had Madeleine been given some kind of sedative to keep her quiet? Had the twins, too? It was not until about 11.10pm that two policemen arrived from the nearest town, Lagos, about five miles away. To me they seemed bewildered and out of their depth, and I couldn’t shake the images of Tweedledum and Tweedledee out of my head. I realise how unfair this might sound, but with communication hampered by the language barrier and precious time passing, their presence did not fill me with confidence at all.”
3.24 •
3.25 “I wandered into the children’s bedroom several times to check on Sean and Amelie . . .I placed the palms of my hands on their backs to check for chest movement, basically, for some sign of life.”
3.26 “I placed the palms of my hands on their backs to check for chest movement, basically, for some sign of life.”
3.27 The pattern, effort and rate of breathing should be observed.
• Skin colour, pallour, mottling, cyanosis and any traumatic petechiae around the eyelids, face and neck should be observed.
• Infants and children less than six to seven years of age are predominantly abdominal breathers therefore, abdominal movements should be counted.
• Signs of respiratory distress e.g. nasal flaring, grunting, wheezing, stridor, dyspnoea, recession, use of accessory and intercostal muscles, chest shape and movement should be noted by looking and listening.
• Respirations should be counted for one minute.
• The frequency of respiratory assessment and measurement should be increased during opiate infusions or in respect of any other drug which may cause hyperventilation or apnoea, for example, prostaglandin infusion.
. . .
• following a simple procedure – vital signs should be recorded every 30 minutes for two hours, then hourly for two to four hours until the child is fully awake, eating and drinking. It can be good practice to include pulse oximetry and an assessment of capillary refill time. A temperature should be recorded once and at intervals of one, two or four hours according to the infant, child or young
person’s general condition. A further set of vital signs should be recorded prior to discharge
3.28 Levels of sedation are assessed according to the The Ramsay Sedation Scale. RSS. This was the first scale to be defined for sedated patients and was designed as a test of rousability. The RSS scores sedation at six different levels, according to how rousable the patient is. It is an intuitively obvious scale and therefore lends itself to universal use, not only in the ICU, but wherever sedative drugs or narcotics are given. It can be added to the pain score and be considered the sixth vital sign.
Ramsay Sedation Scale
1 Patient is anxious and agitated or restless, or both
2 Patient is cooperative, oriented and tranquil
3 Patient responds to commands only
4 Patient exhibits brisk response to light glabellar (forehead) tap or loud auditory stimulus
5 Patient exhibits a sluggish response to light glabellar tap or loud auditory stimulus
6 Patient exhibits no response
3.29 “Then a lady appeared on a balcony - I’m fairly sure this was about 11pm, before the police arrived - . . . .I wandered into the children’s room . . . . It was not until about 11.10pm that two policemen arrived from the nearest town Lagos . . .”
3.30 “He’d [Gerry had] asked Fiona to stay with me. I was in our bedroom, on my knees beside the bed, just praying and praying and praying. . . “
3.31 I can’t remember who carried up Sean and Amelie. Erm, and we sat on the sofa, me and Kate with the twins asleep on us for a while, erm, and they didn’t wake up and, again, that was quite strange, even in the transfer and, and being handled by people that weren’t their parents, they didn’t, they didn’t wake up.
3.32 Duties of recovery room nurses
The staff transports you to the recovery room, often while you are unconscious from the anesthesia. You rely on nurses while you are in this vulnerable state to:
• Monitor your vital signs, including blood pressure, pulse and breathing
• Take your temperature
• Watch for signs of potential complications
• Protect you from infections
• Assess your wound for bleeding, discharge, swelling, hematoma and redness
• Check tubes, drains and IVs
• Treat postoperative nausea and vomiting
• Relieve your pain and discomfort through body positioning and medication
• Evaluate your level of consciousness
• Determine when you are stable enough to be moved to a regular room or discharged
Nurses who fail to competently perform their recovery room duties are liable for your resulting injuries, as are the hospital facilities where you received the negligent treatment.
3.33 “Dianne and I sat there just staring at each other, still as statues. ‘It’s so dark,’ she said again and again. ‘I want the light to come.’
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 6: Cold and Windy
On Thursday 3rd May 2007 Madeleine and the twins are prepared for bed.
p. 68 “I took them all into their bedroom. Madeleine got into her bed and then Amelie, Sean and I settled ourselves on top of it, with our backs against the wall, for our final story.” [1]
Madeleine is now in bed.
p. 69 Then we kissed the twins, and kissed Madeleine, already snuggled down with her ‘princess’ blanket and Cuddle Cat – a soft toy she’d been given soon after she was born and never went to bed without. [2]
Madeleine is not only in bed, but “snuggled down” This carries a very recognisable connotation in English. Snuggle - To settle or move into a warm comfortable position. You can snuggle into something, or under something. The connotation implies a nest, and all enveloping warmth. The word “nestle” is given in the OED as a definition.
But a short time later
p. 70 “Gerry left to do the first check just before 9.05 by his watch . . .
Madeleine was lying there, on her left-hand side, her legs under the covers, in exactly the same position as we'd left her." [3]
Now Madeleine is reported to be on top of the bed, with only her legs covered, and it is said that this is how she had been left. But this contradicts the clear use of the expressions in bed and snuggled down. Lying on top of the bed with only the feet under neatly folded-back bedclothes cannot be described as “snuggled”, nor yet as “in bed”. Normal English usage permits “on top of the bedclothes”.
From Gerry McCann’s statement to police, on 10th May, 2007:
'Concerning the bed where his daughter was on the night she disappeared, he says that she slept uncovered, as usual when it was hot, with the bedclothes folded down'. [4]
But was it hot, as Gerry clearly insists ? The word used is hot, not “warm enough to sleep with only a light cover, or on top of the bedclothes”.
Kate McCann is very clear that outside, the weather was cold.
p. 73 “It was so cold and so windy.” [5]
Jane Tanner is equally insistent
JT: . . . and I just thought that child's not got any shoes on because you could see the feet, and it was quite a cold night in Portugal in May it's not actually that warm, and I'd got a big jumper on, and I can remember thinking oh that parent is not a particularly good parent, they've not wrapped them up.
Richard Bilton Could you tell . . .?
JT: . . . It was actually quite cold. [6]
and again
“Yeah, and there were some people inside because it was quite chilly by, by this, it was actually quite, quite cold”.
and again
I remember I was wearing, because it was cold, I’d got Russell’s big, I’d borrowed one of his, erm, fleeces,
and again
I’d got Russell’s big jumper on, cropped trousers and flip-flips and, yeah, it was quite, you know, sort of cold”
and again
4078 “. . . at that time, didn’t really think anything of it other than the child might have cold feet?”
Reply “Yeah, and just”.
and yet again
4078 “So you went on the wrong day.”
Reply “Yeah, I think err so it wasn’t, that’s one reason why we didn’t open the shutters to open the window or anything in that room, it wasn’t actually really hot at all, it was actually quite cloudy in the days and at night it was actually quite chilly.” [7]
Russell O’Brien : The nights were quite chilly [8]
Matthew Oldfield in the evenings it was very cold, [9]
Rachel Oldfield it was really cold in the evenings [10]
David Payne it was quite cold some nights and you know perhaps nearly too cold to be sat outside [11]
Fiona Payne it was still very cold [12]
Diane Webster when they were brought up to our apartment and they would have to come out into the cold [13]
Only one person in the entire group of 9 adults insists that the weather was hot enough for Madeleine to have been put to bed lying on top of the bedclothes.
Every one of the other eight adults say it was cold, in many cases they lay emphasis on the extra clothing they themselves were wearing.
Only Gerry McCann disagrees.
The weather report for that day is that at 9 pm, 3 May 2007 the temperature recorded at Faro airport was 57º F, 14º C [14]
On any test this is cold.
WIKI give this “Room temperature is a colloquial expression for the typical or preferred indoor (climate-controlled) temperature to which people are generally accustomed. It represents the small range of temperatures at which the air feels neither hot nor cold, often approximated at 21°C or 70°F. In more rigorous scientific contexts it may denote the range between 20 and 23.5 °C (68.0 and 74.3 °F) with an average of 21 °C (70 °F).
What reason does Gerry McCann have for insisting it was hot ?
This picture shows a bed which may not have been slept in on the night of 3rd May, and may or may not have had an adult and two more children sitting on it for a bedtime story. [15]
References.
1 “madeleine” by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p.68
2 “madeleine” op. cit. p.69
3 “madeleine” op. cit. p. 70
4 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta2
5 “madeleine” op. cit. p. 73
6 Panorama documentary, The Mystery of Madeleine McCann, 19 November 2007 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id30.html
7 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id222.html
8 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id221.html
9 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id219.html
10 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id253.html
11 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id251.html
12 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id252.html
13 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id254.html
14 [url=http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/LPFR/2007/3/3/DailyHistory.html? req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA&MR=1]http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/LPFR/2007/3/3/DailyHistory.html? req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA&MR=1[/url]
Appendices
1 I took them all into their bedroom. Madeleine got into her bed and then Amelie, Sean and I settled ourselves on top of it, with our backs against the wall, for our final story, If you’re happy and you know it!, another present to Madeleine, this one from Great-Auntie Janet and Great-Uncle Brian. If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands! says the monkey. Stamp your feet! says the elephant.
2 Gerry came through to say goodnight. We helped Sean and Amelie give their big sister a ‘night-night’ kiss before laying them in their adjacent travel cots. Then we kissed the twins, and kissed Madeleine, already snuggled down with her ‘princess’ blanket and Cuddle Cat – a soft toy she’d been given soon after she was born and never went to bed without. We were in no doubt that all three would be asleep in an instant. As always, we left the door a few inches open to allow a glimmer of light into the room.
3 After ordering his food, Gerry left to do the first check just before 9.05 by his watch. He entered the apartment via the patio doors and noticed almost immediately that the children’s bedroom door was further ajar than it had been. He glanced into our room to make sure Madeleine hadn’t wandered in there, as she was prone to do if ever she woke in the small hours. Seeing no little body curled up in our bed, he went over to look in on the children.
Madeleine was lying there, on her left-hand side, her legs under the covers, in exactly the same position as we’d left her. For Gerry, this became one of those images I described earlier, pictures that fix themselves indelibly, almost photographically, in the memory. He paused for a couple of seconds to look at Madeleine and thought to himself, She’s so beautiful. After pulling the bedroom door to, restoring it to its original angle, he went to the bathroom before leaving the apartment.
4 Concerning the bed where his daughter was on the night she disappeared, he says that she slept uncovered, as usual when it was hot, with the bedclothes folded down. Concerning the other bed next to the window in the children's bedroom, he says that it showed no signs that anyone had put their feet on it, namely, dirt or shoe prints.
5 I ran out into the car park, flying from end to end, yelling desperately, ‘Madeleine! Madeleine!’ It was so cold and so windy. I kept picturing her in her short-sleeved Marks and Spencer Eeyore pyjamas and feeling how chilled she would be. Bizarrely, I found myself thinking it would have been better if she’d been wearing her long-sleeved Barbie ones. Fear was shearing through my body.
6 RB: Describe exactly what he's carrying, what you can see.
JT: Well I could see.. I could tell it was a child, and I could see the feet and... feet and the bottom of the pyjamas, and I just thought that child's not got any shoes on because you could see the feet, and it was quite a cold night in Portugal in May it's not actually that warm, and I'd got a big jumper on, and I can remember thinking oh that parent is not a particularly good parent, they've not wrapped them up.
RB: And could you tell if it was a boy or a girl?
JT: Only because the pyjamas had a pinky aspect to them so you presume a girl. It was actually quite cold.
7 Jane Tanner - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
4078 “What was the weather like when you were there?”
Reply “It wasn’t, again it wasn’t brilliant, I think it was nicer in the UK.”
4078 “So you went on the wrong day.”
Reply “Yeah, I think err so it wasn’t, that’s one reason why we didn’t open the shutters to open the window or anything in that room, it wasn’t actually really hot at all, it was actually quite cloudy in the days and at night it was actually quite chilly.”
4078 “So it wasn’t sort of going in the pool weather or, only if you’re very brave.”
Reply “No it was really, really cold, I mean I think Russell went in because he’s a nutter and goes in the Atlantic in February but no it was more, after, it got warmer after so we did go in the pool after May the third but no before that I don’t think we, maybe we’d been in once and then decided it was a bad idea.”
* * *
4078 “Can you just write ‘bar area’ on that because I’ll forget”.
Reply “Yeah, and there were some people inside because it was quite chilly by, by this, it was actually quite, quite cold”.
* * *
4078 “But just do the best you can”.
Reply “Yeah. Erm, I’m just trying to, well I’ve walked out of the, walked out of the, erm, the Tap, you know, walked sort of into the reception of the Tapas Bar and obviously walked up the road. I remember I was wearing, because it was cold, I’d got Russell’s big, I’d borrowed one of his, erm, fleeces, so I’d got a big sort of fleece, it probably came down to about here, but then I’d got flip-flops on and cropped trousers, because I’d only got, I didn’t take jeans, I know I didn’t take jeans on holiday, and then.
* * *
Reply “Yeah, that is, erm, and I think at that point I did think as well, the way they were dressed wasn’t quite touristy. As I say, I mean, I looked a right state because I’d got Russell’s big jumper on, cropped trousers and flip-flips and, yeah, it was quite, you know, sort of cold and, and they looked more like they were prepared for the weather, you know, sort of thing.
* * *
4078 “Okay. So you have glimpsed, you know, turned back and see the man disappearing off down the road with the child and, at that time, didn’t really think anything of it other than the child might have cold feet?”
Reply “Yeah, and just”.
4078 “And later on did you think it was significant?”
Reply “It was a, yeah, it was sort of came as soon as, as soon as they said that came, buff, straight. As soon as I’d seen it there it was forgotten and then, buff, as soon as Rachael said”.
8 Russell O’Brien - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
On the evening I was wearing brown jeans/cord style trousers, a pale blue stripe top, and Jane had taken my jumper which was blue. The nights were quite chilly which is why Jane had my jumper I am quite used to the cold.
9 Matthew OLDFIELD - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
4078 "What was the weather like during the week?"
Reply "Erm, it was sunny but cold, the pools were freezing, so we didn't, even though the pool was there, it was unusual for people to be in it. Erm, sunny most days, it got cloudy and it rained on the Wednesday and the Wednesday evening was pretty sort of, in the evenings it was very cold, so at the Tapas Restaurant, when we were there, we'd often, you know, you'd need a jumper if you sat outside and there was no heat particularly, erm, and I think Thursday was sort of fairly similar and quite, well certainly at night and I think the rest had been sort of maybe a little bit overcast at times but I'm not really bothered about the sunbathing and if there was a wind you could go sailing and that was".
10 Rachel Oldfield - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
1578 “What about when you were eating at the table”?
Reply “Yeah I had all that on as well, it was really cold in the evenings, you didn’t take”.
1578 “Chilly evening”.
Reply “Didn’t take enough warm things, so it was like the, all the jumpers that we had yeah”.
11 David Payne - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
1485 ”And conversation? Because I understand it was cold, rainy on a couple of days.”
Reply ”Mm, mm, yes. I mean from the, you know from the, yeah it was quite cold some nights and you know perhaps nearly too cold to be sat outside err but there was certainly nothing that you know led me to any concern during that week err
12 Fiona Payne - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
1485 “Can you remember what sort of time that was roughly?”
Reply “Erm it was still very cold and, and dark, erm I think it was you know, between five and six, I say, I say, I think we’d, we’d, we’d just dozed off, so erm it was still very early.
13 Diane Webster - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
4078 ”But with all your experience of small children, you thought that was odd that they had not woken?”
Reply ”Oh yeah definitely. Well even err the noise that was going on in the apartment and they slept through it all.”
4078 ”Mm.”
Reply ”They were taken from their cots when they were brought up to our apartment and they would have to come out into the cold and I would have err I would have expected some sort of awakening.”
What was the weather on the evening of Thursday 3rd May 2007.
We examine an interesting anomaly.
We examine an interesting anomaly.
On Thursday 3rd May 2007 Madeleine and the twins are prepared for bed.
p. 68 “I took them all into their bedroom. Madeleine got into her bed and then Amelie, Sean and I settled ourselves on top of it, with our backs against the wall, for our final story.” [1]
Madeleine is now in bed.
p. 69 Then we kissed the twins, and kissed Madeleine, already snuggled down with her ‘princess’ blanket and Cuddle Cat – a soft toy she’d been given soon after she was born and never went to bed without. [2]
Madeleine is not only in bed, but “snuggled down” This carries a very recognisable connotation in English. Snuggle - To settle or move into a warm comfortable position. You can snuggle into something, or under something. The connotation implies a nest, and all enveloping warmth. The word “nestle” is given in the OED as a definition.
But a short time later
p. 70 “Gerry left to do the first check just before 9.05 by his watch . . .
Madeleine was lying there, on her left-hand side, her legs under the covers, in exactly the same position as we'd left her." [3]
Now Madeleine is reported to be on top of the bed, with only her legs covered, and it is said that this is how she had been left. But this contradicts the clear use of the expressions in bed and snuggled down. Lying on top of the bed with only the feet under neatly folded-back bedclothes cannot be described as “snuggled”, nor yet as “in bed”. Normal English usage permits “on top of the bedclothes”.
From Gerry McCann’s statement to police, on 10th May, 2007:
'Concerning the bed where his daughter was on the night she disappeared, he says that she slept uncovered, as usual when it was hot, with the bedclothes folded down'. [4]
But was it hot, as Gerry clearly insists ? The word used is hot, not “warm enough to sleep with only a light cover, or on top of the bedclothes”.
Kate McCann is very clear that outside, the weather was cold.
p. 73 “It was so cold and so windy.” [5]
Jane Tanner is equally insistent
JT: . . . and I just thought that child's not got any shoes on because you could see the feet, and it was quite a cold night in Portugal in May it's not actually that warm, and I'd got a big jumper on, and I can remember thinking oh that parent is not a particularly good parent, they've not wrapped them up.
Richard Bilton Could you tell . . .?
JT: . . . It was actually quite cold. [6]
and again
“Yeah, and there were some people inside because it was quite chilly by, by this, it was actually quite, quite cold”.
and again
I remember I was wearing, because it was cold, I’d got Russell’s big, I’d borrowed one of his, erm, fleeces,
and again
I’d got Russell’s big jumper on, cropped trousers and flip-flips and, yeah, it was quite, you know, sort of cold”
and again
4078 “. . . at that time, didn’t really think anything of it other than the child might have cold feet?”
Reply “Yeah, and just”.
and yet again
4078 “So you went on the wrong day.”
Reply “Yeah, I think err so it wasn’t, that’s one reason why we didn’t open the shutters to open the window or anything in that room, it wasn’t actually really hot at all, it was actually quite cloudy in the days and at night it was actually quite chilly.” [7]
Russell O’Brien : The nights were quite chilly [8]
Matthew Oldfield in the evenings it was very cold, [9]
Rachel Oldfield it was really cold in the evenings [10]
David Payne it was quite cold some nights and you know perhaps nearly too cold to be sat outside [11]
Fiona Payne it was still very cold [12]
Diane Webster when they were brought up to our apartment and they would have to come out into the cold [13]
Only one person in the entire group of 9 adults insists that the weather was hot enough for Madeleine to have been put to bed lying on top of the bedclothes.
Every one of the other eight adults say it was cold, in many cases they lay emphasis on the extra clothing they themselves were wearing.
Only Gerry McCann disagrees.
The weather report for that day is that at 9 pm, 3 May 2007 the temperature recorded at Faro airport was 57º F, 14º C [14]
On any test this is cold.
WIKI give this “Room temperature is a colloquial expression for the typical or preferred indoor (climate-controlled) temperature to which people are generally accustomed. It represents the small range of temperatures at which the air feels neither hot nor cold, often approximated at 21°C or 70°F. In more rigorous scientific contexts it may denote the range between 20 and 23.5 °C (68.0 and 74.3 °F) with an average of 21 °C (70 °F).
What reason does Gerry McCann have for insisting it was hot ?
This picture shows a bed which may not have been slept in on the night of 3rd May, and may or may not have had an adult and two more children sitting on it for a bedtime story. [15]
References.
1 “madeleine” by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p.68
2 “madeleine” op. cit. p.69
3 “madeleine” op. cit. p. 70
4 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta2
5 “madeleine” op. cit. p. 73
6 Panorama documentary, The Mystery of Madeleine McCann, 19 November 2007 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id30.html
7 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id222.html
8 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id221.html
9 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id219.html
10 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id253.html
11 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id251.html
12 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id252.html
13 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id254.html
14 [url=http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/LPFR/2007/3/3/DailyHistory.html? req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA&MR=1]http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/LPFR/2007/3/3/DailyHistory.html? req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA&MR=1[/url]
Appendices
1 I took them all into their bedroom. Madeleine got into her bed and then Amelie, Sean and I settled ourselves on top of it, with our backs against the wall, for our final story, If you’re happy and you know it!, another present to Madeleine, this one from Great-Auntie Janet and Great-Uncle Brian. If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands! says the monkey. Stamp your feet! says the elephant.
2 Gerry came through to say goodnight. We helped Sean and Amelie give their big sister a ‘night-night’ kiss before laying them in their adjacent travel cots. Then we kissed the twins, and kissed Madeleine, already snuggled down with her ‘princess’ blanket and Cuddle Cat – a soft toy she’d been given soon after she was born and never went to bed without. We were in no doubt that all three would be asleep in an instant. As always, we left the door a few inches open to allow a glimmer of light into the room.
3 After ordering his food, Gerry left to do the first check just before 9.05 by his watch. He entered the apartment via the patio doors and noticed almost immediately that the children’s bedroom door was further ajar than it had been. He glanced into our room to make sure Madeleine hadn’t wandered in there, as she was prone to do if ever she woke in the small hours. Seeing no little body curled up in our bed, he went over to look in on the children.
Madeleine was lying there, on her left-hand side, her legs under the covers, in exactly the same position as we’d left her. For Gerry, this became one of those images I described earlier, pictures that fix themselves indelibly, almost photographically, in the memory. He paused for a couple of seconds to look at Madeleine and thought to himself, She’s so beautiful. After pulling the bedroom door to, restoring it to its original angle, he went to the bathroom before leaving the apartment.
4 Concerning the bed where his daughter was on the night she disappeared, he says that she slept uncovered, as usual when it was hot, with the bedclothes folded down. Concerning the other bed next to the window in the children's bedroom, he says that it showed no signs that anyone had put their feet on it, namely, dirt or shoe prints.
5 I ran out into the car park, flying from end to end, yelling desperately, ‘Madeleine! Madeleine!’ It was so cold and so windy. I kept picturing her in her short-sleeved Marks and Spencer Eeyore pyjamas and feeling how chilled she would be. Bizarrely, I found myself thinking it would have been better if she’d been wearing her long-sleeved Barbie ones. Fear was shearing through my body.
6 RB: Describe exactly what he's carrying, what you can see.
JT: Well I could see.. I could tell it was a child, and I could see the feet and... feet and the bottom of the pyjamas, and I just thought that child's not got any shoes on because you could see the feet, and it was quite a cold night in Portugal in May it's not actually that warm, and I'd got a big jumper on, and I can remember thinking oh that parent is not a particularly good parent, they've not wrapped them up.
RB: And could you tell if it was a boy or a girl?
JT: Only because the pyjamas had a pinky aspect to them so you presume a girl. It was actually quite cold.
7 Jane Tanner - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
4078 “What was the weather like when you were there?”
Reply “It wasn’t, again it wasn’t brilliant, I think it was nicer in the UK.”
4078 “So you went on the wrong day.”
Reply “Yeah, I think err so it wasn’t, that’s one reason why we didn’t open the shutters to open the window or anything in that room, it wasn’t actually really hot at all, it was actually quite cloudy in the days and at night it was actually quite chilly.”
4078 “So it wasn’t sort of going in the pool weather or, only if you’re very brave.”
Reply “No it was really, really cold, I mean I think Russell went in because he’s a nutter and goes in the Atlantic in February but no it was more, after, it got warmer after so we did go in the pool after May the third but no before that I don’t think we, maybe we’d been in once and then decided it was a bad idea.”
* * *
4078 “Can you just write ‘bar area’ on that because I’ll forget”.
Reply “Yeah, and there were some people inside because it was quite chilly by, by this, it was actually quite, quite cold”.
* * *
4078 “But just do the best you can”.
Reply “Yeah. Erm, I’m just trying to, well I’ve walked out of the, walked out of the, erm, the Tap, you know, walked sort of into the reception of the Tapas Bar and obviously walked up the road. I remember I was wearing, because it was cold, I’d got Russell’s big, I’d borrowed one of his, erm, fleeces, so I’d got a big sort of fleece, it probably came down to about here, but then I’d got flip-flops on and cropped trousers, because I’d only got, I didn’t take jeans, I know I didn’t take jeans on holiday, and then.
* * *
Reply “Yeah, that is, erm, and I think at that point I did think as well, the way they were dressed wasn’t quite touristy. As I say, I mean, I looked a right state because I’d got Russell’s big jumper on, cropped trousers and flip-flips and, yeah, it was quite, you know, sort of cold and, and they looked more like they were prepared for the weather, you know, sort of thing.
* * *
4078 “Okay. So you have glimpsed, you know, turned back and see the man disappearing off down the road with the child and, at that time, didn’t really think anything of it other than the child might have cold feet?”
Reply “Yeah, and just”.
4078 “And later on did you think it was significant?”
Reply “It was a, yeah, it was sort of came as soon as, as soon as they said that came, buff, straight. As soon as I’d seen it there it was forgotten and then, buff, as soon as Rachael said”.
8 Russell O’Brien - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
On the evening I was wearing brown jeans/cord style trousers, a pale blue stripe top, and Jane had taken my jumper which was blue. The nights were quite chilly which is why Jane had my jumper I am quite used to the cold.
9 Matthew OLDFIELD - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
4078 "What was the weather like during the week?"
Reply "Erm, it was sunny but cold, the pools were freezing, so we didn't, even though the pool was there, it was unusual for people to be in it. Erm, sunny most days, it got cloudy and it rained on the Wednesday and the Wednesday evening was pretty sort of, in the evenings it was very cold, so at the Tapas Restaurant, when we were there, we'd often, you know, you'd need a jumper if you sat outside and there was no heat particularly, erm, and I think Thursday was sort of fairly similar and quite, well certainly at night and I think the rest had been sort of maybe a little bit overcast at times but I'm not really bothered about the sunbathing and if there was a wind you could go sailing and that was".
10 Rachel Oldfield - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
1578 “What about when you were eating at the table”?
Reply “Yeah I had all that on as well, it was really cold in the evenings, you didn’t take”.
1578 “Chilly evening”.
Reply “Didn’t take enough warm things, so it was like the, all the jumpers that we had yeah”.
11 David Payne - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
1485 ”And conversation? Because I understand it was cold, rainy on a couple of days.”
Reply ”Mm, mm, yes. I mean from the, you know from the, yeah it was quite cold some nights and you know perhaps nearly too cold to be sat outside err but there was certainly nothing that you know led me to any concern during that week err
12 Fiona Payne - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
1485 “Can you remember what sort of time that was roughly?”
Reply “Erm it was still very cold and, and dark, erm I think it was you know, between five and six, I say, I say, I think we’d, we’d, we’d just dozed off, so erm it was still very early.
13 Diane Webster - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
4078 ”But with all your experience of small children, you thought that was odd that they had not woken?”
Reply ”Oh yeah definitely. Well even err the noise that was going on in the apartment and they slept through it all.”
4078 ”Mm.”
Reply ”They were taken from their cots when they were brought up to our apartment and they would have to come out into the cold and I would have err I would have expected some sort of awakening.”
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 7: Just Checking
Book, p. 75 That Sunday night we headed over to the restaurant. We were all there except Matt, who had a bit of a dodgy stomach, which he attributed to something he’d eaten en route to Portugal. The rest of us enjoyed our meal. The food was good and it was nice to have a little adult time. There weren’t many other diners and, since we were such a large group, we were focused on chatting to and bantering with each other and not taking much notice of anyone else. It was, I remember, very cold and windy and I discovered that five layers of clothing were required to keep me comfortable. We nipped back to our respective apartments every half-hour to check on the children – apart from Rachael, since Matt had stayed behind, and Dave and Fiona, who had a state-of-the-art baby monitor with them. Our visits also gave us a convenient opportunity to pop to the loo or, in my case, to pick up an extra cardigan. [1]
In press interviews the McCanns always give the impression that there was a checking system in place whereby everyone took a turn of checking not only their own children, every half hour, but probably the children of the others in the group.
It is clear from examining the statements that this did not happen
The group consisted of four couples, plus the mother of one of the women in the group. Nine adults in total.
David and Fiona Payne did no checking of anyone’s children, including their own, as they had a baby monitor and relied on this.
Dianne Webster (Fiona Payne’s mother) did no checking at any time.
Rachael and Matthew Oldfield did not check on anyone else’s children.
Jane Tanner and Russell O’Brien did not check on anyone else’s children
Kate and Gerry McCann never checked on anyone else’s children.
So this impression the McCanns have given of the adults in their group all running back and forth checking each others' children is most certainly not the truth.
On the night Madeleine was reported as missing the McCanns claim their checks were around every 30 minutes. [2]
But after Madeleine had told them on the Thursday morning (she was reported missing on Thursday night) that she and her brother had been crying on the previous night – the McCanns decided they would check their children more regularly. [3], [4], [5]
If every 30 minutes was more regular than previous nights, then the McCann children were not being checked every 30 minutes throughout that week. Hourly is more credible.
On the night Madeleine was reported as missing, Gerry McCann claims to have checked around 9pm. Kate McCann claimed her check took place around 10pm.
This would tie in with the statement of Mrs Fenn who lived in the apartment above the McCanns that she heard a child crying in the McCann apartment for more than an hour on the night of Tuesday 1st May 2007. [6]
Note: The statement about deciding to check the children more regularly, or “keep a closer watch” or be “more vigilant” was released to the Press some time after the secret meeting of the Tapas group in Rothley. This meeting was before the Tapas friends were due to give their Rogatory interviews, but it was specifically denied by their spokesman that the intention was to “get their stories right”. [7]
But it is fairly obvious that the Media were given this statement by Clarence Mitchell on their behalf, and it seems it was an important part of the attempt to show that the McCanns, and indeed all the group were “responsible parents”
As an aside one must recall that both Gerry and Kate stated clearly that had it not been for the altered position of the bedroom door neither of them would have bothered even to look into the room. [8], [9]
And Oldfield was very quick to distance himself from the position of having been the last person to see Madeleine alive. [10]
Carlos Anjos from the Association of Police Investigators stated
“They said that every half an hour they would go and look in on the children and all of them, we found in EVERYBODY'S statement, some questions that suggest that actually they DIDN'T go and see the children.” [11]
1 Matthew Oldfield
Rogatory Interview with Leicestershire Police:
“MO: “It WASN'T usual routine err for us to check on each other’s children”
I’d NOT done it before”
4078 "Was there an actual discussion between the group of you as to the sort of fifteen minute checks or ten minute checks or whatever or was it something that you as a couple had decided on and then the circumstances during the week meant that everyone had sort of taken it in turns to check?"
Reply "No, we pretty much checked our, well certainly we checked our own and it was only the last night that we offered to check for Gerry and Kate.
----
4078 Up until the Wednesday night, from what you have already said then, you didn't go into Gerry and Kate's apartment, well, sorry, you didn't check on Gerry and Kate's children?"
Reply "No".
Asking re Oldfield listening at the shuttered window:
4078 "Was that the first time that you had taken it UPON YOURSELF to check on somebody else's child?"
Reply "Yeah, I'd NOT done it before” [12]
2 Kate McCann
Kate McCann witness statement:
'During this check, she thinks that Gerry did not check on the children of any other couple, because it was usual just to check on their own children.
Further stating:
'She never checked on any other child, other than her own.' [13]
3 - Rachael Oldfield (Mampilly)
DC 1578 of Leicestershire Police asked:
“So what sort of arrangements did you come to as a group in respect of checking on the children”?
RO: “That we would Just check our own children, basically, erm”.
Confirmation that there was NO checking system agreed or put in place to check on each other’s children, nor even to listen at shuttered windows.
RO: "We hadn't done that before you know, that hadn't been part of the routine, sort of listening, even listening at other people's windows" [14]
4 Dianne Webster:
She clarifies that the practice was for each couple to check THEIR OWN children, it NOT being usual for anyone to check the children of other couples.
Dianne Webster also confirms that she did not leave the dinner table on any evening during the holiday to check on anyone’s children. [15]
5 Fiona Payne
During dinner, as they were in a possession of a "baby monitor", they did not go to the apartment to check on their children. [16]
6 David Payne:
In answer to our question the interviewee states that during ALL the meals, he NEVER went to his apartment or to ANY of the group's apartments, because he has an, "intercom," and the signal carries from the apartment to the restaurant. [17]
7 Gerry McCann:
Police witness statement
On Wednesday night, 2 May 2007, apart from the deponent and his wife, he thinks that DAVID PAYNE also went to his apartment to check that his children were well, not having reported to him any abnormal situation with the children. [18]
(But see above. David Payne [14])
‘During all the meals he never went to his apartment or to any of the group's apartments, because he has an, "intercom," and the signal carries from the apartment to the restaurant.’
Therefore we can say that Dr Payne did not check on the McCann children on the night of Wednesday 2nd May 2007, or any other night.)
Back to Gerry McCann’s statement -
On this day, the deponent (Gerry McCann) and KATE had already left the back door (patio) closed, but not locked, to allow entrance by their group of colleagues to check on the children.’ [19]
So Gerry and Kate McCann had already by the night of Wednesday 2nd May changed routine They now did not use the front door in the evenings but left the patio door unlocked so that the group of colleagues could enter their apartment and check on their children.
None of the group of colleagues took advantage of Gerry’s gesture, leaving a door unlocked for them, perhaps because, according to the colleagues’ statements to police, NONE of them checked on the McCann children, and NONE of them knew of any such arrangement.
8 Jane Tanner
Stated that normally every 15 minutes a member from each apartment would go and check the bedrooms of the respective children to see if everything was all right.
At no time does she mention that on any of her visits, or that of her partner Russell O’Brien did either one of them listen at the shuttered windows or doors of any of the apartments occupied by members of the group. [20]
Rogatory interview Leicester police
The officer is questioning Jane Tanner re the night of Wednesday 2nd May 2007.
Tanner: – I’m trying to think if by that point we were checking on each other’s…”
4078 “That was part of my next question.”
Reply - “Oh right. Err I mean I didn’t personally, I think, I mean I’ll tell you when I went back I just tended to check on bars and I listened at Matt and Rachael’s, you know at some point we listened at Matt and Rachael’s window and down there but err no I can’t remember, but by that stage I think we were listening but we didn’t, I don’t know whether people actually went in to, to be honest nobody, if we hadn’t gone nobody could have gone in to ours because they’d need the key so when people did check ours they did, they did just listen, so.” [21]
Gerry McCann states that David Payne checked on the McCann children on the evening of Wednesday 2nd May 2007, and of how Payne reported back to him (McCann) that all was well - when this absolutely did not happen. (See above)
As David Payne and his wife Fiona have stated, they had a baby monitor, they never left the dinner table on any night to check on anyone’s children.
This was confirmed by all in the group.
Jane Tanner gives details of the routine checks, and of how they the group listened at shuttered windows, not initially, but as the week progressed.
But the rest of the group are not in agreement on this.
The Oldfield’s - Matthew and Rachael - state they never at any time during that week (with the exception of the night Madeleine vanished) checked on anyone’s children and further state that they did NOT listen either at shuttered windows or doors at any time. They further stated that NO ONE did this – not even Jane Tanner or Russell O’Brien
It seems it just was not part of any routine.
Dianne Webster confirms she did not check anyone’s children, and confirmed that each couple checked on their own children.
On the evidence of these statements we must conclude there was NO routine in place. Those who did, checked only their own children.
Kate McCann confirmed she did not check on anyone’s children nor she listen at shuttered windows, and confirmed that Gerry McCann did not check on anyone else’s children.
Matthew Oldfield stated that not only was it a first for him on the night Madeleine disappeared to check on the McCann children, a first too for him to have listened at the shuttered window, something he took upon himself to do, but he states it was a FIRST also for Russell O’Brien.
9 Russell O’Brien
Russell O’Brien, the partner of Jane Tanner made the most intriguing statements of the group. They are also the most confused. He appears confused as to whether he checked or did not check, listened or did not listen at doors.
Russell O'Brien's rogatory interview took place on 8 April 2008 and had to be repeated on 10 April 2008 when the Detective and O’Brien went through a statement which had been prepared from the audio track of the tape, because the video track had malfunctioned on 8th
This entry at the beginning of the second interview may be of importance -
These are extracts from the transcript of the long Rogatory interview [my emphases]
“On Sunday I recall I checked Kate and Gerry’s apartment as well as Rachael and Matt’s.
“I had taken Matt’s keys and I believe that their door was deadlocked the same as ours and that I would have needed to turn the key two times.
“I recall that Kate and Gerry’s apartment was accessed by the patios door which was left closed and unlocked. I recall that their front door was accessed from the car-park,access was easily gained to the apartment from the poolside.
“And then on Sunday ‘I recall I checked Kate and Gerry’s apartment as well as Rachael and Matt’s and my recollection is that I needed Matt’s key to check on their room and I had it, but I didn’t need Kate and Gerry’s key because THEY went through the patio door’, erm, WE went through the patio door to cross in and look into the children’s bedroom.”
"I definitely did NOT go in through Gerry’s and Kate’s main, you know, double locked door or anything, I’m SURE I went through the patio, so I think they were doing things differently from Matt and Rachael, at least from the ground floor perspective, right from the word go”. [22]
O’Brien, as those who read the full transcript will see, stresses how the McCanns did not secure their apartment in the way that he and Jane Tanner and the Oldfield couple did with theirs, all being on the ground floor.
But something is seriously wrong with O’Brien’s statements. The above comments specifically refer to his checking of both the Oldfield and the McCann children on the Sunday evening?
Matthew Oldfield was unwell on the Sunday evening and did not leave his apartment. [23]
How is it possible then that Russell O’Brien took from Oldfield his key to go and check on the Oldfield child when Oldfield was not at the tapas for dinner that evening. Oldfield was in fact in his apartment looking after his daughter ?
Matthew and Rachael Oldfield have both confirmed that no one ever checked on their child by entering their apartment
Referring to O’Brien’s check, where he claims to have gone into the McCann apartment through the unlocked patio door –
Gerry and Kate McCann have stated categorically they did not leave their patio door unlocked early in the week (the Sunday was the first night the group had gone to the tapas bar). They claim to have changed to this routine – leaving the patio door unlocked, at some point during the week.
According to the McCanns their apartment was locked on the Sunday evening, so Russell O’Brien did not enter the McCann apartment through the patio doors and check on the McCann children.
Gerry McCann re the Sunday evening:
They [he and his wife Kate McCann] left the house through the main door (front door) that he was sure he locked, and the back door (patio) was also closed and locked . . . .
On that day, only the deponent and his wife entered the apartment. [24]
Is this simply a case of O’Brien getting hopelessly confused, or of something else ?
These statements were given after the infamous Rothley meeting of the Tapas Group and their advisors.
As he had also been given access to Jane Tanner’s statements it is surely of interest that his interview did not match more closely.
To conclude -
The decision by Clarence Mitchell to give to the press - after the Rothley meeting - a version of events which details increasing the vigilance or frequency of the checks seems spectacularly to have backfired on the McCanns.
It not only draws attention to the paucity of any checks made during the week, but also draws attention to the contents of the statements in which it is clear that even if the McCanns had visited the apartment, their intention was not to look at the children at all.
It seems that only an alleged change in the somewhat esoteric detail of the exact angle of the bedroom door caused them, individually, to do so.
It is important to remember that what is apparently to be referred to as “spin” like this was being given regularly to the press long before either he or the McCanns knew that the original statements would one day be released for scrutiny by the entire world.
What precisely we are expected to believe is somewhat unclear.
REFERENCES
1 “madeleine” by Kate McCann, Random House, 2011,
2 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 4th May 2007
http//mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta2
3 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta2
4 [url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/1584584/ Madeleine-McCann-complained-to-mother-Kate-about-being-left-crying- alone.html]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/1584584/ Madeleine-McCann-complained-to-mother-Kate-about-being-left-crying- alone.html[/url]
5 http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4764346#.UYLJgeBX9Nk
6 Witness statement of Pamela Fenn 20th August 2007
http://mccannfiles.com/id331.html#fenn1
7 [url=http://news.sky.com/story/559235/madeleine-mccanns-parents-at-meeting- of-tapas-nine]http://news.sky.com/story/559235/madeleine-mccanns-parents-at-meeting- of-tapas-nine[/url]
8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhACS6ck-Dw&feature=player_embedded
9 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta2
10 Witness statement of Matthew Oldfield - 04 May 2007
http://mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap3
11 PANORAMA The Mystery of Madeleine McCann Reporter: Richard Bilton
RECORDED FROM TRANSMISSION: BBC ONE 19:11:07
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id48.html
12 Matthew Oldfield - Rogatory Interview Leicestershire HQ 9th April 2008
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id219.html
13 Witness statement of Kate Marie Healy, 6th of September 2007,
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta5
14 Rachael Mampilly / Oldfield - Rogatory interview - Leicestershire HQ, 9th April 2008 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id253.html
15 Witness Statement of Dianne Webster 11th May 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap14
16 Witness Statement of Fiona Elaine Payne 4th May 2008
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap6
17 Witness statement of David Payne - 4th May 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id261.html
18 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id192.html
19 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th of May 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id192.html
20 Witness Statement of Jane Michelle Tanner 4th May 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap2
21 Jane Tanner - Rogatory Interview 4th August 2008
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id222.html
22 Russell James O'Brien - Rogatory Interview 10th April 2008
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id221.html
23 Matthew Oldfield - Rogatory Interview Leicestershire HQ 9th April 2008
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id219.html
24 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann,10th of May 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id192.html
APPENDICES
1 p. 75 That Sunday night we headed over to the restaurant. We were all there except Matt, who had a bit of a dodgy stomach, which he attributed to something he’d eaten en route to Portugal. The rest of us enjoyed our meal. The food was good and it was nice to have a little adult time. There weren’t many other diners and, since we were such a large group, we were focused on chatting to and bantering with each other and not taking much notice of anyone else. It was, I remember, very cold and windy and I discovered that five layers of clothing were required to keep me comfortable. We nipped back to our respective apartments every half-hour to check on the children – apart from Rachael, since Matt had stayed behind, and Dave and Fiona, who had a state-of-the-art baby monitor with them. Our visits also gave us a convenient opportunity to pop to the loo or, in my case, to pick up an extra cardigan.
2 As usual, every half hour and considering that the restaurant was close to the apartment, the deponent or his wife went to check if the children were ok.
3 On the day that MADELEINE disappeared, Thursday, 3 May 2007, they all woke up at the same time, between 07H30 and 08H00. When they were having breakfast, MADELEINE addressed her mother and asked her "why didn't you come last night when SEAN and I were crying?" That he thought this comment very strange given that MADELEINE had never spoken like this and, the night before, they had maintained the same system of checking on the children, not having detected anything abnormal. When he questioned her about the comment, she left without any explanation.
4 But in extracts read out on Spanish broadcaster Telecinco’s late morning programme El Programa de Ana Rosa, it emerged that Mrs McCann had told police about a conversation she had with Madeleine on the morning she disappeared.
The little girl, then aged three, spoke to her mother because she had left her and twins Sean and Amelie alone in the night. Mrs McCann’s statement said: "While we were having breakfast, Madeleine said: 'Mummy, why didn’t you come when we were crying last night?’.
"Gerry and I spoke for a couple of minutes and agreed to keep a closer watch over the children."
5 "We obviously told the police because we thought, does this indicate that someone has been round the night before and that's what has woken her up?" she said. "Which is significant you know … I've persecuted myself over and over again about that statement because you think, why didn't they [the police] kind of just hold it and say, 'What do you mean?'"
Madeleine didn't answer her parents' question and "carried on playing, whatever she was doing, totally undistressed," Kate McCann said.
The McCanns say that because Madeleine didn't make a big deal about the issue that they let the matter go. But they say they consciously decided that evening to be more vigilant about checking in on the children.
6 She states that on the day of the 1st May 2007, when she was at home alone, at approximately 22H30 she heard a child cry, and that due the tone of the crying seemed to be a young child and not a baby of two years of age or younger.
Apart from the crying that continued for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes, and which got louder and more expressive, the child shouted "Daddy, Daddy", the witness had no doubt that the noise came from the floor below. At about 23H45, an hour and fifteen minutes after the crying began, she heard the parents arrive, she did not see them, but she heard the patio doors open, she was quite worried as the crying had gone on for more than an hour and had gradually got worse.
7 Mr Mitchell added: "The meeting was as much a show of support for Gerry and Kate. This was in no way to get their stories straight. This is the age of email and phone. They could have done that a long time ago."
8 Kate “I did my check about ten o’clock and went in through the sliding patio doors, and I just stood actually, and I thought, uh, all quiet. And to be honest, I might have been tempted to turn round then, but I just noticed that the door, the bedroom door where the three children were sleeping, was open much further than we’d left it.
I went to close it to about here, and then as I got to here, it suddenly . . . slammed, and as I opened it, it was then, that I just thought I’ll just look at the children.
I see Sean and Amelie in the cot . . . . “
9 He walked the normal route up to the back door, which being open he only had to slide, and while he was entering the living room, he noticed that the children's bedroom door was not ajar as he had left it but half-way open, which he thought was strange, having then thought that possibly MADELEINE had got up to go to sleep in his bedroom, so as to avoid the noise produced by her siblings. Therefore, he entered the children's bedroom and established visual contact with each of them, checking and he is certain of this, that the three were deeply asleep.
10 At around 21h25, the interviewee went into his apartment and Madeleine's apartment to check on the children. He states that the door of the bedroom quarters, that was occupied by Madeleine and the twins, was half-open and that there was enough light in the bedroom for him to see the twins in their cots. That he couldn't see the bed occupied by Madeleine, but as it was all quiet, he deduced that she was sleeping.
11 CARLOS ANJOS
Association of Police Investigators
They said that every half an hour they would go and look in on the children and all of them, we found in everybody's statement, some questions that suggest that actually they didn't go and see the children.
12 4078 "Was there an actual discussion between the group of you as to the sort of fifteen minute checks or ten minute checks or whatever or was it something that you as a couple had decided on and then the circumstances during the week meant that everyone had sort of taken it in turns to check?"
Reply "No, we pretty much checked our, well certainly we checked our own and it was only the last night that we offered to check for Gerry and Kate. It just, we are sort of fairly similar, our sort of views on sort of child care and that it was important, we're sort of from the same background, we have sort of similar issues about sort of child rearing, which is why we sort of get on and there was nothing obvious that anybody would do anything particularly different. I mean, Russell and Jane sort of, erm, are sort of fairly relaxed and easy going, erm, and Dave and Fi are sort of a bit disorganised and a bit late and Gerry and Kate are much more organised and we sort of fit sort of between that end of between, between that end of the scale and Russell and Jane. So it was all sort of, it was just sort of natural, we didn't decide, oh we'll do this, it just sort of came at natural breaks, we'd come down and we'd go between sort of courses to sort of check, but we usually, we'd check our own and, as far as I know, that didn't really change. Although, because it wouldn't seem, certainly for Russell and Jane I'd be happy to check for their children because they know me and if, you know, they had been awake and I went in they wouldn't be particularly, erm, you know, they wouldn't be particularly shocked or surprised or not know who I was, but Gerry and Kate and their children I didn't know them so well, so I wouldn't and certainly at the beginning of the week have offered to check their children or assumed that that would be okay, it was only at the end of the week when we seemed to know each other better and our routines and everybody seemed to be doing the same thing that it seemed to be a nice thing to do to offer to save them a trip".
13 During this check, she thinks that Gerry did not check on the children of any other couple, because it was usual just to check on their own children. She never checked on any other child, other than her own.
14 1578 “So what sort of arrangements did you come to as a group in respect of checking on the children”?
Reply “That we would just check our own children basically, erm”.
1578 “How often”?
Reply “Erm about sort of every twenty minutes, I mean we kind of, I mean Gerry and Kate were very good about you know doing it every twenty minutes, I think they must have been a bit oh okay, think it’s about twenty minutes so we’ll, we’ll go and have a look and you know so everyone went at different times, it wasn’t like everyone suddenly got up to go and check, erm”.
15 Asked, she states that it would be normal for one member of each of the couples to get up regularly in order to check in their apartments if the children were well. She clarifies that the practice was for each couple to check their own children, it not being usual for anyone to check the children of other couples.
The question asked, she thinks that up to the date of the disappearance it had never happened that anyone had entered the apartment of another couple in order to check their offspring.
Nevertheless, it seems that the Payne couple and the witness, did not make any trips to apartments, because they had an intercom called a "baby monitor", through which sounds or noises of the children could be heard.
16 During dinner, as they were in a possession of a "baby monitor", they did not go to the apartment to check on their children and would only do so if they heard any strange noises or crying.
17 In answer to our question, the interviewee states that during all the meals, he never went to his apartment or to any of the group's apartments, because he has an, "intercom," and the signal carries from the apartment to the restaurant. The other members of the group went, randomly, every 20 minutes, to their apartments to make sure their respective children were asleep.
18 On Wednesday night, 2 May 2007, apart from the deponent and his wife, he thinks that DAVID PAYNE also went to his apartment to check that his children were well, not having reported to him any abnormal situation with the children.
19 On Wednesday night, 2 May 2007, apart from the deponent and his wife, he thinks that DAVID PAYNE also went to his apartment to check that his children were well, not having reported to him any abnormal situation with the children. On this day, the deponent and KATE had already left the back door closed, but not locked, to allow entrance by their group colleagues to check on the children. He clarifies that the main door was always closed but not necessarily locked with the key. He does not know if the window next to the front door, and that gave access to the children's bedroom, was locked, given that he assumed that the shutters could not be opened from the outside. Still on this night, KATE slept in the children's bedroom, in the bed next to the window, because the deponent was snoring.
20 At about 21h00 her husband arrived at the restaurant, having got E**e to sleep. For this reason and because Fiona, David and Diane only arrived at about 21h00, the dinner, reserved for 20h30, only began after 21h00.
Normally, every 15 minutes a member from each apartment would go and check the bedrooms of the respective children to see if everything was all right.
21 4078 “But from the early part of the evening there’d been fairly regular checks.”
Reply “Yeah, the same as, yeah the same as, the same as before. I can’t remember who checked when or, you know, I can’t remember when, you know whether it was me or Russell or whoever went back at that point. I don’t, I’m trying to think if by that point we were checking on each other’s…”
4078 “That was part of my next question.”
Reply “Oh right. Err I mean I didn’t personally, I think, I mean I’ll tell you when I went back I just tended to check on bars and I listened at Matt and Rachael’s, you know at some point we listened at Matt and Rachael’s window and down there but err no I can’t remember, but by that stage I think we were listening but we didn’t, I don’t know whether people actually went in to, to be honest nobody, if we hadn’t gone nobody could have gone in to ours because they’d need the key so when people did check ours they did, they did just listen, so.”
22 Reply “Well, ‘I’m aware that we checked our own rooms and also listened at other apartment doors and windows’ and then ‘maybe on occasion, on some occasions we actually entered the other rooms as well’. Erm, the next paragraph, I don’t think I was quite so specific about, erm, ‘Other people’s apartments were on deadlock’, but I think when I, well, so that’s wrong. ‘On Sunday I recall I checked Kate and Gerry’s apartment as well as Rachael and Matt’s’, that’s true. Erm, I’m not sure about taking their keys, I think I, I think I definitely took Matt and Rachael’s keys, but I entered Gerry’s flat through the patio door”.
1578 “Okay. So, ‘I had taken their keys and recall the door was deadlocked, I needed to turn the key two times, the shutters were down’?”
Reply “Yeah, yeah, I don’t think, erm, I don’t think, erm”.
1578 “’I recall that Gerry and Kate’s I had to get (inaudible)’”.
Reply “That, that, that is me talking about our arrangements in our flat, so it’s kind of all fused into one there. So maybe just to clarify that, it would be easier to say ‘In our flat we closed the patio door, shut and locked’, erm, ‘shut the blinds, the shutters down and locked the internal window, double locked the front door after we went out and the patio door was also locked, was closed and locked’. So that was, that was our arrangements inside our flat. And then on Sunday ‘I recall I checked Kate and Gerry’s apartment as well as Rachael and Matt’s and my recollection is that I needed Matt’s key to check on their room and I had it, but I didn’t need Kate and Gerry’s key because they went through the patio door’, erm, we went through the patio door to cross in and look into the children’s bedroom. So, at the time, I have to say, I didn’t really think that, you know, about the differences in how, in how we were, the security in the, in the rooms was, but, erm, I definitely did not go in through Gerry’s and Kate’s main, you know, double locked door or anything, I’m sure I went through the patio, so I think they were doing things differently from Matt and Rachael, at least from the ground floor perspective, right from the word go”.
23 4078 "You said that on Saturday you were feeling a little bit unwell?"
Reply "Saturday I felt unwell, didn't eat much in the evening, which for a free buffet is pretty unusual for me, and then I started throwing up in the evening and I ascribed it to, when we were on the plane on the way out, they were giving out the meals and, you know, all the kids had been changing seats, so there was, I was sat with, erm, E***, which is, erm, Russell and Jane's eldest daughter and maybe E*** on one side and maybe G**** as well, but one of the meals that came round the plastic had already come off and it was in front of E*** and I said 'You have mine just in case there's something wrong with it' and so I blamed that I felt sick that perhaps I was right, it had sort of gone off or something. It may not have been, it may just have been a bug or something, but I usually don't get diarrhoea and vomiting, I mean, I can't remember the last time I've been sick. Erm, but I started feeling a little bit queasy in the evening and then the, erm, the Saturday evening into the Sunday morning I was actually throwing up, which is just incredibly rare for me. So I felt completely icky all the day Sunday, so I think to try and avoid infecting anybody else, I didn't do much outside the apartment and certainly in the evening I didn't go for, erm, didn't go for dinner with everybody else".
4078 "That is Sunday out the way with then".
Reply "So Sunday was pretty much a write-off and I was thinking, oh, the start of my holiday and I'm not doing anything that day".
24 They left the house through the main door, that he was sure he locked, and the back door was also closed and locked. They were the first to arrive at the TAPAS where everyone showed up except only for MATTHEW, who was still ill. Nevertheless, his wife RACHEL showed up for dinner. Except for the situation described above, that occurred during lunch, he did not see MATTHEW during the whole of Sunday.
Dinner ended at around 23h00, and during this period, every half-hour, the deponent and KATE went, alternately, to the apartment to confirm that all was well with the children. On that day, only the deponent and his wife entered the apartment. He is sure that they always entered through the front door, not knowing if they locked it upon leaving.
Just Checking
We examine and compare the various accounts given by the group of their “system” for checking the children during the evenings they spent in the Tapas bar.
We examine and compare the various accounts given by the group of their “system” for checking the children during the evenings they spent in the Tapas bar.
Book, p. 75 That Sunday night we headed over to the restaurant. We were all there except Matt, who had a bit of a dodgy stomach, which he attributed to something he’d eaten en route to Portugal. The rest of us enjoyed our meal. The food was good and it was nice to have a little adult time. There weren’t many other diners and, since we were such a large group, we were focused on chatting to and bantering with each other and not taking much notice of anyone else. It was, I remember, very cold and windy and I discovered that five layers of clothing were required to keep me comfortable. We nipped back to our respective apartments every half-hour to check on the children – apart from Rachael, since Matt had stayed behind, and Dave and Fiona, who had a state-of-the-art baby monitor with them. Our visits also gave us a convenient opportunity to pop to the loo or, in my case, to pick up an extra cardigan. [1]
In press interviews the McCanns always give the impression that there was a checking system in place whereby everyone took a turn of checking not only their own children, every half hour, but probably the children of the others in the group.
It is clear from examining the statements that this did not happen
The group consisted of four couples, plus the mother of one of the women in the group. Nine adults in total.
David and Fiona Payne did no checking of anyone’s children, including their own, as they had a baby monitor and relied on this.
Dianne Webster (Fiona Payne’s mother) did no checking at any time.
Rachael and Matthew Oldfield did not check on anyone else’s children.
Jane Tanner and Russell O’Brien did not check on anyone else’s children
Kate and Gerry McCann never checked on anyone else’s children.
So this impression the McCanns have given of the adults in their group all running back and forth checking each others' children is most certainly not the truth.
On the night Madeleine was reported as missing the McCanns claim their checks were around every 30 minutes. [2]
But after Madeleine had told them on the Thursday morning (she was reported missing on Thursday night) that she and her brother had been crying on the previous night – the McCanns decided they would check their children more regularly. [3], [4], [5]
If every 30 minutes was more regular than previous nights, then the McCann children were not being checked every 30 minutes throughout that week. Hourly is more credible.
On the night Madeleine was reported as missing, Gerry McCann claims to have checked around 9pm. Kate McCann claimed her check took place around 10pm.
This would tie in with the statement of Mrs Fenn who lived in the apartment above the McCanns that she heard a child crying in the McCann apartment for more than an hour on the night of Tuesday 1st May 2007. [6]
Note: The statement about deciding to check the children more regularly, or “keep a closer watch” or be “more vigilant” was released to the Press some time after the secret meeting of the Tapas group in Rothley. This meeting was before the Tapas friends were due to give their Rogatory interviews, but it was specifically denied by their spokesman that the intention was to “get their stories right”. [7]
But it is fairly obvious that the Media were given this statement by Clarence Mitchell on their behalf, and it seems it was an important part of the attempt to show that the McCanns, and indeed all the group were “responsible parents”
As an aside one must recall that both Gerry and Kate stated clearly that had it not been for the altered position of the bedroom door neither of them would have bothered even to look into the room. [8], [9]
And Oldfield was very quick to distance himself from the position of having been the last person to see Madeleine alive. [10]
Carlos Anjos from the Association of Police Investigators stated
“They said that every half an hour they would go and look in on the children and all of them, we found in EVERYBODY'S statement, some questions that suggest that actually they DIDN'T go and see the children.” [11]
Let us take the Tapas group’s statements in turn
1 Matthew Oldfield
Rogatory Interview with Leicestershire Police:
“MO: “It WASN'T usual routine err for us to check on each other’s children”
I’d NOT done it before”
4078 "Was there an actual discussion between the group of you as to the sort of fifteen minute checks or ten minute checks or whatever or was it something that you as a couple had decided on and then the circumstances during the week meant that everyone had sort of taken it in turns to check?"
Reply "No, we pretty much checked our, well certainly we checked our own and it was only the last night that we offered to check for Gerry and Kate.
----
4078 Up until the Wednesday night, from what you have already said then, you didn't go into Gerry and Kate's apartment, well, sorry, you didn't check on Gerry and Kate's children?"
Reply "No".
Asking re Oldfield listening at the shuttered window:
4078 "Was that the first time that you had taken it UPON YOURSELF to check on somebody else's child?"
Reply "Yeah, I'd NOT done it before” [12]
2 Kate McCann
Kate McCann witness statement:
'During this check, she thinks that Gerry did not check on the children of any other couple, because it was usual just to check on their own children.
Further stating:
'She never checked on any other child, other than her own.' [13]
3 - Rachael Oldfield (Mampilly)
DC 1578 of Leicestershire Police asked:
“So what sort of arrangements did you come to as a group in respect of checking on the children”?
RO: “That we would Just check our own children, basically, erm”.
Confirmation that there was NO checking system agreed or put in place to check on each other’s children, nor even to listen at shuttered windows.
RO: "We hadn't done that before you know, that hadn't been part of the routine, sort of listening, even listening at other people's windows" [14]
4 Dianne Webster:
She clarifies that the practice was for each couple to check THEIR OWN children, it NOT being usual for anyone to check the children of other couples.
Dianne Webster also confirms that she did not leave the dinner table on any evening during the holiday to check on anyone’s children. [15]
5 Fiona Payne
During dinner, as they were in a possession of a "baby monitor", they did not go to the apartment to check on their children. [16]
6 David Payne:
In answer to our question the interviewee states that during ALL the meals, he NEVER went to his apartment or to ANY of the group's apartments, because he has an, "intercom," and the signal carries from the apartment to the restaurant. [17]
7 Gerry McCann:
Police witness statement
On Wednesday night, 2 May 2007, apart from the deponent and his wife, he thinks that DAVID PAYNE also went to his apartment to check that his children were well, not having reported to him any abnormal situation with the children. [18]
(But see above. David Payne [14])
‘During all the meals he never went to his apartment or to any of the group's apartments, because he has an, "intercom," and the signal carries from the apartment to the restaurant.’
Therefore we can say that Dr Payne did not check on the McCann children on the night of Wednesday 2nd May 2007, or any other night.)
Back to Gerry McCann’s statement -
On this day, the deponent (Gerry McCann) and KATE had already left the back door (patio) closed, but not locked, to allow entrance by their group of colleagues to check on the children.’ [19]
So Gerry and Kate McCann had already by the night of Wednesday 2nd May changed routine They now did not use the front door in the evenings but left the patio door unlocked so that the group of colleagues could enter their apartment and check on their children.
None of the group of colleagues took advantage of Gerry’s gesture, leaving a door unlocked for them, perhaps because, according to the colleagues’ statements to police, NONE of them checked on the McCann children, and NONE of them knew of any such arrangement.
8 Jane Tanner
Stated that normally every 15 minutes a member from each apartment would go and check the bedrooms of the respective children to see if everything was all right.
At no time does she mention that on any of her visits, or that of her partner Russell O’Brien did either one of them listen at the shuttered windows or doors of any of the apartments occupied by members of the group. [20]
Rogatory interview Leicester police
The officer is questioning Jane Tanner re the night of Wednesday 2nd May 2007.
Tanner: – I’m trying to think if by that point we were checking on each other’s…”
4078 “That was part of my next question.”
Reply - “Oh right. Err I mean I didn’t personally, I think, I mean I’ll tell you when I went back I just tended to check on bars and I listened at Matt and Rachael’s, you know at some point we listened at Matt and Rachael’s window and down there but err no I can’t remember, but by that stage I think we were listening but we didn’t, I don’t know whether people actually went in to, to be honest nobody, if we hadn’t gone nobody could have gone in to ours because they’d need the key so when people did check ours they did, they did just listen, so.” [21]
Let us re-cap briefly and try to precis the above.
Gerry McCann states that David Payne checked on the McCann children on the evening of Wednesday 2nd May 2007, and of how Payne reported back to him (McCann) that all was well - when this absolutely did not happen. (See above)
As David Payne and his wife Fiona have stated, they had a baby monitor, they never left the dinner table on any night to check on anyone’s children.
This was confirmed by all in the group.
Jane Tanner gives details of the routine checks, and of how they the group listened at shuttered windows, not initially, but as the week progressed.
But the rest of the group are not in agreement on this.
The Oldfield’s - Matthew and Rachael - state they never at any time during that week (with the exception of the night Madeleine vanished) checked on anyone’s children and further state that they did NOT listen either at shuttered windows or doors at any time. They further stated that NO ONE did this – not even Jane Tanner or Russell O’Brien
It seems it just was not part of any routine.
Dianne Webster confirms she did not check anyone’s children, and confirmed that each couple checked on their own children.
On the evidence of these statements we must conclude there was NO routine in place. Those who did, checked only their own children.
Kate McCann confirmed she did not check on anyone’s children nor she listen at shuttered windows, and confirmed that Gerry McCann did not check on anyone else’s children.
Matthew Oldfield stated that not only was it a first for him on the night Madeleine disappeared to check on the McCann children, a first too for him to have listened at the shuttered window, something he took upon himself to do, but he states it was a FIRST also for Russell O’Brien.
9 Russell O’Brien
Russell O’Brien, the partner of Jane Tanner made the most intriguing statements of the group. They are also the most confused. He appears confused as to whether he checked or did not check, listened or did not listen at doors.
Russell O'Brien's rogatory interview took place on 8 April 2008 and had to be repeated on 10 April 2008 when the Detective and O’Brien went through a statement which had been prepared from the audio track of the tape, because the video track had malfunctioned on 8th
This entry at the beginning of the second interview may be of importance -
I have been given the opportunity to refresh my memory from the statement made by Jane TANNER (my wife) and I have been allowed to see these documents, this was done in the presence of DC 1578 GIERC.
These are extracts from the transcript of the long Rogatory interview [my emphases]
“On Sunday I recall I checked Kate and Gerry’s apartment as well as Rachael and Matt’s.
“I had taken Matt’s keys and I believe that their door was deadlocked the same as ours and that I would have needed to turn the key two times.
“I recall that Kate and Gerry’s apartment was accessed by the patios door which was left closed and unlocked. I recall that their front door was accessed from the car-park,access was easily gained to the apartment from the poolside.
“And then on Sunday ‘I recall I checked Kate and Gerry’s apartment as well as Rachael and Matt’s and my recollection is that I needed Matt’s key to check on their room and I had it, but I didn’t need Kate and Gerry’s key because THEY went through the patio door’, erm, WE went through the patio door to cross in and look into the children’s bedroom.”
"I definitely did NOT go in through Gerry’s and Kate’s main, you know, double locked door or anything, I’m SURE I went through the patio, so I think they were doing things differently from Matt and Rachael, at least from the ground floor perspective, right from the word go”. [22]
O’Brien, as those who read the full transcript will see, stresses how the McCanns did not secure their apartment in the way that he and Jane Tanner and the Oldfield couple did with theirs, all being on the ground floor.
But something is seriously wrong with O’Brien’s statements. The above comments specifically refer to his checking of both the Oldfield and the McCann children on the Sunday evening?
Matthew Oldfield was unwell on the Sunday evening and did not leave his apartment. [23]
How is it possible then that Russell O’Brien took from Oldfield his key to go and check on the Oldfield child when Oldfield was not at the tapas for dinner that evening. Oldfield was in fact in his apartment looking after his daughter ?
Matthew and Rachael Oldfield have both confirmed that no one ever checked on their child by entering their apartment
Referring to O’Brien’s check, where he claims to have gone into the McCann apartment through the unlocked patio door –
Gerry and Kate McCann have stated categorically they did not leave their patio door unlocked early in the week (the Sunday was the first night the group had gone to the tapas bar). They claim to have changed to this routine – leaving the patio door unlocked, at some point during the week.
According to the McCanns their apartment was locked on the Sunday evening, so Russell O’Brien did not enter the McCann apartment through the patio doors and check on the McCann children.
Gerry McCann re the Sunday evening:
They [he and his wife Kate McCann] left the house through the main door (front door) that he was sure he locked, and the back door (patio) was also closed and locked . . . .
On that day, only the deponent and his wife entered the apartment. [24]
Is this simply a case of O’Brien getting hopelessly confused, or of something else ?
These statements were given after the infamous Rothley meeting of the Tapas Group and their advisors.
As he had also been given access to Jane Tanner’s statements it is surely of interest that his interview did not match more closely.
To conclude -
The decision by Clarence Mitchell to give to the press - after the Rothley meeting - a version of events which details increasing the vigilance or frequency of the checks seems spectacularly to have backfired on the McCanns.
It not only draws attention to the paucity of any checks made during the week, but also draws attention to the contents of the statements in which it is clear that even if the McCanns had visited the apartment, their intention was not to look at the children at all.
It seems that only an alleged change in the somewhat esoteric detail of the exact angle of the bedroom door caused them, individually, to do so.
It is important to remember that what is apparently to be referred to as “spin” like this was being given regularly to the press long before either he or the McCanns knew that the original statements would one day be released for scrutiny by the entire world.
What precisely we are expected to believe is somewhat unclear.
REFERENCES
1 “madeleine” by Kate McCann, Random House, 2011,
2 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 4th May 2007
http//mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta2
3 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta2
4 [url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/1584584/ Madeleine-McCann-complained-to-mother-Kate-about-being-left-crying- alone.html]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/1584584/ Madeleine-McCann-complained-to-mother-Kate-about-being-left-crying- alone.html[/url]
5 http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4764346#.UYLJgeBX9Nk
6 Witness statement of Pamela Fenn 20th August 2007
http://mccannfiles.com/id331.html#fenn1
7 [url=http://news.sky.com/story/559235/madeleine-mccanns-parents-at-meeting- of-tapas-nine]http://news.sky.com/story/559235/madeleine-mccanns-parents-at-meeting- of-tapas-nine[/url]
8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhACS6ck-Dw&feature=player_embedded
9 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007
http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta2
10 Witness statement of Matthew Oldfield - 04 May 2007
http://mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap3
11 PANORAMA The Mystery of Madeleine McCann Reporter: Richard Bilton
RECORDED FROM TRANSMISSION: BBC ONE 19:11:07
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id48.html
12 Matthew Oldfield - Rogatory Interview Leicestershire HQ 9th April 2008
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id219.html
13 Witness statement of Kate Marie Healy, 6th of September 2007,
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta5
14 Rachael Mampilly / Oldfield - Rogatory interview - Leicestershire HQ, 9th April 2008 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id253.html
15 Witness Statement of Dianne Webster 11th May 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap14
16 Witness Statement of Fiona Elaine Payne 4th May 2008
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap6
17 Witness statement of David Payne - 4th May 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id261.html
18 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id192.html
19 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th of May 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id192.html
20 Witness Statement of Jane Michelle Tanner 4th May 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap2
21 Jane Tanner - Rogatory Interview 4th August 2008
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id222.html
22 Russell James O'Brien - Rogatory Interview 10th April 2008
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id221.html
23 Matthew Oldfield - Rogatory Interview Leicestershire HQ 9th April 2008
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id219.html
24 Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann,10th of May 2007
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id192.html
APPENDICES
1 p. 75 That Sunday night we headed over to the restaurant. We were all there except Matt, who had a bit of a dodgy stomach, which he attributed to something he’d eaten en route to Portugal. The rest of us enjoyed our meal. The food was good and it was nice to have a little adult time. There weren’t many other diners and, since we were such a large group, we were focused on chatting to and bantering with each other and not taking much notice of anyone else. It was, I remember, very cold and windy and I discovered that five layers of clothing were required to keep me comfortable. We nipped back to our respective apartments every half-hour to check on the children – apart from Rachael, since Matt had stayed behind, and Dave and Fiona, who had a state-of-the-art baby monitor with them. Our visits also gave us a convenient opportunity to pop to the loo or, in my case, to pick up an extra cardigan.
2 As usual, every half hour and considering that the restaurant was close to the apartment, the deponent or his wife went to check if the children were ok.
3 On the day that MADELEINE disappeared, Thursday, 3 May 2007, they all woke up at the same time, between 07H30 and 08H00. When they were having breakfast, MADELEINE addressed her mother and asked her "why didn't you come last night when SEAN and I were crying?" That he thought this comment very strange given that MADELEINE had never spoken like this and, the night before, they had maintained the same system of checking on the children, not having detected anything abnormal. When he questioned her about the comment, she left without any explanation.
4 But in extracts read out on Spanish broadcaster Telecinco’s late morning programme El Programa de Ana Rosa, it emerged that Mrs McCann had told police about a conversation she had with Madeleine on the morning she disappeared.
The little girl, then aged three, spoke to her mother because she had left her and twins Sean and Amelie alone in the night. Mrs McCann’s statement said: "While we were having breakfast, Madeleine said: 'Mummy, why didn’t you come when we were crying last night?’.
"Gerry and I spoke for a couple of minutes and agreed to keep a closer watch over the children."
5 "We obviously told the police because we thought, does this indicate that someone has been round the night before and that's what has woken her up?" she said. "Which is significant you know … I've persecuted myself over and over again about that statement because you think, why didn't they [the police] kind of just hold it and say, 'What do you mean?'"
Madeleine didn't answer her parents' question and "carried on playing, whatever she was doing, totally undistressed," Kate McCann said.
The McCanns say that because Madeleine didn't make a big deal about the issue that they let the matter go. But they say they consciously decided that evening to be more vigilant about checking in on the children.
6 She states that on the day of the 1st May 2007, when she was at home alone, at approximately 22H30 she heard a child cry, and that due the tone of the crying seemed to be a young child and not a baby of two years of age or younger.
Apart from the crying that continued for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes, and which got louder and more expressive, the child shouted "Daddy, Daddy", the witness had no doubt that the noise came from the floor below. At about 23H45, an hour and fifteen minutes after the crying began, she heard the parents arrive, she did not see them, but she heard the patio doors open, she was quite worried as the crying had gone on for more than an hour and had gradually got worse.
7 Mr Mitchell added: "The meeting was as much a show of support for Gerry and Kate. This was in no way to get their stories straight. This is the age of email and phone. They could have done that a long time ago."
8 Kate “I did my check about ten o’clock and went in through the sliding patio doors, and I just stood actually, and I thought, uh, all quiet. And to be honest, I might have been tempted to turn round then, but I just noticed that the door, the bedroom door where the three children were sleeping, was open much further than we’d left it.
I went to close it to about here, and then as I got to here, it suddenly . . . slammed, and as I opened it, it was then, that I just thought I’ll just look at the children.
I see Sean and Amelie in the cot . . . . “
9 He walked the normal route up to the back door, which being open he only had to slide, and while he was entering the living room, he noticed that the children's bedroom door was not ajar as he had left it but half-way open, which he thought was strange, having then thought that possibly MADELEINE had got up to go to sleep in his bedroom, so as to avoid the noise produced by her siblings. Therefore, he entered the children's bedroom and established visual contact with each of them, checking and he is certain of this, that the three were deeply asleep.
10 At around 21h25, the interviewee went into his apartment and Madeleine's apartment to check on the children. He states that the door of the bedroom quarters, that was occupied by Madeleine and the twins, was half-open and that there was enough light in the bedroom for him to see the twins in their cots. That he couldn't see the bed occupied by Madeleine, but as it was all quiet, he deduced that she was sleeping.
11 CARLOS ANJOS
Association of Police Investigators
They said that every half an hour they would go and look in on the children and all of them, we found in everybody's statement, some questions that suggest that actually they didn't go and see the children.
12 4078 "Was there an actual discussion between the group of you as to the sort of fifteen minute checks or ten minute checks or whatever or was it something that you as a couple had decided on and then the circumstances during the week meant that everyone had sort of taken it in turns to check?"
Reply "No, we pretty much checked our, well certainly we checked our own and it was only the last night that we offered to check for Gerry and Kate. It just, we are sort of fairly similar, our sort of views on sort of child care and that it was important, we're sort of from the same background, we have sort of similar issues about sort of child rearing, which is why we sort of get on and there was nothing obvious that anybody would do anything particularly different. I mean, Russell and Jane sort of, erm, are sort of fairly relaxed and easy going, erm, and Dave and Fi are sort of a bit disorganised and a bit late and Gerry and Kate are much more organised and we sort of fit sort of between that end of between, between that end of the scale and Russell and Jane. So it was all sort of, it was just sort of natural, we didn't decide, oh we'll do this, it just sort of came at natural breaks, we'd come down and we'd go between sort of courses to sort of check, but we usually, we'd check our own and, as far as I know, that didn't really change. Although, because it wouldn't seem, certainly for Russell and Jane I'd be happy to check for their children because they know me and if, you know, they had been awake and I went in they wouldn't be particularly, erm, you know, they wouldn't be particularly shocked or surprised or not know who I was, but Gerry and Kate and their children I didn't know them so well, so I wouldn't and certainly at the beginning of the week have offered to check their children or assumed that that would be okay, it was only at the end of the week when we seemed to know each other better and our routines and everybody seemed to be doing the same thing that it seemed to be a nice thing to do to offer to save them a trip".
13 During this check, she thinks that Gerry did not check on the children of any other couple, because it was usual just to check on their own children. She never checked on any other child, other than her own.
14 1578 “So what sort of arrangements did you come to as a group in respect of checking on the children”?
Reply “That we would just check our own children basically, erm”.
1578 “How often”?
Reply “Erm about sort of every twenty minutes, I mean we kind of, I mean Gerry and Kate were very good about you know doing it every twenty minutes, I think they must have been a bit oh okay, think it’s about twenty minutes so we’ll, we’ll go and have a look and you know so everyone went at different times, it wasn’t like everyone suddenly got up to go and check, erm”.
15 Asked, she states that it would be normal for one member of each of the couples to get up regularly in order to check in their apartments if the children were well. She clarifies that the practice was for each couple to check their own children, it not being usual for anyone to check the children of other couples.
The question asked, she thinks that up to the date of the disappearance it had never happened that anyone had entered the apartment of another couple in order to check their offspring.
Nevertheless, it seems that the Payne couple and the witness, did not make any trips to apartments, because they had an intercom called a "baby monitor", through which sounds or noises of the children could be heard.
16 During dinner, as they were in a possession of a "baby monitor", they did not go to the apartment to check on their children and would only do so if they heard any strange noises or crying.
17 In answer to our question, the interviewee states that during all the meals, he never went to his apartment or to any of the group's apartments, because he has an, "intercom," and the signal carries from the apartment to the restaurant. The other members of the group went, randomly, every 20 minutes, to their apartments to make sure their respective children were asleep.
18 On Wednesday night, 2 May 2007, apart from the deponent and his wife, he thinks that DAVID PAYNE also went to his apartment to check that his children were well, not having reported to him any abnormal situation with the children.
19 On Wednesday night, 2 May 2007, apart from the deponent and his wife, he thinks that DAVID PAYNE also went to his apartment to check that his children were well, not having reported to him any abnormal situation with the children. On this day, the deponent and KATE had already left the back door closed, but not locked, to allow entrance by their group colleagues to check on the children. He clarifies that the main door was always closed but not necessarily locked with the key. He does not know if the window next to the front door, and that gave access to the children's bedroom, was locked, given that he assumed that the shutters could not be opened from the outside. Still on this night, KATE slept in the children's bedroom, in the bed next to the window, because the deponent was snoring.
20 At about 21h00 her husband arrived at the restaurant, having got E**e to sleep. For this reason and because Fiona, David and Diane only arrived at about 21h00, the dinner, reserved for 20h30, only began after 21h00.
Normally, every 15 minutes a member from each apartment would go and check the bedrooms of the respective children to see if everything was all right.
21 4078 “But from the early part of the evening there’d been fairly regular checks.”
Reply “Yeah, the same as, yeah the same as, the same as before. I can’t remember who checked when or, you know, I can’t remember when, you know whether it was me or Russell or whoever went back at that point. I don’t, I’m trying to think if by that point we were checking on each other’s…”
4078 “That was part of my next question.”
Reply “Oh right. Err I mean I didn’t personally, I think, I mean I’ll tell you when I went back I just tended to check on bars and I listened at Matt and Rachael’s, you know at some point we listened at Matt and Rachael’s window and down there but err no I can’t remember, but by that stage I think we were listening but we didn’t, I don’t know whether people actually went in to, to be honest nobody, if we hadn’t gone nobody could have gone in to ours because they’d need the key so when people did check ours they did, they did just listen, so.”
22 Reply “Well, ‘I’m aware that we checked our own rooms and also listened at other apartment doors and windows’ and then ‘maybe on occasion, on some occasions we actually entered the other rooms as well’. Erm, the next paragraph, I don’t think I was quite so specific about, erm, ‘Other people’s apartments were on deadlock’, but I think when I, well, so that’s wrong. ‘On Sunday I recall I checked Kate and Gerry’s apartment as well as Rachael and Matt’s’, that’s true. Erm, I’m not sure about taking their keys, I think I, I think I definitely took Matt and Rachael’s keys, but I entered Gerry’s flat through the patio door”.
1578 “Okay. So, ‘I had taken their keys and recall the door was deadlocked, I needed to turn the key two times, the shutters were down’?”
Reply “Yeah, yeah, I don’t think, erm, I don’t think, erm”.
1578 “’I recall that Gerry and Kate’s I had to get (inaudible)’”.
Reply “That, that, that is me talking about our arrangements in our flat, so it’s kind of all fused into one there. So maybe just to clarify that, it would be easier to say ‘In our flat we closed the patio door, shut and locked’, erm, ‘shut the blinds, the shutters down and locked the internal window, double locked the front door after we went out and the patio door was also locked, was closed and locked’. So that was, that was our arrangements inside our flat. And then on Sunday ‘I recall I checked Kate and Gerry’s apartment as well as Rachael and Matt’s and my recollection is that I needed Matt’s key to check on their room and I had it, but I didn’t need Kate and Gerry’s key because they went through the patio door’, erm, we went through the patio door to cross in and look into the children’s bedroom. So, at the time, I have to say, I didn’t really think that, you know, about the differences in how, in how we were, the security in the, in the rooms was, but, erm, I definitely did not go in through Gerry’s and Kate’s main, you know, double locked door or anything, I’m sure I went through the patio, so I think they were doing things differently from Matt and Rachael, at least from the ground floor perspective, right from the word go”.
23 4078 "You said that on Saturday you were feeling a little bit unwell?"
Reply "Saturday I felt unwell, didn't eat much in the evening, which for a free buffet is pretty unusual for me, and then I started throwing up in the evening and I ascribed it to, when we were on the plane on the way out, they were giving out the meals and, you know, all the kids had been changing seats, so there was, I was sat with, erm, E***, which is, erm, Russell and Jane's eldest daughter and maybe E*** on one side and maybe G**** as well, but one of the meals that came round the plastic had already come off and it was in front of E*** and I said 'You have mine just in case there's something wrong with it' and so I blamed that I felt sick that perhaps I was right, it had sort of gone off or something. It may not have been, it may just have been a bug or something, but I usually don't get diarrhoea and vomiting, I mean, I can't remember the last time I've been sick. Erm, but I started feeling a little bit queasy in the evening and then the, erm, the Saturday evening into the Sunday morning I was actually throwing up, which is just incredibly rare for me. So I felt completely icky all the day Sunday, so I think to try and avoid infecting anybody else, I didn't do much outside the apartment and certainly in the evening I didn't go for, erm, didn't go for dinner with everybody else".
4078 "That is Sunday out the way with then".
Reply "So Sunday was pretty much a write-off and I was thinking, oh, the start of my holiday and I'm not doing anything that day".
24 They left the house through the main door, that he was sure he locked, and the back door was also closed and locked. They were the first to arrive at the TAPAS where everyone showed up except only for MATTHEW, who was still ill. Nevertheless, his wife RACHEL showed up for dinner. Except for the situation described above, that occurred during lunch, he did not see MATTHEW during the whole of Sunday.
Dinner ended at around 23h00, and during this period, every half-hour, the deponent and KATE went, alternately, to the apartment to confirm that all was well with the children. On that day, only the deponent and his wife entered the apartment. He is sure that they always entered through the front door, not knowing if they locked it upon leaving.
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 8: Egregious examples
1 Shutters
Claim
The McCanns told many family members that the shutters had been forced or broken
Fact
The shutters had not been forced or broken
2 Entry by Gerry McCann
Claim
Gerry McCann first said he entered through the front door, using his key
Fact
He later said he entered through the patio door, which had been left unlocked.
3 Point of entry
Claim
The intruder must have entered through the open shutters and open window
Later claim or admission
The open shutters and open window may not have been the point of entry or exit
4 Sedation
Claim
The children were not sedated
Later claim
The children must have been sedated
(NOTE” On publication of the book ‘madeleine’, it became clear that Kate had known or suspected sedation from the start.)
5 Being made suspects
Claim
Kate told her friends by telephone that she had been made a suspect
Later claim
Kate complained that this was press intrusion, when the only possible source was Kate herself
6 Fluids in car
Claim
The McCanns came up with a range of excuses for bodily fluids found in the car, ranging from sea bass to used nappies.
Later statement
At Leveson Kate said under oath that there were no fluids found in the car
7 Half hourly checks
Claim
The parents were making half hourly checks throughout the week.
Contradiction
The late Mrs Fenn reports a child crying for over an hour on a previous evening
8 Kate’s Dream
Fact
Kate reported to Insp. Paiva that she had had a dream in which she had “seen” Madeleine dead. He gave this evidence under oath in court.
Denial
On the steps of the court Gerry publicly denies that Kate had had any such dream
9 Lying in general
Fact
In her book Kate admits lying
10 Afternoon of 3rd May
Claim
Kate arrives after a run to find the children with Gerry at tea
Fact
On that day Kate herself signed Madeleine out of the crèche at 5:30pm
11 Eye defect
Facts
The McCanns released details of the coloboma to the press of the world.
They trademark the sign “Løok”, in the phrase “Løok for me”
The eye defect is blown upon a giant screen at the FA cup Final,
The eye defect is clearly visible on all photos released as part of the campaign
The eye defect is clearly visible on the front cover picture of the book
Gerry McCann states that using the defect in this way was a “good marketing ploy”
Later
Kate denies “putting emphasis on it”
12 Private Detectives
Claim
The McCanns dismiss the idea of using private detectives.
Fact
The McCanns were already using private detectives from Control Risks the previous week
13 The search of the second apartment
Claim
They claim they had no explanation, and that they were made to leave the villa.
Fact
There was a full search warrant, a copy of which was to be served on the McCanns. and they were to be invited to be present.
14 Who spoke to Mrs Fenn ?
Claim
Kate spoke to Mrs Fenn
Contradiction
Mrs Fenn's statement refers to speaking to Gerry McCann
15 Metodo3 claims that Madeleine would be found by Christmas
Claim
McCanns claim through their solicitors that this was never said
Fact
Kate admits that this was said
16 The colour of the pyjamas
Claim
The pyjama bottoms were white
Counterclaim
The pyjamas were not white.
Fact
The pyjama bottoms were white.
17 “We answered all the questions”
Claim
The McCanns cooperated fully with the police and answered all questions truthfully
Fact
Kate refused to answer any of the 48 questions during her second interview
References and text
1 Shutters
Claim
The McCanns told family members that the shutters had been forced or broken
Trish Cameron -
Gerry McCanns sister, said she received a telephone call from her 39-year-old brother, a consultant cardiologist, who was "hysterical and crying his eyes out". She said: "They last checked at half past nine and they were all sound asleep, sleeping, windows shut, shutters shut. Kate went back at 10 o'clock to check. The front door was lying open, the window had been tampered with, the shutters had been jemmied open or whatever you call it and Madeleine was missing...” [1]
Brian Healy -
Madeleine's maternal grandfather, told the Guardian his son-in-law had phoned him shortly after returning "Gerry told me when they went back the shutters to the room were broken, they were jemmied up and she was gone," said Mr Healy. "She'd been taken from the chalet. The door was open." [2]
Jon Corner -
a close friend of Kate McCann and godparent of the twins, said she phoned him in the middle of the night distraught. He said: "She just blurted out that Madeleine had been abducted. Kate said the shutters of the room were smashed. Madeleine was missing It looks as though someone had gone straight past the twins to get to her. [3]
Jill (or Gill) Renwick -
a family friend told GMTV the McCanns were certain that Madeleine has been abducted. "They were just watching the hotel room and going back every half-hour and the shutters had been broken open and they had gone into the room and taken Madeleine," she said.” [4]
Fact
The shutters had not been forced or broken
John Hill Mr Hill said that despite the report by a family friend that the shutters to the couple's apartment were broken, there was no sign that anyone had forced their way in while the McCanns ate at the tapas restaurant 200 yards away.
"It's still questionable as to whether it's abduction," [5]
Chief Inspector Olegario Sousa, spokesman for the investigation, later confided in British former Chief Inspector Albert Kirby that neither the windows nor their shutters had been tampered with.
Mr Kirby told The Mail on Sunday: "
I had a very interesting chat with the officer in charge. The window shutters are not an issue. Their mechanism makes them almost impossible to open. The door was left unlocked. They did that every night.” [6]
Photos exist of the forensic scientist from the PJ examining the shutters. It is clear that the shutters are in perfect condition. [7]
A short video clip of an attempt to open the shutters from outside may also be seen on YouTube. In this it is clear that the shutters jam into the housing above the window, and do not remain in the raised position once released. [8]
2 Entry by Gerry McCann
Claim
Gerry McCann first said he entered through the front door, using his key
Gerald McCann, statement, 4 May 2007: 11:15 a.m.
“. . . Thus, at 9.05 pm, the deponent entered the club, using his key, the door being locked, and went to the children's bedroom and noted that the twins and Madeleine were in perfect condition. . . [9]
Second claim
A week later he said he entered through the patio door, which had been left unlocked.
Gerald McCann , statement 10 May 2007
“He is certain that, before leaving home, the children's bedroom was totally dark, with the window closed, but he does not know it was locked, the shutters closed but with some slats open, and the curtains also drawn closed. Asked, he mentions that during the night the artificial light coming in from the outside is very weak, therefore, without a light being lit in the living room or in the kitchen, the visibility inside the bedroom is much reduced. Despite what he said in his previous statements, he states now and with certainty, that he left with KATE through the back door which he consequently closed but did not lock, given that that is only possible from the inside. Concerning the front door, although he is certain that it was closed, it is unlikely that it was locked, because they left through the back door”. [10]
3 Point of entry
Claim
The intruder must have entered through the open shutters and open window
See above
Jon Corner -
a close friend of Kate McCann and godparent of the twins, said she phoned him in the middle of the night distraught. He said: "She just blurted out that Madeleine had been abducted. Kate said the shutters of the room were smashed. Madeleine was missing It looks as though someone had gone straight past the twins to get to her. [3]
Jill (or Gill) Renwick -
a family friend told GMTV the McCanns were certain that Madeleine has been abducted. "They were just watching the hotel room and going back every half-hour and the shutters had been broken open and they had gone into the room and taken Madeleine," she said.” [4]
Later claim or admission
The open shutters and open window may not have been the point of entry or exit
During the week following the Dispatches programme the McCanns’ official spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, announced that the McCanns now reversed their previous stance on the break-in story.
“THE spokesman for the family of Madeleine McCann has reversed a statement made in the early days of the search for the missing child. . . However, in the early part of the hunt, friends and family members told journalists that the shutter on the apartment where the McCanns were staying had been broken. . . "There was no evidence of a break-in," said Mr Mitchell.
"I'm not going into the detail, but I can say that Kate and Gerry are firmly of the view that somebody got into the apartment and took Madeleine out the window as their means of escape, and to do that they did not necessarily have to tamper with anything. They got out of the window fairly easily.” [11]
McCanns own website.
“Lisbon 14th January 2010
There are few points which have been raised in the last few days which I would like to address specifically:
Abduction theory: For us, there is only the abduction theory possible because we were not involved in Madeleine's disappearance and we know Madeleine did not wander off by herself. It is obvious and right that the police should consider other theories initially.
The window: I described to the police officers exactly what I found that night, as it was and is highly relevant and I knew that every little detail could be helpful in finding my daughter which is our only aim. The window which is a ground floor window was completely open and is large enough for a person to easily climb through it. Whether it had been opened for this purpose remains unknown. It could of course have been opened by the perpetrator when inside the apartment as a potential escape route or left open as a 'red herring'. [12]
4 Sedation
Claim
The children were not sedated
10 August 2007 ( or thereabouts)
Gerry: “you know we’re not gonna comment, on anything but you know there is absolutely no way we use any sedative drugs or anything like that an’ you know we we have co-operated with the police we’ll answer any queries ermm … any tests that they want to do. . . “ [13]
25 Oct. 2007
The McCanns, of Rothley, Leics, were asked if reports that they sedated their children were true. Cardiologist Gerry replied: "It is ludicrous. These sort of questions are nonsense and we shouldn't be giving them the time of day. There is absolutely no suggestion that Madeleine, or the children, were drugged. It's outrageous." [14]
Oct. 2007
Oprah Winfrey "And then, there were the... the hurtful rumours that you drugged Madeleine or that you gave her sedatives; that you accidentally caused her... her death..."
KM: (After a long pause) "I mean we know it's all lies."
GM: "It's just nonsense you know, there's no... that people can have theories and that's all it is, there's no evidence to suggest any of that and it's absolute ludicrous, you know, and it's..." [15]
Later claim
The children must have been sedated
19 Nov. 2007
“Gerry McCann: The twins were still sleeping in the their cots so . . . we tried to leave it as undisturbed as possible, and they slept very soundly until we moved them out their cots into another apartment . . which does make you wonder if there was [sic] any substances used to keep them asleep.” [16]
11 Oct. 2009
Former police detectives David Edgar and Arthur Cowley . . . are convinced the abductor went to the family’s apartment on May 3 2007 fully prepared with sufficient drugs, probably chloroform, to knock out all three children. The fact that Sean and Amelie, then just 18 months old, failed to wake when the alarm was raised, nor even as they were taken to another apartment in the cold night air, has persuaded the detectives that they, too, must have been drugged. [17]
13 May 2011
Kate McCann: I believe kidnapper drugged my twins on the night Madeleine was taken. Kate McCann said the kidnapper who seized Madeleine may also have drugged her other two children, as she launched a new appeal in the hunt for her missing girl today.
Mrs McCann said she had to check that twins Sean and Amelie were still breathing because they did not wake as they began a frantic search for the missing three-year-old. [18]
Note
On publication of the book ‘Madeleine’, it became clear that Kate had known or suspected sedation from the start
3 May 2007 (NOTE: this information was not released until May 2011)
p. 75 “Had Madeleine been given some kind of sedative to keep her quiet ? Had the twins, too ?” [19]
5 Being made suspects
Claim
Kate told her friends by telephone that she had been made a suspect
p. 246 Madeleine, Friday morning, September 7, "for a good couple of hours we were on the phone, calling family and friends to make them aware of the situation and to give them the green light to voice their outrage and despair if they wanted to. Nobody needed a second invitation. They'd all been struggling to contain their concerns for a long time.
Justine arrived to help. While Gerry talked again to Bob Small she was ringing selected editors in the UK." [20]
The Standard had picked up the feed and published it the same day.
Later claim
Kate complained that this was press intrusion
Mr Jay: We're going to look at that particularly in a moment. In paragraph 40, however, you refer to one piece in the Evening Standard, which is I think the very day you were declared arguidos, 7 September 2007: "Police believe mother killed Maddie."
Kate McCann: Mmm.
Mr Jay: Was that the first time that point was made so baldly and so falsely?
Kate McCann: There's been so many headlines of similar gravity that I can't tell you honestly whether that was the first time…” [21]
6 Fluids in car
Claim
The McCanns came up with a range of excuses for bodily fluids found in the car, ranging from sea bass to used nappies.
A source said: "Kate and Gerry are innocent and they're more confident than ever of proving that.
"The evidence against them is flimsy at best. Who is to say what happened when they moved to the new apartment? Everything, including Madeleine's sandals and the twins' nappies, were dumped in the car. Bags of stuff were thrown in. Anything could have found its way there. Gerry folded down the rear seat to cram it all in.
These items will have included traces of skin, sweat and bodily fluids. DNA could easily have been transferred in such circumstances. [22]
Later statement
At Leveson Kate said under oath, there were no fluids found in the car
9 MRS McCANN: These were desperate times. You know, we were
10 having to try and find our daughter ourselves. We
11 needed all the help we could get, and we were faced
12 with -- I know we'll come on to headlines, but "Corpse
13 in the car"; I don't know how many times I read "Body
14 fluids in the car". And it gets repeated that often, it
15 becomes fact. There were no body fluids. We
16 desperately wanted to shout out "It's not true, it's not
17 true", but when it's your voice against the powerful
18 media, it just doesn't have a weight. [23]
7 Half hourly checks
Claim
The parents were making half hourly checks throughout the week.
Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 4th of May 2007, at 11.15 a.m.
As usual, every half hour and considering that the restaurant was close to the apartment, the deponent or his wife went to check if the children were ok. [24]
Witness statement of Kate Marie Healy, 4th of May 2007, at 2.20 p.m.
As usual, every half hour, and given the fact that the restaurant was close, the witness and her husband came to make sure the children were ok. [25]
Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th of May 2007, at 3.20 p.m.
Dinner ended at around 23h00, and during this period, every half-hour, the deponent and KATE went, alternately, to the apartment to confirm that all was well with the children. On that day, only the deponent and his wife entered the apartment. He is sure that they always entered through the front door, not knowing if they locked it upon leaving. Usually they entered the apartment, in which one of the living room lights was on, went to the children's bedroom door, which was ajar, and only peeped inside, trying to hear if the children were crying. The shutters were closed with only two or three slats open, the window was closed though he is not totally sure if it was locked, and the curtains drawn closed. Ten minutes after dinner ended they made their way to the apartment, going to bed right away. [26]
Contradiction
The late Mrs Fenn reports a child crying and screaming for over an hour on previous evening
Thus, according to the facts noted in the files, she says that she has lived in the apartment since 2003, which is located on the upper floor, immediately above the room from which the child disappeared.
She states that on the day of the 1st May 2007, when she was at home alone, at approximately 22H30 she heard a child cry, and that due the tone of the crying seemed to be a young child and not a baby of two years of age or younger.
Apart from the crying that continued for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes, and which got louder and more expressive, the child shouted "Daddy, Daddy", the witness had no doubt that the noise came from the floor below. At about 23H45, an hour and fifteen minutes after the crying began, she heard the parents arrive, she did not see them, but she heard the patio doors open, she was quite worried as the crying had gone on for more than an hour and had gradually got worse.
When questioned, she said that she did not know the cause of the crying, perhaps a nightmare or another destabilising factor.
As soon as the parents entered the child stopped crying.
That night she contacted a friend called XXXX XXXX, who also lives in Praia da Luz, after 23H00, telling her about the situation, who was not surprised at the childs crying. [27]
8 Kate’s Dream
Fact
Kate reported to Insp. Paiva that she had had a dream in which she had “seen” Madeleine dead
According to the court testimony of the McCanns' liaison officer, Ricardo Paiva, the suspicions of Amaral and his team were hardened by what was seen as a turning point in the police investigation.
It came when a weeping Kate phoned Paiva, in late July 2007, to report a disturbing dream in which she had seen Madeleine lying on rocks overlooking a beach at Praia da Luz. The detectives took this to be a clear signal that the McCanns knew full well that their daughter was dead. [28]
Denial by Gerry
On the steps of the court Gerry publicly denies that Kate had had any such dream
He then went on to contradict Dr Paiva's evidence that Kate had seen Madeleine on a hillside in a dream. He said: "I'd like to make it absolutely clear that Kate has never had a dream that Maddie has been buried somewhere, and I don't know if something's been lost in interpretation, but that didn't happen – not with those words, that's for sure." [29]
9 Lying in general
Fact
Kate admits lying
Book p 206 That morning Gerry and I, along with Jon and a colleague, were preparing to drive to Huelva in Spain to put up posters of Madeleine. Jon was intending to do some filming and several of the British journalists were going to join us there, on the give-and-take principle: it would give them a story centred on Madeleine, rather than on us, and this in turn would publicize our efforts. As I was dropping Sean and Amelie off at Toddler Club, I had a phone call from Gerry. The police wanted to come over at 10am. Something to do with forensics, they’d said. Great timing. And forensics? What was that all about?
We’d never lied about anything – not to the police, not to the media, not to anyone else. But now we found ourselves in one of those tricky situations where we just didn’t seem to have a choice. As it happened, Gerry had a mild stomach upset which we used as an excuse to postpone the trip. We didn’t feel good about this at all, but even if the judicial secrecy law had not prevented us from giving the main reason, can you imagine what would have happened if we’d announced to the journalists heading for Huelva that the police were coming to do some forensic work in our villa? We were not to know our excuse would prove to be no more than a temporary holding measure. If we had, we wouldn’t have bothered trying to keep the scurrilous headlines at bay. [30]
10 Afternoon of 3rd May
Claim
Kate arrives after a run to find the children with Gerry at tea
p. 66 Having arranged for Gerry to meet the children, I opted to go for a run along the beach, where I spotted the rest of our holiday group. They saw me and shouted some words of encouragement. At least, I think that’s what they were shouting! I remember feeling fleetingly disappointed that we hadn’t known they were all heading for the beach, as it might have been nice to have joined them, especially for the kids. I wondered whether Madeleine had been OK about staying behind at Mini Club when Russ or Jane had collected Ella. I wasn’t to know at that stage that in fact they had only just arrived when I ran by. It’s hard work being a mum sometimes, fretting about the possible effects of the smallest of incidents on your children. I’m sure a lot of these worries are unfounded but it doesn’t stop us having them, and we’ll probably go on having them for the rest of our lives.
I had finished my run by five-thirty at the Tapas area, where I found Madeleine and the twins already having their tea with Gerry. The others had decided to feed their kids at the beachside restaurant, the Paraíso. Madeleine was sitting on the Tapas terrace, eating. She looked so pale and worn out, I went straight up to her and asked if she was all right. Had she been OK at the club when Ella left to go to the beach? Yes, she said, but now she was really tired and wanted me to pick her up, which I did. Ten minutes later, the five of us went back to our apartment. I was carrying Madeleine. Because she was so exhausted we skipped playtime that evening. [31]
Fact
On that day Kate herself signed Madeleine out of the crèche at 5:30pm
[32]
11 Eye defect
Facts
The McCanns released details of the coloboma to the press of the world.
They trademark the sign “Løok”, in the phrase “Løok for Maddie”
The eye defect is blown upon a giant screen at the FA cup Final,
The eye defect is clearly visible on all photos released as part of the campaign
The eye defect is clearly visible on the front cover picture of the book
Gerry McCann states that using it was a “good marketing ploy.”
[33]
[34]
Later
Kate denies “putting emphasis on it”
CNN PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT Where is Madeleine McCann? Aired May 11, 2011 - 21:00
MORGAN: Madeleine had a very distinctive eye pattern, didn't she? Tell me about that, Kate, in case people see somebody they think may be Madeleine. Tell me about her eye.
K. MCCANN: If I'm honest, we haven't put too much emphasis on her eye, because I think you have to be very close to her to see it. [35]
12 Private detectives
Claim
The McCanns deny using private detectives.
May 22 2007
Ian Woods (Sky News): "Gerry, I know that you've been getting lots of money in. People will want to know how you're going to spend that. I mean, I know, one of the thoughts was to hire private investigators. Is that the case and what input do you think they can have that perhaps the Portuguese police haven't had to date?"
Gerry McCann: Taking your question on, back to the private investigators. I'd like to reiterate what we've already said. The thrust of this investigation will be the criminal investigation which is being... errr, run by the Portuguese police with assistance from the British police.
Regarding the specific point about the private investigators, we've taken advice about the level and the extensive resources both in this country and in the UK which are being... errr, directed and... to Madeleine's search and, at this stage, we don't see a role for private investigators." [36]
And
Jane Hill (BBC news): And... and some of that support has translated into a lot of money that's gone into the fighting fund, I think nearly £300,000 has been pledged, so far. What of the reports that say, perhaps... those people who suggest that some of that money could be sensibly spent on things like private investigators, for example.
Gerry McCann: Well, you know, the fund, errm... was really... really evolved to provide an outlet for people who wanted to contribute financially and these offers, errr... will help us and are helping us and that has helped us to bring in quite a comprehensive legal team and independent sector, errr... consultants as to what we could and should be doing.
I did, errr... address this and the situation hasn't changed that, at this time, with the huge amount of resource from the police, errr... both in the UK and Portugal that the advice is that private investigators will not help. I personally, and we, believe that it's the public who hold the key to this; someone knows something and we would urge that if anyone has any information to come forward and anyone who's been in this area, within the two weeks leading up to Madeleine's disappearance, to come forward if they haven't already done so and upload those pictures." [37]
Fact
The McCanns were already using private detectives from Control Risks and had been so from the previous week
p. 126 Kate McCann: ”By the Sunday evening [13th May 2007] we found ourselves giving our statements again, this time to a couple of detectives from Control Risks. We were concerned that parts of the statements we had made to the Portuguese police , especially on that first day,” she claims, “might have been lost in translation. We also felt that these accounts were not particularly thorough and wanted to have every detail we could remember registered properly.” [38]
13 The search of the second apartment
Claim
They claim they had no explanation, and that they were made to leave the villa.
p. 205-6 As I was dropping Sean and Amelie off at Toddler Club, I had a phone call from Gerry. The police wanted to come over at 10am. Something to do with forensics, they’d said. Great timing. And forensics? What was that all about?
SNIP
My mum, dad, Brian and Janet set off for the town to get out of the way before the police arrived. Ten o’clock came and went, as did lunchtime, then the afternoon. It was 5 pm when they eventually showed up. They told us they wanted to shoot some video footage of our clothes and possessions. The forensics people would then take these away and return them the following day. They offered no explanation as to why they were doing this. Gerry and I just assumed it was on the suggestion of the British team, who had no doubt pointed out that it should have been done much earlier. We could kind of see the point: after all, the abductor could have brushed against some of our belongings and left traces of his DNA. Even at this late stage, it might be possible for some vital information to be retrieved. We were even quite pleased this was happening, that something was happening which might help find Madeleine.
Left with only the clothes we were wearing, we were all asked to leave the villa. It was early evening and we had to find somewhere to go with two tired and hungry toddlers in tow. When we were allowed back, we found four detectives in the house: José de Freitas, João Carlos, Ricardo Paiva and a woman called Carla. They went through the list of what had been removed. I was not only confused, I was devastated: as well as all of our clothes, they had taken my Bible (my friend Bridget’s Bible, to be precise), Cuddle Cat and my diaries. Why had they taken my diaries? Obviously not for any forensic purpose: the abductor couldn’t have been in contact with them because they hadn’t existed until halfway through May. And the Bible had been lent to me by Bridget’s husband Paddy a week after Madeleine’s abduction. My journals were private and full of personal thoughts and messages to Madeleine. I felt violated. [39]
Fact
There was a full search warrant, a copy of which was to be served on the McCanns, and they were to be invited to be present.
SEARCH WARRANT
In Triplicate
Case: 201.070 GALGS
Inquiry – Legal Acts
Date: 2nd August 2007
Subject: Search Warrant – Valid for 20 days with strict observance of the proceedings laid down in articles n 176 – 177 of the CPP. Competence of the Lagos Judge.
Dr Anjos Frias, Judge of the Lagos Court
ORDERS that according to the terms of articles 174 n 2, 176 n1, 177 n|1, 177n1, 296 n1 of the Penal Process Code a SEARCH will be made of the premises identified below, if necessary with forced entry whilst observing the legal formalities foreseen in articles 176 and 177 of the CPP, for the EFFECTIVE APPREHENSION of all elements that could clarify the investigation and instruction process according to the terms of article 178 of the same code.
The search should include the entire property, even the part occupied by people other than the suspects, including annexes and rented areas.
Before proceeding to effect the search, copy of the dispatch attached determining who had access to the place, mentioning that they can be present during the search and be accompanied or substituted by someone of confidence will be delivered. If the persons in reference are not present, copy of the dispatch can be delivered where possible to a family member, neighbour, caretaker or whoever acts as substitute, article 176, n 1 and 2 of the CPP.
All information will be included in the process files.
Location of Inquiry:
“McCann family residence”, respective garages and annexes, situated in Vista Mar, Luz Parque, Praia da Luz, if necessary with forced entry.
Signed and sealed
Judge Anjos Frias [40]
14 Who spoke to Mrs Fenn ?
Claim
Kate spoke to Mrs Fenn
p. 75 Then a lady appeared on a balcony – I’m fairly certain this was about 11pm, before the police arrived – and, in a plummy voice, inquired, ‘Can someone tell me what all the noise is about?’ I explained as clearly as I was able, given the state I was in, that my little girl had been stolen from her bed, to which she casually responded, ‘Oh, I see,’ almost as if she’d just been told that a can of beans had fallen off a kitchen shelf. I remember feeling both shocked and angry at this woefully inadequate and apparently unconcerned reaction. I recollect that in our outrage, Fiona and I shouted back something rather short and to the point. [41]
Contradiction
Mrs Fenn's statement refers to speaking to Gerry McCann
During the day nothing unusual happened, until almost 22H30 when, being alone again, she heard the hysterical shouts from a female person, calling out "we have let her down" which she repeated several times, quite upset. She then saw that it was the mother of little Madeleine who was shouting furiously. Upon leaning over the terrace, after having seen the mother, she 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 when GERRY 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 22H30.
Mrs Fenn has no reason to lie. [42]
15 Metodo3 claims that Madeleine would be found by Christmas
Claim
McCanns claim that this was never said
Bates, Wells and Braithwaite, reply by email, dated 11 January 2008, to the author
“We acknowledge ...etc.
We are also replying on behalf of Haysmacintyre
We are advised by our clients that reports in the media purporting to be from the investigators, which made claims as to when Madeleine would be found are inaccurate and misrepresentations of their views. [my emphases]
Our client has every confidence in the investigators who continue to search for Madeleine.
Yours faithfully
BWB London LLP" [43]
Fact
Kate admits that this was said
p. 283 "We have no doubt that M3 made significant strides, but unfortunately, in mid-December, one of their senior investigators gave an overly optimistic interview to the media. He implied that the team were close to finding Madeleine and declared that he hoped she would be home by Christmas." [44]
16 The colour of the pyjamas
Claim
The pyjama bottoms were white
Kate’s statement
At the time of her disappearance, she was wearing pyjamas, with white bottoms with a floral pattern and a frill at the end. The short-sleeved top, mainly pink with a blue-grey donkey figure on the front, bearing the inscription "EEYORE", an inscription which was also on one of the trouser legs.
The pyjamas are of the "Marks and Spencer" brand. [45]
p. 84 "Although Jane had never seen or known about Madeleine's Eeyore pyjamas, her description of this child's night clothes - light coloured pink or white pyjamas with a 'trailing' or floral pattern and turn-ups on the bottoms - matched Madeleine's almost exactly. " [46]
BBC Crimewatch
Recorded in Praia da Luz: 04 June 2007, Televised: 05 June 2007
Fiona Bruce: (to camera) "It's 33 days since little Madeleine McCann disappeared from Praia da Luz in Portugal. Tonight, in a special appeal, her parents Gerry and Kate plead for your help in the hunt for their daughter."
Gerry McCann: "For the Crimewatch viewers at home I think this would be a good time now to review all the information."
Kate McCann: "These are virtually identical to the pyjamas that Madeleine was wearing when she was taken. As you can see it's a pink top, errm... with gathered short sleeves and it has a picture of Eeyore on the front. Errr, the bottoms are white with a... a floral design and have an Eeyore, errm... on the bottom of the right leg." [47]
Counterclaim
The Pyjamas bottoms were not white
p. 171 "We were able to show a pair of pyjamas like Madeleine's on the programme, which was particularly important since at the time it had been incorrectly stated in some press reports that her pyjamas were white." [48]
Fact
The pyjama bottoms were white [49]
17 “We answered all the questions”
Claim
The McCanns cooperated fully with the police and answered all questions truthfully
PARIS MATCH: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE McCANNS
04 September 2007
By our special reporter in Portugal: Arnaud Bizot.
PM – The police must equally have suspected your friends and delved into your backgrounds?
GM – We have replied to all the questions that have been put to us and we will continue to do so, whatever the new information might be. Of course, we shall be completely honest.
KM – We have said everything we know and responded to everything that we have been asked. [50]
Fact
Kate refused to answer any of the 48 questions during her second interview
11 months later the police files were released and revealed that Kate had refused to answer any of the 48 specific questions during her second interview [51]
This is also admitted in the book
p.248 “On the other hand I was very weary and at least repeating “No comment” didn’t involve engaging my brain. It certainly speeded up the translation process.” [52]
References
1 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/6623127.stm
2 http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/may/05/world.topstories31
3http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article1750081/ece
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/maddy-3-goes-missing-472340
4http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/british-girl-missing-on- algarve-holiday-447404.html
http://www.24dash.com/news/Communities/2007-05-04-Holidaymakers- join-Algarve-hunt-for-missing-three-year-old
Reported on http://hypocriteandliar.wordpress.com/tag/jill-renwick/
5http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/british-girl-missing-on- algarve-holiday-447404.html
Quoted at http://themaddiecasefiles.com/topic15821.html
referring to Press Association ,4 May 2007 By PA Reporters
6 [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-454466/Madeleines-parents-left- patio-doors-unlocked.html]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-454466/Madeleines-parents-left- patio-doors-unlocked.html[/url]
7 http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/ocean_club_appartment-.jpg
8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IeuMzyaCnnY
9 Witness statement Gerald Patrick McCann, 4th May 2007, may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html
10 Witness statement Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007. may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap10
11[url=http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/mccann-family-reverse-story-over- breakin-evidence-1203473.html] http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/mccann-family-reverse-story-over- breakin-evidence-1203473.html[/url]
12 http://www.findmadeleine.com/updates/updates@page=1.html
13 [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v= uMUdynuECbE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v= uMUdynuECbE[/url]
14 The Sun By Antonella Lazzeri and Clodagh Hartley 25 Oct. 2007
15 [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix6bKUnmOCM&feature= player_embedded]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix6bKUnmOCM&feature= player_embedded[/url]
16 BBC Panorama, 19 Nov. 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix6bKUnmOCM
17 [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper-drugged- twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper-drugged- twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html [/url]
18 http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2011/05/12/18139856.html
19 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 75.
20 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 246
21 Leveson enquiry, copied at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id385.html
22http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2007/09/19/maddy-s-mum-why-i-m-innocent-
cached at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id16.html
23 http://fullfact.org/leveson/hearings/111123-pm
24 Witness statement Gerald Patrick McCann, 4th May 2007, may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html
25 Witness statement Kate Marie Healy, 4th of May 2007
may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta4
26 Witness statement Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007. may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap10
27 Witness statement Pamela Fenn 20 August 2007
may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id331.html#fenn1
28 [url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/portugal/6974917/Madeleine- McCanns-death-covered-up-by-parents-who-faked-kidnap-court-hears.html]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/portugal/6974917/Madeleine- McCanns-death-covered-up-by-parents-who-faked-kidnap-court-hears.html[/url]
[url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2805709/Kate-McCann-dreamt-Maddies- body-was-on-a-hillside.html]http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2805709/Kate-McCann-dreamt-Maddies- body-was-on-a-hillside.html[/url]
may be accessed at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id296.html
29 http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/151642/McCanns-fury-at-death-claim
may be acessed at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id299.html
30 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 206.
31 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 66.
32 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id351.html
33 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id169.html
34 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Response_to_the_disappearance_of_Madeleine_McCann
35 PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT: Where is Madeleine McCann?, 11 May 2011
Can be acessed on http://www.mccannfiles.com/id370.html
36 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id170.html
37 McCanns give first interview, 25 May 2007
may be accessed at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id212.html
38 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 126.
39 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 205-6.
40 Processos Vol VIII Pages 2085 – 2086
can be acessed at http://themaddiecasefiles.com/topic6328.html
41 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 75.
42 Witness statement Pamela Fenn 20 August 2007
may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id331.html#fenn1
43 Personal e-letter to author from Bates Wells Braithwaite
44 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 283
45 Witness statement Kate Marie Healy, 4th of May 2007
may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta4
46 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 84
47 http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6720000/newsid_6721400/6721465.stm?
may be acessed at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id185.html
48 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 171
49 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id185.html
50 Paris Match: exclusive interview with the McCanns 4 September 2007
can be accessed at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id185.html
51 [url=http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1041216/Pictured-The-bedroom- Madeleine-McCann-vanished-Portugal.html]http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1041216/Pictured-The-bedroom- Madeleine-McCann-vanished-Portugal.html[/url]
can be accessed at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id142.html
52 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 283..
It is said to be defamatory to accuse the McCanns of lying.
It is however unclear what word should be used to describe these most egregious examples of “economy with the truth”.
It is however unclear what word should be used to describe these most egregious examples of “economy with the truth”.
1 Shutters
Claim
The McCanns told many family members that the shutters had been forced or broken
Fact
The shutters had not been forced or broken
2 Entry by Gerry McCann
Claim
Gerry McCann first said he entered through the front door, using his key
Fact
He later said he entered through the patio door, which had been left unlocked.
3 Point of entry
Claim
The intruder must have entered through the open shutters and open window
Later claim or admission
The open shutters and open window may not have been the point of entry or exit
4 Sedation
Claim
The children were not sedated
Later claim
The children must have been sedated
(NOTE” On publication of the book ‘madeleine’, it became clear that Kate had known or suspected sedation from the start.)
5 Being made suspects
Claim
Kate told her friends by telephone that she had been made a suspect
Later claim
Kate complained that this was press intrusion, when the only possible source was Kate herself
6 Fluids in car
Claim
The McCanns came up with a range of excuses for bodily fluids found in the car, ranging from sea bass to used nappies.
Later statement
At Leveson Kate said under oath that there were no fluids found in the car
7 Half hourly checks
Claim
The parents were making half hourly checks throughout the week.
Contradiction
The late Mrs Fenn reports a child crying for over an hour on a previous evening
8 Kate’s Dream
Fact
Kate reported to Insp. Paiva that she had had a dream in which she had “seen” Madeleine dead. He gave this evidence under oath in court.
Denial
On the steps of the court Gerry publicly denies that Kate had had any such dream
9 Lying in general
Fact
In her book Kate admits lying
10 Afternoon of 3rd May
Claim
Kate arrives after a run to find the children with Gerry at tea
Fact
On that day Kate herself signed Madeleine out of the crèche at 5:30pm
11 Eye defect
Facts
The McCanns released details of the coloboma to the press of the world.
They trademark the sign “Løok”, in the phrase “Løok for me”
The eye defect is blown upon a giant screen at the FA cup Final,
The eye defect is clearly visible on all photos released as part of the campaign
The eye defect is clearly visible on the front cover picture of the book
Gerry McCann states that using the defect in this way was a “good marketing ploy”
Later
Kate denies “putting emphasis on it”
12 Private Detectives
Claim
The McCanns dismiss the idea of using private detectives.
Fact
The McCanns were already using private detectives from Control Risks the previous week
13 The search of the second apartment
Claim
They claim they had no explanation, and that they were made to leave the villa.
Fact
There was a full search warrant, a copy of which was to be served on the McCanns. and they were to be invited to be present.
14 Who spoke to Mrs Fenn ?
Claim
Kate spoke to Mrs Fenn
Contradiction
Mrs Fenn's statement refers to speaking to Gerry McCann
15 Metodo3 claims that Madeleine would be found by Christmas
Claim
McCanns claim through their solicitors that this was never said
Fact
Kate admits that this was said
16 The colour of the pyjamas
Claim
The pyjama bottoms were white
Counterclaim
The pyjamas were not white.
Fact
The pyjama bottoms were white.
17 “We answered all the questions”
Claim
The McCanns cooperated fully with the police and answered all questions truthfully
Fact
Kate refused to answer any of the 48 questions during her second interview
References and text
1 Shutters
Claim
The McCanns told family members that the shutters had been forced or broken
Trish Cameron -
Gerry McCanns sister, said she received a telephone call from her 39-year-old brother, a consultant cardiologist, who was "hysterical and crying his eyes out". She said: "They last checked at half past nine and they were all sound asleep, sleeping, windows shut, shutters shut. Kate went back at 10 o'clock to check. The front door was lying open, the window had been tampered with, the shutters had been jemmied open or whatever you call it and Madeleine was missing...” [1]
Brian Healy -
Madeleine's maternal grandfather, told the Guardian his son-in-law had phoned him shortly after returning "Gerry told me when they went back the shutters to the room were broken, they were jemmied up and she was gone," said Mr Healy. "She'd been taken from the chalet. The door was open." [2]
Jon Corner -
a close friend of Kate McCann and godparent of the twins, said she phoned him in the middle of the night distraught. He said: "She just blurted out that Madeleine had been abducted. Kate said the shutters of the room were smashed. Madeleine was missing It looks as though someone had gone straight past the twins to get to her. [3]
Jill (or Gill) Renwick -
a family friend told GMTV the McCanns were certain that Madeleine has been abducted. "They were just watching the hotel room and going back every half-hour and the shutters had been broken open and they had gone into the room and taken Madeleine," she said.” [4]
Fact
The shutters had not been forced or broken
John Hill Mr Hill said that despite the report by a family friend that the shutters to the couple's apartment were broken, there was no sign that anyone had forced their way in while the McCanns ate at the tapas restaurant 200 yards away.
"It's still questionable as to whether it's abduction," [5]
Chief Inspector Olegario Sousa, spokesman for the investigation, later confided in British former Chief Inspector Albert Kirby that neither the windows nor their shutters had been tampered with.
Mr Kirby told The Mail on Sunday: "
I had a very interesting chat with the officer in charge. The window shutters are not an issue. Their mechanism makes them almost impossible to open. The door was left unlocked. They did that every night.” [6]
Photos exist of the forensic scientist from the PJ examining the shutters. It is clear that the shutters are in perfect condition. [7]
A short video clip of an attempt to open the shutters from outside may also be seen on YouTube. In this it is clear that the shutters jam into the housing above the window, and do not remain in the raised position once released. [8]
2 Entry by Gerry McCann
Claim
Gerry McCann first said he entered through the front door, using his key
Gerald McCann, statement, 4 May 2007: 11:15 a.m.
“. . . Thus, at 9.05 pm, the deponent entered the club, using his key, the door being locked, and went to the children's bedroom and noted that the twins and Madeleine were in perfect condition. . . [9]
Second claim
A week later he said he entered through the patio door, which had been left unlocked.
Gerald McCann , statement 10 May 2007
“He is certain that, before leaving home, the children's bedroom was totally dark, with the window closed, but he does not know it was locked, the shutters closed but with some slats open, and the curtains also drawn closed. Asked, he mentions that during the night the artificial light coming in from the outside is very weak, therefore, without a light being lit in the living room or in the kitchen, the visibility inside the bedroom is much reduced. Despite what he said in his previous statements, he states now and with certainty, that he left with KATE through the back door which he consequently closed but did not lock, given that that is only possible from the inside. Concerning the front door, although he is certain that it was closed, it is unlikely that it was locked, because they left through the back door”. [10]
3 Point of entry
Claim
The intruder must have entered through the open shutters and open window
See above
Jon Corner -
a close friend of Kate McCann and godparent of the twins, said she phoned him in the middle of the night distraught. He said: "She just blurted out that Madeleine had been abducted. Kate said the shutters of the room were smashed. Madeleine was missing It looks as though someone had gone straight past the twins to get to her. [3]
Jill (or Gill) Renwick -
a family friend told GMTV the McCanns were certain that Madeleine has been abducted. "They were just watching the hotel room and going back every half-hour and the shutters had been broken open and they had gone into the room and taken Madeleine," she said.” [4]
Later claim or admission
The open shutters and open window may not have been the point of entry or exit
During the week following the Dispatches programme the McCanns’ official spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, announced that the McCanns now reversed their previous stance on the break-in story.
“THE spokesman for the family of Madeleine McCann has reversed a statement made in the early days of the search for the missing child. . . However, in the early part of the hunt, friends and family members told journalists that the shutter on the apartment where the McCanns were staying had been broken. . . "There was no evidence of a break-in," said Mr Mitchell.
"I'm not going into the detail, but I can say that Kate and Gerry are firmly of the view that somebody got into the apartment and took Madeleine out the window as their means of escape, and to do that they did not necessarily have to tamper with anything. They got out of the window fairly easily.” [11]
McCanns own website.
“Lisbon 14th January 2010
There are few points which have been raised in the last few days which I would like to address specifically:
Abduction theory: For us, there is only the abduction theory possible because we were not involved in Madeleine's disappearance and we know Madeleine did not wander off by herself. It is obvious and right that the police should consider other theories initially.
The window: I described to the police officers exactly what I found that night, as it was and is highly relevant and I knew that every little detail could be helpful in finding my daughter which is our only aim. The window which is a ground floor window was completely open and is large enough for a person to easily climb through it. Whether it had been opened for this purpose remains unknown. It could of course have been opened by the perpetrator when inside the apartment as a potential escape route or left open as a 'red herring'. [12]
4 Sedation
Claim
The children were not sedated
10 August 2007 ( or thereabouts)
Gerry: “you know we’re not gonna comment, on anything but you know there is absolutely no way we use any sedative drugs or anything like that an’ you know we we have co-operated with the police we’ll answer any queries ermm … any tests that they want to do. . . “ [13]
25 Oct. 2007
The McCanns, of Rothley, Leics, were asked if reports that they sedated their children were true. Cardiologist Gerry replied: "It is ludicrous. These sort of questions are nonsense and we shouldn't be giving them the time of day. There is absolutely no suggestion that Madeleine, or the children, were drugged. It's outrageous." [14]
Oct. 2007
Oprah Winfrey "And then, there were the... the hurtful rumours that you drugged Madeleine or that you gave her sedatives; that you accidentally caused her... her death..."
KM: (After a long pause) "I mean we know it's all lies."
GM: "It's just nonsense you know, there's no... that people can have theories and that's all it is, there's no evidence to suggest any of that and it's absolute ludicrous, you know, and it's..." [15]
Later claim
The children must have been sedated
19 Nov. 2007
“Gerry McCann: The twins were still sleeping in the their cots so . . . we tried to leave it as undisturbed as possible, and they slept very soundly until we moved them out their cots into another apartment . . which does make you wonder if there was [sic] any substances used to keep them asleep.” [16]
11 Oct. 2009
Former police detectives David Edgar and Arthur Cowley . . . are convinced the abductor went to the family’s apartment on May 3 2007 fully prepared with sufficient drugs, probably chloroform, to knock out all three children. The fact that Sean and Amelie, then just 18 months old, failed to wake when the alarm was raised, nor even as they were taken to another apartment in the cold night air, has persuaded the detectives that they, too, must have been drugged. [17]
13 May 2011
Kate McCann: I believe kidnapper drugged my twins on the night Madeleine was taken. Kate McCann said the kidnapper who seized Madeleine may also have drugged her other two children, as she launched a new appeal in the hunt for her missing girl today.
Mrs McCann said she had to check that twins Sean and Amelie were still breathing because they did not wake as they began a frantic search for the missing three-year-old. [18]
Note
On publication of the book ‘Madeleine’, it became clear that Kate had known or suspected sedation from the start
3 May 2007 (NOTE: this information was not released until May 2011)
p. 75 “Had Madeleine been given some kind of sedative to keep her quiet ? Had the twins, too ?” [19]
5 Being made suspects
Claim
Kate told her friends by telephone that she had been made a suspect
p. 246 Madeleine, Friday morning, September 7, "for a good couple of hours we were on the phone, calling family and friends to make them aware of the situation and to give them the green light to voice their outrage and despair if they wanted to. Nobody needed a second invitation. They'd all been struggling to contain their concerns for a long time.
Justine arrived to help. While Gerry talked again to Bob Small she was ringing selected editors in the UK." [20]
The Standard had picked up the feed and published it the same day.
Later claim
Kate complained that this was press intrusion
Mr Jay: We're going to look at that particularly in a moment. In paragraph 40, however, you refer to one piece in the Evening Standard, which is I think the very day you were declared arguidos, 7 September 2007: "Police believe mother killed Maddie."
Kate McCann: Mmm.
Mr Jay: Was that the first time that point was made so baldly and so falsely?
Kate McCann: There's been so many headlines of similar gravity that I can't tell you honestly whether that was the first time…” [21]
6 Fluids in car
Claim
The McCanns came up with a range of excuses for bodily fluids found in the car, ranging from sea bass to used nappies.
A source said: "Kate and Gerry are innocent and they're more confident than ever of proving that.
"The evidence against them is flimsy at best. Who is to say what happened when they moved to the new apartment? Everything, including Madeleine's sandals and the twins' nappies, were dumped in the car. Bags of stuff were thrown in. Anything could have found its way there. Gerry folded down the rear seat to cram it all in.
These items will have included traces of skin, sweat and bodily fluids. DNA could easily have been transferred in such circumstances. [22]
Later statement
At Leveson Kate said under oath, there were no fluids found in the car
9 MRS McCANN: These were desperate times. You know, we were
10 having to try and find our daughter ourselves. We
11 needed all the help we could get, and we were faced
12 with -- I know we'll come on to headlines, but "Corpse
13 in the car"; I don't know how many times I read "Body
14 fluids in the car". And it gets repeated that often, it
15 becomes fact. There were no body fluids. We
16 desperately wanted to shout out "It's not true, it's not
17 true", but when it's your voice against the powerful
18 media, it just doesn't have a weight. [23]
7 Half hourly checks
Claim
The parents were making half hourly checks throughout the week.
Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 4th of May 2007, at 11.15 a.m.
As usual, every half hour and considering that the restaurant was close to the apartment, the deponent or his wife went to check if the children were ok. [24]
Witness statement of Kate Marie Healy, 4th of May 2007, at 2.20 p.m.
As usual, every half hour, and given the fact that the restaurant was close, the witness and her husband came to make sure the children were ok. [25]
Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th of May 2007, at 3.20 p.m.
Dinner ended at around 23h00, and during this period, every half-hour, the deponent and KATE went, alternately, to the apartment to confirm that all was well with the children. On that day, only the deponent and his wife entered the apartment. He is sure that they always entered through the front door, not knowing if they locked it upon leaving. Usually they entered the apartment, in which one of the living room lights was on, went to the children's bedroom door, which was ajar, and only peeped inside, trying to hear if the children were crying. The shutters were closed with only two or three slats open, the window was closed though he is not totally sure if it was locked, and the curtains drawn closed. Ten minutes after dinner ended they made their way to the apartment, going to bed right away. [26]
Contradiction
The late Mrs Fenn reports a child crying and screaming for over an hour on previous evening
Thus, according to the facts noted in the files, she says that she has lived in the apartment since 2003, which is located on the upper floor, immediately above the room from which the child disappeared.
She states that on the day of the 1st May 2007, when she was at home alone, at approximately 22H30 she heard a child cry, and that due the tone of the crying seemed to be a young child and not a baby of two years of age or younger.
Apart from the crying that continued for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes, and which got louder and more expressive, the child shouted "Daddy, Daddy", the witness had no doubt that the noise came from the floor below. At about 23H45, an hour and fifteen minutes after the crying began, she heard the parents arrive, she did not see them, but she heard the patio doors open, she was quite worried as the crying had gone on for more than an hour and had gradually got worse.
When questioned, she said that she did not know the cause of the crying, perhaps a nightmare or another destabilising factor.
As soon as the parents entered the child stopped crying.
That night she contacted a friend called XXXX XXXX, who also lives in Praia da Luz, after 23H00, telling her about the situation, who was not surprised at the childs crying. [27]
8 Kate’s Dream
Fact
Kate reported to Insp. Paiva that she had had a dream in which she had “seen” Madeleine dead
According to the court testimony of the McCanns' liaison officer, Ricardo Paiva, the suspicions of Amaral and his team were hardened by what was seen as a turning point in the police investigation.
It came when a weeping Kate phoned Paiva, in late July 2007, to report a disturbing dream in which she had seen Madeleine lying on rocks overlooking a beach at Praia da Luz. The detectives took this to be a clear signal that the McCanns knew full well that their daughter was dead. [28]
Denial by Gerry
On the steps of the court Gerry publicly denies that Kate had had any such dream
He then went on to contradict Dr Paiva's evidence that Kate had seen Madeleine on a hillside in a dream. He said: "I'd like to make it absolutely clear that Kate has never had a dream that Maddie has been buried somewhere, and I don't know if something's been lost in interpretation, but that didn't happen – not with those words, that's for sure." [29]
9 Lying in general
Fact
Kate admits lying
Book p 206 That morning Gerry and I, along with Jon and a colleague, were preparing to drive to Huelva in Spain to put up posters of Madeleine. Jon was intending to do some filming and several of the British journalists were going to join us there, on the give-and-take principle: it would give them a story centred on Madeleine, rather than on us, and this in turn would publicize our efforts. As I was dropping Sean and Amelie off at Toddler Club, I had a phone call from Gerry. The police wanted to come over at 10am. Something to do with forensics, they’d said. Great timing. And forensics? What was that all about?
We’d never lied about anything – not to the police, not to the media, not to anyone else. But now we found ourselves in one of those tricky situations where we just didn’t seem to have a choice. As it happened, Gerry had a mild stomach upset which we used as an excuse to postpone the trip. We didn’t feel good about this at all, but even if the judicial secrecy law had not prevented us from giving the main reason, can you imagine what would have happened if we’d announced to the journalists heading for Huelva that the police were coming to do some forensic work in our villa? We were not to know our excuse would prove to be no more than a temporary holding measure. If we had, we wouldn’t have bothered trying to keep the scurrilous headlines at bay. [30]
10 Afternoon of 3rd May
Claim
Kate arrives after a run to find the children with Gerry at tea
p. 66 Having arranged for Gerry to meet the children, I opted to go for a run along the beach, where I spotted the rest of our holiday group. They saw me and shouted some words of encouragement. At least, I think that’s what they were shouting! I remember feeling fleetingly disappointed that we hadn’t known they were all heading for the beach, as it might have been nice to have joined them, especially for the kids. I wondered whether Madeleine had been OK about staying behind at Mini Club when Russ or Jane had collected Ella. I wasn’t to know at that stage that in fact they had only just arrived when I ran by. It’s hard work being a mum sometimes, fretting about the possible effects of the smallest of incidents on your children. I’m sure a lot of these worries are unfounded but it doesn’t stop us having them, and we’ll probably go on having them for the rest of our lives.
I had finished my run by five-thirty at the Tapas area, where I found Madeleine and the twins already having their tea with Gerry. The others had decided to feed their kids at the beachside restaurant, the Paraíso. Madeleine was sitting on the Tapas terrace, eating. She looked so pale and worn out, I went straight up to her and asked if she was all right. Had she been OK at the club when Ella left to go to the beach? Yes, she said, but now she was really tired and wanted me to pick her up, which I did. Ten minutes later, the five of us went back to our apartment. I was carrying Madeleine. Because she was so exhausted we skipped playtime that evening. [31]
Fact
On that day Kate herself signed Madeleine out of the crèche at 5:30pm
[32]
11 Eye defect
Facts
The McCanns released details of the coloboma to the press of the world.
They trademark the sign “Løok”, in the phrase “Løok for Maddie”
The eye defect is blown upon a giant screen at the FA cup Final,
The eye defect is clearly visible on all photos released as part of the campaign
The eye defect is clearly visible on the front cover picture of the book
Gerry McCann states that using it was a “good marketing ploy.”
[33]
[34]
Later
Kate denies “putting emphasis on it”
CNN PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT Where is Madeleine McCann? Aired May 11, 2011 - 21:00
MORGAN: Madeleine had a very distinctive eye pattern, didn't she? Tell me about that, Kate, in case people see somebody they think may be Madeleine. Tell me about her eye.
K. MCCANN: If I'm honest, we haven't put too much emphasis on her eye, because I think you have to be very close to her to see it. [35]
12 Private detectives
Claim
The McCanns deny using private detectives.
May 22 2007
Ian Woods (Sky News): "Gerry, I know that you've been getting lots of money in. People will want to know how you're going to spend that. I mean, I know, one of the thoughts was to hire private investigators. Is that the case and what input do you think they can have that perhaps the Portuguese police haven't had to date?"
Gerry McCann: Taking your question on, back to the private investigators. I'd like to reiterate what we've already said. The thrust of this investigation will be the criminal investigation which is being... errr, run by the Portuguese police with assistance from the British police.
Regarding the specific point about the private investigators, we've taken advice about the level and the extensive resources both in this country and in the UK which are being... errr, directed and... to Madeleine's search and, at this stage, we don't see a role for private investigators." [36]
And
Jane Hill (BBC news): And... and some of that support has translated into a lot of money that's gone into the fighting fund, I think nearly £300,000 has been pledged, so far. What of the reports that say, perhaps... those people who suggest that some of that money could be sensibly spent on things like private investigators, for example.
Gerry McCann: Well, you know, the fund, errm... was really... really evolved to provide an outlet for people who wanted to contribute financially and these offers, errr... will help us and are helping us and that has helped us to bring in quite a comprehensive legal team and independent sector, errr... consultants as to what we could and should be doing.
I did, errr... address this and the situation hasn't changed that, at this time, with the huge amount of resource from the police, errr... both in the UK and Portugal that the advice is that private investigators will not help. I personally, and we, believe that it's the public who hold the key to this; someone knows something and we would urge that if anyone has any information to come forward and anyone who's been in this area, within the two weeks leading up to Madeleine's disappearance, to come forward if they haven't already done so and upload those pictures." [37]
Fact
The McCanns were already using private detectives from Control Risks and had been so from the previous week
p. 126 Kate McCann: ”By the Sunday evening [13th May 2007] we found ourselves giving our statements again, this time to a couple of detectives from Control Risks. We were concerned that parts of the statements we had made to the Portuguese police , especially on that first day,” she claims, “might have been lost in translation. We also felt that these accounts were not particularly thorough and wanted to have every detail we could remember registered properly.” [38]
13 The search of the second apartment
Claim
They claim they had no explanation, and that they were made to leave the villa.
p. 205-6 As I was dropping Sean and Amelie off at Toddler Club, I had a phone call from Gerry. The police wanted to come over at 10am. Something to do with forensics, they’d said. Great timing. And forensics? What was that all about?
SNIP
My mum, dad, Brian and Janet set off for the town to get out of the way before the police arrived. Ten o’clock came and went, as did lunchtime, then the afternoon. It was 5 pm when they eventually showed up. They told us they wanted to shoot some video footage of our clothes and possessions. The forensics people would then take these away and return them the following day. They offered no explanation as to why they were doing this. Gerry and I just assumed it was on the suggestion of the British team, who had no doubt pointed out that it should have been done much earlier. We could kind of see the point: after all, the abductor could have brushed against some of our belongings and left traces of his DNA. Even at this late stage, it might be possible for some vital information to be retrieved. We were even quite pleased this was happening, that something was happening which might help find Madeleine.
Left with only the clothes we were wearing, we were all asked to leave the villa. It was early evening and we had to find somewhere to go with two tired and hungry toddlers in tow. When we were allowed back, we found four detectives in the house: José de Freitas, João Carlos, Ricardo Paiva and a woman called Carla. They went through the list of what had been removed. I was not only confused, I was devastated: as well as all of our clothes, they had taken my Bible (my friend Bridget’s Bible, to be precise), Cuddle Cat and my diaries. Why had they taken my diaries? Obviously not for any forensic purpose: the abductor couldn’t have been in contact with them because they hadn’t existed until halfway through May. And the Bible had been lent to me by Bridget’s husband Paddy a week after Madeleine’s abduction. My journals were private and full of personal thoughts and messages to Madeleine. I felt violated. [39]
Fact
There was a full search warrant, a copy of which was to be served on the McCanns, and they were to be invited to be present.
SEARCH WARRANT
In Triplicate
Case: 201.070 GALGS
Inquiry – Legal Acts
Date: 2nd August 2007
Subject: Search Warrant – Valid for 20 days with strict observance of the proceedings laid down in articles n 176 – 177 of the CPP. Competence of the Lagos Judge.
Dr Anjos Frias, Judge of the Lagos Court
ORDERS that according to the terms of articles 174 n 2, 176 n1, 177 n|1, 177n1, 296 n1 of the Penal Process Code a SEARCH will be made of the premises identified below, if necessary with forced entry whilst observing the legal formalities foreseen in articles 176 and 177 of the CPP, for the EFFECTIVE APPREHENSION of all elements that could clarify the investigation and instruction process according to the terms of article 178 of the same code.
The search should include the entire property, even the part occupied by people other than the suspects, including annexes and rented areas.
Before proceeding to effect the search, copy of the dispatch attached determining who had access to the place, mentioning that they can be present during the search and be accompanied or substituted by someone of confidence will be delivered. If the persons in reference are not present, copy of the dispatch can be delivered where possible to a family member, neighbour, caretaker or whoever acts as substitute, article 176, n 1 and 2 of the CPP.
All information will be included in the process files.
Location of Inquiry:
“McCann family residence”, respective garages and annexes, situated in Vista Mar, Luz Parque, Praia da Luz, if necessary with forced entry.
Signed and sealed
Judge Anjos Frias [40]
14 Who spoke to Mrs Fenn ?
Claim
Kate spoke to Mrs Fenn
p. 75 Then a lady appeared on a balcony – I’m fairly certain this was about 11pm, before the police arrived – and, in a plummy voice, inquired, ‘Can someone tell me what all the noise is about?’ I explained as clearly as I was able, given the state I was in, that my little girl had been stolen from her bed, to which she casually responded, ‘Oh, I see,’ almost as if she’d just been told that a can of beans had fallen off a kitchen shelf. I remember feeling both shocked and angry at this woefully inadequate and apparently unconcerned reaction. I recollect that in our outrage, Fiona and I shouted back something rather short and to the point. [41]
Contradiction
Mrs Fenn's statement refers to speaking to Gerry McCann
During the day nothing unusual happened, until almost 22H30 when, being alone again, she heard the hysterical shouts from a female person, calling out "we have let her down" which she repeated several times, quite upset. She then saw that it was the mother of little Madeleine who was shouting furiously. Upon leaning over the terrace, after having seen the mother, she 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 when GERRY 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 22H30.
Mrs Fenn has no reason to lie. [42]
15 Metodo3 claims that Madeleine would be found by Christmas
Claim
McCanns claim that this was never said
Bates, Wells and Braithwaite, reply by email, dated 11 January 2008, to the author
“We acknowledge ...etc.
We are also replying on behalf of Haysmacintyre
We are advised by our clients that reports in the media purporting to be from the investigators, which made claims as to when Madeleine would be found are inaccurate and misrepresentations of their views. [my emphases]
Our client has every confidence in the investigators who continue to search for Madeleine.
Yours faithfully
BWB London LLP" [43]
Fact
Kate admits that this was said
p. 283 "We have no doubt that M3 made significant strides, but unfortunately, in mid-December, one of their senior investigators gave an overly optimistic interview to the media. He implied that the team were close to finding Madeleine and declared that he hoped she would be home by Christmas." [44]
16 The colour of the pyjamas
Claim
The pyjama bottoms were white
Kate’s statement
At the time of her disappearance, she was wearing pyjamas, with white bottoms with a floral pattern and a frill at the end. The short-sleeved top, mainly pink with a blue-grey donkey figure on the front, bearing the inscription "EEYORE", an inscription which was also on one of the trouser legs.
The pyjamas are of the "Marks and Spencer" brand. [45]
p. 84 "Although Jane had never seen or known about Madeleine's Eeyore pyjamas, her description of this child's night clothes - light coloured pink or white pyjamas with a 'trailing' or floral pattern and turn-ups on the bottoms - matched Madeleine's almost exactly. " [46]
BBC Crimewatch
Recorded in Praia da Luz: 04 June 2007, Televised: 05 June 2007
Fiona Bruce: (to camera) "It's 33 days since little Madeleine McCann disappeared from Praia da Luz in Portugal. Tonight, in a special appeal, her parents Gerry and Kate plead for your help in the hunt for their daughter."
Gerry McCann: "For the Crimewatch viewers at home I think this would be a good time now to review all the information."
Kate McCann: "These are virtually identical to the pyjamas that Madeleine was wearing when she was taken. As you can see it's a pink top, errm... with gathered short sleeves and it has a picture of Eeyore on the front. Errr, the bottoms are white with a... a floral design and have an Eeyore, errm... on the bottom of the right leg." [47]
Counterclaim
The Pyjamas bottoms were not white
p. 171 "We were able to show a pair of pyjamas like Madeleine's on the programme, which was particularly important since at the time it had been incorrectly stated in some press reports that her pyjamas were white." [48]
Fact
The pyjama bottoms were white [49]
17 “We answered all the questions”
Claim
The McCanns cooperated fully with the police and answered all questions truthfully
PARIS MATCH: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE McCANNS
04 September 2007
By our special reporter in Portugal: Arnaud Bizot.
PM – The police must equally have suspected your friends and delved into your backgrounds?
GM – We have replied to all the questions that have been put to us and we will continue to do so, whatever the new information might be. Of course, we shall be completely honest.
KM – We have said everything we know and responded to everything that we have been asked. [50]
Fact
Kate refused to answer any of the 48 questions during her second interview
11 months later the police files were released and revealed that Kate had refused to answer any of the 48 specific questions during her second interview [51]
This is also admitted in the book
p.248 “On the other hand I was very weary and at least repeating “No comment” didn’t involve engaging my brain. It certainly speeded up the translation process.” [52]
References
1 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/6623127.stm
2 http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/may/05/world.topstories31
3
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/maddy-3-goes-missing-472340
4
Reported on http://hypocriteandliar.wordpress.com/tag/jill-renwick/
5
referring to Press Association ,4 May 2007 By PA Reporters
6 [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-454466/Madeleines-parents-left- patio-doors-unlocked.html]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-454466/Madeleines-parents-left- patio-doors-unlocked.html[/url]
7 http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/ocean_club_appartment-.jpg
8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IeuMzyaCnnY
9 Witness statement Gerald Patrick McCann, 4th May 2007, may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html
10 Witness statement Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007. may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap10
11[url=http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/mccann-family-reverse-story-over- breakin-evidence-1203473.html] http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/mccann-family-reverse-story-over- breakin-evidence-1203473.html[/url]
12 http://www.findmadeleine.com/updates/updates@page=1.html
13 [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v= uMUdynuECbE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v= uMUdynuECbE[/url]
14 The Sun By Antonella Lazzeri and Clodagh Hartley 25 Oct. 2007
15 [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix6bKUnmOCM&feature= player_embedded]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix6bKUnmOCM&feature= player_embedded[/url]
16 BBC Panorama, 19 Nov. 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix6bKUnmOCM
17 [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper-drugged- twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386093/Kate-McCann-Kidnapper-drugged- twins-night-Madeleine-taken.html [/url]
18 http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2011/05/12/18139856.html
19 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 75.
20 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 246
21 Leveson enquiry, copied at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id385.html
22
cached at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id16.html
23 http://fullfact.org/leveson/hearings/111123-pm
24 Witness statement Gerald Patrick McCann, 4th May 2007, may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html
25 Witness statement Kate Marie Healy, 4th of May 2007
may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta4
26 Witness statement Gerald Patrick McCann, 10th May 2007. may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id261.html#tap10
27 Witness statement Pamela Fenn 20 August 2007
may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id331.html#fenn1
28 [url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/portugal/6974917/Madeleine- McCanns-death-covered-up-by-parents-who-faked-kidnap-court-hears.html]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/portugal/6974917/Madeleine- McCanns-death-covered-up-by-parents-who-faked-kidnap-court-hears.html[/url]
[url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2805709/Kate-McCann-dreamt-Maddies- body-was-on-a-hillside.html]http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2805709/Kate-McCann-dreamt-Maddies- body-was-on-a-hillside.html[/url]
may be accessed at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id296.html
29 http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/151642/McCanns-fury-at-death-claim
may be acessed at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id299.html
30 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 206.
31 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 66.
32 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id351.html
33 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id169.html
34 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Response_to_the_disappearance_of_Madeleine_McCann
35 PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT: Where is Madeleine McCann?, 11 May 2011
Can be acessed on http://www.mccannfiles.com/id370.html
36 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id170.html
37 McCanns give first interview, 25 May 2007
may be accessed at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id212.html
38 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 126.
39 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 205-6.
40 Processos Vol VIII Pages 2085 – 2086
can be acessed at http://themaddiecasefiles.com/topic6328.html
41 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 75.
42 Witness statement Pamela Fenn 20 August 2007
may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id331.html#fenn1
43 Personal e-letter to author from Bates Wells Braithwaite
44 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 283
45 Witness statement Kate Marie Healy, 4th of May 2007
may be accessed at http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html#sta4
46 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 84
47
48 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 171
49 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id185.html
50 Paris Match: exclusive interview with the McCanns 4 September 2007
can be accessed at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id185.html
51 [url=http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1041216/Pictured-The-bedroom- Madeleine-McCann-vanished-Portugal.html]http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1041216/Pictured-The-bedroom- Madeleine-McCann-vanished-Portugal.html[/url]
can be accessed at http://www.mccannfiles.com/id142.html
52 “madeleine”, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011, p 283..
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 9: On the reliability of Cadaver Dogs
From the outset it is important to note that a dog cannot give “evidence“ in a criminal trial. In most jurisdictions evidence has to be subject to examination and cross examination by learned counsel, and this is clearly impossible. On many occasions the alert by the dog will result in the discovery of remains and it will be that which becomes the primary evidence. The fact that the dog indicated where to look becomes a side issue, of no particular legal importance.
Here we look at some occasions when the dog alerts, but no significant physical evidence can be found at the time. The best that can be achieved in these circumstances is that the handler of the animal gives evidence of the dog’s reactions, often with video confirmation, and can then be cross examined on his interpretation of the animal’s behaviour.
(I shall refer to the cases by the name of the deceased or missing person, rather than by the Trial reference, because of the ways in which these differ across jurisdictions)
1 The case with a legal significance may not yet have been fully appreciated, is that of Jeanette Zapata. in Dane Country, USA. In 1976 she served her husband Eugene Zapata with divorce papers. She went missing shortly afterwards. 29 years later dogs alerted in the basement of the family home, and in several other places where the family had lived over the intervening time. At trial his lawyer persuaded the judge that the dog’s finding could not be admitted, since the places in which they had alerted indicated that he had carried the body round to everywhere he had lived, and it was suggested that this was preposterous. The jury failed to reach a verdict. Before his retrial however, he confessed, and crucially confirmed that he had in fact transported the body round before disposing of it. The dogs had been absolutely accurate. No body has been found.
2 The recent case of Bianca Jones, a 2 year old girl murdered by her father D’Andre Lane in Detroit USA, with the added details of an alleged abduction, was an occasion when Mr Martin Grime, a British retired police officer, was working for the FBI. His evidence of the alerts by his dog was admitted to show that Bianca was dead whilst in the back of the car, and not taken by armed men as was being alleged. Lane was convicted, though no body has been found.
3 The trial of Adrian Prout, in 2010, for the murder of Kate Prout, his wife, in the UK, was notable again for a verdict of guilty, despite no body having been found. Dogs had indicted the presence of a body in the house, but nothing had been found. Some time after his conviction Prout confessed, and indicted the location of the body, confirming that the dogs had been absolutely accurate in their findings.
4 In the murder of Susan Pilley in Edinburgh, by her colleague David Gilroy, in 2010, the court heard that the dogs had alerted in the office basement garage and in two areas of the boot of Gilroy’s car, even though this had been cleaned recently with fluid or air freshener. The defence failed to convince the jury that the absence of physical evidence entitled his client to acquittal. He was convicted. No body has been found.
5 Cori Baker from Oklahoma was murdered by her sister’s boyfriend Marquis Bulloch, in 2007. He changed his story several times whilst being investigated, and the dogs, partly funded by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, were brought into search a large area after a skull had been found. They alerted in several places. No other physical evidence was discovered. He was convicted
6 The case of Guadeloupe Montano from Kane County, USA, is now complete. It is alleged that she was murdered by her husband Aurelio Montano in 1990. It may be the first time that the dog’s alerts have been used as evidence in that State. They indicate that the body lay in one position and was then moved to another. The trial took place in October 2013. No body has been found. He was convicted
7 The case of Amir Jennings, allegedly killed by her mother Zinah Jennings in 2011, involves a mother who reported her son missing. Dogs searched the house and the car, and human blood was then found. No body has been found. Zinah Jennings was convicted on a charge of unlawful conduct toward a child, and sentenced to 10 years
8 The trial of Albert Fine, the partner of Catherine Hoholski, from Lorain USA, is pending. In this case the body was found within 60 seconds of the dog being deployed, and it was then used to identify other locations relevant to the prosecution case. He faces the death penalty if convicted.
9 The alleged abduction of Isabel Mercedes Celis has been called into question by the findings of two dogs, one a cadaver dog, in the family home. The findings were said to be “significant”, the house is being treated as a crime scene and the matter is still under investigation. No body has been found.
10 The disappearance of 6 year old Etan Patz in New York 33 years ago, has already shown the almost unbelievable feats of which cadaver dogs are capable. In this case pads of absorbent material were left for a time on the concrete floor of the basement and then presented to the dogs for testing. As a result the concrete floor was then ripped up. The handler Englebert said. "We as human beings never lose our scent. If [a body] had been there for a while, that scent would still be there," she said, indicating that even if investigators do not find remains in the basement, it is possible human remains may have once been there before being moved.” The trial of Pedro Hernandez, who has admitted kidnapping and murder, is pending. No body has been found.
11 The parents of Lisa Irwin, from Kansas City, also allege that she must have been abducted in the middle of the night. The mother told Police she did not search, “because she was afraid of what she might find”. Disturbed earth was found behind the house, and the dog alerted in the parent’s bedroom. As a result a full search warrant was granted, and the police say they want to talk to the parents Jeremy Irwin and Deborah Bradley, one to one.
12 The cold case of 14 year old Melanie Melanson, from Massachusetts USA, who disappeared 20 years ago, has been given fresh impetus through the findings of a cadaver dog which alerted in an area targeted following a tip off to Police.
13 Another mother, Shakara Dickens, of Memphis USA, reported in 2010 that she had given up her daughter Lauryn Dickens for adoption, but the various stories turned out to be false. A dog identified cadaver odour in the house and in the boot of the car, and despite defence arguments, she was found guilty of Murder. No body has been found.
14 The infamous case of Caylee Anthony, whose mother Casey Anthony was accused of murdering her in Orlando USA, in 2011, was also notable in that the evidence of the cadaver dog handler was admitted, even though the body was found later at a different location. The dog alerted in the boot of the car, and it was alleged that the mother had then dumped the body. The evidence was highly detailed, with full description of the system of ‘final trained alert’ by the dog showing an exact position, distinguished from a more general interest. In the event Anthony was not found guilty of the murder, but was convicted of several lesser offences. There are moves to have the case reopened at Federal level.
15 In the UK, the case of Kirsi Gifford-Hull, in Winchester in 2005, is of interest since although the body was discovered by a man walking a dog, and the offender Mike Gifford-Hull had made a public appeal at a press conference for his wife to return, cadaver dogs had already alerted some weeks earlier in the house and in his car during the initial search for a “missing person”. After the trial he told officers that when he saw the dogs alerting in the car he had contemplated making a full admission. He was convicted. After the trial Judge Guy Boney QC ”. . .added that the police inquiry was so superior it could be matched with that of any other police force in the world.”
Many organisations exist to provide the services of cadaver dogs. Many are staffed by retired specialist Police officers. Their services are not cheap. It was widely reported, not entirely tongue in cheek, that Eddie, the cadaver dog operated by Mr Martin Grime, earned more than the Chief Constable. The Cadaver Dog Team of Global Rescue Services, and Dog Detectives operate in this sphere. Independent trainers include Search Dogs UK (www.searchdogsuk.co.uk ) All operate within the UK
Almost every state of the US has its own team operating in this way, and the FBI run training programmes specifically targeted at Cadaver and Blood detecting dogs.
The whole area of research is subject to rigourous academic study, as so much in the legal world hinges on the success or otherwise of the dogs, and the trust placed by courts on their reported findings.
16 Cadaver dogs– a study on detection of contaminated carpet squares.
Abstract
Cadaver dogs are known as valuable forensic tools in crime scene investigations. Scientific research attempting to verify their value is largely lacking, specifically for scents associated with the early postmortem interval. The aim of our investigation was the comparative evaluation of the reliability, accuracy, and specificity of three cadaver dogs belonging to the Hamburg State Police in the detection of scents during the early postmortem interval.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
Carpet squares were used as an odor transporting media after they had been contaminated with the scent of two recently deceased bodies (PMI<3h). The contamination occurred for 2 min as well as 10 min without any direct contact between the carpet and the corpse. Comparative searches by the dogs were performed over a time period of 65 days (10 min contamination) and 35 days (2 min contamination).
RESULTS:
The results of this study indicate that the well-trained cadaver dog is an outstanding tool for crime scene investigation displaying excellent sensitivity (75-100), specificity (91-100), and having a positive predictive value (90-100), negative predictive value (90-100) as well as accuracy (92-100).
17 Cadaver dog and handler team capabilities in the recovery of buried human remains in the southeastern United States.
Abstract
The detection of human remains that have been deliberately buried to escape detection is a problem for law enforcement. Sometimes the cadaver dog and handler teams are successful, while other times law enforcement and cadaver dog teams are frustrated in their search. Five field trials tested the ability of four cadaver dog and handler teams to detect buried human remains. Human and animal remains were buried in various forested areas during the summer months near Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The remains ranged in decomposition from fresh to skeletonized. Cadaver dogs detected with varying success: buried human remains at different stages of decomposition, buried human remains at different depths, and buried decomposed human and animal remains. The results from these trials showed that some cadaver dogs were able to locate skeletonized remains buried at a significant depth. Fresh and skeletonized remains were found equally by the cadaver dogs along with some caveats. Dog handlers affected the reliability of the cadaver dog results. Observations and videotape of the cadaver dogs during field trials showed that they were reliable in finding buried human remains.
18 The use of cadaver dogs in locating scattered, scavenged human remains: preliminary field test results.
Abstract
Specially trained air scent detection canines (Canis familiaris) are commonly used by law enforcement to detect narcotics, explosives or contraband, and by fire investigators to detect the presence of accelerants. Dogs are also used by police, military, and civilian groups to locate lost or missing persons, as well as victims of natural or mass disasters. A further subspecialty is "cadaver" searching, or the use of canines to locate buried or concealed human remains. Recent forensic investigations in central Alberta demonstrated that the use of cadaver dogs could be expanded to include locating partial, scattered human remains dispersed by repeated animal scavenging. Eight dog-and-handler teams participated in a two-month training program using human and animal remains in various stages of decay as scent sources. Ten blind field tests were then conducted which simulated actual search conditions. Recovery rates ranged between 57% and 100%, indicating that properly trained cadaver dogs can make significant contributions in the location and recovery of scattered human remains.
19 The suggestion that Cadaver dogs are “incredibly unreliable” is thus refuted.
References and links
These are only some of the many sites available on the net. Searching on the name of the deceased will usually give many pages of similar articles.
1 [url=http://eddieandkeela.blogspot.com.es/2008/02/zapata-admits-killing-wife-gets-5-years.html http://eddieandkeela.blogspot.com.es/2008/02/zapata-admits-killing-wife-gets-5-years.html]http://www.caninesearchsolutions.org/wisconsin_v._zapata.pdf]http://eddieandkeela.blogspot.com.es/2008/02/zapata-admits-killing-wife-gets-5-years.html ]http://www.caninesearchsolutions.org/wisconsin_v._zapata.pdf[/url]
2 http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/jury-reaches-verdict-in-dandre-lane-murder-tria#ixzz29I3h1A3T
3 http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Cadaver-dog-sniffed-death-Prout-home/story-11860269-detail/story.html
4 http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/news/home-news/david-gilroy-guilty-of-suzanne-pilley-murder.1331810187
5 http://www.tulsapeople.com/Tulsa-People/October-2010/Cold-case/index.php?cparticle=4&siarticle=3
6 http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/news/15641401-418/cadaver-dog-evidence-allowed-in-body-less-murder-case.html
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/montano_maria.html
7 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2082947/Cadaver-dogs-search-missing-toddler-police-execute-warrants-jailed-mothers-car-home.html
http://www.ibtimes.com/zinah-jennings-sentenced-10-years-disappearance-son-amir-jennings-photo-782017
8 http://www.examiner.com/article/isabel-celis-fbi-dog-alerts-missing-girls-home
9 http://childabuseconsulting.blogspot.com.es/2012/05/those-darn-cadaver-dogs.html
10 http://www.christianpost.com/news/etan-patz-case-cadaver-dogs-able-to-pick-up-scent-in-basement-73568/#vZyIRl6x8dEmovY7.99
11 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2051903/Lisa-Irwin-missing-Cadaver-police-dog-smells-scent-dead-body-parents-bedroom.html
12 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2181390/Breakthrough-cold-case-Cadaver-dogs-zero-place-hunt-girl-vanished-23-years-ago.html
13 http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/mar/23/memphis-mother-found-guilty-presumed-dea/
14 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2000636/Casey-Anthony-trial-continues-Cadaver-dog-handler-tells-court-overwhelmed-smell-death-trunk-Anthonys-car.html
15 http://www.standard.co.uk/news/wealthy-businessman-strangled-wife-after-she-uncovered-three-affairs-7086770.html
http://www.thisishampshire.net/news/1011044.print/
Academic links and general references
http://www.caninesearchsolutions.org/wisconsin_v._zapata.pdf
http://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/cadaver-dogs
16 "Cadaver dogs– a study on detection of contaminated carpet squares." Oesterhelweg L, Kröber S, Rottmann K, Willhöft J, Braun C, Thies N, Püschel K, Silkenath J, Gehl A.
Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg, Germany.
Forensic Sci Int. 2008 Jan 15;174(1):35-9
17 Cadaver dog and handler team capabilities in the recovery of buried human remains in the southeastern United States.
Lasseter AE, Jacobi KP, Farley R, Hensel L.
Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0210, USA.
J Forensic Sci. 2003 May;48(3):617-21.
18 The use of cadaver dogs in locating scattered, scavenged human remains: preliminary field test results.
Komar D.
Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
J Forensic Sci. 1999 Mar;44(2):405-8.
“Incredibly Unreliable”
19.a https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LJo9fGXQMI
Interview with Sandra Felgueiras,
recorded 3 Nov. 2009, broadcast 5 Nov. 2009
5:39 Gerry McCann “I can tell you that we’ve also looked at evidence about cadaver dogs and they’re incredibly unreliable”.
SF “Unreliable ?"
GM: “Cadaver dogs, Yes”
19.b http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/DAYS_851_to_1050.htm
Gerry’s blog Day 988 15/1/2010
“The use of dogs had proved to be problematic and unreliable in previous cases . . . To suggest or use the dogs’ reactions as evidence is simply wrong and abusive”
Kate McCann
19.c from “madeleine” by Kate McCann, May 2011, Bantam Press,
p. 218/9
When he arrived, Ricardo explained this ‘evidence’ a little further. His tone was sombre as he told us about the two springer spaniels that had been brought out to Portugal by the British police to assist in the search. Keela, who could alert her handler to the tiniest trace of blood, had done so in apartment 5A. Eddie, a victim-recovery or ‘cadaver’ dog, trained to detect human remains, had indicated that somebody had died there.
p.219
Did they really believe that a dog could smell the ‘odour of death’ three months later from a body that had been removed so swiftly? They were adding two and two and coming up with ten. [1]
p. 253
As we now know, the chemicals believed to create the ‘odour of death’, putrescence and cadaverine, last no longer than thirty days. There were no decaying body parts for the dog to find. It was simply wrong. [2]
p. 267
By this time Gerry was deep into his next task: researching the validity of responses produced by blood and cadaver dogs. Along the way he spoke to several experts, and in the coming weeks we would learn a lot about the subject. This is what one US lawyer had to say about the objectivity and success rate of this procedure:
The most critical question relating to the use of the dog alerts as evidence is how likely is the dog’s alert to be correct. In this regard, the only testing of these handler and dog teams recorded an abysmal performance. Here ‘the basis’ for the possible past presence of human remains is that there is a 20 or 40 per cent chance that a dog’s ‘alert’ was correct. In other words, with respect to residual odour, the dog-handler teams performed significantly worse than if the handlers had simply flipped a coin to speculate as to the presence of residual odour at each location.
State of Wisconsin v. Zapata, 2006 CF 1996 – defendant supplemental memorandum [3]
Author’s observations
1 A Cadaver dog can indeed smell the “odour of death” years, and even decades and centuries later. This statement is simply factually inaccurate, and misleading. (v.s)
2 The chemicals do last longer than thirty days. This statement is simply factually inaccurate, and misleading. (v.s.)
3 This was material submited by the defendant at First `Instance. It is not precedent, or case law. This case is notable for the change of plea before the second trial and the admission by the accused that the dog had been absolutely accurate in all its alerts, showing the various places the body had been stored over a period of three decades. ( Wisconsin v. Zapata, v.supra)
On the Reliability of Cadaver dogs
Dogs trained to detect the smell of human cadaverine are now routinely used throughout the world. We examine some of the leading cases.
From the outset it is important to note that a dog cannot give “evidence“ in a criminal trial. In most jurisdictions evidence has to be subject to examination and cross examination by learned counsel, and this is clearly impossible. On many occasions the alert by the dog will result in the discovery of remains and it will be that which becomes the primary evidence. The fact that the dog indicated where to look becomes a side issue, of no particular legal importance.
Here we look at some occasions when the dog alerts, but no significant physical evidence can be found at the time. The best that can be achieved in these circumstances is that the handler of the animal gives evidence of the dog’s reactions, often with video confirmation, and can then be cross examined on his interpretation of the animal’s behaviour.
(I shall refer to the cases by the name of the deceased or missing person, rather than by the Trial reference, because of the ways in which these differ across jurisdictions)
1 The case with a legal significance may not yet have been fully appreciated, is that of Jeanette Zapata. in Dane Country, USA. In 1976 she served her husband Eugene Zapata with divorce papers. She went missing shortly afterwards. 29 years later dogs alerted in the basement of the family home, and in several other places where the family had lived over the intervening time. At trial his lawyer persuaded the judge that the dog’s finding could not be admitted, since the places in which they had alerted indicated that he had carried the body round to everywhere he had lived, and it was suggested that this was preposterous. The jury failed to reach a verdict. Before his retrial however, he confessed, and crucially confirmed that he had in fact transported the body round before disposing of it. The dogs had been absolutely accurate. No body has been found.
2 The recent case of Bianca Jones, a 2 year old girl murdered by her father D’Andre Lane in Detroit USA, with the added details of an alleged abduction, was an occasion when Mr Martin Grime, a British retired police officer, was working for the FBI. His evidence of the alerts by his dog was admitted to show that Bianca was dead whilst in the back of the car, and not taken by armed men as was being alleged. Lane was convicted, though no body has been found.
3 The trial of Adrian Prout, in 2010, for the murder of Kate Prout, his wife, in the UK, was notable again for a verdict of guilty, despite no body having been found. Dogs had indicted the presence of a body in the house, but nothing had been found. Some time after his conviction Prout confessed, and indicted the location of the body, confirming that the dogs had been absolutely accurate in their findings.
4 In the murder of Susan Pilley in Edinburgh, by her colleague David Gilroy, in 2010, the court heard that the dogs had alerted in the office basement garage and in two areas of the boot of Gilroy’s car, even though this had been cleaned recently with fluid or air freshener. The defence failed to convince the jury that the absence of physical evidence entitled his client to acquittal. He was convicted. No body has been found.
5 Cori Baker from Oklahoma was murdered by her sister’s boyfriend Marquis Bulloch, in 2007. He changed his story several times whilst being investigated, and the dogs, partly funded by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, were brought into search a large area after a skull had been found. They alerted in several places. No other physical evidence was discovered. He was convicted
6 The case of Guadeloupe Montano from Kane County, USA, is now complete. It is alleged that she was murdered by her husband Aurelio Montano in 1990. It may be the first time that the dog’s alerts have been used as evidence in that State. They indicate that the body lay in one position and was then moved to another. The trial took place in October 2013. No body has been found. He was convicted
7 The case of Amir Jennings, allegedly killed by her mother Zinah Jennings in 2011, involves a mother who reported her son missing. Dogs searched the house and the car, and human blood was then found. No body has been found. Zinah Jennings was convicted on a charge of unlawful conduct toward a child, and sentenced to 10 years
8 The trial of Albert Fine, the partner of Catherine Hoholski, from Lorain USA, is pending. In this case the body was found within 60 seconds of the dog being deployed, and it was then used to identify other locations relevant to the prosecution case. He faces the death penalty if convicted.
9 The alleged abduction of Isabel Mercedes Celis has been called into question by the findings of two dogs, one a cadaver dog, in the family home. The findings were said to be “significant”, the house is being treated as a crime scene and the matter is still under investigation. No body has been found.
10 The disappearance of 6 year old Etan Patz in New York 33 years ago, has already shown the almost unbelievable feats of which cadaver dogs are capable. In this case pads of absorbent material were left for a time on the concrete floor of the basement and then presented to the dogs for testing. As a result the concrete floor was then ripped up. The handler Englebert said. "We as human beings never lose our scent. If [a body] had been there for a while, that scent would still be there," she said, indicating that even if investigators do not find remains in the basement, it is possible human remains may have once been there before being moved.” The trial of Pedro Hernandez, who has admitted kidnapping and murder, is pending. No body has been found.
11 The parents of Lisa Irwin, from Kansas City, also allege that she must have been abducted in the middle of the night. The mother told Police she did not search, “because she was afraid of what she might find”. Disturbed earth was found behind the house, and the dog alerted in the parent’s bedroom. As a result a full search warrant was granted, and the police say they want to talk to the parents Jeremy Irwin and Deborah Bradley, one to one.
12 The cold case of 14 year old Melanie Melanson, from Massachusetts USA, who disappeared 20 years ago, has been given fresh impetus through the findings of a cadaver dog which alerted in an area targeted following a tip off to Police.
13 Another mother, Shakara Dickens, of Memphis USA, reported in 2010 that she had given up her daughter Lauryn Dickens for adoption, but the various stories turned out to be false. A dog identified cadaver odour in the house and in the boot of the car, and despite defence arguments, she was found guilty of Murder. No body has been found.
14 The infamous case of Caylee Anthony, whose mother Casey Anthony was accused of murdering her in Orlando USA, in 2011, was also notable in that the evidence of the cadaver dog handler was admitted, even though the body was found later at a different location. The dog alerted in the boot of the car, and it was alleged that the mother had then dumped the body. The evidence was highly detailed, with full description of the system of ‘final trained alert’ by the dog showing an exact position, distinguished from a more general interest. In the event Anthony was not found guilty of the murder, but was convicted of several lesser offences. There are moves to have the case reopened at Federal level.
15 In the UK, the case of Kirsi Gifford-Hull, in Winchester in 2005, is of interest since although the body was discovered by a man walking a dog, and the offender Mike Gifford-Hull had made a public appeal at a press conference for his wife to return, cadaver dogs had already alerted some weeks earlier in the house and in his car during the initial search for a “missing person”. After the trial he told officers that when he saw the dogs alerting in the car he had contemplated making a full admission. He was convicted. After the trial Judge Guy Boney QC ”. . .added that the police inquiry was so superior it could be matched with that of any other police force in the world.”
Many organisations exist to provide the services of cadaver dogs. Many are staffed by retired specialist Police officers. Their services are not cheap. It was widely reported, not entirely tongue in cheek, that Eddie, the cadaver dog operated by Mr Martin Grime, earned more than the Chief Constable. The Cadaver Dog Team of Global Rescue Services, and Dog Detectives operate in this sphere. Independent trainers include Search Dogs UK (www.searchdogsuk.co.uk ) All operate within the UK
Almost every state of the US has its own team operating in this way, and the FBI run training programmes specifically targeted at Cadaver and Blood detecting dogs.
The whole area of research is subject to rigourous academic study, as so much in the legal world hinges on the success or otherwise of the dogs, and the trust placed by courts on their reported findings.
Academic Papers
16 Cadaver dogs– a study on detection of contaminated carpet squares.
Abstract
Cadaver dogs are known as valuable forensic tools in crime scene investigations. Scientific research attempting to verify their value is largely lacking, specifically for scents associated with the early postmortem interval. The aim of our investigation was the comparative evaluation of the reliability, accuracy, and specificity of three cadaver dogs belonging to the Hamburg State Police in the detection of scents during the early postmortem interval.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
Carpet squares were used as an odor transporting media after they had been contaminated with the scent of two recently deceased bodies (PMI<3h). The contamination occurred for 2 min as well as 10 min without any direct contact between the carpet and the corpse. Comparative searches by the dogs were performed over a time period of 65 days (10 min contamination) and 35 days (2 min contamination).
RESULTS:
The results of this study indicate that the well-trained cadaver dog is an outstanding tool for crime scene investigation displaying excellent sensitivity (75-100), specificity (91-100), and having a positive predictive value (90-100), negative predictive value (90-100) as well as accuracy (92-100).
17 Cadaver dog and handler team capabilities in the recovery of buried human remains in the southeastern United States.
Abstract
The detection of human remains that have been deliberately buried to escape detection is a problem for law enforcement. Sometimes the cadaver dog and handler teams are successful, while other times law enforcement and cadaver dog teams are frustrated in their search. Five field trials tested the ability of four cadaver dog and handler teams to detect buried human remains. Human and animal remains were buried in various forested areas during the summer months near Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The remains ranged in decomposition from fresh to skeletonized. Cadaver dogs detected with varying success: buried human remains at different stages of decomposition, buried human remains at different depths, and buried decomposed human and animal remains. The results from these trials showed that some cadaver dogs were able to locate skeletonized remains buried at a significant depth. Fresh and skeletonized remains were found equally by the cadaver dogs along with some caveats. Dog handlers affected the reliability of the cadaver dog results. Observations and videotape of the cadaver dogs during field trials showed that they were reliable in finding buried human remains.
18 The use of cadaver dogs in locating scattered, scavenged human remains: preliminary field test results.
Abstract
Specially trained air scent detection canines (Canis familiaris) are commonly used by law enforcement to detect narcotics, explosives or contraband, and by fire investigators to detect the presence of accelerants. Dogs are also used by police, military, and civilian groups to locate lost or missing persons, as well as victims of natural or mass disasters. A further subspecialty is "cadaver" searching, or the use of canines to locate buried or concealed human remains. Recent forensic investigations in central Alberta demonstrated that the use of cadaver dogs could be expanded to include locating partial, scattered human remains dispersed by repeated animal scavenging. Eight dog-and-handler teams participated in a two-month training program using human and animal remains in various stages of decay as scent sources. Ten blind field tests were then conducted which simulated actual search conditions. Recovery rates ranged between 57% and 100%, indicating that properly trained cadaver dogs can make significant contributions in the location and recovery of scattered human remains.
19 The suggestion that Cadaver dogs are “incredibly unreliable” is thus refuted.
References and links
1 [url=http://eddieandkeela.blogspot.com.es/2008/02/zapata-admits-killing-wife-gets-5-years.html http://eddieandkeela.blogspot.com.es/2008/02/zapata-admits-killing-wife-gets-5-years.html]http://www.caninesearchsolutions.org/wisconsin_v._zapata.pdf]http://eddieandkeela.blogspot.com.es/2008/02/zapata-admits-killing-wife-gets-5-years.html ]http://www.caninesearchsolutions.org/wisconsin_v._zapata.pdf[/url]
2 http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/jury-reaches-verdict-in-dandre-lane-murder-tria#ixzz29I3h1A3T
3 http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Cadaver-dog-sniffed-death-Prout-home/story-11860269-detail/story.html
4 http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/news/home-news/david-gilroy-guilty-of-suzanne-pilley-murder.1331810187
5 http://www.tulsapeople.com/Tulsa-People/October-2010/Cold-case/index.php?cparticle=4&siarticle=3
6 http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/news/15641401-418/cadaver-dog-evidence-allowed-in-body-less-murder-case.html
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/montano_maria.html
7 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2082947/Cadaver-dogs-search-missing-toddler-police-execute-warrants-jailed-mothers-car-home.html
http://www.ibtimes.com/zinah-jennings-sentenced-10-years-disappearance-son-amir-jennings-photo-782017
8 http://www.examiner.com/article/isabel-celis-fbi-dog-alerts-missing-girls-home
9 http://childabuseconsulting.blogspot.com.es/2012/05/those-darn-cadaver-dogs.html
10 http://www.christianpost.com/news/etan-patz-case-cadaver-dogs-able-to-pick-up-scent-in-basement-73568/#vZyIRl6x8dEmovY7.99
11 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2051903/Lisa-Irwin-missing-Cadaver-police-dog-smells-scent-dead-body-parents-bedroom.html
12 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2181390/Breakthrough-cold-case-Cadaver-dogs-zero-place-hunt-girl-vanished-23-years-ago.html
13 http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/mar/23/memphis-mother-found-guilty-presumed-dea/
14 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2000636/Casey-Anthony-trial-continues-Cadaver-dog-handler-tells-court-overwhelmed-smell-death-trunk-Anthonys-car.html
15 http://www.standard.co.uk/news/wealthy-businessman-strangled-wife-after-she-uncovered-three-affairs-7086770.html
http://www.thisishampshire.net/news/1011044.print/
Academic links and general references
http://www.caninesearchsolutions.org/wisconsin_v._zapata.pdf
http://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/cadaver-dogs
16 "Cadaver dogs– a study on detection of contaminated carpet squares." Oesterhelweg L, Kröber S, Rottmann K, Willhöft J, Braun C, Thies N, Püschel K, Silkenath J, Gehl A.
Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg, Germany.
Forensic Sci Int. 2008 Jan 15;174(1):35-9
17 Cadaver dog and handler team capabilities in the recovery of buried human remains in the southeastern United States.
Lasseter AE, Jacobi KP, Farley R, Hensel L.
Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0210, USA.
J Forensic Sci. 2003 May;48(3):617-21.
18 The use of cadaver dogs in locating scattered, scavenged human remains: preliminary field test results.
Komar D.
Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
J Forensic Sci. 1999 Mar;44(2):405-8.
“Incredibly Unreliable”
19.a https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LJo9fGXQMI
Interview with Sandra Felgueiras,
recorded 3 Nov. 2009, broadcast 5 Nov. 2009
5:39 Gerry McCann “I can tell you that we’ve also looked at evidence about cadaver dogs and they’re incredibly unreliable”.
SF “Unreliable ?"
GM: “Cadaver dogs, Yes”
19.b http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/DAYS_851_to_1050.htm
Gerry’s blog Day 988 15/1/2010
“The use of dogs had proved to be problematic and unreliable in previous cases . . . To suggest or use the dogs’ reactions as evidence is simply wrong and abusive”
Kate McCann
19.c from “madeleine” by Kate McCann, May 2011, Bantam Press,
p. 218/9
When he arrived, Ricardo explained this ‘evidence’ a little further. His tone was sombre as he told us about the two springer spaniels that had been brought out to Portugal by the British police to assist in the search. Keela, who could alert her handler to the tiniest trace of blood, had done so in apartment 5A. Eddie, a victim-recovery or ‘cadaver’ dog, trained to detect human remains, had indicated that somebody had died there.
p.219
Did they really believe that a dog could smell the ‘odour of death’ three months later from a body that had been removed so swiftly? They were adding two and two and coming up with ten. [1]
p. 253
As we now know, the chemicals believed to create the ‘odour of death’, putrescence and cadaverine, last no longer than thirty days. There were no decaying body parts for the dog to find. It was simply wrong. [2]
p. 267
By this time Gerry was deep into his next task: researching the validity of responses produced by blood and cadaver dogs. Along the way he spoke to several experts, and in the coming weeks we would learn a lot about the subject. This is what one US lawyer had to say about the objectivity and success rate of this procedure:
The most critical question relating to the use of the dog alerts as evidence is how likely is the dog’s alert to be correct. In this regard, the only testing of these handler and dog teams recorded an abysmal performance. Here ‘the basis’ for the possible past presence of human remains is that there is a 20 or 40 per cent chance that a dog’s ‘alert’ was correct. In other words, with respect to residual odour, the dog-handler teams performed significantly worse than if the handlers had simply flipped a coin to speculate as to the presence of residual odour at each location.
State of Wisconsin v. Zapata, 2006 CF 1996 – defendant supplemental memorandum [3]
Author’s observations
1 A Cadaver dog can indeed smell the “odour of death” years, and even decades and centuries later. This statement is simply factually inaccurate, and misleading. (v.s)
2 The chemicals do last longer than thirty days. This statement is simply factually inaccurate, and misleading. (v.s.)
3 This was material submited by the defendant at First `Instance. It is not precedent, or case law. This case is notable for the change of plea before the second trial and the admission by the accused that the dog had been absolutely accurate in all its alerts, showing the various places the body had been stored over a period of three decades. ( Wisconsin v. Zapata, v.supra)
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 10: Appeals and Pleas
Children
Shannon Matthews
April Jones
Tia Sharp
Caylee Marie Anthony
Bianca Jones
Joana Cipriano
Harmony Jude Creech
Dominik Takács
Leonardo Giovanni Sendejas
Riley Ann Sawyers
Marina Sabatier
Michael Daniel Smith
Alexander Tyler Smith
Keisha Weippeart
Zoe Evans
Ruth Breton
Jose Breton
Samuele Lorenzi
Jhessye Shockley
Jamie Lavis
Adults
Fadi Nasri
Kirsi Gifford-Hull
Joanna Nelson
Sharon Malone
Lee Harvey
Rachel McClean
Shafilea Ahmed
Answer
In every case they were reported as having been “abducted”, or as “missing”, on in other ways someone gave false statements to police, and in every case they had been harmed either by a member of their own family who had made that false report, or by someone very close to the family and known to them.
Only Shannon Matthews escaped with her life. Her case was slightly different from the others, and involved her being used in an attempt by her mother and another relative to obtain the reward money by deception. It is believed she was influenced by the McCann case.
Every one of these children was included on the lists of “Abducted” or “Missing” children, about which the public are told to be so concerned, and from which other people make so much money.
Interestingly some of these names still have not been removed from the lists published by the many “Charities” which exist, allegedly to ‘assist’, even though the cases have been concluded, and the guilty sentenced.
We append a short précis of each case.
1 Shannon Matthews
In 2008 Karen Matthews reported her 9 year old daughter Shannon missing to the police, and went on to make a number of emotional public appeals for her daughter’s return, begging for anyone holding Shannon to let her go.
Shannon was found alive, hidden in the base of a bed, at a house belonging to Michael Donovan (Karen’s boyfriend’s uncle). The family were supposedly planning to claim the £50,000 that Newspapers had put up as a reward for Shannon’s return. Michael Donovan was charged with Kidnapping and False Imprisonment, while Karen Matthews was charged with Child neglect and Perverting the course of justice. They were both jailed for eight years.
2 April Jones
April Jones is a five-year-old girl from Machynlleth, Powys, Wales, who disappeared on 1 October 2012, after being sighted willingly getting into a van near her home. On 3 October 2012, April Jones's mother made an appeal for information about her daughter. Her disappearance generated a large amount of press coverage, both nationally and internationally. A 46-year-old man was subsequently arrested and charged with Jones's abduction and murder, while searches for her body continued. He was well known to the family. Bridger was found guilty of murder and given a full life sentence
3 Tia Sharp
Tia Sharp was a 12-year-old English schoolgirl who was reported missing from the home of her grandmother, Christine Sharp, in New Addington, on 3 August 2012. On 7 August Tia's uncle, David Sharp, made a televised plea for Tia's safe return. Fifty-five sightings were reported by members of the public, but none was substantiated. When police discovered her body in the loft of the house seven days later, they arrested Christine Sharp and Stuart Hazell on suspicion of murder. Hazell is Christine Sharp's partner and the former boyfriend of Tia's mother, Natalie. Hazell was charged with Tia's murder the following day. A year later, during the trial, he changed his plea to Guilty. He was sentenced to 38 years.
4 Caylee Marie Anthony
Caylee Marie Anthony was an American two-year-old girl who was reported missing July 15, 2008, in Orlando, Florida. Her skeletal remains were found in a wooded area near her home on December 11, 2008. Her then 22-year-old mother, Casey Marie Anthony, was tried for the first degree murder of Caylee but acquitted. She was, however, convicted of misdemeanour counts of providing false information to police officers. There are moves to reopen the case at Federal level.
5 Bianca Jones
A Detroit man was so obsessed over toilet training that he fatally beat his 2-year-old daughter for having an accident. D'Andre Lane, 32, charged with child abuse in the Dec 2012 and for the disappearance of Bianca Jones, whose body has never been found, maintained his innocence insisting she was taken during a car jacking.
The car was found less than an hour later, but the girl wasn't in it. Dogs indicated that a cadaver had been in the vehicle. He was found guilty of Murder and Child Abuse
6 Joana Cipriano
Joana Cipriano was an eight-year-old Portuguese girl who disappeared from the village of Figueira, near Portimão, in the Algarve, on 12 September 2004. After criminal investigation, she was later assumed to have been murdered, though her body was never found. The investigation by the Polícia Judiciária ended with the conviction for murder of Leonor and João Cipriano, Joana's mother and uncle. Leonor Cipriano confessed to killing her daughter. Her uncle confessed to having beaten her up after which she stood "quiet on the floor". He said he cut his niece's body in small pieces, put her in a fridge box, then put her inside an old car that was taken to Spain to be crushed and burned. When he was asked if he had sexually abused his niece he said in the presence of his lawyer "I did not harm her, I only killed her"
7 Harmony Jade Creech
Harmony was an 11-month-old girl whose remains were found in the attic of a Spring Lake home two years ago. Johni Michelle Heuser, 27, was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Harmony Jade Creech.
Deputies found the toddler's remains in her mother's attic on Oct. 20, 2007.
The child had been wrapped in a plastic bag and stuffed in an empty diaper box in a corner of the attic, authorities said. The body was so badly decomposed that medical examiners have never been able to determine a cause of death.
When the child's father, Sgt. Ronald Creech II, returned from a 15-month deployment in Iraq, Heuser initially claimed the baby had been abducted, prompting a state-wide Amber Alert. She later told investigators that she found the baby dead in her crib weeks earlier and hid the death out of fear. She was found Guilty of murder and given life without parole.
8 Dominik Takács
Dominik Takács a two-year-old Hungarian boy was reported missing in 2007 by his mother in central Budapest. Pictures of the boy dominated Hungarian media for several weeks. Takács' mother said that she saw her son heading towards the Danube and tried to run after him, but fell over and lost consciousness for a few minutes. When she came to, he was nowhere to be seen. In October 2007, the mother admitted that he had been attacked by their own fighting dogs and she and the boy's father wheel-barrowed the body to fields near the family's home and buried it. Subsequently, in October the Hungarian police discovered the body of the two-year-old boy. As a result, the parents faced charges as they had not given "rational reasons" for their actions.
9 Leonardo Giovanni Sendejas
Ruth Petra Sendejas, 18, told authorities that two men invaded her home, threatened her, tied her up and placed a plastic bag over the head of her son, Leonardo Giovanni Sendejas. The woman later changed her story, telling police that she staged the home invasion after finding her child unresponsive in his crib and fearing that she would lose custody of the boy, according to court documents. Police found the child unresponsive in his crib. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was asphyxiation. During later questioning Ruth Petra Sendejas allegedly admitted to being the only person in the residence at the time of her child’s death and that there had been no home invasion. She pleaded guilty to 2nd degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
10 Riley Ann Sawyers (Baby Grace)
In the capital murder charge the couple, Clyde Zeigler II and Kimberly Dawn Trenor were accused of intentionally and knowingly causing the death of 2 year old Riley Ann Sawyers. Trenor and Zeigler were initially charged after Trenor gave a statement in which she described how the couple beat Riley with belts, held her head under water, smashed her head on the tile floor and pushed her face into the couch. After Riley died, Trenor said she and Zeigler wrapped her body in plastic bags, sealed it in a plastic storage box and eventually tossed it into Galveston Bay.
Trenor said Riley died on July 24, but the box was found by a fisherman washed ashore in late October and Trenor did not turn herself into authorities until nearly a month later. The couple had originally claimed that Riley Ann had been abducted. Both Trenor and Ziegler were sentenced to Life without parole - as an alternative to the Death Penalty.
11 Marina Sabatier
The 6 year old girl died in 2009 in a series of acts of torture and neglect.
In April 2009, Marina was hospitalised for more than a month of foot lesions resulting from abuse. She was returned to the parents, But Marina died on 6 August 2009. According to the parents, she did not survive the last torture session where she was immersed in an ice bath, forced to drink vinegar and coarse salt before being beaten. The couple then locked her in the basement, naked. They found her lifeless the next day. Eric Sabatier attempted to lead the police down a false track, saying his daughter had been taken from the parking lot of a fast food restaurant. After three days, they eventually confessed everything and took police to the place where they had hidden the body of their daughter. It was found in a closet, wrapped in a cloth, in a plastic crate, filled with concrete. They were sentenced to 30 years imprisonment.
12/13 Michael Daniel Smith and Alexander Tyler Smith
In 1994, Susan Smith told police in South Carolina, USA that she had been car jacked by a black man who had driven off with her two young sons still in the vehicle. Smith appeared on television appealing for the man to return the children. Nine days later, Smith confessed to Police that she had driven the car into a lake, with her children still inside. It then emerged that she had been having an affair with a man, and had killed her two boys because he had said that he didn’t want any children. She was convicted of murder, and given a life sentence.
14 Keisha Weippeart
Kiesha's mother, Kristi Abrahams, told police she tucked her daughter into bed. She was reported missing the next morning. As the search entered its third day on, Ms Abrahams made an emotional appeal for anyone who may have seen her daughter to come forward. Police located a shallow grave site where they believe the body of missing girl is located. Kristi Abrahams, 28, and Robert Smith, 31, were arrested. They have been formally charged with the girl's murder. In 2013 the mother and stepfather pleaded Guilty to manslaughter.
15 Zoe Evans
In 1997, 9-year-old Schoolgirl Zoe Evans went missing from her home. Zoe’s naked body was found six weeks later, in a badger sett. Her mother, Paula Hamilton, and stepfather Miles Evans appeared at a press conference, begging for her to come home. It transpired that Zoe had been taken her from her bed and sexually assaulted by her stepfather. A post-mortem examination showed she died from asphyxiation Evans was arrested and convicted of murder.
16/17 Ruth and Jose Breton
In October 2011 Joseph Breton reported the disappearance of his two children, Ruth and José, aged six and two. According to his version, they were visiting a Parque in Cordoba, when the children vanished without a trace. The investigation soon disproved the Breton version.
Despite the interrogations, confrontations and reconstructions of the facts by the police, Breton never revealed the true whereabouts of the children. The key was to find out what happened between 14.30 and 18.18 of October 8. The children were spending the weekend at the farm of Quemadillas that morning and had been playing with cousins. In the afternoon, when, supposedly, they left the farm, Breton disconnected his mobile. At 18.18 it was reconnected and Breton called his brother to report the alleged disappearance of children.
Police had always focused enquiries on the paternal grandparents farm. In the early stages of the enquiry charred skeletal remains had been found in the ashes of a bonfire lit on the farm, but reports attributed them to a dog or small rodents. This proved to be wrong, and subsequently they were identified as the human remains of Ruth and Jose. The father was found guilty of their murder
18 Samulele Lorenzi
three-year-old Samuele Lorenzi was found dead on 31 January 2002 while sleeping in his parents' bed in his family home in the mountain village of Cogne, in Aosta Valley, northern Italy. The cause of death was found to be a blow to the skull. The murder weapon has never been found. In July 2004 an Italian court sentenced Samuele's mother Anna Maria Franzoni to 30 years in prison for aggravated murder. In 2007 the penalty was reduced to 16 years of jail for homicide. Franzoni always refuted the charge, asserting that an intruder had killed her child in the few minutes she left home to accompany her older son David to the school bus station. Mrs. Franzoni was also charged and found guilty of defamation against the Chief Prosecutor of Aosta.
19 Jhessye Shockley
Hunter is facing charges of first-degree murder and child abuse in Jhessye's disappearance. Hunter reported her daughter missing. Police believe with certainty that Jhessye was killed and her remains were placed at the Butterfield Landfill. On Nov. 23, about six weeks after Jhessye was reported missing, a woman contacted investigators. She said that seven to 15 days before Hunter reported her daughter missing, she gave Hunter a ride to Tempe. At the time, Hunter put a large, heavy suitcase in the woman's trunk. When they got to Tempe, Hunter put it in a skip. Hunter even apologised to the woman for the smell of the suitcase. Police tested the trunk of that car and it tested positive for blood.
Jhessye's body has never been found. Glendale police said they believe she was killed and her body was thrown in a trash can. Investigators have been working on the case since Oct. 2011, when Hunter reported her daughter missing. In 2015 Hunter was found guilty of murder, and sentenced to life, plus 20 years for child abuse.
20 Jamie Lavis
Bus driver Darren Vickers was the last man to see eight-year-old Jamie Lavis on May 5, 1997. After the boy vanished he befriended his distraught family in Openshaw, Manchester, making a tearful TV plea on their behalf. In April 1999, at Preston Crown Court, Vickers was jailed for life for Jamie’s murder.
Adults
21 Fadi Nasri
On the evening of 11 May 2006, Patel-Nasri was reported to have gone outside her home carrying a chef's knife. It is believed that this was the murder weapon. A man wearing a hooded top was seen running away from the scene. During the subsequent trial, it transpired that Patel-Nasri had been stabbed inside her home and had staggered outside the front door before collapsing. Fadi Nasri made a public appeal to find the killer of his new bride Nisha Patel-Nasri who he had stabbed with a 13-inch kitchen knife at her home
22 Kirsi Gifford-Hull
In 2006, a dog walker found the decomposed remains of Kirsi Gifford-Hull buried in a shallow grave, in woods. Just a few days earlier, her husband Mike Gifford-Hull contacted Police claiming that his wife had left him – and later made a TV appeal pleading for his wife to get in touch because their children had made a banner for her birthday. In fact Mike Gifford-Hull had strangled his wife during a row over the state of their marriage and his having had sex with prostitutes. He then concealed her body. He was found guilty of murder and jailed for 17 years.
23 Joanna Nelson
In 2005, Joanna Nelson vanished. Police launched a massive search but Miss Nelson’s body was not found until over a month later. Shortly after her disappearance, her boyfriend Paul Dyson, appeared on television acting as if he was very concerned. Under interrogation Dyson eventually admitted he was responsible for his girlfriend’s death, saying that he had strangled her after a row about housework. He was sentenced to life in prison, and Judge Tom Cracknell, highlighted his appearance on the TV appeal for information, saying “You went on TV and displayed breathtaking and nauseating hypocrisy.”
24 Sharon Malone
Sharon Malone vanished in 1999, and was later found bludgeoned to death in nearby Woodland. Her husband, Garry Malone, had participated in a televised police press conference to appeal for her return. He later invented a story about his wife having been killed by a gang, because of an unpaid debt. Mr Malone fled the country confirming the suspicions of detectives. Garry Malone was convicted of his wife’s murder, after being extradited from Spain, where he had adopted a new identity.
25 Lee Harvey
In 1996, Lee Harvey was stabbed to death on an isolated road. His fiancée, Tracie Andrews, told police that he had been attacked by a motorist after a “road rage” incident. The former model later appeared at a Police press conference looking distraught and begging for help in catching the killer, claiming a “fat man with staring eyes” had attacked her boyfriend, stabbing him more than thirty times.
Detectives became sceptical of the story after it emerged that the couple had a stormy and often violent relationship. Tracie Andrews was charged with murder, and at her trial a jury was told she had stabbed him to death after a row. She was sentenced to life.
26 Rachel McClean
In 1991, the boyfriend of Rachel McLean reported her missing to Police. John Tanner not only appeared in a press conference appealing for help but also took part in a televised reconstruction. He claimed Miss McLean had seen him off at the railway station, and said a long-haired stranger had offered to give her a lift home. A few days later, police discovered Rachel’s remains under the floorboards of her flat, and Tanner was immediately arrested. His story crumbled, and he was charged with her murder. At his trial, Tanner changed his story and said that he had ‘snapped’ and killed his girlfriend after she admitted that she had been unfaithful. He was convicted of murder and jailed for life.
27 Shafilea Ahmed
AFTER 17-year-old Shafilea Ahmed vanished from her home in Warrington, Cheshire, on September 11, 2003 her parents Iftikhar and Farzana gave an emotional TV interview. The body of Shafilea was found in a Cumbrian river in February 2004. In May 2012 her parents were jailed for life for her “honour killing”.
Their absolute accuracy cannot therefore be guaranteed.
A search will reveal more links for each of the cases. The primary sources, the Court reports, are obtainable, sometimes for a fee.
2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_April_Jones
3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Tia_Sharp
4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Caylee_Anthony
5 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2205808/DAndre-Lane-Father-fatally-beat-Bianca-Jones-2-wetting-pants-staging-carjacking-kidnap.html#ixzz29elw9SVP
6 http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6400083/
7 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Dominik_Takács
8 http://ww2.gazette.net/stories/121207/rocknew211049_32367.shtml
9 http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/Apps/Police/News/NA_details. asp?NaID=3758
10 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riley_Ann_Sawyers
11 http://www.directmatin.fr/france/2012-06-11/la-mort-cruelle-de-marina-sabatier-rappel-des-faits-36160
12 / 13 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Smith
14 http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/kiesha-killing-case-circumstantial-court-told-20120907-25iom.html
15 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/lying-stepfather-sentenced-to-life-for-zoes-murder-1154048.html
16 / 17 http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/1212704/0/cronologia-desaparicion/ruth-jose/cordoba/
18 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cogne_homicide
19 http://www.kpho.com/story/19776484/police-report-released-on-jhessye-shockleys-murder
20 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/326657.stm
22 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1530154/Husband-buried-his-wife-where-he-had-sex-with-lover.html
23 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-368005/Life-Joannes-killer-mum-turned-in.html
24 [url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts /4537825.stm]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts /4537825.stm[/url]
25 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2018706/Tracie-Andrews-release-Killer-shows-remorse-Lee-Harvey-murder.html
26 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Rachel_McLean
27 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Shafilea_Ahmed
Mother 'Threw Baby Down 40ft Rubbish Chute'
A newborn baby was thrown down a five-floor rubbish chute by her mother in an attempt to kill her, a court has heard.
The six-day-old girl from Wolverhampton is alleged to have been wrapped in material and dumped down the 40ft tube which ran down the family's tower block, hitting a metal deflector at the bottom at over 30mph which left her with several skull fractures and brain injuries.
Jaymin Abdulrahman, 25, initially told police that her daughter had been kidnapped by strangers in September last year, but the baby was found a few hours later, apparently lifeless, by the father at the bottom of their block of flats.
Abdulrahman, who is on trial at Birmingham Crown Court, denies charges of attempted murder, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and inflicting grievous bodily harm.
In his opening speech, prosecutor Andrew Smith QC told the jury: "The reason why she decided to place her daughter in the rubbish chute may be never be known or understood.
"However, the prosecution say that her intention can be clearly identified from her actions."
Abdulrahman allegedly tidied up her flat after dumping the baby girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
The court was told that pieces of a broken Moses basket were found in a bin at the bottom of the chute, and bits of wood were discovered inside the flat.
A crash dummy test was carried out by experts to reconstruct the fall, and the jury was shown computer-generated images of that experiment.
Using a dummy of a nine-month-old child and a chute with a 44ft vertical drop, Mr Smith revealed that the estimated speed of impact with the metal deflector that is used to slow down pieces of rubbish was 32mph.
Speaking in court, Mr Smith compared it to "having been in a 30mph car crash without wearing a seat-belt."
http://news.sky.com/story/1102266/mother-threw-baby-down-40ft-rubbish-chute
What have the following in common ?
Children
Shannon Matthews
April Jones
Tia Sharp
Caylee Marie Anthony
Bianca Jones
Joana Cipriano
Harmony Jude Creech
Dominik Takács
Leonardo Giovanni Sendejas
Riley Ann Sawyers
Marina Sabatier
Michael Daniel Smith
Alexander Tyler Smith
Keisha Weippeart
Zoe Evans
Ruth Breton
Jose Breton
Samuele Lorenzi
Jhessye Shockley
Jamie Lavis
Adults
Fadi Nasri
Kirsi Gifford-Hull
Joanna Nelson
Sharon Malone
Lee Harvey
Rachel McClean
Shafilea Ahmed
Answer
In every case they were reported as having been “abducted”, or as “missing”, on in other ways someone gave false statements to police, and in every case they had been harmed either by a member of their own family who had made that false report, or by someone very close to the family and known to them.
Only Shannon Matthews escaped with her life. Her case was slightly different from the others, and involved her being used in an attempt by her mother and another relative to obtain the reward money by deception. It is believed she was influenced by the McCann case.
Every one of these children was included on the lists of “Abducted” or “Missing” children, about which the public are told to be so concerned, and from which other people make so much money.
Interestingly some of these names still have not been removed from the lists published by the many “Charities” which exist, allegedly to ‘assist’, even though the cases have been concluded, and the guilty sentenced.
We append a short précis of each case.
1 Shannon Matthews
In 2008 Karen Matthews reported her 9 year old daughter Shannon missing to the police, and went on to make a number of emotional public appeals for her daughter’s return, begging for anyone holding Shannon to let her go.
Shannon was found alive, hidden in the base of a bed, at a house belonging to Michael Donovan (Karen’s boyfriend’s uncle). The family were supposedly planning to claim the £50,000 that Newspapers had put up as a reward for Shannon’s return. Michael Donovan was charged with Kidnapping and False Imprisonment, while Karen Matthews was charged with Child neglect and Perverting the course of justice. They were both jailed for eight years.
2 April Jones
April Jones is a five-year-old girl from Machynlleth, Powys, Wales, who disappeared on 1 October 2012, after being sighted willingly getting into a van near her home. On 3 October 2012, April Jones's mother made an appeal for information about her daughter. Her disappearance generated a large amount of press coverage, both nationally and internationally. A 46-year-old man was subsequently arrested and charged with Jones's abduction and murder, while searches for her body continued. He was well known to the family. Bridger was found guilty of murder and given a full life sentence
3 Tia Sharp
Tia Sharp was a 12-year-old English schoolgirl who was reported missing from the home of her grandmother, Christine Sharp, in New Addington, on 3 August 2012. On 7 August Tia's uncle, David Sharp, made a televised plea for Tia's safe return. Fifty-five sightings were reported by members of the public, but none was substantiated. When police discovered her body in the loft of the house seven days later, they arrested Christine Sharp and Stuart Hazell on suspicion of murder. Hazell is Christine Sharp's partner and the former boyfriend of Tia's mother, Natalie. Hazell was charged with Tia's murder the following day. A year later, during the trial, he changed his plea to Guilty. He was sentenced to 38 years.
4 Caylee Marie Anthony
Caylee Marie Anthony was an American two-year-old girl who was reported missing July 15, 2008, in Orlando, Florida. Her skeletal remains were found in a wooded area near her home on December 11, 2008. Her then 22-year-old mother, Casey Marie Anthony, was tried for the first degree murder of Caylee but acquitted. She was, however, convicted of misdemeanour counts of providing false information to police officers. There are moves to reopen the case at Federal level.
5 Bianca Jones
A Detroit man was so obsessed over toilet training that he fatally beat his 2-year-old daughter for having an accident. D'Andre Lane, 32, charged with child abuse in the Dec 2012 and for the disappearance of Bianca Jones, whose body has never been found, maintained his innocence insisting she was taken during a car jacking.
The car was found less than an hour later, but the girl wasn't in it. Dogs indicated that a cadaver had been in the vehicle. He was found guilty of Murder and Child Abuse
6 Joana Cipriano
Joana Cipriano was an eight-year-old Portuguese girl who disappeared from the village of Figueira, near Portimão, in the Algarve, on 12 September 2004. After criminal investigation, she was later assumed to have been murdered, though her body was never found. The investigation by the Polícia Judiciária ended with the conviction for murder of Leonor and João Cipriano, Joana's mother and uncle. Leonor Cipriano confessed to killing her daughter. Her uncle confessed to having beaten her up after which she stood "quiet on the floor". He said he cut his niece's body in small pieces, put her in a fridge box, then put her inside an old car that was taken to Spain to be crushed and burned. When he was asked if he had sexually abused his niece he said in the presence of his lawyer "I did not harm her, I only killed her"
7 Harmony Jade Creech
Harmony was an 11-month-old girl whose remains were found in the attic of a Spring Lake home two years ago. Johni Michelle Heuser, 27, was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Harmony Jade Creech.
Deputies found the toddler's remains in her mother's attic on Oct. 20, 2007.
The child had been wrapped in a plastic bag and stuffed in an empty diaper box in a corner of the attic, authorities said. The body was so badly decomposed that medical examiners have never been able to determine a cause of death.
When the child's father, Sgt. Ronald Creech II, returned from a 15-month deployment in Iraq, Heuser initially claimed the baby had been abducted, prompting a state-wide Amber Alert. She later told investigators that she found the baby dead in her crib weeks earlier and hid the death out of fear. She was found Guilty of murder and given life without parole.
8 Dominik Takács
Dominik Takács a two-year-old Hungarian boy was reported missing in 2007 by his mother in central Budapest. Pictures of the boy dominated Hungarian media for several weeks. Takács' mother said that she saw her son heading towards the Danube and tried to run after him, but fell over and lost consciousness for a few minutes. When she came to, he was nowhere to be seen. In October 2007, the mother admitted that he had been attacked by their own fighting dogs and she and the boy's father wheel-barrowed the body to fields near the family's home and buried it. Subsequently, in October the Hungarian police discovered the body of the two-year-old boy. As a result, the parents faced charges as they had not given "rational reasons" for their actions.
9 Leonardo Giovanni Sendejas
Ruth Petra Sendejas, 18, told authorities that two men invaded her home, threatened her, tied her up and placed a plastic bag over the head of her son, Leonardo Giovanni Sendejas. The woman later changed her story, telling police that she staged the home invasion after finding her child unresponsive in his crib and fearing that she would lose custody of the boy, according to court documents. Police found the child unresponsive in his crib. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was asphyxiation. During later questioning Ruth Petra Sendejas allegedly admitted to being the only person in the residence at the time of her child’s death and that there had been no home invasion. She pleaded guilty to 2nd degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
10 Riley Ann Sawyers (Baby Grace)
In the capital murder charge the couple, Clyde Zeigler II and Kimberly Dawn Trenor were accused of intentionally and knowingly causing the death of 2 year old Riley Ann Sawyers. Trenor and Zeigler were initially charged after Trenor gave a statement in which she described how the couple beat Riley with belts, held her head under water, smashed her head on the tile floor and pushed her face into the couch. After Riley died, Trenor said she and Zeigler wrapped her body in plastic bags, sealed it in a plastic storage box and eventually tossed it into Galveston Bay.
Trenor said Riley died on July 24, but the box was found by a fisherman washed ashore in late October and Trenor did not turn herself into authorities until nearly a month later. The couple had originally claimed that Riley Ann had been abducted. Both Trenor and Ziegler were sentenced to Life without parole - as an alternative to the Death Penalty.
11 Marina Sabatier
The 6 year old girl died in 2009 in a series of acts of torture and neglect.
In April 2009, Marina was hospitalised for more than a month of foot lesions resulting from abuse. She was returned to the parents, But Marina died on 6 August 2009. According to the parents, she did not survive the last torture session where she was immersed in an ice bath, forced to drink vinegar and coarse salt before being beaten. The couple then locked her in the basement, naked. They found her lifeless the next day. Eric Sabatier attempted to lead the police down a false track, saying his daughter had been taken from the parking lot of a fast food restaurant. After three days, they eventually confessed everything and took police to the place where they had hidden the body of their daughter. It was found in a closet, wrapped in a cloth, in a plastic crate, filled with concrete. They were sentenced to 30 years imprisonment.
12/13 Michael Daniel Smith and Alexander Tyler Smith
In 1994, Susan Smith told police in South Carolina, USA that she had been car jacked by a black man who had driven off with her two young sons still in the vehicle. Smith appeared on television appealing for the man to return the children. Nine days later, Smith confessed to Police that she had driven the car into a lake, with her children still inside. It then emerged that she had been having an affair with a man, and had killed her two boys because he had said that he didn’t want any children. She was convicted of murder, and given a life sentence.
14 Keisha Weippeart
Kiesha's mother, Kristi Abrahams, told police she tucked her daughter into bed. She was reported missing the next morning. As the search entered its third day on, Ms Abrahams made an emotional appeal for anyone who may have seen her daughter to come forward. Police located a shallow grave site where they believe the body of missing girl is located. Kristi Abrahams, 28, and Robert Smith, 31, were arrested. They have been formally charged with the girl's murder. In 2013 the mother and stepfather pleaded Guilty to manslaughter.
15 Zoe Evans
In 1997, 9-year-old Schoolgirl Zoe Evans went missing from her home. Zoe’s naked body was found six weeks later, in a badger sett. Her mother, Paula Hamilton, and stepfather Miles Evans appeared at a press conference, begging for her to come home. It transpired that Zoe had been taken her from her bed and sexually assaulted by her stepfather. A post-mortem examination showed she died from asphyxiation Evans was arrested and convicted of murder.
16/17 Ruth and Jose Breton
In October 2011 Joseph Breton reported the disappearance of his two children, Ruth and José, aged six and two. According to his version, they were visiting a Parque in Cordoba, when the children vanished without a trace. The investigation soon disproved the Breton version.
Despite the interrogations, confrontations and reconstructions of the facts by the police, Breton never revealed the true whereabouts of the children. The key was to find out what happened between 14.30 and 18.18 of October 8. The children were spending the weekend at the farm of Quemadillas that morning and had been playing with cousins. In the afternoon, when, supposedly, they left the farm, Breton disconnected his mobile. At 18.18 it was reconnected and Breton called his brother to report the alleged disappearance of children.
Police had always focused enquiries on the paternal grandparents farm. In the early stages of the enquiry charred skeletal remains had been found in the ashes of a bonfire lit on the farm, but reports attributed them to a dog or small rodents. This proved to be wrong, and subsequently they were identified as the human remains of Ruth and Jose. The father was found guilty of their murder
18 Samulele Lorenzi
three-year-old Samuele Lorenzi was found dead on 31 January 2002 while sleeping in his parents' bed in his family home in the mountain village of Cogne, in Aosta Valley, northern Italy. The cause of death was found to be a blow to the skull. The murder weapon has never been found. In July 2004 an Italian court sentenced Samuele's mother Anna Maria Franzoni to 30 years in prison for aggravated murder. In 2007 the penalty was reduced to 16 years of jail for homicide. Franzoni always refuted the charge, asserting that an intruder had killed her child in the few minutes she left home to accompany her older son David to the school bus station. Mrs. Franzoni was also charged and found guilty of defamation against the Chief Prosecutor of Aosta.
19 Jhessye Shockley
Hunter is facing charges of first-degree murder and child abuse in Jhessye's disappearance. Hunter reported her daughter missing. Police believe with certainty that Jhessye was killed and her remains were placed at the Butterfield Landfill. On Nov. 23, about six weeks after Jhessye was reported missing, a woman contacted investigators. She said that seven to 15 days before Hunter reported her daughter missing, she gave Hunter a ride to Tempe. At the time, Hunter put a large, heavy suitcase in the woman's trunk. When they got to Tempe, Hunter put it in a skip. Hunter even apologised to the woman for the smell of the suitcase. Police tested the trunk of that car and it tested positive for blood.
Jhessye's body has never been found. Glendale police said they believe she was killed and her body was thrown in a trash can. Investigators have been working on the case since Oct. 2011, when Hunter reported her daughter missing. In 2015 Hunter was found guilty of murder, and sentenced to life, plus 20 years for child abuse.
20 Jamie Lavis
Bus driver Darren Vickers was the last man to see eight-year-old Jamie Lavis on May 5, 1997. After the boy vanished he befriended his distraught family in Openshaw, Manchester, making a tearful TV plea on their behalf. In April 1999, at Preston Crown Court, Vickers was jailed for life for Jamie’s murder.
Adults
21 Fadi Nasri
On the evening of 11 May 2006, Patel-Nasri was reported to have gone outside her home carrying a chef's knife. It is believed that this was the murder weapon. A man wearing a hooded top was seen running away from the scene. During the subsequent trial, it transpired that Patel-Nasri had been stabbed inside her home and had staggered outside the front door before collapsing. Fadi Nasri made a public appeal to find the killer of his new bride Nisha Patel-Nasri who he had stabbed with a 13-inch kitchen knife at her home
22 Kirsi Gifford-Hull
In 2006, a dog walker found the decomposed remains of Kirsi Gifford-Hull buried in a shallow grave, in woods. Just a few days earlier, her husband Mike Gifford-Hull contacted Police claiming that his wife had left him – and later made a TV appeal pleading for his wife to get in touch because their children had made a banner for her birthday. In fact Mike Gifford-Hull had strangled his wife during a row over the state of their marriage and his having had sex with prostitutes. He then concealed her body. He was found guilty of murder and jailed for 17 years.
23 Joanna Nelson
In 2005, Joanna Nelson vanished. Police launched a massive search but Miss Nelson’s body was not found until over a month later. Shortly after her disappearance, her boyfriend Paul Dyson, appeared on television acting as if he was very concerned. Under interrogation Dyson eventually admitted he was responsible for his girlfriend’s death, saying that he had strangled her after a row about housework. He was sentenced to life in prison, and Judge Tom Cracknell, highlighted his appearance on the TV appeal for information, saying “You went on TV and displayed breathtaking and nauseating hypocrisy.”
24 Sharon Malone
Sharon Malone vanished in 1999, and was later found bludgeoned to death in nearby Woodland. Her husband, Garry Malone, had participated in a televised police press conference to appeal for her return. He later invented a story about his wife having been killed by a gang, because of an unpaid debt. Mr Malone fled the country confirming the suspicions of detectives. Garry Malone was convicted of his wife’s murder, after being extradited from Spain, where he had adopted a new identity.
25 Lee Harvey
In 1996, Lee Harvey was stabbed to death on an isolated road. His fiancée, Tracie Andrews, told police that he had been attacked by a motorist after a “road rage” incident. The former model later appeared at a Police press conference looking distraught and begging for help in catching the killer, claiming a “fat man with staring eyes” had attacked her boyfriend, stabbing him more than thirty times.
Detectives became sceptical of the story after it emerged that the couple had a stormy and often violent relationship. Tracie Andrews was charged with murder, and at her trial a jury was told she had stabbed him to death after a row. She was sentenced to life.
26 Rachel McClean
In 1991, the boyfriend of Rachel McLean reported her missing to Police. John Tanner not only appeared in a press conference appealing for help but also took part in a televised reconstruction. He claimed Miss McLean had seen him off at the railway station, and said a long-haired stranger had offered to give her a lift home. A few days later, police discovered Rachel’s remains under the floorboards of her flat, and Tanner was immediately arrested. His story crumbled, and he was charged with her murder. At his trial, Tanner changed his story and said that he had ‘snapped’ and killed his girlfriend after she admitted that she had been unfaithful. He was convicted of murder and jailed for life.
27 Shafilea Ahmed
AFTER 17-year-old Shafilea Ahmed vanished from her home in Warrington, Cheshire, on September 11, 2003 her parents Iftikhar and Farzana gave an emotional TV interview. The body of Shafilea was found in a Cumbrian river in February 2004. In May 2012 her parents were jailed for life for her “honour killing”.
References
These are taken from the net, and in several cases the most convenient summary is to be found on “Wikipedia”. www.wikipedia.org/Their absolute accuracy cannot therefore be guaranteed.
A search will reveal more links for each of the cases. The primary sources, the Court reports, are obtainable, sometimes for a fee.
Children
1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnapping_of_Shannon_Matthews2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_April_Jones
3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Tia_Sharp
4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Caylee_Anthony
5 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2205808/DAndre-Lane-Father-fatally-beat-Bianca-Jones-2-wetting-pants-staging-carjacking-kidnap.html#ixzz29elw9SVP
6 http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6400083/
7 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Dominik_Takács
8 http://ww2.gazette.net/stories/121207/rocknew211049_32367.shtml
9 http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/Apps/Police/News/NA_details. asp?NaID=3758
10 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riley_Ann_Sawyers
11 http://www.directmatin.fr/france/2012-06-11/la-mort-cruelle-de-marina-sabatier-rappel-des-faits-36160
12 / 13 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Smith
14 http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/kiesha-killing-case-circumstantial-court-told-20120907-25iom.html
15 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/lying-stepfather-sentenced-to-life-for-zoes-murder-1154048.html
16 / 17 http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/1212704/0/cronologia-desaparicion/ruth-jose/cordoba/
18 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cogne_homicide
19 http://www.kpho.com/story/19776484/police-report-released-on-jhessye-shockleys-murder
20 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/326657.stm
Adults
21 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/nisha-patel-nasri-trial-verdict-husband-31055422 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1530154/Husband-buried-his-wife-where-he-had-sex-with-lover.html
23 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-368005/Life-Joannes-killer-mum-turned-in.html
24 [url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts /4537825.stm]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts /4537825.stm[/url]
25 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2018706/Tracie-Andrews-release-Killer-shows-remorse-Lee-Harvey-murder.html
26 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Rachel_McLean
27 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Shafilea_Ahmed
Mother 'Threw Baby Down 40ft Rubbish Chute'
A newborn baby was thrown down a five-floor rubbish chute by her mother in an attempt to kill her, a court has heard.
The six-day-old girl from Wolverhampton is alleged to have been wrapped in material and dumped down the 40ft tube which ran down the family's tower block, hitting a metal deflector at the bottom at over 30mph which left her with several skull fractures and brain injuries.
Jaymin Abdulrahman, 25, initially told police that her daughter had been kidnapped by strangers in September last year, but the baby was found a few hours later, apparently lifeless, by the father at the bottom of their block of flats.
Abdulrahman, who is on trial at Birmingham Crown Court, denies charges of attempted murder, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and inflicting grievous bodily harm.
In his opening speech, prosecutor Andrew Smith QC told the jury: "The reason why she decided to place her daughter in the rubbish chute may be never be known or understood.
"However, the prosecution say that her intention can be clearly identified from her actions."
Abdulrahman allegedly tidied up her flat after dumping the baby girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
The court was told that pieces of a broken Moses basket were found in a bin at the bottom of the chute, and bits of wood were discovered inside the flat.
A crash dummy test was carried out by experts to reconstruct the fall, and the jury was shown computer-generated images of that experiment.
Using a dummy of a nine-month-old child and a chute with a 44ft vertical drop, Mr Smith revealed that the estimated speed of impact with the metal deflector that is used to slow down pieces of rubbish was 32mph.
Speaking in court, Mr Smith compared it to "having been in a 30mph car crash without wearing a seat-belt."
http://news.sky.com/story/1102266/mother-threw-baby-down-40ft-rubbish-chute
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 11: Crocodile tears
In every one of these cases the person responsible for the commission of the crime has made public appeal for help, or for information.
The Crime: In 2008, 9-year-old Shannon Matthews disappeared after a school trip.
The Lies: Karen Matthews reported her daughter Shannon missing to the police, and went on to make a number of emotional public appeals for her daughter’s return, begging for anyone holding Shannon to let her go.
The Truth: Shannon was found alive, hidden in the base of a bed, at a house belonging to Michael Donovan (Karen’s boyfriend’s uncle) – The family were supposedly planning to claim the £50,000 that newspapers had put up as a reward for Shannon’s return.
The Verdict: Michael Donovan was charged with Kidnapping and False imprisonment, while Karen Matthews was charged with Child neglect and Perverting the course of justice. They were both jailed for eight years. Julian Goose QC said Karen Matthews “lied and lied and lied again”. Detective Superintendent Andy Brennan branded Karen Matthews “Pure evil”.
The Crime: In 2006, Nisha Patel-Nasri was stabbed with her own 13-inch kitchen knife, and bled to death outside her home.
The Lies: Her husband, Fadi Nasri, made a televised appeal for information in the days after his wife’s death, crying crocodile tears, and begging anyone with information to contact the Police.
The Truth: Fadi Nasri wanted to claim his wife’s £350,000 life insurance policy, in order to pay off his debts and continue an affair he was having. So, he arranged for his wife to be at home while he was away, and hired a drug dealer to organise the killing.
The Verdict: Fadi Nasri, was eventually arrested, and shortly afterwards found guilty of organising his wife’s murder. He was jailed for life.
The Crime: In 2006, A dog walker found the decomposed remains of Kirsi Gifford-Hull buried in a shallow grave, in woods.
The Lies: Just a few days earlier, her husband Mike Gifford-Hull, had told his children that he’d had a massive argument with his wife and that she had left with her passport and a substantial sum of money. He then contacted Police claiming that his wife had left him – and later made a TV appeal pleading for his wife to get in touch because their children had made a banner for her birthday.
The Truth: Mike Gifford-Hull had strangled his wife during a row over the state of their marriage and his having had sex with prostitutes. He then concealed her body.
The Verdict: Mike Gifford-Hull was found guilty of murder and jailed for 17 years. Superintendent David Kilbride said: “Michael Gifford-Hull told lie after lie to the police, to her family in Finland and their two children. He deliberately and carefully laid a false trail involving the apparent disappearance of clothes, money and her passport.”
The Crime: On Valentine’s Day, in 2005, Joanna Nelson vanished. Police launched a massive search but Miss Nelson’s body was not found until over a month later.
The Lies: Shortly after her disappearance, her boyfriend Paul Dyson, appeared on television acting as if very concerned.
The Truth: Under interrogation by detectives, Dyson eventually cracked and admitted he was responsible for his girlfriend’s death, saying that he had strangled her after a row about housework.
The Verdict: Paul Dyson was sentenced to life in prison, and Judge Tom Cracknell, highlighted his appearance on the TV appeal for information, saying “You went on TV and displayed breathtaking and nauseating hypocrisy.”
The Crime: In 2002, two 10-year old girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman disappeared. They were later found dead in a ditch, and their bodies had been burned.
The Lies: Ian Huntley pretended to help search for the girls, and offered words of sympathy one of their fathers. He was also broadcast telling reporters: “While there’s no news, there’s a glimmer of hope. I think that’s all we’re clinging onto. It’s just very upsetting to think I might be the last friendly face that these two girls had to speak to before something happened to them.”
The Truth: Huntley later admitted that the girls had died in his house, but claimed that he had accidentally knocked Holly into the bath while helping her control a nosebleed, and then accidentally suffocated Jessica when she started to scream. The police suspect that Huntley killed the girls in a fit of jealous rage, and suggest there may also have been a sexual motive.
The Verdict: Ian Huntley was found guilty of Murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, but the High Court ruled that this crime was so serious that Huntley must remain in prison until he has served at least 40 years. His girlfriend Maxine Carr, who provided a false alibi, was convicted of perverting the course of justice.
The Crime: Sharon Malone vanished in 1999, and was later found bludgeoned to death in nearby woodland.
The Lies: Her husband, Garry Malone, had participated in a televised police press conference to appeal for her return, pleading “We missed you over Christmas… The boys missed you and asked after Mummy. Please put our minds at rest… Come home”. He later invented a story about his wife having been killed by a gang, because of an unpaid debt.
The Truth: Mr Malone fled, the country confirmed the suspicions of detectives, who had since discovered that his marriage was on the rocks, and Malone facing being financially crippled by a divorce.
The Verdict: Garry Malone was convicted of his wife’s murder, after being extradited from Spain, where he had adopted a new identity. Judge Stephen Kramer sentenced Malone to a minimum of 18 years, and said he was “manipulative, calculating and deceitful”.
The Crime: In 1997, 9-year-old Schoolgirl Zoe Evans went missing from her home. Zoe’s naked body was found six weeks later, in a badger sett.
The Lies: Her Mother, Paula Hamilton, and Stepfather Miles Evans appeared at a press conference, begging for her to come home.
The Truth: It transpired that Zoe had been taken her from her bed and sexually assaulted by her stepfather – A post-mortem examination showed she died from asphyxiation.
The Verdict: Evans was arrested and eventually convicted of Zoe Evans’ murder.
The Crime: In 1996, Lee Harvey was stabbed to death on an isolated road.
The Lies: His fiancée, Tracie Andrews, told police that he had been attacked by a motorist after a “road rage” incident. The former model later appeared at a police press conference looking distraught and begging for help in catching the killer, claiming a “fat man with staring eyes” had attacked her boyfriend, stabbing him more than thirty times.
The Truth: Detectives became sceptical of the story after it emerged that the couple had a stormy and often violent relationship.
The Verdict: Tracie Andrews was charged with murder, and at her trial a jury was told she had stabbed him to death after a row. She was sentenced to life in prison.
The Crime: In 1994, Susan Smith told police in South Carolina, USA that she had been carjacked by a black man who had driven off with her two young sons, Michael and Alexander, still in the vehicle.
The Lies: Smith appeared on television appealing for the man to return the children.
The Truth: Nine days later, Smith confessed to Police that she had driven the car into a lake, with her children still inside. It then emerged that she had been having an affair with a man, and had killed her two boys because he had said that he didn’t want any children.
The Verdict: She was convicted of murder, and given a life sentence.
The Crime: In 1994, Carol Wardell, the Manager of a Building Society was murdered and about £15,000 was stolen from the branch.
The Lies: Her husband, Gordon, appeared at a press conference and told reporters that he had returned home from the pub on Sunday afternoon to discover his wife being held captive by a man who was wearing a clown mask and armed with a knife. Wardell alleged he had been punched, forced to the ground and rendered unconscious after a chloroform-soaked cloth was pressed over his face. He went on to tell journalists: “A man got hold of my wife and was threatening her with a knife.” He further claimed he had been tied up by the gang, who took his wife off to the Building Society, early the following morning.
The Verdict: Within a month police realised his story was a pack of lies and he was arrested.
The Result: Wardell was sentenced to life imprisonment, and the Judge told him that he had gone to elaborate lengths, including tying himself up and inflicting injuries, to make it appear as if the couple were the victim of Robbers.
The Crime: In 1991, the boyfriend of Rachel McLean reported her missing to police.
The Lies: John Tanner not only appeared in a press conference appealing for help but also took part in a televised reconstruction. He claimed Miss McLean had seen him off at the railway station, and said a long-haired stranger had offered to give her a lift home. Tanner told reporters his girlfriend had been “a lover of life” and even asked people to help “out of sheer consideration for her mother and father and myself”.
The Truth: A few days later, police discovered Rachel’s remains under the floorboards of her flat, and Tanner was immediately arrested. His story crumbled, and he was charged with her murder.
The Verdict: At his trial, Tanner changed his story and said that he had ‘snapped’ and killed his girlfriend after she admitted that she had been unfaithful. He was convicted of murder and jailed for life.
Source: A Challenge for Body Language 'Experts': Listed on waybackmachine
Public appeals for help
and crocodile tears.
and crocodile tears.
In every one of these cases the person responsible for the commission of the crime has made public appeal for help, or for information.
The Crime: In 2008, 9-year-old Shannon Matthews disappeared after a school trip.
The Lies: Karen Matthews reported her daughter Shannon missing to the police, and went on to make a number of emotional public appeals for her daughter’s return, begging for anyone holding Shannon to let her go.
The Truth: Shannon was found alive, hidden in the base of a bed, at a house belonging to Michael Donovan (Karen’s boyfriend’s uncle) – The family were supposedly planning to claim the £50,000 that newspapers had put up as a reward for Shannon’s return.
The Verdict: Michael Donovan was charged with Kidnapping and False imprisonment, while Karen Matthews was charged with Child neglect and Perverting the course of justice. They were both jailed for eight years. Julian Goose QC said Karen Matthews “lied and lied and lied again”. Detective Superintendent Andy Brennan branded Karen Matthews “Pure evil”.
The Crime: In 2006, Nisha Patel-Nasri was stabbed with her own 13-inch kitchen knife, and bled to death outside her home.
The Lies: Her husband, Fadi Nasri, made a televised appeal for information in the days after his wife’s death, crying crocodile tears, and begging anyone with information to contact the Police.
The Truth: Fadi Nasri wanted to claim his wife’s £350,000 life insurance policy, in order to pay off his debts and continue an affair he was having. So, he arranged for his wife to be at home while he was away, and hired a drug dealer to organise the killing.
The Verdict: Fadi Nasri, was eventually arrested, and shortly afterwards found guilty of organising his wife’s murder. He was jailed for life.
The Crime: In 2006, A dog walker found the decomposed remains of Kirsi Gifford-Hull buried in a shallow grave, in woods.
The Lies: Just a few days earlier, her husband Mike Gifford-Hull, had told his children that he’d had a massive argument with his wife and that she had left with her passport and a substantial sum of money. He then contacted Police claiming that his wife had left him – and later made a TV appeal pleading for his wife to get in touch because their children had made a banner for her birthday.
The Truth: Mike Gifford-Hull had strangled his wife during a row over the state of their marriage and his having had sex with prostitutes. He then concealed her body.
The Verdict: Mike Gifford-Hull was found guilty of murder and jailed for 17 years. Superintendent David Kilbride said: “Michael Gifford-Hull told lie after lie to the police, to her family in Finland and their two children. He deliberately and carefully laid a false trail involving the apparent disappearance of clothes, money and her passport.”
The Crime: On Valentine’s Day, in 2005, Joanna Nelson vanished. Police launched a massive search but Miss Nelson’s body was not found until over a month later.
The Lies: Shortly after her disappearance, her boyfriend Paul Dyson, appeared on television acting as if very concerned.
The Truth: Under interrogation by detectives, Dyson eventually cracked and admitted he was responsible for his girlfriend’s death, saying that he had strangled her after a row about housework.
The Verdict: Paul Dyson was sentenced to life in prison, and Judge Tom Cracknell, highlighted his appearance on the TV appeal for information, saying “You went on TV and displayed breathtaking and nauseating hypocrisy.”
The Crime: In 2002, two 10-year old girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman disappeared. They were later found dead in a ditch, and their bodies had been burned.
The Lies: Ian Huntley pretended to help search for the girls, and offered words of sympathy one of their fathers. He was also broadcast telling reporters: “While there’s no news, there’s a glimmer of hope. I think that’s all we’re clinging onto. It’s just very upsetting to think I might be the last friendly face that these two girls had to speak to before something happened to them.”
The Truth: Huntley later admitted that the girls had died in his house, but claimed that he had accidentally knocked Holly into the bath while helping her control a nosebleed, and then accidentally suffocated Jessica when she started to scream. The police suspect that Huntley killed the girls in a fit of jealous rage, and suggest there may also have been a sexual motive.
The Verdict: Ian Huntley was found guilty of Murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, but the High Court ruled that this crime was so serious that Huntley must remain in prison until he has served at least 40 years. His girlfriend Maxine Carr, who provided a false alibi, was convicted of perverting the course of justice.
The Crime: Sharon Malone vanished in 1999, and was later found bludgeoned to death in nearby woodland.
The Lies: Her husband, Garry Malone, had participated in a televised police press conference to appeal for her return, pleading “We missed you over Christmas… The boys missed you and asked after Mummy. Please put our minds at rest… Come home”. He later invented a story about his wife having been killed by a gang, because of an unpaid debt.
The Truth: Mr Malone fled, the country confirmed the suspicions of detectives, who had since discovered that his marriage was on the rocks, and Malone facing being financially crippled by a divorce.
The Verdict: Garry Malone was convicted of his wife’s murder, after being extradited from Spain, where he had adopted a new identity. Judge Stephen Kramer sentenced Malone to a minimum of 18 years, and said he was “manipulative, calculating and deceitful”.
The Crime: In 1997, 9-year-old Schoolgirl Zoe Evans went missing from her home. Zoe’s naked body was found six weeks later, in a badger sett.
The Lies: Her Mother, Paula Hamilton, and Stepfather Miles Evans appeared at a press conference, begging for her to come home.
The Truth: It transpired that Zoe had been taken her from her bed and sexually assaulted by her stepfather – A post-mortem examination showed she died from asphyxiation.
The Verdict: Evans was arrested and eventually convicted of Zoe Evans’ murder.
The Crime: In 1996, Lee Harvey was stabbed to death on an isolated road.
The Lies: His fiancée, Tracie Andrews, told police that he had been attacked by a motorist after a “road rage” incident. The former model later appeared at a police press conference looking distraught and begging for help in catching the killer, claiming a “fat man with staring eyes” had attacked her boyfriend, stabbing him more than thirty times.
The Truth: Detectives became sceptical of the story after it emerged that the couple had a stormy and often violent relationship.
The Verdict: Tracie Andrews was charged with murder, and at her trial a jury was told she had stabbed him to death after a row. She was sentenced to life in prison.
The Crime: In 1994, Susan Smith told police in South Carolina, USA that she had been carjacked by a black man who had driven off with her two young sons, Michael and Alexander, still in the vehicle.
The Lies: Smith appeared on television appealing for the man to return the children.
The Truth: Nine days later, Smith confessed to Police that she had driven the car into a lake, with her children still inside. It then emerged that she had been having an affair with a man, and had killed her two boys because he had said that he didn’t want any children.
The Verdict: She was convicted of murder, and given a life sentence.
The Crime: In 1994, Carol Wardell, the Manager of a Building Society was murdered and about £15,000 was stolen from the branch.
The Lies: Her husband, Gordon, appeared at a press conference and told reporters that he had returned home from the pub on Sunday afternoon to discover his wife being held captive by a man who was wearing a clown mask and armed with a knife. Wardell alleged he had been punched, forced to the ground and rendered unconscious after a chloroform-soaked cloth was pressed over his face. He went on to tell journalists: “A man got hold of my wife and was threatening her with a knife.” He further claimed he had been tied up by the gang, who took his wife off to the Building Society, early the following morning.
The Verdict: Within a month police realised his story was a pack of lies and he was arrested.
The Result: Wardell was sentenced to life imprisonment, and the Judge told him that he had gone to elaborate lengths, including tying himself up and inflicting injuries, to make it appear as if the couple were the victim of Robbers.
The Crime: In 1991, the boyfriend of Rachel McLean reported her missing to police.
The Lies: John Tanner not only appeared in a press conference appealing for help but also took part in a televised reconstruction. He claimed Miss McLean had seen him off at the railway station, and said a long-haired stranger had offered to give her a lift home. Tanner told reporters his girlfriend had been “a lover of life” and even asked people to help “out of sheer consideration for her mother and father and myself”.
The Truth: A few days later, police discovered Rachel’s remains under the floorboards of her flat, and Tanner was immediately arrested. His story crumbled, and he was charged with her murder.
The Verdict: At his trial, Tanner changed his story and said that he had ‘snapped’ and killed his girlfriend after she admitted that she had been unfaithful. He was convicted of murder and jailed for life.
Source: A Challenge for Body Language 'Experts': Listed on waybackmachine
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 12: The Pool Photo - Floppy sun hats and flapping curtains ?
Preamble
This chapter emerged from the more formal Last Photo, Pool Photo work, when we started looking at weather charts, wind surfing competitions at Portimao, personal diaries of ex-pats, and the descriptions of temperature and weather in the Tapas group's statements and Rogatories.
It was soon realised that regardless of anything else, the wind and weather are capable of proving - on the balance of probabilities at the very least -
that the Last Pool photo cannot have been taken at lunchtime on 3/5/7
and that the curtains cannot have 'whooshed' at 10 pm on 3/5/7
Both are independent of any other considerations, and this Chapter can stand alone for this reason.
“We then sat round the toddler pool for a while, dipping our feet in, and I took what has turned out to be my last photograph to date of Madeleine.”
The time in the EXIF metadata is shown as 13:29, but the McCanns were at great pains to point out that this time was one hour wrong, and it was actually taken at 14:29
Date/Time Original 2007:05:03 13:29:51+01:00
The photo shows Gerry wearing sunglasses, T shirt and shorts, with a slight sheen of perspiration across his forehead, the children in sun hats, which are casting shadows, there are clear shadows cast by the tree, and by the sun beds.
The edges of the shadows are sharp, indicating bright sun.
However, the weather records for Thursday 3rd May 2007 in Praia da Luz tell a totally different story.
At 1pm the temperature was 17º C, (62ºF) This is relatively cold.
At 2pm the temperature had risen to 18ºC (64ºF) Again not hot enough for sweat to break out on the brow of a man wearing nothing more than a thin cotton T shirt and shorts.
Across the top of the figure is a grey bar which indicates the cloud cover.
At 1pm and 2pm it is shown as 50%
By 4:30pm it was 90% so we may deduce that at lunchtime there may have been cloud cover somewhat greater than 50% and increasing as the afternoon progressed.
It also shows TWO separate cloud layers, one at 540m which then rises to 740m, and a higher one at 2700m
The record for the entire holiday week is even more instructive.
Here we see a clear pattern of the temperature falling and the cloud cover increasing between Sunday evening 29 April, and the following Friday morning 4 May
When we consider the Last Photo we must ask the following questions.
What do we SEE
What do we KNOW
and then
What can we DEDUCE ?
We see
Shadows have sharp outlines
Shadows more or less vertical
Bright reflection from human skin
Bright reflection from objects
Sheen of perspiration on Gerry's forehead
Children in very light dress
Children in sun hats
Gerry wearing very dark sunglasses
Gerry wearing T shirt and shorts
Bright and sharp reflection in sunglasses
Father and children with feet in the water
We know
The pool was very cold - all week
Weather for the rest of the week was cold and cloudy
What do we deduce ?
The photo was taken on a pleasantly warm or even a hot day.
It was taken when the sun was more or less overhead. Solar Zenith was at 13:29 for the days in question. Therefore, in layman’s terms the sun was overhead between 12:30 and 2:30 pm
There were no low clouds and there was no high overcast
But surely wind speed and direction depend on other factors, buildings, vegetation . .
You make a very valid point.
Wind speed IS measured about 3m from the ground, and in an open area, for the obvious reasons that you give. The ground has a frictional resistance, there are walls, buildings, street furniture, and then hedges and trees, all of which will act to slow the apparent speed at human level
The wind speed and direction at lunchtime is given as 7.2 m/s, or a stiff breeze, Force 4, and the direction approximately WSW, or bearing 250
In fact this is across a large patch of waste land, tennis courts and then the very low wall by the Tennis courts in the Ocean club, which are protected only by chain link fencing. The vegetation, although there is some, is low.
As we can see there is not much of a barrier to reduce the force of the wind.
And I suppose that even reducing Force 4 would only bring it down to Force 3
Well exactly, and if we look again at Madeleine’s very fine hair falling across her face, and her floppy little sun hat, we are entitled to ask whether they were sitting in any wind at all.
Enlarge this imageReduce this image Click to see fullsize
But if I may digress slightly, this raises another very interesting point,
Let us stick with the issue of wind force and direction .. .
Later that evening, around 10pm Kate tells us what happened when she entered the apartment.
Her first statement said the curtains were wide open,
[Quote]and immediately noticed that the door to her children's bedroom was completely open, the window was also open, the shutters raised and the curtains open, while she was certain of having closed them all as she always did.”
But later we have seen repeated interviews, and read in the autobiography, which say they were tight closed.
but I just noticed that the door, the bedroom door where the three children were sleeping, was open much further than we’d left it.
I went to close it to about here, and then as I got to here, it suddenly . . . slammed, . . . . and literally as I went back in, the curtains of the bedroom which were drawn, [demonstrates with both forearms together] that were closed, “wheesh’ like a gust of wind kind of blew them open.
[extract from book] p. 71 “Then I noticed that the door to the children’s bedroom was open quite wide, not how we had left it. At first I assumed that Matt must have moved it. I walked over and gently began to pull it to. Suddenly it slammed shut, as if caught by a draught.”
She says the door slammed even though she was holding it, and when she pushed it open again another gust “whooshed” the curtains into the room.
By 10pm the wind had died down, and was 4 m/s, Force 2, bordering on the low end of Force 3. It has also veered to WNW, or bearing 290.
Assuming the window was open, it is only 1 m x 0.5 m, so half a square meter. The door is 2 m x 0.75 m so one and a half square metres.
So any wind pressure entering the room is effectively dissipated over three times the area,
Now let us look at photos of the area outside the bedroom window.
What we see is a small car park lined with thick and high trees, a substantial wall, and then another wall just outside the window of the apartment
So the argument which says the effective speed and power of the wind is reduced by vegetation, walls, street furniture, cars and other obstacles applied here with even greater force.
This apartment window was by any standards very well sheltered
And from that we then have to imagine what wind power or force would be necessary to tear through all that barrier - and remember the wind is coming in at an angle across that road, across other areas with high buildings and thick vegetation, it is the purple line on this map
And the wind still has to have the force to get in through a small open window, and then slam a door being held by an adult, and on the second occasion to pull full length curtains from where they were jammed between the bed and the wall, or jammed behind the wicker chair, against the wall, so that they can “Whoosh”
And that wind force, would then one assumes also hit the Tapas bar around the same time, and we remember that the bar was encased in about 40 square metres of clear tarpaulin. Yet not a single guest or member of staff reports what would have been a deafening sound as those two gusts hit.
The Weather reports from Faro Airport are similarly silent on the point.
So it has been an interesting excursion, driven by responding to reasoned arguments that the wind conditions might have permitted the Last Photo to have been taken on Thursday 3rd, but leading not only to a serious suspicion, on those grounds alone that it could not have been, but also to some serious doubts about the slamming door and whooshing curtain story.
There just does not seem to be enough evidence to substantiate either,
as with so much else in this continuing Mystery.
What is even more interesting is to note that the McCanns’ entire story involving the Last Photo, and flapping curtains depends on flat calm and hot at lunchtime, and high wind at bedtime.
The facts are
EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE.
Floppy sun hats and flapping curtains ?
Preamble
This chapter emerged from the more formal Last Photo, Pool Photo work, when we started looking at weather charts, wind surfing competitions at Portimao, personal diaries of ex-pats, and the descriptions of temperature and weather in the Tapas group's statements and Rogatories.
It was soon realised that regardless of anything else, the wind and weather are capable of proving - on the balance of probabilities at the very least -
that the Last Pool photo cannot have been taken at lunchtime on 3/5/7
and that the curtains cannot have 'whooshed' at 10 pm on 3/5/7
Both are independent of any other considerations, and this Chapter can stand alone for this reason.
The Last Photo - revisited
Enlarge this imageReduce this image Click to see fullsize
Enlarge this imageReduce this image Click to see fullsize
Kate states that the Last Photo, of Gerry, Amelie, and Madeleine sitting by the children’s pool, was taken, by her, on Thursday 3rd May 2007
“We then sat round the toddler pool for a while, dipping our feet in, and I took what has turned out to be my last photograph to date of Madeleine.”
The time in the EXIF metadata is shown as 13:29, but the McCanns were at great pains to point out that this time was one hour wrong, and it was actually taken at 14:29
Date/Time Original 2007:05:03 13:29:51+01:00
The photo shows Gerry wearing sunglasses, T shirt and shorts, with a slight sheen of perspiration across his forehead, the children in sun hats, which are casting shadows, there are clear shadows cast by the tree, and by the sun beds.
The edges of the shadows are sharp, indicating bright sun.
However, the weather records for Thursday 3rd May 2007 in Praia da Luz tell a totally different story.
At 1pm the temperature was 17º C, (62ºF) This is relatively cold.
At 2pm the temperature had risen to 18ºC (64ºF) Again not hot enough for sweat to break out on the brow of a man wearing nothing more than a thin cotton T shirt and shorts.
Across the top of the figure is a grey bar which indicates the cloud cover.
At 1pm and 2pm it is shown as 50%
By 4:30pm it was 90% so we may deduce that at lunchtime there may have been cloud cover somewhat greater than 50% and increasing as the afternoon progressed.
It also shows TWO separate cloud layers, one at 540m which then rises to 740m, and a higher one at 2700m
The record for the entire holiday week is even more instructive.
Here we see a clear pattern of the temperature falling and the cloud cover increasing between Sunday evening 29 April, and the following Friday morning 4 May
When we consider the Last Photo we must ask the following questions.
What do we SEE
What do we KNOW
and then
What can we DEDUCE ?
We see
Shadows have sharp outlines
Shadows more or less vertical
Bright reflection from human skin
Bright reflection from objects
Sheen of perspiration on Gerry's forehead
Children in very light dress
Children in sun hats
Gerry wearing very dark sunglasses
Gerry wearing T shirt and shorts
Bright and sharp reflection in sunglasses
Father and children with feet in the water
We know
The pool was very cold - all week
Weather for the rest of the week was cold and cloudy
What do we deduce ?
The photo was taken on a pleasantly warm or even a hot day.
It was taken when the sun was more or less overhead. Solar Zenith was at 13:29 for the days in question. Therefore, in layman’s terms the sun was overhead between 12:30 and 2:30 pm
There were no low clouds and there was no high overcast
But surely wind speed and direction depend on other factors, buildings, vegetation . .
You make a very valid point.
Wind speed IS measured about 3m from the ground, and in an open area, for the obvious reasons that you give. The ground has a frictional resistance, there are walls, buildings, street furniture, and then hedges and trees, all of which will act to slow the apparent speed at human level
The wind speed and direction at lunchtime is given as 7.2 m/s, or a stiff breeze, Force 4, and the direction approximately WSW, or bearing 250
On the map it is coming in along the red line (the arrow is pointing the wrong way !)
Enlarge this imageReduce this image Click to see fullsize
Enlarge this imageReduce this image Click to see fullsize
In fact this is across a large patch of waste land, tennis courts and then the very low wall by the Tennis courts in the Ocean club, which are protected only by chain link fencing. The vegetation, although there is some, is low.
As we can see there is not much of a barrier to reduce the force of the wind.
And I suppose that even reducing Force 4 would only bring it down to Force 3
Well exactly, and if we look again at Madeleine’s very fine hair falling across her face, and her floppy little sun hat, we are entitled to ask whether they were sitting in any wind at all.
Enlarge this imageReduce this image Click to see fullsize
But if I may digress slightly, this raises another very interesting point,
Let us stick with the issue of wind force and direction .. .
Later that evening, around 10pm Kate tells us what happened when she entered the apartment.
Her first statement said the curtains were wide open,
[Quote]and immediately noticed that the door to her children's bedroom was completely open, the window was also open, the shutters raised and the curtains open, while she was certain of having closed them all as she always did.”
But later we have seen repeated interviews, and read in the autobiography, which say they were tight closed.
but I just noticed that the door, the bedroom door where the three children were sleeping, was open much further than we’d left it.
I went to close it to about here, and then as I got to here, it suddenly . . . slammed, . . . . and literally as I went back in, the curtains of the bedroom which were drawn, [demonstrates with both forearms together] that were closed, “wheesh’ like a gust of wind kind of blew them open.
[extract from book] p. 71 “Then I noticed that the door to the children’s bedroom was open quite wide, not how we had left it. At first I assumed that Matt must have moved it. I walked over and gently began to pull it to. Suddenly it slammed shut, as if caught by a draught.”
She says the door slammed even though she was holding it, and when she pushed it open again another gust “whooshed” the curtains into the room.
By 10pm the wind had died down, and was 4 m/s, Force 2, bordering on the low end of Force 3. It has also veered to WNW, or bearing 290.
Assuming the window was open, it is only 1 m x 0.5 m, so half a square meter. The door is 2 m x 0.75 m so one and a half square metres.
So any wind pressure entering the room is effectively dissipated over three times the area,
Now let us look at photos of the area outside the bedroom window.
What we see is a small car park lined with thick and high trees, a substantial wall, and then another wall just outside the window of the apartment
So the argument which says the effective speed and power of the wind is reduced by vegetation, walls, street furniture, cars and other obstacles applied here with even greater force.
This apartment window was by any standards very well sheltered
And from that we then have to imagine what wind power or force would be necessary to tear through all that barrier - and remember the wind is coming in at an angle across that road, across other areas with high buildings and thick vegetation, it is the purple line on this map
And the wind still has to have the force to get in through a small open window, and then slam a door being held by an adult, and on the second occasion to pull full length curtains from where they were jammed between the bed and the wall, or jammed behind the wicker chair, against the wall, so that they can “Whoosh”
And that wind force, would then one assumes also hit the Tapas bar around the same time, and we remember that the bar was encased in about 40 square metres of clear tarpaulin. Yet not a single guest or member of staff reports what would have been a deafening sound as those two gusts hit.
The Weather reports from Faro Airport are similarly silent on the point.
So it has been an interesting excursion, driven by responding to reasoned arguments that the wind conditions might have permitted the Last Photo to have been taken on Thursday 3rd, but leading not only to a serious suspicion, on those grounds alone that it could not have been, but also to some serious doubts about the slamming door and whooshing curtain story.
There just does not seem to be enough evidence to substantiate either,
as with so much else in this continuing Mystery.
What is even more interesting is to note that the McCanns’ entire story involving the Last Photo, and flapping curtains depends on flat calm and hot at lunchtime, and high wind at bedtime.
The facts are
EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE.
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 13: The McCann family, and the Dossier of Death
A ’Dossier’ was prepared, allegedly, of ‘tweets’, Facebook messages, and blog entries, sent to people unconnected with the McCanns
It was handed to the Metropolitan Police, who sent it to Leicestershire Police.
Both forces decided there was NOTHING in it which merited closer examination.
It made its way to Sky News, and to Martin Brunt. He chose to pursue Brenda Leyland and the encounter was repeated on Sky’s rolling news programme for an entire day.
Two days later Brenda Leyland was found dead.
The verdict at the Inquest was Suicide.
“The McCanns want @sweepyface prosecuted”, a source close to the couple said last night. “This wicked person and the other trolls out there are very sad individuals: he said. “Kate and Gerry hope police take action against her, and if she gets prosecuted all the better. It is a criminal act and she needs to pay the price.”
Brenda Leyland did indeed pay the price. She paid with her life.
There are no prizes for guessing the identity of the ‘source close to the couple’.
There are also no prizes for discovering who handed the dossier to the police, or to Sky News and Martin Brunt
• Jim Gamble, sometime head of CEOPS, sacked by Theresa May, stated that the family did not hand in the dossier, neither did they have anything to do with it.
• Sky News and Martin Brunt said the dossier was handed in by 'anonymous web users.'
• Gerry McCann stated on BBC Radio 4 that they had no presence on social media.
• However Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said the McCann family handed in the dossier.
So do we believe Britain’s most Senior Police Officer, when he says the family handed it in, or Gamble, Mitchell, Brunt, and Gerry ?
Your choice, obviously.
The TV confrontation between Sky News reporter and the deceased Mrs Leyland may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkAzz8Pwdvc where it is headed Police Investigate Madeleine McCann Family Online Abuse.
In the first part of the video, from 3;58 to 4:54 there is footage of the person who allegedly created the dossier which Martin Brunt was to refer to.
This location is in fact Craiglockhart Pond, in Edinburgh. (55º55’N, 3º13’W)
The possible identity of the person involved in preparing, as opposed to handing in, the dossier is less easy to determine, but the following may assist.
The person in the video uses the expressions
“WE are talking about materials which are libellous, completely untrue.
“WE were getting nowhere by reporting it to the sites
“WE were finding people going online . . .”
This is highly suggestive of a family member, as we might expect.
What follows are comparison screen shots from the Sky video, and photos and screen shots from other sources. All are in the public domain.
In addition, Sky chose to ‘voice-over’ the original, in standard English with an acceptable accent. Listening to the following recording of the likely suspect might help explain why.
It is suspected on reasonable grounds that the woman in question is of course Philomena McCann, Gerry McCann’s elder sister. She is a part time teacher in Ullapool.
The person who set up and ran, and may still do so, the ludicrously expensive website for the McCanns and their “Fund”, (in fact a Private Limited Company), was one of her pupils.
Philomena - who told the world that ‘It is obvious that someone with malicious intent went through that window and took Madeleine from the safety and security of her family.”
And who told the world that “Gerry and Kate were in a clear line of sight of their kids . . . and if they’d come out the front, they’d have seen them.”
Someone used, in fact, to talking or repeating utter nonsense - because someone told her to.
She is married to “Quicksand Tony” a skilled photographer, knowledgeable amateur astronomer, and photoshop expert pervert, who used to post his images on deviantart.com, quicksandfans.com, deepsinking.org, and possibly other similarly depraved sites.
It is not known whether Philomena McCann shared her husband’s perverted interest. It is however doubtful whether after several years of marriage that she could remain totally unaware of it.
The question however remains -
REFS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkAzz8Pwdvc
film of Craiglockhart Pond and dubbed material at 3.59 onwards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsHgEkd9uFw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN7SBCDC-fA
Information:
A document containing this information was forwarded to HM Coroner
LEICESTER CITY AND SOUTH LEICESTERSHIRE
THE TOWN HALL
TOWN HALL SQUARE
LEICESTER
LE1 9BG
and was received by the Coroner’s Officer - a Police officer.
The McCann family, and the Dossier of Death
Requiescat in Pace - Brenda Leyland
A ’Dossier’ was prepared, allegedly, of ‘tweets’, Facebook messages, and blog entries, sent to people unconnected with the McCanns
It was handed to the Metropolitan Police, who sent it to Leicestershire Police.
Both forces decided there was NOTHING in it which merited closer examination.
It made its way to Sky News, and to Martin Brunt. He chose to pursue Brenda Leyland and the encounter was repeated on Sky’s rolling news programme for an entire day.
Two days later Brenda Leyland was found dead.
The verdict at the Inquest was Suicide.
“The McCanns want @sweepyface prosecuted”, a source close to the couple said last night. “This wicked person and the other trolls out there are very sad individuals: he said. “Kate and Gerry hope police take action against her, and if she gets prosecuted all the better. It is a criminal act and she needs to pay the price.”
Brenda Leyland did indeed pay the price. She paid with her life.
There are no prizes for guessing the identity of the ‘source close to the couple’.
There are also no prizes for discovering who handed the dossier to the police, or to Sky News and Martin Brunt
• Jim Gamble, sometime head of CEOPS, sacked by Theresa May, stated that the family did not hand in the dossier, neither did they have anything to do with it.
• Sky News and Martin Brunt said the dossier was handed in by 'anonymous web users.'
• Gerry McCann stated on BBC Radio 4 that they had no presence on social media.
• However Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said the McCann family handed in the dossier.
So do we believe Britain’s most Senior Police Officer, when he says the family handed it in, or Gamble, Mitchell, Brunt, and Gerry ?
Your choice, obviously.
The TV confrontation between Sky News reporter and the deceased Mrs Leyland may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkAzz8Pwdvc where it is headed Police Investigate Madeleine McCann Family Online Abuse.
In the first part of the video, from 3;58 to 4:54 there is footage of the person who allegedly created the dossier which Martin Brunt was to refer to.
This location is in fact Craiglockhart Pond, in Edinburgh. (55º55’N, 3º13’W)
The possible identity of the person involved in preparing, as opposed to handing in, the dossier is less easy to determine, but the following may assist.
The person in the video uses the expressions
“WE are talking about materials which are libellous, completely untrue.
“WE were getting nowhere by reporting it to the sites
“WE were finding people going online . . .”
This is highly suggestive of a family member, as we might expect.
What follows are comparison screen shots from the Sky video, and photos and screen shots from other sources. All are in the public domain.
Calves and ankles
Steel bangle
Favourite Colour ?
In addition, Sky chose to ‘voice-over’ the original, in standard English with an acceptable accent. Listening to the following recording of the likely suspect might help explain why.
It is suspected on reasonable grounds that the woman in question is of course Philomena McCann, Gerry McCann’s elder sister. She is a part time teacher in Ullapool.
The person who set up and ran, and may still do so, the ludicrously expensive website for the McCanns and their “Fund”, (in fact a Private Limited Company), was one of her pupils.
Philomena - who told the world that ‘It is obvious that someone with malicious intent went through that window and took Madeleine from the safety and security of her family.”
And who told the world that “Gerry and Kate were in a clear line of sight of their kids . . . and if they’d come out the front, they’d have seen them.”
Someone used, in fact, to talking or repeating utter nonsense - because someone told her to.
She is married to “Quicksand Tony” a skilled photographer, knowledgeable amateur astronomer, and photoshop expert pervert, who used to post his images on deviantart.com, quicksandfans.com, deepsinking.org, and possibly other similarly depraved sites.
It is not known whether Philomena McCann shared her husband’s perverted interest. It is however doubtful whether after several years of marriage that she could remain totally unaware of it.
The question however remains -
Does she have blood on her hands ?
REFS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkAzz8Pwdvc
film of Craiglockhart Pond and dubbed material at 3.59 onwards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsHgEkd9uFw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN7SBCDC-fA
Information:
A document containing this information was forwarded to HM Coroner
LEICESTER CITY AND SOUTH LEICESTERSHIRE
THE TOWN HALL
TOWN HALL SQUARE
LEICESTER
LE1 9BG
and was received by the Coroner’s Officer - a Police officer.
Brenda Leyland (1951 – 2014) with youngest son Ben
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 14: The Last Photo = The Pool Photo
1 The McCanns had a Canon PowerShot A620.
In her book Kate only refers to a camera in the singular. My camera, our camera. She clearly states that ‘our camera’ was taken away by RO’B so that photos could be printed in the form of a poster. Later that night, when everyone had been asked to leave the apartment, the official scenes of crime photos were taken by the PJ. On the dining table the Canon PowerShot can clearly be seen. The photo session and forensic examination by the PJ took place between 0030 and 0400, 4/5/2007.
The EXIF metadata for the “Last Photo” clearly shows that it was taken on the Canon.
2 The Canon was retained by the McCanns, and neither it, nor the memory stick were apparently surrendered for examination. This camera was in Kate’s possession early on 10th May. It is not known whether the PJ were fully aware of its existence.
3 On 20th May Gerry McCann flew to England, and returned home.
4 He returned to Portugal on 22nd May, with Clarence Mitchell.
5 Gerry McCann’s sister, Philomena, also flew out to Portugal on 22nd May.
6 The “Last Photo” was released through the AFP agency on 24th May.
9 The “Last Photo” was taken with the Canon PowerShot A620 camera.
10 It is relatively simple to alter some of the EXIF metadata, including the date and time, using software freely available on the internet.
11 The EXIF metadata have clearly been accessed and amended by the AFP agency to include the description of the photo.
12 Gerry’s brother in law - Philomena’s husband - Tony Rickwood, is a photographer who is highly skilled at altering images. It is inconceivable that he does not also know how to alter the date and time in the EXIF and to erase aspects of it.
13 Tony Rickwood owns several cameras, including a Canon PowerShot A480 - a model previous to the A620.
14 The McCanns lay heavy emphasis on the importance on the “Last Photo”.
15 Through their spokesman Mitchell, they go to great lengths to explain that the EXIF time might be incorrect by exactly an hour. They make no such claims for any other photo. No other photos from the Canon have been put in the public domain. In each story the words “her own camera” are used.
16 The “Last Photo” is tendered as independent evidence that Madeleine was alive and well during the early afternoon of 3rd May
17 The time given in the EXIF data for the photo is exactly Solar zenith (noon) at Faro, Portugal on 3/5/2007
19 Rickwood is a keen astronomer, and is a member of the British Astronomical Society.
20 There is a strong suspicion that the time and date on the “Last Photo” are, at the very least, unreliable. It is not thought that the image itself has been altered.
21 Almost all other such evidence is specifically stated to be uncorroborated by others in the group, and detailed explanations are given as to why this is so. This leaves the “Last Photo” as the only independent evidence of Madeleine’s being alive and well on 3rd May.
22 The visit by David Payne, and the check by Oldfield do not alter this position. There is considerable doubt as to the veracity of the crèche sheets, which contradict directly Kate’s alternative version in the book.
23 Rachel Oldfield’s statement that she saw Madeleine on the tennis court on 3rd is directly contradicted, in detail and with some force, by O’Brien. In her Rogatory Tanner speaks of Gerry having a lesson and has thus clearly confused this with the Wednesday. O’Brien contradicts this and corrects this with some force and determination, making it clear that Madeleine was NOT there on Thursday 3rd May.
Rachel Oldfield confuses the two days, putting the taking of the “tennis balls” photo on Thursday 3rd.
Kate, and O’Brien are absolutely clear that this was not 3rd.
Kate insists that she herself took the tennis balls photo on Tuesday 1st
Russell O’Brien insists it was taken on Wednesday 2nd
Rachel Oldfield states that it was taken by Jane Tanner on the Thursday 3rd.
When the witnesses talk about Madeleine’s NOT having been present, the style of the language used is very different from the rest of the Rogatory interviews. The witnesses become fluent and coherent, and we see very little of the hesitation, the linguistic fillers of “err”, ummm”; repetitions of part sentences and so on, which characterise the rest of those interviews when other aspects of their recollections are being discussed.
In this case it is clear that the only person who reports having seen Madeleine on the tennis court on 3rd is mistaken. The events surrounding that ‘sighting’ make it clear from other witnesses that it is simply confusion of the day, and may not bear any sinister interpretation.
The visit to the apartment by Payne looks contrived, as it has no apparent motive. The differences between what Payne and what Gerry and then Kate report are glaring, and this reported episode must be treated with extreme caution.
As has been noted many times elsewhere, Oldfield is very quick to retreat from the position of having apparently been the last person to see Madeleine alive. Any detective will confirm that this is a highly dangerous position to be in.
The above sets out the facts, or some of them, so far as they can be ascertained. References have been cut back from the original, but are available if any mistake is identified.
But facts often require interpretation, particularly for people who are not fully acquainted with more of the background to this remarkable case.
What follows is one possible interpretation.
1 The “Last Photo” is tendered as conclusive proof of Madeleine’s having been in a particular place at a particular time. The pre-emptive insistence by the McCanns that the time was wrong by exactly one hour deserves further consideration.
This alleged difference between the recorded time and the actual time was reported by the media as the photo was released. It was not said later after questions had been asked.
This did not happen with any other photograph. We know that in any event the other photos were not dated, but this was never explained, and no attempt was taken to show how they all fitted into the scenario of the whole holiday. They are merely presented.
It is of course entirely irrelevant whether the “Last Photo” was taken at 13:29 or 14:29 ; 12:29 or 15:29
The exact time and date of the “Play house” and the “Jumping on grass” and the “Tennis balls” photos are equally irrelevant except to show that Madeleine was with her family on holiday at that resort, which is not seriously at issue.
So what is the importance of drawing such attention to the exact time on the “Last Photo” ?
Clearly it is to do with something else, which is to draw attention to the DATE.
Given that most people were previously unaware of the existence of EXIF metadata, this had to be for a purpose.
And that purpose must be to show that Madeleine was alive and well at lunchtime on 3rd May.
But it does so in a typically blunt way, which ultimately serves to do exactly the opposite from what was intended. We recall that Clarence Mitchell accompanied Gerry on his return to PdL on 22nd, and so by 23rd was in control of what was released to the media and the wording of press releases. Does this blunt instrument bear the classic Mitchell hallmark ?
2 The “Last Photo” with Madeleine smiling and happy would have been an ideal choice for the poster put out that first night. The camera is capable of editing images, or it could have been edited on the computer from which it was eventually printed. (We note that the image was subsequently ‘cropped’ before release in another place, and later still the small part of Gerry’s elbow by Madeleine’s right ear and the lower part of Amelie's arm were skilfully photoshopped out and replaced to show the background rock wall).
THUS
http://www.justpamalam.co.uk/gmb//Written_Declaration_brussels08_corr/Slide2.JPG
But it is very easy to crop carefully excluding the bit of Gerry’s elbow - like this
This would have been a perfect, charming and heart-rending image, and it could have been given out on 4th or 5th May, printed and distributed.
But it wasn’t.
In its place what they used was a very boring photo of Madeleine, in a strange pose, in an unknown location, on an unknown date. With no explanation.
This one
and we note the pixel aspect ratio of 1888 x 2350
(See point 6 later, and work out that this was NOT taken on the Canon)
3 But yet another photo was released on 4th May, and used as a front page image by the Daily Mirror on 5th May. It is the full face portrait, which adorns the cover of the book 'madeleine', and has become the iconic image of Madeleine wearing a red dress, and showing clearly the coloboma eye defect on which so much emphasis was placed in the first years.
This one
4 We were told by Kate that on that day (3/5/07)) at 5:30pm Madeleine was “pale and worn out,. . .really tired . . wanted me to pick her up . . . so exhausted.” But on the photo timed at 2:29 Madeleine looks alert, happy and smiling.
What could have reduced an alert, happy and smiling child to pale and worn out, really tired, and exhausted in the space of three hours ? Sailing and tennis might have that capacity, in the hands of untrained and unprofessional child minders, but we recall that Madeleine did NOT play tennis that afternoon, and did NOT go sailing.
5 On the afternoon of 3rd, uniquely, all the other members of the Tapas group suddenly absented themselves from the vicinity of the Ocean Club Tapas area, and distanced themselves from the company of the McCanns. All of them - the entire group with children and grandparent - deciding simultaneously to go to the Paraiso bar, which is located on the beach some half a kilometre away.
Great play is then made of Kate’s jogging on the beach itself, and being seen by the Tapas group. This is emphasised by some of the group and by Kate in her book. It has been observed that running that particular beach is extremely difficult and punishing, the sand being very fine and soft, and offering little resistance to a running shoe. It has also been observed that the way to the beach from the apartment is very angled, and that serious runners prefer straight lines. The decision to display herself on the beach in this way is thus questionable, and may have another motive.
6 So far as can be discovered there is no reference to the Canon PowerShot camera anywhere in the files.
The only camera referred to in the PJ files is an Olympus C-50, examined by Det. Con. Martin, and it is now believed owned by another totally unconnected family.
The only two clues as to the very existence of the Canon are therefore
• the photo of the dining table in the apartment taken by the PJ during the early hours of 4th, where the Canon can clearly be identified by its distinctive shape,
Canon PowerShot A620, capable of taking up to 7m Pixels
• and the EXIF metadata on the “ast Photo”.
Camera Model Name Canon PowerShot A620
Modify Date 2007:05:24 17:41:22
11 months, 22 days, 23 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds ago
Orientation Horizontal (normal)
Related Image Height 2,304
Related Image Width 3,072
NOTE: The Modify Date is clearly the date the French Press agency added their comments.
The pixel aspect ratio is correct for the Canon Powershot A 620
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona620
We do know however that twice in her book Kate reports that “my camera” had been taken away by Russell Oldfield during the late evening so that the poster could be prepared. That MUST therefore refer to the Canon. And it MUST therefore also be the Canon to which Gerry refers when he says that he has no other photos in his possession.
Gerry also helpfully adds that it is Kate who takes most of the photos.
In her book Kate claims ownership of the “tennis balls” photo and the ”Last Photo”.
Since Gerry is visible in at least one of the others, the implication is clear.
Kate took the family photos.
7 Gerry specifically states in a signed statement to the PJ on 10th May that he had no other photos in his possession. The PJ may have relied on this statement and assumed that he was telling the truth. The sudden appearance of the “Last Photo” after his return from the UK, with Clarence Mitchell, and after the arrival of his sister in Portugal, clearly bearing the EXIF metadata is therefore extremely suspect.
Can this list of facts ALL be simply coincidences ?
The camera - with the Last Photo, retained - Canon PowerShot A620
The date of the trip to the UK
The photographic skills and knowledge of the brother-in-law
The skills and knowledge of Astronomy of the brother-in-law
The date of return to PdL, with Mitchell
The date of the trip by the sister to Portugal
The date of release of the ‘Last Photo’ to the world’s press
The pre-emptive and unnecessary insistence on looking at the time (and date) of the photo
The fact of the total lack of witnesses to show Madeleine alive on 3rd (or indeed after 29th)
The explanations for almost every difficult aspect of the story
Or does it amount to something else ?
The “Last Photo”
1 The McCanns had a Canon PowerShot A620.
In her book Kate only refers to a camera in the singular. My camera, our camera. She clearly states that ‘our camera’ was taken away by RO’B so that photos could be printed in the form of a poster. Later that night, when everyone had been asked to leave the apartment, the official scenes of crime photos were taken by the PJ. On the dining table the Canon PowerShot can clearly be seen. The photo session and forensic examination by the PJ took place between 0030 and 0400, 4/5/2007.
The EXIF metadata for the “Last Photo” clearly shows that it was taken on the Canon.
2 The Canon was retained by the McCanns, and neither it, nor the memory stick were apparently surrendered for examination. This camera was in Kate’s possession early on 10th May. It is not known whether the PJ were fully aware of its existence.
3 On 20th May Gerry McCann flew to England, and returned home.
4 He returned to Portugal on 22nd May, with Clarence Mitchell.
5 Gerry McCann’s sister, Philomena, also flew out to Portugal on 22nd May.
6 The “Last Photo” was released through the AFP agency on 24th May.
9 The “Last Photo” was taken with the Canon PowerShot A620 camera.
10 It is relatively simple to alter some of the EXIF metadata, including the date and time, using software freely available on the internet.
11 The EXIF metadata have clearly been accessed and amended by the AFP agency to include the description of the photo.
12 Gerry’s brother in law - Philomena’s husband - Tony Rickwood, is a photographer who is highly skilled at altering images. It is inconceivable that he does not also know how to alter the date and time in the EXIF and to erase aspects of it.
13 Tony Rickwood owns several cameras, including a Canon PowerShot A480 - a model previous to the A620.
14 The McCanns lay heavy emphasis on the importance on the “Last Photo”.
15 Through their spokesman Mitchell, they go to great lengths to explain that the EXIF time might be incorrect by exactly an hour. They make no such claims for any other photo. No other photos from the Canon have been put in the public domain. In each story the words “her own camera” are used.
16 The “Last Photo” is tendered as independent evidence that Madeleine was alive and well during the early afternoon of 3rd May
17 The time given in the EXIF data for the photo is exactly Solar zenith (noon) at Faro, Portugal on 3/5/2007
19 Rickwood is a keen astronomer, and is a member of the British Astronomical Society.
20 There is a strong suspicion that the time and date on the “Last Photo” are, at the very least, unreliable. It is not thought that the image itself has been altered.
21 Almost all other such evidence is specifically stated to be uncorroborated by others in the group, and detailed explanations are given as to why this is so. This leaves the “Last Photo” as the only independent evidence of Madeleine’s being alive and well on 3rd May.
22 The visit by David Payne, and the check by Oldfield do not alter this position. There is considerable doubt as to the veracity of the crèche sheets, which contradict directly Kate’s alternative version in the book.
23 Rachel Oldfield’s statement that she saw Madeleine on the tennis court on 3rd is directly contradicted, in detail and with some force, by O’Brien. In her Rogatory Tanner speaks of Gerry having a lesson and has thus clearly confused this with the Wednesday. O’Brien contradicts this and corrects this with some force and determination, making it clear that Madeleine was NOT there on Thursday 3rd May.
Rachel Oldfield confuses the two days, putting the taking of the “tennis balls” photo on Thursday 3rd.
Kate, and O’Brien are absolutely clear that this was not 3rd.
Kate insists that she herself took the tennis balls photo on Tuesday 1st
Russell O’Brien insists it was taken on Wednesday 2nd
Rachel Oldfield states that it was taken by Jane Tanner on the Thursday 3rd.
When the witnesses talk about Madeleine’s NOT having been present, the style of the language used is very different from the rest of the Rogatory interviews. The witnesses become fluent and coherent, and we see very little of the hesitation, the linguistic fillers of “err”, ummm”; repetitions of part sentences and so on, which characterise the rest of those interviews when other aspects of their recollections are being discussed.
Short discussion.
It is accepted that when numerous witnesses are interviewed some discrepancies will be found between and among their recollections. Sophisticated computer systems now exist to highlight these so that they may be analysed. HOLMES II, ANACAPA, and others are routinely employed by CID for major enquiries.In this case it is clear that the only person who reports having seen Madeleine on the tennis court on 3rd is mistaken. The events surrounding that ‘sighting’ make it clear from other witnesses that it is simply confusion of the day, and may not bear any sinister interpretation.
The visit to the apartment by Payne looks contrived, as it has no apparent motive. The differences between what Payne and what Gerry and then Kate report are glaring, and this reported episode must be treated with extreme caution.
As has been noted many times elsewhere, Oldfield is very quick to retreat from the position of having apparently been the last person to see Madeleine alive. Any detective will confirm that this is a highly dangerous position to be in.
SUMMARY
The above sets out the facts, or some of them, so far as they can be ascertained. References have been cut back from the original, but are available if any mistake is identified.
But facts often require interpretation, particularly for people who are not fully acquainted with more of the background to this remarkable case.
What follows is one possible interpretation.
1 The “Last Photo” is tendered as conclusive proof of Madeleine’s having been in a particular place at a particular time. The pre-emptive insistence by the McCanns that the time was wrong by exactly one hour deserves further consideration.
This alleged difference between the recorded time and the actual time was reported by the media as the photo was released. It was not said later after questions had been asked.
This did not happen with any other photograph. We know that in any event the other photos were not dated, but this was never explained, and no attempt was taken to show how they all fitted into the scenario of the whole holiday. They are merely presented.
It is of course entirely irrelevant whether the “Last Photo” was taken at 13:29 or 14:29 ; 12:29 or 15:29
The exact time and date of the “Play house” and the “Jumping on grass” and the “Tennis balls” photos are equally irrelevant except to show that Madeleine was with her family on holiday at that resort, which is not seriously at issue.
So what is the importance of drawing such attention to the exact time on the “Last Photo” ?
Clearly it is to do with something else, which is to draw attention to the DATE.
Given that most people were previously unaware of the existence of EXIF metadata, this had to be for a purpose.
And that purpose must be to show that Madeleine was alive and well at lunchtime on 3rd May.
But it does so in a typically blunt way, which ultimately serves to do exactly the opposite from what was intended. We recall that Clarence Mitchell accompanied Gerry on his return to PdL on 22nd, and so by 23rd was in control of what was released to the media and the wording of press releases. Does this blunt instrument bear the classic Mitchell hallmark ?
2 The “Last Photo” with Madeleine smiling and happy would have been an ideal choice for the poster put out that first night. The camera is capable of editing images, or it could have been edited on the computer from which it was eventually printed. (We note that the image was subsequently ‘cropped’ before release in another place, and later still the small part of Gerry’s elbow by Madeleine’s right ear and the lower part of Amelie's arm were skilfully photoshopped out and replaced to show the background rock wall).
THUS
http://www.justpamalam.co.uk/gmb//Written_Declaration_brussels08_corr/Slide2.JPG
But it is very easy to crop carefully excluding the bit of Gerry’s elbow - like this
This would have been a perfect, charming and heart-rending image, and it could have been given out on 4th or 5th May, printed and distributed.
But it wasn’t.
In its place what they used was a very boring photo of Madeleine, in a strange pose, in an unknown location, on an unknown date. With no explanation.
This one
and we note the pixel aspect ratio of 1888 x 2350
(See point 6 later, and work out that this was NOT taken on the Canon)
3 But yet another photo was released on 4th May, and used as a front page image by the Daily Mirror on 5th May. It is the full face portrait, which adorns the cover of the book 'madeleine', and has become the iconic image of Madeleine wearing a red dress, and showing clearly the coloboma eye defect on which so much emphasis was placed in the first years.
This one
4 We were told by Kate that on that day (3/5/07)) at 5:30pm Madeleine was “pale and worn out,. . .really tired . . wanted me to pick her up . . . so exhausted.” But on the photo timed at 2:29 Madeleine looks alert, happy and smiling.
What could have reduced an alert, happy and smiling child to pale and worn out, really tired, and exhausted in the space of three hours ? Sailing and tennis might have that capacity, in the hands of untrained and unprofessional child minders, but we recall that Madeleine did NOT play tennis that afternoon, and did NOT go sailing.
5 On the afternoon of 3rd, uniquely, all the other members of the Tapas group suddenly absented themselves from the vicinity of the Ocean Club Tapas area, and distanced themselves from the company of the McCanns. All of them - the entire group with children and grandparent - deciding simultaneously to go to the Paraiso bar, which is located on the beach some half a kilometre away.
Great play is then made of Kate’s jogging on the beach itself, and being seen by the Tapas group. This is emphasised by some of the group and by Kate in her book. It has been observed that running that particular beach is extremely difficult and punishing, the sand being very fine and soft, and offering little resistance to a running shoe. It has also been observed that the way to the beach from the apartment is very angled, and that serious runners prefer straight lines. The decision to display herself on the beach in this way is thus questionable, and may have another motive.
6 So far as can be discovered there is no reference to the Canon PowerShot camera anywhere in the files.
The only camera referred to in the PJ files is an Olympus C-50, examined by Det. Con. Martin, and it is now believed owned by another totally unconnected family.
The only two clues as to the very existence of the Canon are therefore
• the photo of the dining table in the apartment taken by the PJ during the early hours of 4th, where the Canon can clearly be identified by its distinctive shape,
Canon PowerShot A620, capable of taking up to 7m Pixels
• and the EXIF metadata on the “ast Photo”.
Camera Model Name Canon PowerShot A620
Modify Date 2007:05:24 17:41:22
11 months, 22 days, 23 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds ago
Orientation Horizontal (normal)
Related Image Height 2,304
Related Image Width 3,072
NOTE: The Modify Date is clearly the date the French Press agency added their comments.
The pixel aspect ratio is correct for the Canon Powershot A 620
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona620
We do know however that twice in her book Kate reports that “my camera” had been taken away by Russell Oldfield during the late evening so that the poster could be prepared. That MUST therefore refer to the Canon. And it MUST therefore also be the Canon to which Gerry refers when he says that he has no other photos in his possession.
Gerry also helpfully adds that it is Kate who takes most of the photos.
In her book Kate claims ownership of the “tennis balls” photo and the ”Last Photo”.
Since Gerry is visible in at least one of the others, the implication is clear.
Kate took the family photos.
7 Gerry specifically states in a signed statement to the PJ on 10th May that he had no other photos in his possession. The PJ may have relied on this statement and assumed that he was telling the truth. The sudden appearance of the “Last Photo” after his return from the UK, with Clarence Mitchell, and after the arrival of his sister in Portugal, clearly bearing the EXIF metadata is therefore extremely suspect.
Can this list of facts ALL be simply coincidences ?
The camera - with the Last Photo, retained - Canon PowerShot A620
The date of the trip to the UK
The photographic skills and knowledge of the brother-in-law
The skills and knowledge of Astronomy of the brother-in-law
The date of return to PdL, with Mitchell
The date of the trip by the sister to Portugal
The date of release of the ‘Last Photo’ to the world’s press
The pre-emptive and unnecessary insistence on looking at the time (and date) of the photo
The fact of the total lack of witnesses to show Madeleine alive on 3rd (or indeed after 29th)
The explanations for almost every difficult aspect of the story
Or does it amount to something else ?
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 15: Almost the last word on the 'Last Photo' !
In the Chapter Floppy sun hats and flapping curtains I showed how the Last Photo, the Pool Photo could not have been taken at lunchtime on 3rd May.
In the Chapter The Last Photo I showed how it was clearly possible for four clearly identifiable people, acting in concert, to take the image, alter the EXIF Metadata, take it back to PdL, and hand it to the person responsible for putting it into the public domain.
Both Chapters concentrated on proving what the photo was NOT.
Here I return to the theme, and try to establish what the photo actually IS
In other words, when was it taken ?
It is for this reason:
The initial story about forced and broken shutters did not last even 24 hours. The “man carrying child” meme lasted longer until it was picked to pieces by researchers and then officially destroyed by DCI Redwood. Team McCann find it impossible to let this go, and it is still shown on their official website.
The complete and total lack of any forensic trace of an intruder, and then the devastating ‘evidence’ of the alerts by the blood and cadaverine dogs left the McCanns in a perilous position. It leaves them with absolutely nothing to support their official story.
They rely therefore on this one image.
The McCanns put this image in the public domain nearly three weeks after the alleged event as proof that Madeleine was alive and well at lunchtime on Thursday 3rd May. No other images have been used in that way, no other dated images from the rest of the holiday - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, for example - were ever put into the public domain.
For a close and loving family, on an exciting early season holiday with little children the lack of photos and video footage - the Canon PowerShot A620 is capable of taking video at very good resolution - is, it is submitted, very significant and very revealing.
But there is nothing. No video of the children trooping through the village holding on to Sammy Snake, eating ice creams, sitting on the bed reading, sailing, swimming, playing tennis, painting, dancing, having ‘high tea’, . . . NOTHING!
And that itself is highly suspicious.
So let us re-cap on the Holiday weather.
We have
• Official weather reports
• Statements from the Tapas group,
• statements from independent observers
AND
• photos taken by independent people, timed and dated, and posted online.
• Video and stills from a major wind-surfing competition just along the coast.
ALL agree, and ALL make it impossible for the Last Photo to have been taken on 3/5/7.
As was said a long time ago, the weather that week was pretty much a washout.
The Algarve - despite what Gerry clearly believes - is on the North Atlantic. This is a cold sea, and brings with it cold air temperatures. April and May are still spring.
When we look at the statements and rogatories of the group, all say the same thing. After the arrival day - Saturday - and the first full day - Sunday - the weather was dreadful. It was cold, and even raining, necessitating wearing all their available warm clothes; two families at least saying they did not lift the shutters all week; the McCanns driven back from the beach after 20 minutes because the children did not like the cold wet sand.
And it only seems to have started to change significantly by the evening of Thursday 3rd.
Matthew Oldfield "Erm, it wasn't, erm, not specifically, it was a better day on the Thursday than it was on the Wednesday, because we had rain, and I think it was sort of warmer and bit more clear, I don't remember the, it may have been a bit cloudy, but I don't remember specifically".
* * *
Rachel Oldfield
“. . probably that the weather had been a bit better that day
* * *
Fiona Payne
"I actually am wondering whether we went to the beach at all before Thursday, just because I’m thinking about the weather and I remember thinking at the time, it’s such a shame for the kids that we haven’t really gone to the beach, because, you know, that's a part of the reason we chose the resort”.
* * *
1485 “The first time?”
Reply “We definitely went on the Thursday and I think that might have been the first time we actually did that as a group, minus Kate and Gerry”.
* * *
"And I remember the Thursday was a bit of a transition day, as I say, you know, with the weather, it just seemed to warm up, it was sunnier, erm, and it was a very pleasant evening, you know, it was a nice sunny evening, warm”
* * *
TANNER
Reply “Yeah, I think err so it wasn’t, that’s one reason why we didn’t open the shutters to open the window or anything in that room, it wasn’t actually really hot at all, it was actually quite cloudy in the days and at night it was actually quite chilly.”
4078 “So it wasn’t sort of going in the pool weather or, only if you’re very brave.”
Reply "No it was really, really cold,"
* * * *
Diane Webster
4078 "But Wednesday stands out to you because you know the weather wasn’t very good?”
Reply "Wednesday I remember because it was raining in the morning, we thought oh no tennis, you know, but we did have the tennis later on because I remember err we were waiting for the courts to dry.”
GM AND KM First statements
Apart from the Kids Club and the apartment, they only went to the beach with Madeleine and the other children once, and only for a very short period of time, because the weather was unstable, which happened between 1.30 and 3 p.m., when they returned to the club.
GM Second statement
They were at the beach for about 20 minutes, the deponent and MADELEINE having put their feet in the water. During this time the weather changed with a cloudy sky and cold, therefore they went to a terrace at a café near the beach, on the left, where they bought five ice-creams and two drinks.
* * *
In any event the pattern is well established
Thursday is described as “transition day”, the weather beginning to change, with the evening being rather better.
It was “a bit better” on Thursday, - but this is in comparison with Wednesday when it was raining and the tennis was cancelled.
Thursday is the first day in their collective recollection that the sun had begun to come out. It was a bit more clear. But still not warm enough for sunbathing.
And so on.
We recall the strange description by Kate of the whooshing curtains and slamming door, (see previous Chapter) and note that not one other person records this significant and major event.
What the McCanns failed to notice is that PdL is a small town on the Atlantic coast.
It has a small fishing fleet. This means that weather conditions are, and have always been, very important to the locals.
This in turn means that, as with any other sea faring nation, the system of Meteorological reporting and the keeping of records has become highly specialised and extremely detailed.
Portugal has acquired air transport, and Air Traffic records are even more detailed.
Those reports are in the public domain, and go back a very long way.
And from those records we can say with certainty that the Tapas 7’s descriptions of the weather are absolutely correct.
The weather that week was ghastly, heavily overcast, cold, windy, with rain on the Wednesday. There was a major wind-surfing competition just along the coast, and video from that event bears this out.
On Thursday it began to change. By mid to late afternoon the cloud was beginning to break up, and by late evening had largely dispersed, leaving a clear and still, and fairly cold night.
Clear and still - being the operative words.
So let us now look at some contemporaneous account of the weather that week, recorded by a retired professional observer of these phenomena, and meticulous diarist.
Sunday, April 29 2007. Another fine day (warm once the Sun got up) but some evidence of weather on the change by evening. No threat of frost for the following day due to cloud cover that night.
Monday, April 30 2007. Cloudy day, but dry and average temperatures.
Tuesday, May 1 2007. Cooler cloudier weather,
Wednesday, May 2 2007. Cool, cloudy with sunny spells and moderate winds
Thursday, 3 May 2007. Weather continues cool and cloudy with sunny intervals, but not pool dipping weather.
Noticed first evidence of weather change, as by 7.15 pm cloud was clearing from the North. Just after 11 pm night sky clear with full moon
I arrived at my apartment about 11:45 pm. It was a clear dry moonlit night and no sound of human or vehicular activity, and it was good to reflect that better weather had now set in.
In fact, the rains did not return until 14 June.
Friday 4 May, 2007. I was awakened at c.0750 on a fine clear morning,
Saturday 5 May, 2007. Weather continues fine and sunny.
_ _ _ _ _
This witness was then shown the sequence of photos. All are in the public domain. They are posted on various sites dedicated to photos, notably Flickr
Saturday 28th April 2007
And compare the clouds with the clouds in the photo we reasonably believe was taken on Saturday, late afternoon, after the families had settled in and were beginning to explore.
Sunday 29th April 2007
By the evening of Sunday 29th April a cloud bank can clearly be seen on the horizon
Monday 30th April 2007
Tuesday 1st May 2007
Wednesday 2nd May 2007
Thursday 3rd May 2007
Friday 4th May 2007
Having viewed the sequence of photos above, the expert and local resident said:
"The sequence indicates a typical weather system movement in Portugal.
In short, it shows clearer cooler, but brighter weather, moving down from the North on a NW wind (the prevailing western Algarve wind) and displacing milder but wet and cloudy weather as it does so. [The Pictures] of a local Algarve scene taken on the 4 and 5 May [ . . .] indicate that a period of clear northerly airstream weather (typically lasting a week or so) has finally moved in."
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
The Met sequence and the photo sequence coupled with the evidence of conditions given by the Tapas 9 confirms a typical Algarve weather pattern; thereby casting serious doubt on the McCann's date for the last photo. Wind speed is still the overriding factor in eliminating 3 May as the date of photo in my opinion. It is difficult to judge the wind conditions from the pictures on either date, but the evidence of all (on the ground at the time) consulted indicate that the photo as posed would not have been possible on 3 May.
However of much greater importance - is the wind speed and cloud factor.
At 1400 on 3 May, wind speed is recorded as force 4 with a still air temperature of 17 C. Although the pool area is to some extent sheltered, with the westerly direction component the wind would be markedly chilly with a chill factor pulling the temp down to as low as 15C - definitely not suitable for scantily clad pool activity.
Of far greater importance; however, on the photo there is no sign of any disturbance of Madeleine's hair which hangs lankly below her hat. A hat which, moreover, is perched loosely on top of her head and would not remain unsupported in a Force 4 wind. Clearly, the cloud factor on 3 May would rule out such a photo.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(Short discussion about the photo dated 3/5/2007
Solar zenith - noon - on 3rd May 2007 was at 13:29.
The temperature rises to its maximum two hours or so after this time.
The photo shows the sea, which by definition in the Algarve is to the south.
The shadow cast by the pillar of rock indicates that the sun is to the right, i.e. to the west.
The time of the photo may therefore be calculated and estimated using common sense.
It is some hours after Solar noon.
The cloud cover is beginning to break up, but is still at least 6/10, even 7/10.
Unless there are other reasons, people take posed photos when the sun is shining, not when it is obscured.)
All these pictures have been put in the public domain by their owners, but for various reasons the personal details have been erased / redacted, and it is not intended to reveal the exact source of each, other than to the proper investigative authorities.
Anyone with sufficient internet skills can however find them for him- or herself.
- - - - -
Where else might we look for confirmation ?
This shows an extract from the ”Last Photo” showing the reflection from GM’s forehead, allegedly taken on Thursday 3rd May, and a photo verified as taken on Sunday 29th April, showing a very similar reflection on a slightly moist forehead.
Conclusion:
What then can we reasonably conclude ?
On the balance of probabilities - but moving very close to “Beyond a reasonable doubt”; certain, so that we are sure . . .
The Last Photo = the Pool Photo was taken around lunchtime on Sunday 29th April 2007, and was NOT taken at 13.29 on Thursday 3rd May
It was taken on the Canon PowerShot A620 - the McCanns’ camera. It was taken by Kate as she has stated, with Sean somewhere to the side, very probably the focus of Madeleine’s attention.
It was not used for the poster, nor was it handed to the PJ. Its existence was concealed from the PJ by Gerry - when he said he had no more photos in his possession.
Nearly three weeks later it was revealed to the world by Clarence Mitchell who drew attention to the time and date recorded in the EXIF Metadata.
The identity of the person who altered the metadata, and the person who physically brought the altered image to PdL to hand to Gerry and Mitchell can be guessed at with some degree of confidence.
So we conclude that the photo is a forgery. It tells a lie about itself, in that it “purports” to be an image recorded on Thursday 3rd May 2007.
It is not.
The placing of this image into the public domain, with the clear intention that it should be used to persuade people of its veracity, including Portuguese and British Police officers, and the investigative and prosecution authorities of both countries is capable of amounting to
Conspiracy to Pervert the Course of Justice under English law,
and its equivalent under Portuguese Jurisdiction.
ALMOST THE LAST WORD ON THE LAST PHOTO !
In the Chapter Floppy sun hats and flapping curtains I showed how the Last Photo, the Pool Photo could not have been taken at lunchtime on 3rd May.
In the Chapter The Last Photo I showed how it was clearly possible for four clearly identifiable people, acting in concert, to take the image, alter the EXIF Metadata, take it back to PdL, and hand it to the person responsible for putting it into the public domain.
Both Chapters concentrated on proving what the photo was NOT.
Here I return to the theme, and try to establish what the photo actually IS
In other words, when was it taken ?
Why is this so important ?
Why should we spend so much time bothering about this one photograph?
Why should we spend so much time bothering about this one photograph?
It is for this reason:
The initial story about forced and broken shutters did not last even 24 hours. The “man carrying child” meme lasted longer until it was picked to pieces by researchers and then officially destroyed by DCI Redwood. Team McCann find it impossible to let this go, and it is still shown on their official website.
The complete and total lack of any forensic trace of an intruder, and then the devastating ‘evidence’ of the alerts by the blood and cadaverine dogs left the McCanns in a perilous position. It leaves them with absolutely nothing to support their official story.
They rely therefore on this one image.
The McCanns put this image in the public domain nearly three weeks after the alleged event as proof that Madeleine was alive and well at lunchtime on Thursday 3rd May. No other images have been used in that way, no other dated images from the rest of the holiday - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, for example - were ever put into the public domain.
For a close and loving family, on an exciting early season holiday with little children the lack of photos and video footage - the Canon PowerShot A620 is capable of taking video at very good resolution - is, it is submitted, very significant and very revealing.
But there is nothing. No video of the children trooping through the village holding on to Sammy Snake, eating ice creams, sitting on the bed reading, sailing, swimming, playing tennis, painting, dancing, having ‘high tea’, . . . NOTHING!
And that itself is highly suspicious.
So let us re-cap on the Holiday weather.
We have
• Official weather reports
• Statements from the Tapas group,
• statements from independent observers
AND
• photos taken by independent people, timed and dated, and posted online.
• Video and stills from a major wind-surfing competition just along the coast.
ALL agree, and ALL make it impossible for the Last Photo to have been taken on 3/5/7.
As was said a long time ago, the weather that week was pretty much a washout.
The Algarve - despite what Gerry clearly believes - is on the North Atlantic. This is a cold sea, and brings with it cold air temperatures. April and May are still spring.
When we look at the statements and rogatories of the group, all say the same thing. After the arrival day - Saturday - and the first full day - Sunday - the weather was dreadful. It was cold, and even raining, necessitating wearing all their available warm clothes; two families at least saying they did not lift the shutters all week; the McCanns driven back from the beach after 20 minutes because the children did not like the cold wet sand.
And it only seems to have started to change significantly by the evening of Thursday 3rd.
Matthew Oldfield "Erm, it wasn't, erm, not specifically, it was a better day on the Thursday than it was on the Wednesday, because we had rain, and I think it was sort of warmer and bit more clear, I don't remember the, it may have been a bit cloudy, but I don't remember specifically".
* * *
Rachel Oldfield
“. . probably that the weather had been a bit better that day
* * *
Fiona Payne
"I actually am wondering whether we went to the beach at all before Thursday, just because I’m thinking about the weather and I remember thinking at the time, it’s such a shame for the kids that we haven’t really gone to the beach, because, you know, that's a part of the reason we chose the resort”.
* * *
1485 “The first time?”
Reply “We definitely went on the Thursday and I think that might have been the first time we actually did that as a group, minus Kate and Gerry”.
* * *
"And I remember the Thursday was a bit of a transition day, as I say, you know, with the weather, it just seemed to warm up, it was sunnier, erm, and it was a very pleasant evening, you know, it was a nice sunny evening, warm”
* * *
TANNER
Reply “Yeah, I think err so it wasn’t, that’s one reason why we didn’t open the shutters to open the window or anything in that room, it wasn’t actually really hot at all, it was actually quite cloudy in the days and at night it was actually quite chilly.”
4078 “So it wasn’t sort of going in the pool weather or, only if you’re very brave.”
Reply "No it was really, really cold,"
* * * *
Diane Webster
4078 "But Wednesday stands out to you because you know the weather wasn’t very good?”
Reply "Wednesday I remember because it was raining in the morning, we thought oh no tennis, you know, but we did have the tennis later on because I remember err we were waiting for the courts to dry.”
GM AND KM First statements
Apart from the Kids Club and the apartment, they only went to the beach with Madeleine and the other children once, and only for a very short period of time, because the weather was unstable, which happened between 1.30 and 3 p.m., when they returned to the club.
GM Second statement
They were at the beach for about 20 minutes, the deponent and MADELEINE having put their feet in the water. During this time the weather changed with a cloudy sky and cold, therefore they went to a terrace at a café near the beach, on the left, where they bought five ice-creams and two drinks.
* * *
In any event the pattern is well established
Thursday is described as “transition day”, the weather beginning to change, with the evening being rather better.
It was “a bit better” on Thursday, - but this is in comparison with Wednesday when it was raining and the tennis was cancelled.
Thursday is the first day in their collective recollection that the sun had begun to come out. It was a bit more clear. But still not warm enough for sunbathing.
And so on.
We recall the strange description by Kate of the whooshing curtains and slamming door, (see previous Chapter) and note that not one other person records this significant and major event.
What the McCanns failed to notice is that PdL is a small town on the Atlantic coast.
It has a small fishing fleet. This means that weather conditions are, and have always been, very important to the locals.
This in turn means that, as with any other sea faring nation, the system of Meteorological reporting and the keeping of records has become highly specialised and extremely detailed.
Portugal has acquired air transport, and Air Traffic records are even more detailed.
Those reports are in the public domain, and go back a very long way.
And from those records we can say with certainty that the Tapas 7’s descriptions of the weather are absolutely correct.
The weather that week was ghastly, heavily overcast, cold, windy, with rain on the Wednesday. There was a major wind-surfing competition just along the coast, and video from that event bears this out.
On Thursday it began to change. By mid to late afternoon the cloud was beginning to break up, and by late evening had largely dispersed, leaving a clear and still, and fairly cold night.
Clear and still - being the operative words.
So let us now look at some contemporaneous account of the weather that week, recorded by a retired professional observer of these phenomena, and meticulous diarist.
Extracts from communications
(edited)
(edited)
Witness / Commentator 1
Calendar of Events, and notes about weather
[This has been heavily edited to focus on the weather related items]
Saturday, April 28 2007. Clear skies with warm temperatures for time of year enabled a full entry in the golf competition at the nearby Boavista Resort. From 1 til 4pm, warm dry conditions. Clear skies at night resulted in cooler conditions by dawn the following day.
Sunday, April 29 2007. Another fine day (warm once the Sun got up) but some evidence of weather on the change by evening. No threat of frost for the following day due to cloud cover that night.
Monday, April 30 2007. Cloudy day, but dry and average temperatures.
Tuesday, May 1 2007. Cooler cloudier weather,
Wednesday, May 2 2007. Cool, cloudy with sunny spells and moderate winds
Thursday, 3 May 2007. Weather continues cool and cloudy with sunny intervals, but not pool dipping weather.
Noticed first evidence of weather change, as by 7.15 pm cloud was clearing from the North. Just after 11 pm night sky clear with full moon
I arrived at my apartment about 11:45 pm. It was a clear dry moonlit night and no sound of human or vehicular activity, and it was good to reflect that better weather had now set in.
In fact, the rains did not return until 14 June.
Friday 4 May, 2007. I was awakened at c.0750 on a fine clear morning,
Saturday 5 May, 2007. Weather continues fine and sunny.
_ _ _ _ _
This witness was then shown the sequence of photos. All are in the public domain. They are posted on various sites dedicated to photos, notably Flickr
Saturday 28th April 2007
And compare the clouds with the clouds in the photo we reasonably believe was taken on Saturday, late afternoon, after the families had settled in and were beginning to explore.
Sunday 29th April 2007
By the evening of Sunday 29th April a cloud bank can clearly be seen on the horizon
Monday 30th April 2007
Tuesday 1st May 2007
Wednesday 2nd May 2007
Thursday 3rd May 2007
Friday 4th May 2007
Having viewed the sequence of photos above, the expert and local resident said:
"The sequence indicates a typical weather system movement in Portugal.
In short, it shows clearer cooler, but brighter weather, moving down from the North on a NW wind (the prevailing western Algarve wind) and displacing milder but wet and cloudy weather as it does so. [The Pictures] of a local Algarve scene taken on the 4 and 5 May [ . . .] indicate that a period of clear northerly airstream weather (typically lasting a week or so) has finally moved in."
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
The Met sequence and the photo sequence coupled with the evidence of conditions given by the Tapas 9 confirms a typical Algarve weather pattern; thereby casting serious doubt on the McCann's date for the last photo. Wind speed is still the overriding factor in eliminating 3 May as the date of photo in my opinion. It is difficult to judge the wind conditions from the pictures on either date, but the evidence of all (on the ground at the time) consulted indicate that the photo as posed would not have been possible on 3 May.
However of much greater importance - is the wind speed and cloud factor.
At 1400 on 3 May, wind speed is recorded as force 4 with a still air temperature of 17 C. Although the pool area is to some extent sheltered, with the westerly direction component the wind would be markedly chilly with a chill factor pulling the temp down to as low as 15C - definitely not suitable for scantily clad pool activity.
Of far greater importance; however, on the photo there is no sign of any disturbance of Madeleine's hair which hangs lankly below her hat. A hat which, moreover, is perched loosely on top of her head and would not remain unsupported in a Force 4 wind. Clearly, the cloud factor on 3 May would rule out such a photo.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(Short discussion about the photo dated 3/5/2007
Solar zenith - noon - on 3rd May 2007 was at 13:29.
The temperature rises to its maximum two hours or so after this time.
The photo shows the sea, which by definition in the Algarve is to the south.
The shadow cast by the pillar of rock indicates that the sun is to the right, i.e. to the west.
The time of the photo may therefore be calculated and estimated using common sense.
It is some hours after Solar noon.
The cloud cover is beginning to break up, but is still at least 6/10, even 7/10.
Unless there are other reasons, people take posed photos when the sun is shining, not when it is obscured.)
All these pictures have been put in the public domain by their owners, but for various reasons the personal details have been erased / redacted, and it is not intended to reveal the exact source of each, other than to the proper investigative authorities.
Anyone with sufficient internet skills can however find them for him- or herself.
- - - - -
Where else might we look for confirmation ?
This shows an extract from the ”Last Photo” showing the reflection from GM’s forehead, allegedly taken on Thursday 3rd May, and a photo verified as taken on Sunday 29th April, showing a very similar reflection on a slightly moist forehead.
Conclusion:
What then can we reasonably conclude ?
On the balance of probabilities - but moving very close to “Beyond a reasonable doubt”; certain, so that we are sure . . .
The Last Photo = the Pool Photo was taken around lunchtime on Sunday 29th April 2007, and was NOT taken at 13.29 on Thursday 3rd May
It was taken on the Canon PowerShot A620 - the McCanns’ camera. It was taken by Kate as she has stated, with Sean somewhere to the side, very probably the focus of Madeleine’s attention.
It was not used for the poster, nor was it handed to the PJ. Its existence was concealed from the PJ by Gerry - when he said he had no more photos in his possession.
Nearly three weeks later it was revealed to the world by Clarence Mitchell who drew attention to the time and date recorded in the EXIF Metadata.
The identity of the person who altered the metadata, and the person who physically brought the altered image to PdL to hand to Gerry and Mitchell can be guessed at with some degree of confidence.
So we conclude that the photo is a forgery. It tells a lie about itself, in that it “purports” to be an image recorded on Thursday 3rd May 2007.
It is not.
The placing of this image into the public domain, with the clear intention that it should be used to persuade people of its veracity, including Portuguese and British Police officers, and the investigative and prosecution authorities of both countries is capable of amounting to
Conspiracy to Pervert the Course of Justice under English law,
and its equivalent under Portuguese Jurisdiction.
Much of this material was presented in Richard D. Hall's film - 'When Madeleine Died?' - published in February 2016 and is to be found on disc 2, at 25:15 onwards,
or on this video about 2 hrs onward.
or on this video about 2 hrs onward.
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 16: Why did they do this ? Seven worrying problems
Why did they do this ?
• . . . the window in the bedroom . . . and shutters were jemmied open
• She told me, 'They have broken the shutter on the window
• Kate said the shutters of the room were smashed.
• She just told me . . . that the shutters of the apartment had been forced
So now let US look at the shutters
(The first two photos were taken during the night of 3-4 May 2007.
The second ones the following morning, 4/5/7, so they are covered in fingerprint powder . . .)
It was the first statement they made. They said this to close family and friends, who clearly had instructions to repeat it to the Press. In so doing they involved their close friends and relatives in the web of deceit.
Kate McCann
"My consolation is that on the cover he calls her Maddie, the name that the media have invented. We never called her anything like that."
". . . but she hated it when we called her Maddie - she'd say, 'My name is Madeleine', with an indignant look on her face." [- but you just said you never called her that . . . which is it ? ]
Everyone elseGerry McCann
'April 2005 - Back in Leicester and looking for a job. Now father of three with Sean and Amelie joining Maddie.' [entry on Friends Reunited ]
"Today we think that if Maddie had been taken or killed quickly, there would have been evidence [of this]."
Madeleine's Fund launched
Text "MADDIE" to 60999 and £1 will be taken from your phone for the Madeleine Fund.
Trish Cameron (Gerry's sister)
"When Kate checked, she came out screaming. Maddy had gone.
Eileen McCann (Gerry's mother)
"Anyone who knows Gerry and Kate knows that they cherished Maddie."
John McCann (Gerry's brother)
"They're much more positive about things that can be done to get Maddy back."
Jon Corner (Close friend)"She just told me that Maddy had been abducted,
Mark McQueen (Sean's godfather)
"We know Maddie very well.
“We never called her anything like that”
How did they ever imagine they could get away with this ?
THE STRANGE CASE OF THE EYE DEFECT
The eye blemish — often referred to as the "mark of Madeleine" - has formed a key part in the campaign to highlight her disappearance. It is played up prominently on posters and videos. It is actually what doctors call a coloboma - or defect - of the iris.
Gerry McCann “ The iris is Madeleine’s only true distinctive feature. Certainly we thought it was possible that this could potentially hurt her or her abductor might do something to her eye . . . but in terms of marketing, it was a good ploy.”
The McCann family has asked health professionals to look out for Madeleine McCann, a 4-year-old English girl with a coloboma of her right iris, who was abducted while on holiday in Praia Da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007. (The Lancet: Vol 369, No.9576, p.1846, 2 June 2007)
OR . . . if you prefer a completely different version, try this -
Kate McCann
and literally, as I went back in, the curtains of the bedroom which were drawn,… were closed, … whoosh … It was like a gust of wind, kinda, just blew them open
And this is the photo of the room, showing
• shutters DOWN
• shutters NOT broken,
• curtains trapped behind the chair and between the bed and the wall.
At 10 pm the wind speed was around 4m/s, Force 2
And what wind there was, was westerly, moving gently along the road, parallel to the apartment, not directly at the window
We've seen from your statements, or we will see, once the statements are publicly made available, that in terms of reporting, you've experienced what I might call the good, the bad and the particularly ugly side of the press.
One might ask this: is it helpful to have Madeleine permanently in the public eye?
MR McCANN: I've talked about this on several occasions in the past, and I do not feel it's helpful, and particularly at the time when there were daily stories running throughout 2007 and 2008. It became very apparent to us early on there was an incredible amount of speculation and misinformation. It led to confusion amongst people. All we need to do is periodically remind the public who have supported us so much that Madeleine is still missing, there's an ongoing search and those responsible for taking her are still at large and have to be brought to justice.
MRS McCANN: I was just going to say obviously there was a period when Madeleine was on the front page of a paper every day, and I know occasionally people would say to me "That has to be a good thing, hasn't it? She's in the public eye", and that isn't the case because when the story is so negative about her, and we'll come into that, obviously then that is not helpful. As Gerry said, I think it's a reminder that's important, that's all.
Compare and Contrast . . .!
Or if you prefer . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4jsLkwa7cc
18 Sept 2007 - This week, prospective MP Esther McVey, one of the six trustees of Madeleine's fund, met with lawyers to examine the legality of breaking into the £1m worth of public donations. . . "Fund directors have decided not to pay for Kate and Gerry's legal defence costs," said Esther.
http://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/1695404.Madeleine_fund_won_t_be_used_for_legal_fees/
29 Jan 2009 - Support for her parents - Kate and Gerry - was rocked when Portuguese police named them as suspects, and when it emerged they had used public donations to pay two £2,000 instalments on their mortgage. The fund spent £111,522 on legal fees and expenses - (not the McCanns’ Defence Lawyers .)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1131284/Where-2m-gave-Madeleine-McCann-gone.html
News from a UK tabloid that the parents of Madeleine McCann are banking on money donated to the Find Madeleine Fund to pursue former PJ policeman Gonçalo Amaral through the courts has caused a major stir on social media - not least because the couple vowed in 2007 that this could never happen.
A report in Sky News said nine years ago that trustees had announced that “Money from the Find Madeleine campaign will not be used to fund Kate and Gerry McCann’s legal costs".
* * *
But according to Jerry Lawton of the Daily Star, this has all now changed.
They have been ordered to pay both their own and Amaral’s court costs, he said, but this will clearly be suspended while their new “legal bid to silence the former detective” is considered by Portugal’s Supreme Court.
“If they lose, the legal bill could wipe out the Find Madeleine Fund set up using public donations to help the search for their daughter”, Lawton warns.
“If they lose there will be a big legal bill to pay”, said the friend - confirming the money would have to “come from the fund set up to find Madeleine”. https://portugalresident.com/controversy-as-mccanns-“use-find-madeleine-fund”-to-pursue-former-pj-cop-through-courts
19 JAN 2013 - Madeleine McCann's mum ploughs £1m from book sales into search for missing daughter. She ploughed the money into the search fund for her missing daughter which had run dangerously short of cash [Front cover - “All royalties donated to Madeleine’s Fund” ! ]
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/missing-madeleine-mccann-mum-kate-1544308
2 Sept 2015 - Family spokesperson Clarence Mitchell said today: “They realise it cannot go on forever.” He told how former GP Kate and heart doctor Gerry, both 37, of Rothley, Leics., had moved money from the publicly-backed Find-Maddie Fund into a special account in anticipation of having to finance the hunt for their daughter themselves.
A source close to the family said: “Kate and Gerry firmly believe Madeleine could still be alive and when the police investigation ends, they have vowed to continue looking for her." They don’t know when this will be, there has been so suggestion yet, but they want to be ready and have set aside huge chunks of money for this reason.” http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/madeleine-mccanns-parents-ready-continue-6370581
How did they ever imagine they could get away with this ?
PRIVATE EYES
In 2007 the McCanns engaged Metodo 3 to “find Madeleine”. The company is based in Barcelona, at the diagonally opposite corner of the peninsula from PdL, and has no power to investigate in Portugal.
”Mitchell says the decision to hire M-3 on a six-month contract from September was taken ''collectively'' by Gerry McCann, and the family’s lawyers and backers, on the grounds that the agency had the manpower, profile and resources to work in several countries."
After inventing sightings in Morocco, saying that they would “have Madeleine back by Christmas” - a fact denied by the McCann’s lawyers, but admitted by both the McCanns and by Mitchell - Giménez Raso was held on remand for 4 years for alleged drug dealing, and the company subsequently went bust. A recent book (La Cortina da Humo) has shown the extent to which the Fund was being defrauded, apparently under the noses of the Accountants and Solicitors.
Both firms deny negligence and threaten “defamation”.
Next was Oakley International and Kevin Halligen. He defrauded the Fund of another half a million sterling. Clarence Mitchell first described them as “the big boys, the best there is in international investigation". Subsequently Mitchell said: 'The first phase of the contract was satisfactorily seen through, such as the setting up of the hotline. Towards the end of it there were question marks about delivery and the relationship was terminated. [In fact not a single message to the hotline was EVER followed up] Given Mr Halligen is in custody it is inappropriate to comment further.'”
Halligen was extradited to the US and imprisoned for offences there. He has never been prosecuted in the UK for offences against the “Fund”, nor it seems has any attempt been made to recover the monies defrauded.
The Solicitors and Accountants accuse anyone who enquires - of defamation.
Then Mitchell announced the hiring of “a team of crack detectives“. He gave the clear impression that this was Alpha Investigations Group of the USA, a respectable company. In fact the two long-since retired Det Sgt and Det Insp set up the company ALPHAIG, with a company address in a pigeon loft in Wales, many weeks after Mitchell had made this extraordinary and obviously mendacious announcement.
Their net contribution to the “search” was to fail utterly to investigate an alleged incident involving a prostitute in the dock area of Barcelona, then to invoke “chloroform” which Kate McCann and Fiona Payne, as anaesthetists, must realise was ludicrous, and then to come out with: “She is being held in a Hellish Lair, in the Lawless hinterlands, within 10 miles of Praia da Luz.”
The contract appears to have been terminated soon after.
No attempt has apparently ever been made to search for the Hellish Lair.
No attempt has apparently ever been made to recover the monies defrauded
How did they ever imagine they could get away with all this?
Why did they do this ?
Any child could have told them they would be found out.
SHUTTERS
Let us start with the first thing they told their own family and friends.SHUTTERS
• . . . the window in the bedroom . . . and shutters were jemmied open
• She told me, 'They have broken the shutter on the window
• Kate said the shutters of the room were smashed.
• She just told me . . . that the shutters of the apartment had been forced
So now let US look at the shutters
(The first two photos were taken during the night of 3-4 May 2007.
The second ones the following morning, 4/5/7, so they are covered in fingerprint powder . . .)
Jemmied . . . broken . . . smashed . . . forced . . . ?
It was the first statement they made. They said this to close family and friends, who clearly had instructions to repeat it to the Press. In so doing they involved their close friends and relatives in the web of deceit.
WHY ?
How did they ever imagine they could get away with this ?
THE STRANGE CASE OF MADELEINE'S NAME
How did they ever imagine they could get away with this ?
THE STRANGE CASE OF MADELEINE'S NAME
Kate McCann
"My consolation is that on the cover he calls her Maddie, the name that the media have invented. We never called her anything like that."
". . . but she hated it when we called her Maddie - she'd say, 'My name is Madeleine', with an indignant look on her face." [- but you just said you never called her that . . . which is it ? ]
Everyone else
'April 2005 - Back in Leicester and looking for a job. Now father of three with Sean and Amelie joining Maddie.' [entry on Friends Reunited ]
"Today we think that if Maddie had been taken or killed quickly, there would have been evidence [of this]."
Madeleine's Fund launched
Text "MADDIE" to 60999 and £1 will be taken from your phone for the Madeleine Fund.
Trish Cameron (Gerry's sister)
"When Kate checked, she came out screaming. Maddy had gone.
Eileen McCann (Gerry's mother)
"Anyone who knows Gerry and Kate knows that they cherished Maddie."
John McCann (Gerry's brother)
"They're much more positive about things that can be done to get Maddy back."
Jon Corner (Close friend)"She just told me that Maddy had been abducted,
Mark McQueen (Sean's godfather)
"We know Maddie very well.
“We never called her anything like that”
How did they ever imagine they could get away with this ?
THE STRANGE CASE OF THE EYE DEFECT
The eye blemish — often referred to as the "mark of Madeleine" - has formed a key part in the campaign to highlight her disappearance. It is played up prominently on posters and videos. It is actually what doctors call a coloboma - or defect - of the iris.
Gerry McCann “ The iris is Madeleine’s only true distinctive feature. Certainly we thought it was possible that this could potentially hurt her or her abductor might do something to her eye . . . but in terms of marketing, it was a good ploy.”
The McCann family has asked health professionals to look out for Madeleine McCann, a 4-year-old English girl with a coloboma of her right iris, who was abducted while on holiday in Praia Da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007. (The Lancet: Vol 369, No.9576, p.1846, 2 June 2007)
K. McCann: If I'm honest, we haven't put too much emphasis on her eye, because I think you have to be very close to her to see it.
“ IF I’m honest . . . ! “
How did they ever imagine they could get away with this ?
CURTAINS
Kate McCann She noticed that the door to her children's bedroom was completely open, the window was also open, the shutters raised and the curtains open, while she was certain of having closed them all as she always did.How did they ever imagine they could get away with this ?
CURTAINS
OR . . . if you prefer a completely different version, try this -
Kate McCann
and literally, as I went back in, the curtains of the bedroom which were drawn,… were closed, … whoosh … It was like a gust of wind, kinda, just blew them open
And this is the photo of the room, showing
• shutters DOWN
• shutters NOT broken,
• curtains trapped behind the chair and between the bed and the wall.
At 10 pm the wind speed was around 4m/s, Force 2
And what wind there was, was westerly, moving gently along the road, parallel to the apartment, not directly at the window
How did they ever imagine they could get away with this ?
PUBLICITY - WHERE DO THEY STAND?
Leveson - under OATH ! Mr Jay: Of course, we all here understand that your overriding objective is the continuing search for your daughter.PUBLICITY - WHERE DO THEY STAND?
We've seen from your statements, or we will see, once the statements are publicly made available, that in terms of reporting, you've experienced what I might call the good, the bad and the particularly ugly side of the press.
One might ask this: is it helpful to have Madeleine permanently in the public eye?
MR McCANN: I've talked about this on several occasions in the past, and I do not feel it's helpful, and particularly at the time when there were daily stories running throughout 2007 and 2008. It became very apparent to us early on there was an incredible amount of speculation and misinformation. It led to confusion amongst people. All we need to do is periodically remind the public who have supported us so much that Madeleine is still missing, there's an ongoing search and those responsible for taking her are still at large and have to be brought to justice.
MRS McCANN: I was just going to say obviously there was a period when Madeleine was on the front page of a paper every day, and I know occasionally people would say to me "That has to be a good thing, hasn't it? She's in the public eye", and that isn't the case because when the story is so negative about her, and we'll come into that, obviously then that is not helpful. As Gerry said, I think it's a reminder that's important, that's all.
Compare and Contrast . . .!
Or if you prefer . . .
Source: ‘The Establishment: and how they get away with it’, by Owen Jones
How did they ever imagine they could get away with this ?
TO FEE, OR NOT TO FEE. THAT IS THE QUESTION
17 May 2007 - Brian Kennedy - explains about the Fund - so the money can be used, errr . . .for all sorts of reasons, but probably mainly for legal expenditureTO FEE, OR NOT TO FEE. THAT IS THE QUESTION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4jsLkwa7cc
18 Sept 2007 - This week, prospective MP Esther McVey, one of the six trustees of Madeleine's fund, met with lawyers to examine the legality of breaking into the £1m worth of public donations. . . "Fund directors have decided not to pay for Kate and Gerry's legal defence costs," said Esther.
http://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/1695404.Madeleine_fund_won_t_be_used_for_legal_fees/
29 Jan 2009 - Support for her parents - Kate and Gerry - was rocked when Portuguese police named them as suspects, and when it emerged they had used public donations to pay two £2,000 instalments on their mortgage. The fund spent £111,522 on legal fees and expenses - (not the McCanns’ Defence Lawyers .)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1131284/Where-2m-gave-Madeleine-McCann-gone.html
News from a UK tabloid that the parents of Madeleine McCann are banking on money donated to the Find Madeleine Fund to pursue former PJ policeman Gonçalo Amaral through the courts has caused a major stir on social media - not least because the couple vowed in 2007 that this could never happen.
A report in Sky News said nine years ago that trustees had announced that “Money from the Find Madeleine campaign will not be used to fund Kate and Gerry McCann’s legal costs".
* * *
But according to Jerry Lawton of the Daily Star, this has all now changed.
They have been ordered to pay both their own and Amaral’s court costs, he said, but this will clearly be suspended while their new “legal bid to silence the former detective” is considered by Portugal’s Supreme Court.
“If they lose, the legal bill could wipe out the Find Madeleine Fund set up using public donations to help the search for their daughter”, Lawton warns.
“If they lose there will be a big legal bill to pay”, said the friend - confirming the money would have to “come from the fund set up to find Madeleine”. https://portugalresident.com/controversy-as-mccanns-“use-find-madeleine-fund”-to-pursue-former-pj-cop-through-courts
19 JAN 2013 - Madeleine McCann's mum ploughs £1m from book sales into search for missing daughter. She ploughed the money into the search fund for her missing daughter which had run dangerously short of cash [Front cover - “All royalties donated to Madeleine’s Fund” ! ]
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/missing-madeleine-mccann-mum-kate-1544308
2 Sept 2015 - Family spokesperson Clarence Mitchell said today: “They realise it cannot go on forever.” He told how former GP Kate and heart doctor Gerry, both 37, of Rothley, Leics., had moved money from the publicly-backed Find-Maddie Fund into a special account in anticipation of having to finance the hunt for their daughter themselves.
A source close to the family said: “Kate and Gerry firmly believe Madeleine could still be alive and when the police investigation ends, they have vowed to continue looking for her." They don’t know when this will be, there has been so suggestion yet, but they want to be ready and have set aside huge chunks of money for this reason.” http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/madeleine-mccanns-parents-ready-continue-6370581
How did they ever imagine they could get away with this ?
PRIVATE EYES
”Mitchell says the decision to hire M-3 on a six-month contract from September was taken ''collectively'' by Gerry McCann, and the family’s lawyers and backers, on the grounds that the agency had the manpower, profile and resources to work in several countries."
After inventing sightings in Morocco, saying that they would “have Madeleine back by Christmas” - a fact denied by the McCann’s lawyers, but admitted by both the McCanns and by Mitchell - Giménez Raso was held on remand for 4 years for alleged drug dealing, and the company subsequently went bust. A recent book (La Cortina da Humo) has shown the extent to which the Fund was being defrauded, apparently under the noses of the Accountants and Solicitors.
Both firms deny negligence and threaten “defamation”.
Next was Oakley International and Kevin Halligen. He defrauded the Fund of another half a million sterling. Clarence Mitchell first described them as “the big boys, the best there is in international investigation". Subsequently Mitchell said: 'The first phase of the contract was satisfactorily seen through, such as the setting up of the hotline. Towards the end of it there were question marks about delivery and the relationship was terminated. [In fact not a single message to the hotline was EVER followed up] Given Mr Halligen is in custody it is inappropriate to comment further.'”
Halligen was extradited to the US and imprisoned for offences there. He has never been prosecuted in the UK for offences against the “Fund”, nor it seems has any attempt been made to recover the monies defrauded.
The Solicitors and Accountants accuse anyone who enquires - of defamation.
Then Mitchell announced the hiring of “a team of crack detectives“. He gave the clear impression that this was Alpha Investigations Group of the USA, a respectable company. In fact the two long-since retired Det Sgt and Det Insp set up the company ALPHAIG, with a company address in a pigeon loft in Wales, many weeks after Mitchell had made this extraordinary and obviously mendacious announcement.
Their net contribution to the “search” was to fail utterly to investigate an alleged incident involving a prostitute in the dock area of Barcelona, then to invoke “chloroform” which Kate McCann and Fiona Payne, as anaesthetists, must realise was ludicrous, and then to come out with: “She is being held in a Hellish Lair, in the Lawless hinterlands, within 10 miles of Praia da Luz.”
The contract appears to have been terminated soon after.
No attempt has apparently ever been made to search for the Hellish Lair.
No attempt has apparently ever been made to recover the monies defrauded
How did they ever imagine they could get away with all this?
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 17: Some Philosophical thoughts in which we examine Logic and the absence of evidence
I want to go through this slowly, and at some length, partly because it is important that any error, misunderstanding, or false logic may be identified and challenged, and partly because the subject may not be familiar, or at least not currently at the forefront of people’s minds. For that reason some of the themes are repeated each time they become relevant.
Any who wish to explore further could do worse than to start with Wikipedia.
Once we have covered the logic and philosophy we can begin to apply it to the case in question.
‘Evidence of absence’ is evidence of any kind that suggests something is missing or that it does not exist.
We remember the traditional aphorism, "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence". But here we are considering positive evidence of this kind, and realise that is distinct from a lack of evidence or ignorance of that which, had it existed, should have been found already,.
When we say positive evidence, we mean of course the lack of something we might have expected to find. Not that we simply didn’t look, or didn’t find it, but that we did look, hard, and it was not there.
So there is a difference between saying - - - - I don’t know if it was there or not,
and saying firmly - - - - I can state that it was not there.
That is a significant difference, and philosophers and logicians down the ages have played with the concept.
One example
In some circumstances it can be safely assumed that if a certain event had occurred, evidence of it could be discovered by qualified investigators. In such circumstances it is perfectly reasonable to take the absence of proof of its occurrence as positive proof of its non-occurrence.
Irving Copi - Introduction to Logic (1953) p. 95
Others have taken the concept further, and have refined the circumstances under which the lack of evidence moves from negative to positive proof.
The best remembered example is perhaps this one:
If someone were to assert that there is an elephant on the quad, then the failure to observe an elephant there would be good reason to think that there is no elephant there.
But if someone were to assert that there is a flea on the quad, then one’s failure to observe it would not constitute good evidence that there is no flea on the quad. The salient difference between these two cases is that in the one, but not the other, we should expect to see some evidence of the entity if it in fact existed.
Moreover, the justification conferred in such cases will be proportional to the ratio between the amount of evidence that we do have and the amount that we should expect to have if the entity existed. If the ratio is small, then little justification is conferred on the belief that the entity does not exist.
For example, in the absence of evidence rendering the existence of some entity probable, we are justified in believing that it does not exist, provided that
1) it is not something that might leave no traces and
2) we have comprehensively surveyed the area where the evidence would be found if the entity existed.
JP Moreland & WL Craig, Philosophical Foundations
It is settled in logic, as well as in most legal systems, that when two parties are in a discussion and one asserts a claim that the other disputes, the one who asserts has the burden of proof to justify or substantiate that claim.
There are exceptions to this. For example when one person asserts something which is held to be generally known or scientifically established.
In the language of logic - either a proposition is assumed to be true because it has not yet been proved false or a proposition is assumed to be false because it has not yet been proved true. This may have the effect of shifting the burden of proof to the person criticising the proposition. This is the basis of the scientific method.
In English law, for example, it is clear that the burden of proof is always on the Prosecution, which is required to show
1 That an offence known to law has been committed, and
2 That the accused committed it
But even here, there are times when although the burden of proof does not shift, inferences may be drawn from absence of evidence.
So, for example
Adverse inferences may be drawn in certain circumstances where before or on being charged, the accused:
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
[This has in fact just been invoked in the case against the man accused of murdering the MP Joe Cox. (22/11/2016). He refused to offer any defence, and the jury was told they might draw proper inferences. He was found Guilty ]
And the Police Caution, given before questioning of a suspect has changed from
"You do not have to say anything unless you wish to do so, but what you say may be given in evidence."
to
"You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.28
The burden of proof is still on the prosecution, but the philosophical position of absence of evidence becoming evidence of absence is now covered. And note that it talks of of Harming the Defence, not proving the case. There must be other evidence. Only an inference is raised. Silence alone cannot convict.
In order for Absence of Evidence to transmute into Evidence of Absence we need to show
1) it is not something that might leave no traces
2) a comprehensive survey of the area where the evidence would be found
3) Ideally using Qualified Investigators
Argument from ignorance (argumentum ad ignorantiam), is also known as appeal to ignorance. Here ‘ignorance’ is used in the sense of "a lack of contrary evidence"
It is a fallacy in informal logic. It asserts that a proposition is true because it has not yet been proved false (or vice versa). This is a type of false dichotomy in that it excludes a third option, which is that there may have been an insufficient investigation, and therefore there is insufficient information to prove the proposition be either true or false.
Nor does it allow the admission that the choices may in fact not be two (true or false), but may be as many as four, True, False, Unknown, Unknowable
This fallacy can be very convincing and is considered by some to be a special case of a false dilemma or false dichotomy in that they both fail to consider alternatives. A false dilemma may take the form:
If a proposition has not been disproved, then it cannot be considered false and must therefore be considered true.
If a proposition has not been proved, then it cannot be considered true and must therefore be considered false.
Such arguments attempt to exploit the facts that (a) true things can never be disproved and (b) false things can never be proved. In other words, appeals to ignorance claim that the converse of these facts are also true.
Therein lies the fallacy.
Duco A. Schreuder, Vision and Visual Perception
Or again -
Because there is always the faint possibility that evidence hasn't been observed yet, a common maxim is that "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" - and is often used by people to hang on to their beliefs even when faced with a lack of evidence for them.
However, this is technically an incorrect maxim; if evidence is lacking when we expect it to be abundant, then it very much allows us to dismiss a hypothesis, and absence of evidence clearly becomes evidence of absence.
The only case in which absence of evidence is not evidence of absence is when no attempt whatsoever has been made to obtain evidence ...
But that is not absence of evidence, it is absence of investigation.
And we can compare and contrast all the above with evidence of existence, where just one piece of credible evidence may establish the point beyond doubt
Let us take the above and apply it to the question of the Complete Mystery of the Disappearance of Madeleine Beth McCann
We surely look for "evidence of existence", where just one good piece of evidence would establish the point. (‘Existence’ meaning ‘of the abduction’)
It is important to stress, repeatedly, the Burden of proof has not moved. It is still on the McCanns to show evidence of Abduction. Merely repeating “Abduction” endlessly and threatening to sue for libel those who question the assertion is NOT proof sufficient to move the burden of proof to sceptics.
Remember that in a criminal case the prosecution has to show that a crime known to law has been committed before moving on to the person who committed it.
So let us try to help the McCanns, and those acting on their behalf - the police officers, Forensic experts, dog handlers and all the other professionals, including their lawyers, family members and witnesses, and list what the Qualified Investigators would concentrate on in their comprehensive survey of the area where the evidence would be found.
In a case of Abduction they would look for
but we find - Nothing. Not one piece of good evidence to establish the point beyond doubt.
And we reiterate that this alleged crime was emphatically NOT
1) . . . something that might leave no traces
but the absence of evidence WAS after
2) a comprehensive survey of the area where the evidence would be found
3) [ . . .] using Qualified Investigators
During extensive interviews of the main players, and of many other people in and around the area, no evidence was found of a credible suspect. The one that was kept in the public domain for years was officially dismissed by the senior British detective in charge of the operation
This level of absence of evidence of intrusion and of abduction surely begins to amount to evidence of absence.
Simply saying ‘there is no alternative, what other explanation is there ?”
as Gerry McCann did outside the court in Portugal, was perhaps supposed to be a rhetorical question.
It is not. There are many other possible explanations, some stronger than others, and some backed by other available evidence, both positive and negative.
Saying, as they do on the web site - The abduction is for us the only hypothesis - may simply be evidence of a closed mind, but may indicate something else.
We talk of Proof. Simply stating something does not make it so. Even if stated several times, the position does not alter. Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) used the device humorously in the epic nonsense poem The Hunting of the Snark,
This is instantly recognisable as ridiculous nonsense, and yet it was exactly the technique used by the propaganda minister of the Third Reich.
". . in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily,"
often misquoted or paraphrased as:
"The bigger the lie, the more it will be believed."
(It is actually from Mein Kampf (1925), A.H. vol 1, ch 6 “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.”)
Variants include
If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.
If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it.
If you repeat a lie many times, people are bound to start believing it.
Now let us look at what the “believers” say.
I believe Madeleine was abducted . . . But they then fade out.
Not one, so far as I know, has added the subordinate clause . . . because there is clear evidence of X, Y, or Z.
I believe the parents were not involved in her disappearance . . . but again they fade out.
Not one, so far as I know, has added the subordinate clause . . . because there is clear evidence that X, Y, or Z.
They simply express a belief.
At times this is based on totally irrelevant supposed knowledge of the previous ‘good conduct’ of the parents, or the fact that they are professionals.
The most notorious example of this was the hapless Mrs Martorell, speaking for Carter-Ruck, under oath in the High Court of England, who had indirectly expressed her belief, no fewer than three times, that Madeleine had been abducted, but when asked on what evidence she based that belief had no useful answer, and simply faded into an embarrassed silence. Tugendhat J realised the significance of that, and mused, on the record, about the legal situation if it could ever be shown that there had been no abduction.
The next bit is sometimes argued over, but is a neat, if simplistic way of putting it.
Belief without evidence is strictly called Faith
Faith is different from belief.
Belief is a statement or idea of pre-knowledge or pre-understanding that can be verified and tested using the scientific method. A belief can be proven true or false.
Faith is irrational belief, in the sense that it is belief that cannot be tested.
If someone who has never seen the sea says “I believe that the sea flows and recedes . .” this is susceptible to verification and testing.
If someone says “I have Faith that one day we shall be visited by extra-terrestrial beings . . .” there is simply nothing we can usefully say, except perhaps “I am sorry, but I do not share your Faith.”
So the statement “I have Faith that the parents were not involved” - is unanswerable. It can also be cheerfully ignored as it adds nothing to the debate.
Whereas “I believe that the parents were not involved” can be tested, forensically, that is - in a Court of Law
If we apply the test to everything that the McCanns and the Tapas group reported and what the experts discovered, what we find is a total Absence of any Evidence of abduction.
Abduction of a 3 yr. old child with a history of unsettled sleep, from a cramped and darkened bedroom she was sharing with two other small children, with shuttered and locked windows, in an apartment with a locked front door, the only unlocked entrance directly facing the location where the parents and friends were dining, and carrying out overlapping visits, each every half hour . . . and so passing and re-passing every few minutes
is NOT, on any test
1). . . something that might leave no traces
We may wish to recall that there was
2) a comprehensive survey of the area where the evidence would be found
and that
3) [. . . ] Qualified Investigators - were in fact used
And so the Absence of Evidence does allow us with some considerable force to argue that this provides overwhelming Evidence of Absence of the Abduction.
Remember, as we have observed, a single credible piece of evidence would be sufficient to challenge this proposition.
Of course, as we know there is evidence, but what there is indicates the exact opposite scenario.
The changing stories, the inconsistencies, the forged Last photo, the nonsense stories about shutters and about simultaneously wide-open and tight-closed whooshing curtains, the clear prevarication by witnesses who should reasonably have been expected to tell the truth, gross and blatant alterations in testimony and public stories apparently to retrofit inconvenient findings or alternate theories being put forward, and above all the alerts of the highly trained and wholly reliable dogs . .all this is clear positive evidence that the abduction story is a fabrication.
When we add this conclusion to the evidence of absence of abduction, we find that it all firmly points in the direction the PJ, and the Public Prosecutor indicated.
We must surely be permitted to “purport” the theory, and to agree with Police and Prosecutors that
B) a simulation of an abduction took place;
D) Kate McCann and Gerald McCann are involved in the concealment of the cadaver of their daughter, Madeleine McCann;
F) from what has been established up to now, everything indicates that the McCann couple, in self-defence, doesn’t want to deliver the cadaver immediately and voluntarily, and there is a strong possibility that it was moved from the initial place of deposition.
A report by Chief Inspector Tavares de Almeida to the Coordinator of the Criminal Investigation
NUIPC-201/07.0 GALGS
The archiving dispatch perhaps put this whole issue somewhat more succinctly than I have managed. But then they are trained and skilled and experienced in their profession.
« Despite all of this, it was not possible to obtain any piece of evidence that would allow for a reasonable man, under the light of the criteria of logics, of normality and of the general rules of experience, to formulate any lucid, sensible, serious and honest conclusion about the circumstances under which the child was removed from the apartment (whether dead or alive, whether killed in a neglectful homicide or an intended homicide, whether the victim of a targeted abduction or an opportunistic abduction), nor even to produce a consistent prognosis about her destiny and inclusively – the most dramatic – to establish whether she is still alive - or if she is dead, as seems more likely.
The Republic’s Prosecutor (José de Magalhães e Menezes)/The Joint General Prosecutor (João Melchior Gomes) in: Processo 201/07.0 GALGS - Volume XVII - pages 4645-4649 (Public Prosecutor's Archiving Dispatch)»
Some Philosophical thoughts.
In which we examine Logic and the absence of evidence.
I want to go through this slowly, and at some length, partly because it is important that any error, misunderstanding, or false logic may be identified and challenged, and partly because the subject may not be familiar, or at least not currently at the forefront of people’s minds. For that reason some of the themes are repeated each time they become relevant.
Any who wish to explore further could do worse than to start with Wikipedia.
Once we have covered the logic and philosophy we can begin to apply it to the case in question.
Evidence of Absence.
‘Evidence of absence’ is evidence of any kind that suggests something is missing or that it does not exist.
We remember the traditional aphorism, "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence". But here we are considering positive evidence of this kind, and realise that is distinct from a lack of evidence or ignorance of that which, had it existed, should have been found already,.
When we say positive evidence, we mean of course the lack of something we might have expected to find. Not that we simply didn’t look, or didn’t find it, but that we did look, hard, and it was not there.
So there is a difference between saying - - - - I don’t know if it was there or not,
and saying firmly - - - - I can state that it was not there.
That is a significant difference, and philosophers and logicians down the ages have played with the concept.
One example
In some circumstances it can be safely assumed that if a certain event had occurred, evidence of it could be discovered by qualified investigators. In such circumstances it is perfectly reasonable to take the absence of proof of its occurrence as positive proof of its non-occurrence.
Irving Copi - Introduction to Logic (1953) p. 95
Others have taken the concept further, and have refined the circumstances under which the lack of evidence moves from negative to positive proof.
The best remembered example is perhaps this one:
If someone were to assert that there is an elephant on the quad, then the failure to observe an elephant there would be good reason to think that there is no elephant there.
But if someone were to assert that there is a flea on the quad, then one’s failure to observe it would not constitute good evidence that there is no flea on the quad. The salient difference between these two cases is that in the one, but not the other, we should expect to see some evidence of the entity if it in fact existed.
Moreover, the justification conferred in such cases will be proportional to the ratio between the amount of evidence that we do have and the amount that we should expect to have if the entity existed. If the ratio is small, then little justification is conferred on the belief that the entity does not exist.
For example, in the absence of evidence rendering the existence of some entity probable, we are justified in believing that it does not exist, provided that
1) it is not something that might leave no traces and
2) we have comprehensively surveyed the area where the evidence would be found if the entity existed.
JP Moreland & WL Craig, Philosophical Foundations
It is settled in logic, as well as in most legal systems, that when two parties are in a discussion and one asserts a claim that the other disputes, the one who asserts has the burden of proof to justify or substantiate that claim.
There are exceptions to this. For example when one person asserts something which is held to be generally known or scientifically established.
In the language of logic - either a proposition is assumed to be true because it has not yet been proved false or a proposition is assumed to be false because it has not yet been proved true. This may have the effect of shifting the burden of proof to the person criticising the proposition. This is the basis of the scientific method.
In English law, for example, it is clear that the burden of proof is always on the Prosecution, which is required to show
1 That an offence known to law has been committed, and
2 That the accused committed it
But even here, there are times when although the burden of proof does not shift, inferences may be drawn from absence of evidence.
So, for example
Adverse inferences may be drawn in certain circumstances where before or on being charged, the accused:
- fails to mention any fact which he later relies upon and which in the circumstances at the time the accused could reasonably be expected to mention;
- fails to give evidence at trial or answer any question;
- fails to account on arrest for objects, substances or marks on his person, clothing or footwear, in his possession, or in the place where he is arrested; or
- fails to account on arrest for his presence at a place.
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
[This has in fact just been invoked in the case against the man accused of murdering the MP Joe Cox. (22/11/2016). He refused to offer any defence, and the jury was told they might draw proper inferences. He was found Guilty ]
And the Police Caution, given before questioning of a suspect has changed from
"You do not have to say anything unless you wish to do so, but what you say may be given in evidence."
to
"You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.28
The burden of proof is still on the prosecution, but the philosophical position of absence of evidence becoming evidence of absence is now covered. And note that it talks of of Harming the Defence, not proving the case. There must be other evidence. Only an inference is raised. Silence alone cannot convict.
So what do we learn
In order for Absence of Evidence to transmute into Evidence of Absence we need to show
1) it is not something that might leave no traces
2) a comprehensive survey of the area where the evidence would be found
3) Ideally using Qualified Investigators
A few more examples of how people have dealt with this
Argument from ignorance (argumentum ad ignorantiam), is also known as appeal to ignorance. Here ‘ignorance’ is used in the sense of "a lack of contrary evidence"
It is a fallacy in informal logic. It asserts that a proposition is true because it has not yet been proved false (or vice versa). This is a type of false dichotomy in that it excludes a third option, which is that there may have been an insufficient investigation, and therefore there is insufficient information to prove the proposition be either true or false.
Nor does it allow the admission that the choices may in fact not be two (true or false), but may be as many as four, True, False, Unknown, Unknowable
This fallacy can be very convincing and is considered by some to be a special case of a false dilemma or false dichotomy in that they both fail to consider alternatives. A false dilemma may take the form:
If a proposition has not been disproved, then it cannot be considered false and must therefore be considered true.
If a proposition has not been proved, then it cannot be considered true and must therefore be considered false.
Such arguments attempt to exploit the facts that (a) true things can never be disproved and (b) false things can never be proved. In other words, appeals to ignorance claim that the converse of these facts are also true.
Therein lies the fallacy.
Duco A. Schreuder, Vision and Visual Perception
Or again -
Because there is always the faint possibility that evidence hasn't been observed yet, a common maxim is that "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" - and is often used by people to hang on to their beliefs even when faced with a lack of evidence for them.
However, this is technically an incorrect maxim; if evidence is lacking when we expect it to be abundant, then it very much allows us to dismiss a hypothesis, and absence of evidence clearly becomes evidence of absence.
A parting shot
The only case in which absence of evidence is not evidence of absence is when no attempt whatsoever has been made to obtain evidence ...
But that is not absence of evidence, it is absence of investigation.
And we can compare and contrast all the above with evidence of existence, where just one piece of credible evidence may establish the point beyond doubt
Why is this important ?
Back to the real world
Let us take the above and apply it to the question of the Complete Mystery of the Disappearance of Madeleine Beth McCann
We surely look for "evidence of existence", where just one good piece of evidence would establish the point. (‘Existence’ meaning ‘of the abduction’)
It is important to stress, repeatedly, the Burden of proof has not moved. It is still on the McCanns to show evidence of Abduction. Merely repeating “Abduction” endlessly and threatening to sue for libel those who question the assertion is NOT proof sufficient to move the burden of proof to sceptics.
Remember that in a criminal case the prosecution has to show that a crime known to law has been committed before moving on to the person who committed it.
So let us try to help the McCanns, and those acting on their behalf - the police officers, Forensic experts, dog handlers and all the other professionals, including their lawyers, family members and witnesses, and list what the Qualified Investigators would concentrate on in their comprehensive survey of the area where the evidence would be found.
In a case of Abduction they would look for
- point of entry, point of exit
- evidence of physical presence at the location, inside and outside
- fingerprints, DNA, blood, saliva, other bodily fluids, hair, skin cells,
- dust, mud, gravel, any artefact ‘foreign’ to the scene, fibres from clothing,
- evidence of disturbance of bedclothes, movement of furniture,
- evidence of searching,
- footprints, shoe marks, scuff marks, glove marks
- and much more on a detective’s list
but we find - Nothing. Not one piece of good evidence to establish the point beyond doubt.
And we reiterate that this alleged crime was emphatically NOT
1) . . . something that might leave no traces
but the absence of evidence WAS after
2) a comprehensive survey of the area where the evidence would be found
3) [ . . .] using Qualified Investigators
During extensive interviews of the main players, and of many other people in and around the area, no evidence was found of a credible suspect. The one that was kept in the public domain for years was officially dismissed by the senior British detective in charge of the operation
This level of absence of evidence of intrusion and of abduction surely begins to amount to evidence of absence.
Simply saying ‘there is no alternative, what other explanation is there ?”
as Gerry McCann did outside the court in Portugal, was perhaps supposed to be a rhetorical question.
It is not. There are many other possible explanations, some stronger than others, and some backed by other available evidence, both positive and negative.
Saying, as they do on the web site - The abduction is for us the only hypothesis - may simply be evidence of a closed mind, but may indicate something else.
On Proof
We talk of Proof. Simply stating something does not make it so. Even if stated several times, the position does not alter. Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) used the device humorously in the epic nonsense poem The Hunting of the Snark,
"Just the place for a Snark!" the Bellman cried,
As he landed his crew with care;
Supporting each man on the top of the tide
By a finger entwined in his hair.
"Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:
That alone should encourage the crew.
Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:
What I tell you three times is true."
This is instantly recognisable as ridiculous nonsense, and yet it was exactly the technique used by the propaganda minister of the Third Reich.
". . in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily,"
often misquoted or paraphrased as:
"The bigger the lie, the more it will be believed."
(It is actually from Mein Kampf (1925), A.H. vol 1, ch 6 “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.”)
Variants include
If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.
If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it.
If you repeat a lie many times, people are bound to start believing it.
A digression on Belief
Now let us look at what the “believers” say.
I believe Madeleine was abducted . . . But they then fade out.
Not one, so far as I know, has added the subordinate clause . . . because there is clear evidence of X, Y, or Z.
I believe the parents were not involved in her disappearance . . . but again they fade out.
Not one, so far as I know, has added the subordinate clause . . . because there is clear evidence that X, Y, or Z.
They simply express a belief.
At times this is based on totally irrelevant supposed knowledge of the previous ‘good conduct’ of the parents, or the fact that they are professionals.
The most notorious example of this was the hapless Mrs Martorell, speaking for Carter-Ruck, under oath in the High Court of England, who had indirectly expressed her belief, no fewer than three times, that Madeleine had been abducted, but when asked on what evidence she based that belief had no useful answer, and simply faded into an embarrassed silence. Tugendhat J realised the significance of that, and mused, on the record, about the legal situation if it could ever be shown that there had been no abduction.
The next bit is sometimes argued over, but is a neat, if simplistic way of putting it.
Belief without evidence is strictly called Faith
Faith is different from belief.
Belief is a statement or idea of pre-knowledge or pre-understanding that can be verified and tested using the scientific method. A belief can be proven true or false.
Faith is irrational belief, in the sense that it is belief that cannot be tested.
If someone who has never seen the sea says “I believe that the sea flows and recedes . .” this is susceptible to verification and testing.
If someone says “I have Faith that one day we shall be visited by extra-terrestrial beings . . .” there is simply nothing we can usefully say, except perhaps “I am sorry, but I do not share your Faith.”
So the statement “I have Faith that the parents were not involved” - is unanswerable. It can also be cheerfully ignored as it adds nothing to the debate.
Whereas “I believe that the parents were not involved” can be tested, forensically, that is - in a Court of Law
So where does this take us ?
If we apply the test to everything that the McCanns and the Tapas group reported and what the experts discovered, what we find is a total Absence of any Evidence of abduction.
Abduction of a 3 yr. old child with a history of unsettled sleep, from a cramped and darkened bedroom she was sharing with two other small children, with shuttered and locked windows, in an apartment with a locked front door, the only unlocked entrance directly facing the location where the parents and friends were dining, and carrying out overlapping visits, each every half hour . . . and so passing and re-passing every few minutes
is NOT, on any test
1). . . something that might leave no traces
We may wish to recall that there was
2) a comprehensive survey of the area where the evidence would be found
and that
3) [. . . ] Qualified Investigators - were in fact used
And so the Absence of Evidence does allow us with some considerable force to argue that this provides overwhelming Evidence of Absence of the Abduction.
Remember, as we have observed, a single credible piece of evidence would be sufficient to challenge this proposition.
Of course, as we know there is evidence, but what there is indicates the exact opposite scenario.
The changing stories, the inconsistencies, the forged Last photo, the nonsense stories about shutters and about simultaneously wide-open and tight-closed whooshing curtains, the clear prevarication by witnesses who should reasonably have been expected to tell the truth, gross and blatant alterations in testimony and public stories apparently to retrofit inconvenient findings or alternate theories being put forward, and above all the alerts of the highly trained and wholly reliable dogs . .all this is clear positive evidence that the abduction story is a fabrication.
When we add this conclusion to the evidence of absence of abduction, we find that it all firmly points in the direction the PJ, and the Public Prosecutor indicated.
We must surely be permitted to “purport” the theory, and to agree with Police and Prosecutors that
B) a simulation of an abduction took place;
D) Kate McCann and Gerald McCann are involved in the concealment of the cadaver of their daughter, Madeleine McCann;
F) from what has been established up to now, everything indicates that the McCann couple, in self-defence, doesn’t want to deliver the cadaver immediately and voluntarily, and there is a strong possibility that it was moved from the initial place of deposition.
A report by Chief Inspector Tavares de Almeida to the Coordinator of the Criminal Investigation
NUIPC-201/07.0 GALGS
The archiving dispatch perhaps put this whole issue somewhat more succinctly than I have managed. But then they are trained and skilled and experienced in their profession.
« Despite all of this, it was not possible to obtain any piece of evidence that would allow for a reasonable man, under the light of the criteria of logics, of normality and of the general rules of experience, to formulate any lucid, sensible, serious and honest conclusion about the circumstances under which the child was removed from the apartment (whether dead or alive, whether killed in a neglectful homicide or an intended homicide, whether the victim of a targeted abduction or an opportunistic abduction), nor even to produce a consistent prognosis about her destiny and inclusively – the most dramatic – to establish whether she is still alive - or if she is dead, as seems more likely.
The Republic’s Prosecutor (José de Magalhães e Menezes)/The Joint General Prosecutor (João Melchior Gomes) in: Processo 201/07.0 GALGS - Volume XVII - pages 4645-4649 (Public Prosecutor's Archiving Dispatch)»
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 18: Say SO, or Say NO
The PAID . . . . say SO
In PAID we include those paid directly in money, but also those who received benefit from saying SO.
We include those who would never think of compromising a family member.
We include those who received other benefits, but more indirectly - from book sales, or TV appearances, newspaper sales, radio interviews . . .
So who are they ?
Gerry and Kate - obviously
Close family members
Clarence Mitchell
Paid shills on various web-site and social media outlets
Web site manager
Alan Pike. The crisis councillor who pretended to be a psychologist
PR firms, notably Bell Pottinger ( £ 0.5m), and Hannover (£ not known)
Summers and Swan,
Danny Collins and other authors who have wilfully avoided presenting or considering the evidence
Antonella Lazzeri
The SUN - generally
Olive Press - in the form of Jon Clarke - of Angolan basketball player fame
Other newspapers - possibly
Metodo 3 - Francisco Marco, Antonio Gimenez Raso, Julian Peribañez, Antonio Tamarit
ALPHAIG - Edgar and Cowley
Oakley - Kevin/Richard Halligen, Henri Exton,
Gary Hagland
Oprah Winfrey
MISSING PEOPLE - who have undoubtedly raised their profile, even though it has had the effect of causing people to investigate their internal waste of money.
Melissa (e-fits to fit) Little
Jim Gamble
and then
LAWYERS !
This is more tricky, since some species of lawyer have a duty to speak for their client, whether they believe them or not. That decision is not theirs to make.
English barristers are obliged to accept a brief if the fee is paid, and to argue it to the best of their professional ability. Often they deliberately do not speak to the parties concerned. Their client is the instructing solicitor.
Solicitors are slightly different. They have a role in advising the client on the best course of action - which may be to stop !
It is not clear for example whether Carter-Ruck ever investigated the McCanns’ account of events, and the performance of Mrs Martorell in the High Court tends to suggest they deliberately did NOT ask any pertinent or searching questions, perhaps in case they got answers which would have deprived them of a fee.
Carter-Ruck, in the persons of Adam Tudor and Mrs Martorell
Edward Smethurst
The 20 or so other lawyers paid - in money - by the McCanns
Isabel Duarte, who brought the ultimately failed case in the Portuguese courts
and several others.
So, from the above list of those who say SO, how many genuinely believe the story ?
It may be that some do, but of course it is not actually necessary for ANY of them to believe it. Money and family ties could provide the incentive to repeat the word “Abduction” as often as possible.
We may note that over the past few years their word of choice has become “Disappearance”. Even Mitchell now uses this form.
In NOT Paid, we include all those who although they are clearly in receipt of their salaries, are not paid directly or indirectly to do anything other than their professional duty, and to be impartial.
The Portuguese GNP
The PJ
The fingerprint expert
DCI Gonçalo Amaral,
DCI Paulo Rebelo
CI Tavares de Almeida - investigation co-ordinator - wrote final report
The public prosecutors - Magalhaes e Menezes, Gomes
The judges in the Court of Appeal - De Almeida, Manso, Branquinho,
Martin Grime (dog handler)
The British police officers sent to Portugal
The British Police advisor Mark Harrison
The British Police advisor Keith Farquharson
NPIA Criminal profiler Lee Rainbow
The British consular and Embassy staff
and so on, not forgetting many amateur researchers, and hundreds of people who have followed the evidence and the debate on the internet.
All those who had a duty to investigate and consider the evidence in any depth are of the same view. It is not believed that a single instance exists of someone with professional skills or training and taking a dispassionate and detached look at the scene, or the evidence, or the files released by the PJ, coming to the conclusion, even on balance, or even allowing a remote possibility, that there was an Abduction.
To this must now be added the name Peter Hyatt, a statement analyst, who works with, and trains law enforcement agencies in the US. He was recently invited to look at the film and the transcript of an interview with the McCanns done in Australia some years ago. It seems he had little, if any, knowledge of the research into the various issues he addressed.
His conclusion was that within the interview there is a series of ‘Embedded confessions’, as well as many outright lies. For example he identified the story about the open window and the whooshing curtains as a lie, even though he had no knowledge that this had already been so identified by consideration of the weather reports, and the lack of any such details in any other statement. He had no knowledge of the photos of the curtains trapped behind the bed and the chair, nor of the fact that Kate had previously stated that the curtains were wide open.
He went on to show how the McCanns provide all the details, about a fall, death, cuddling the dead body, and the concealment and disposal THEMSELVES. They volunteer the information, whilst believing they are denying it.
So again we have an independent person - an accredited expert - who for good reasons, which he spells out so that everyone can understand them, comes to the same conclusion as others who have come from a different angle.
Refs to the YouTube films are given below
THIRD Category
There is then a third category - lest I be accused of false dichotomy.
These include the British police officers, in Leicester and the Metropolitan forces, who seem to have failed to investigate, or to properly and impartially consider the evidence, and in some cases have presented themselves as openly supportive of the McCanns.
They include
Det Supt Stuart (call me Stu) Prior, Leicestershire Police
Det Ch Supt Hamish ( remit - as if the ABDUCTION had been in Britain) Campbell
DCI (Madeleine alive is not in accordance with all of our thinking, we have found crecheman) Redwood
DCI Nicola (haven’t yet done very much except cut the team from 38 to 4) Wall
Det Ch Supt Mike (still believe Madeleine could be found alive) Duthie
and sundry others who have had years to revise their views in light of the evidence they have collected, and that which has been sent to them, but still appear to be doing nothing substantive
The Met officers who were given a strangely restricted remit - to investigate an Abduction - seem powerless to act. One has to consider whether going outside the remit, and actually investigating, or considering the logic behind the absence of evidence, has been and is still being officially prohibited.
If so, this could amount to something else entirely.
Whether any of the members of this category actually believe there was an abduction, is an entirely different matter which cannot at present be ascertained.
* * * * *
So how has this story been perpetuated for so long ?
[This is copied from the previous chapter, but is included here, so that the reader does not have to refer back]
We talk of Proof. Simply stating something does NOT make it so. Even if it is stated several times, the position does not alter. Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) used the device humorously in the epic nonsense poem The Hunting of the Snark,
This is instantly recognisable as ridiculous nonsense, and yet it was exactly the technique used by the propaganda minister of the Third Reich.
". . in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily,"
often misquoted or paraphrased as:
"The bigger the lie, the more it will be believed."
(It is actually from Mein Kampf (1925), A.H. vol 1, ch 6 “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.”)
Variants include
If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.
If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it.
If you repeat a lie many times, people are bound to start believing it.
* * * *
So the long term strategy of having the word “Abduction”, associated with the name Madeleine McCann, and endlessly repeated in newspapers, TV, radio, and books, for the past ten years, has probably led to a significant part of the population subliminally thinking it has been established as some sort of fact.
If so, the strategy of paying vast amounts to Bell Pottinger, Hannover and Clarence Mitchell was well worth the expense.
The use of frankly mendacious, not to say “ludicrous” stories to fill out this farrago has reinforced this.
The story of Madeleine whizzing down the water slide is a perfect example. In the next sentence she is said to be wearing a pink top and a blue skirt, and a sun hat. The obvious contradiction does not register in the script writer’s mind. She is then said to have played football for an HOUR. Still in the skirt and sun hat. Kate was said to be sunbathing whilst this was going on.
All this might be dismissed as journalistic hyperbole, but the FACT that there is no water slide, and that on the day in question it was dull, cloudy, cold and windy, and the FACT that Kate makes no mention of any such incident in her autobiography, giving a totally different account of events on the day in question - is also inconvenient factual detail which would otherwise spoil the story.
The damage to the truth has been done. Readers may not remember the article, nor where they read it, but the totally false impression is left.
I leave it for you, the reader, to make up your own mind
REFS - Richard D. Hall interviews Peter Hyatt: "McCanns Embedded Confessions"
Film 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slziMpXYjJo&t=30s
Film 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyB29g6nbDo
Film 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWWjkL-joS4&t=2428s
Was Madeleine “Abducted” ?
The PAID . . . . say SO
Not paid . . . . . say NO
In PAID we include those paid directly in money, but also those who received benefit from saying SO.
We include those who would never think of compromising a family member.
We include those who received other benefits, but more indirectly - from book sales, or TV appearances, newspaper sales, radio interviews . . .
So who are they ?
Gerry and Kate - obviously
Close family members
Clarence Mitchell
Paid shills on various web-site and social media outlets
Web site manager
Alan Pike. The crisis councillor who pretended to be a psychologist
PR firms, notably Bell Pottinger ( £ 0.5m), and Hannover (£ not known)
Summers and Swan,
Danny Collins and other authors who have wilfully avoided presenting or considering the evidence
Antonella Lazzeri
The SUN - generally
Olive Press - in the form of Jon Clarke - of Angolan basketball player fame
Other newspapers - possibly
Metodo 3 - Francisco Marco, Antonio Gimenez Raso, Julian Peribañez, Antonio Tamarit
ALPHAIG - Edgar and Cowley
Oakley - Kevin/Richard Halligen, Henri Exton,
Gary Hagland
Oprah Winfrey
MISSING PEOPLE - who have undoubtedly raised their profile, even though it has had the effect of causing people to investigate their internal waste of money.
Melissa (e-fits to fit) Little
Jim Gamble
and then
LAWYERS !
This is more tricky, since some species of lawyer have a duty to speak for their client, whether they believe them or not. That decision is not theirs to make.
English barristers are obliged to accept a brief if the fee is paid, and to argue it to the best of their professional ability. Often they deliberately do not speak to the parties concerned. Their client is the instructing solicitor.
Solicitors are slightly different. They have a role in advising the client on the best course of action - which may be to stop !
It is not clear for example whether Carter-Ruck ever investigated the McCanns’ account of events, and the performance of Mrs Martorell in the High Court tends to suggest they deliberately did NOT ask any pertinent or searching questions, perhaps in case they got answers which would have deprived them of a fee.
Carter-Ruck, in the persons of Adam Tudor and Mrs Martorell
Edward Smethurst
The 20 or so other lawyers paid - in money - by the McCanns
Isabel Duarte, who brought the ultimately failed case in the Portuguese courts
and several others.
So, from the above list of those who say SO, how many genuinely believe the story ?
It may be that some do, but of course it is not actually necessary for ANY of them to believe it. Money and family ties could provide the incentive to repeat the word “Abduction” as often as possible.
We may note that over the past few years their word of choice has become “Disappearance”. Even Mitchell now uses this form.
In NOT Paid, we include all those who although they are clearly in receipt of their salaries, are not paid directly or indirectly to do anything other than their professional duty, and to be impartial.
The Portuguese GNP
The PJ
The fingerprint expert
DCI Gonçalo Amaral,
DCI Paulo Rebelo
CI Tavares de Almeida - investigation co-ordinator - wrote final report
The public prosecutors - Magalhaes e Menezes, Gomes
The judges in the Court of Appeal - De Almeida, Manso, Branquinho,
Martin Grime (dog handler)
The British police officers sent to Portugal
The British Police advisor Mark Harrison
The British Police advisor Keith Farquharson
NPIA Criminal profiler Lee Rainbow
The British consular and Embassy staff
and so on, not forgetting many amateur researchers, and hundreds of people who have followed the evidence and the debate on the internet.
All those who had a duty to investigate and consider the evidence in any depth are of the same view. It is not believed that a single instance exists of someone with professional skills or training and taking a dispassionate and detached look at the scene, or the evidence, or the files released by the PJ, coming to the conclusion, even on balance, or even allowing a remote possibility, that there was an Abduction.
To this must now be added the name Peter Hyatt, a statement analyst, who works with, and trains law enforcement agencies in the US. He was recently invited to look at the film and the transcript of an interview with the McCanns done in Australia some years ago. It seems he had little, if any, knowledge of the research into the various issues he addressed.
His conclusion was that within the interview there is a series of ‘Embedded confessions’, as well as many outright lies. For example he identified the story about the open window and the whooshing curtains as a lie, even though he had no knowledge that this had already been so identified by consideration of the weather reports, and the lack of any such details in any other statement. He had no knowledge of the photos of the curtains trapped behind the bed and the chair, nor of the fact that Kate had previously stated that the curtains were wide open.
He went on to show how the McCanns provide all the details, about a fall, death, cuddling the dead body, and the concealment and disposal THEMSELVES. They volunteer the information, whilst believing they are denying it.
So again we have an independent person - an accredited expert - who for good reasons, which he spells out so that everyone can understand them, comes to the same conclusion as others who have come from a different angle.
Refs to the YouTube films are given below
THIRD Category
There is then a third category - lest I be accused of false dichotomy.
These include the British police officers, in Leicester and the Metropolitan forces, who seem to have failed to investigate, or to properly and impartially consider the evidence, and in some cases have presented themselves as openly supportive of the McCanns.
They include
Det Supt Stuart (call me Stu) Prior, Leicestershire Police
Det Ch Supt Hamish ( remit - as if the ABDUCTION had been in Britain) Campbell
DCI (Madeleine alive is not in accordance with all of our thinking, we have found crecheman) Redwood
DCI Nicola (haven’t yet done very much except cut the team from 38 to 4) Wall
Det Ch Supt Mike (still believe Madeleine could be found alive) Duthie
and sundry others who have had years to revise their views in light of the evidence they have collected, and that which has been sent to them, but still appear to be doing nothing substantive
The Met officers who were given a strangely restricted remit - to investigate an Abduction - seem powerless to act. One has to consider whether going outside the remit, and actually investigating, or considering the logic behind the absence of evidence, has been and is still being officially prohibited.
If so, this could amount to something else entirely.
Whether any of the members of this category actually believe there was an abduction, is an entirely different matter which cannot at present be ascertained.
* * * * *
So how has this story been perpetuated for so long ?
On Proof and Truth
[This is copied from the previous chapter, but is included here, so that the reader does not have to refer back]
We talk of Proof. Simply stating something does NOT make it so. Even if it is stated several times, the position does not alter. Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) used the device humorously in the epic nonsense poem The Hunting of the Snark,
"Just the place for a Snark!" the Bellman cried,
As he landed his crew with care;
Supporting each man on the top of the tide
By a finger entwined in his hair.
"Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:
That alone should encourage the crew.
Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:
What I tell you three times is true."
This is instantly recognisable as ridiculous nonsense, and yet it was exactly the technique used by the propaganda minister of the Third Reich.
". . in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily,"
often misquoted or paraphrased as:
"The bigger the lie, the more it will be believed."
(It is actually from Mein Kampf (1925), A.H. vol 1, ch 6 “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.”)
Variants include
If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.
If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it.
If you repeat a lie many times, people are bound to start believing it.
* * * *
So the long term strategy of having the word “Abduction”, associated with the name Madeleine McCann, and endlessly repeated in newspapers, TV, radio, and books, for the past ten years, has probably led to a significant part of the population subliminally thinking it has been established as some sort of fact.
If so, the strategy of paying vast amounts to Bell Pottinger, Hannover and Clarence Mitchell was well worth the expense.
The use of frankly mendacious, not to say “ludicrous” stories to fill out this farrago has reinforced this.
The story of Madeleine whizzing down the water slide is a perfect example. In the next sentence she is said to be wearing a pink top and a blue skirt, and a sun hat. The obvious contradiction does not register in the script writer’s mind. She is then said to have played football for an HOUR. Still in the skirt and sun hat. Kate was said to be sunbathing whilst this was going on.
All this might be dismissed as journalistic hyperbole, but the FACT that there is no water slide, and that on the day in question it was dull, cloudy, cold and windy, and the FACT that Kate makes no mention of any such incident in her autobiography, giving a totally different account of events on the day in question - is also inconvenient factual detail which would otherwise spoil the story.
The damage to the truth has been done. Readers may not remember the article, nor where they read it, but the totally false impression is left.
I leave it for you, the reader, to make up your own mind
The McCanns benefit
Truth and justice suffer
Madeleine Beth McCann has no memorial.
REFS - Richard D. Hall interviews Peter Hyatt: "McCanns Embedded Confessions"
Film 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slziMpXYjJo&t=30s
Film 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyB29g6nbDo
Film 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWWjkL-joS4&t=2428s
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 19: McCanns Embedded Confessions
Richard Hall’s filmed interview with Peter Hyatt
Every parent, every teacher, every police officer, solicitor, immigration officer, and Magistrate - in fact everyone - is able to identify when an untruth is being told.
Some are better at it than others.
Please Sir, it wasn’t me . . . .
Mummy, I didn’t eat the biscuits, it must have been Johnny . . .
Officer I really don’t know how that got into my suitcase - it’s been planted . . .
I have been shown a CCTV clip and I now recall that I WAS in fact there, BUT . . .
are known to all.
Statement analysts have developed this. They seek to look beyond what is so often called gut instinct or a copper’s nose, or just a hunch to find out why and how we can identify what is going on, and to formalise their findings.
Richard Hall has recently released a series of three interviews with Peter Hyatt.
Hyatt is by trade a Statement Analyst - someone who is developing the skills of looking at what people say, and importantly what they do not, and the way they say them, the vocabulary they use, and a host of other things, to form a considered and justified opinion on whether they are telling the truth.
His thesis is that denials and lies can in fact reveal an “Embedded Confession”, which is the title of the films.
I have transcribed short extracts from the films. If there are errors they are entirely mine.
I want to consider parts of what he said, and then to compare his opinion with what other researchers have discovered. There is a remarkable coincidence.
To start with Hyatt explains the importance of detecting hesitation or a disruption of the normal pattern of speech. Some people are naturally fluent, some have less articulacy. It is the disruption of the normal pattern which is important.
He goes on to explain that answering a question with another question may indicate an attempt to buy time, as will searching for a word. The inclusion of unnecessary words and phrases, and particularly of going into unnecessary detail may also assume importance.
He then looks at a full transcript of the interview by SN TV channel in Australia with Gerry and Kate McCann in 2011
PH: "Deceptive people, who have Guilty knowledge of what happened to their child don’t want to talk about it, because it causes internal stress - so they talk for a great deal of time about what happened beforehand" Film 1 21:00
He was then asked specifically if this was scientific or his opinion, and replied:
"If I say I believe someone, or I don’t believe someone - as a Statement Analyst - it is my opinion and here’s WHY I have this opinion. I’m going to explain why" 1 27:39
"When someone speaks we presuppose that everything they are telling us is the truth - unless they talk us out of it, deceiving us. What they say in detail can reveal what happened." 1 27:57
He then develops the idea of the ‘need to persuade’ and narrative building. He refers to the McCanns’ emphasising that it was a normal evening, and comments:
“Why do you have to convince me that is was a normal evening”
Statement analysis says more about what one doesn’t say.
He listens to further extracts from the interview and says: “Who are they most concerned about. Madeleine, or themselves ? They are always justifying themselves.” 1 43:20
FILM 2
PH: "They give a lot of detail, but not about Madeline, about themselves.
What happened is limited to a finite number of things . . . When someone tells us what didn’t happen, there can be an infinite number of things. We are on high alert for deception." 2 3:10
He then watches and listens to the ‘whooshing curtains’ story. Hyatt describes this as narrative building and having considered this whole story he says
“She’s Lying. This is deception” 2 35
In a powerful statement he says of Kate’s story about what happened when she visited the apartment - "The room just magically opened itself up and said “Look, look at the evidence . . .”
She’s lying. This tells us Madeleine was not kidnapped.” 2 41:10
A little later he is discussing Gerry’s reported reaction to Kate’s returning to the Tapas bar, which includes the phrase “She can’t be . . .” before he stops himself
Hyatt fills it in for us
“Can’t be . . . - What ? . . . Dead ?” 2 45:18
Gerry continues “And I was saying to Kate as we were both running”
PH: "He has a need to persuade that both were in earnest, both were upset, both were in emergency mode. Because they weren’t. Those who are in emergency mode don’t need to tell us they're in emergency mode, and they certainly don’t need to persuade us.
He has a need to persuade us that they were in emergency mode.
This tells us that this was not unexpected. This was not an emergency."
Richard: "He’s lying.” 2 45:40
The three films are highly recommended viewing. It is also instructive to view the original interview in full after having seen the analyst at work.
It has been established that Peter Hyatt, although he was aware of the Madeleine McCann case, had not looked at it in any depth. He was unaware of the research and analysis of the weather and wind charts for the week in question. He did not know of the details in the Tapas 7’s statements, nor of their rogatory interviews. He did not know of the lack of evidence of violent gusts of wind. He was unaware of the body of evidence that begins to suggest that whatever happened to Madeleine probably happened on the Sunday evening to Monday morning.
He was unaware of the work done around the few available photos.
He worked purely with the content of the interview. In other words -
He worked purely with what the McCanns told him during the interview
Those who have researched or followed the developments in this case will pick up immediately on Gerry’s comment in the interview where he states
“We loved to photograph her, and she loved to be photographed”.
The fact that for the entire week’s holiday only three credible photos seem to exist of Madeleine, or indeed of the twins, is something which has been commented on before. The lack of photos is itself a considerable pointer towards a deliberate decision NOT to take them.
What we are left with is a remarkable coincidence between what Hyatt found, for example on examination of the story about the slamming doors and whooshing curtains., and exactly this same conclusion reached independently. (See Chapter 12, Floppy Sunhat and Flapping Curtains, and many threads on CMoMM.)
Hyatt did not know of the work that has been done, and of the many photos of the 'McCanns' body language during their public interviews. (Appended.)
He did not know that the McCanns had changed both their first Police statements in several material particulars.
He did not know of the Rogatory interviews with the Tapas 7.
He did not know that these professional people, all University graduates, many with post graduate qualifications, some whom routinely teach and profess their own specialism, and who all may, therefore, be assumed to be reasonably at ease with the English Language, to be reasonably articulate, to use normal grammar and syntax, and who would be expected to possess a wide and deep vocabulary . . . .
were reduced to gibbering incoherence when they were faced with an English police officer, speaking English and asking a pertinent question in English.
Refs:
McCanns’ Australia TV interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0pBdLyJJhE
Richard D. Hall's interview with Peter Hyatt
Film 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slziMpXYjJo&t=30s
Film 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyB29g6nbDo
Film 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWWjkL-joS4&t=2428s
Tight closed and Whooshing Curtains - first mentioned three years after the original Kate and Gerry Police statement which included “wide-open curtains”
Richard Hall’s filmed interview with Peter Hyatt
Every parent, every teacher, every police officer, solicitor, immigration officer, and Magistrate - in fact everyone - is able to identify when an untruth is being told.
Some are better at it than others.
Please Sir, it wasn’t me . . . .
Mummy, I didn’t eat the biscuits, it must have been Johnny . . .
Officer I really don’t know how that got into my suitcase - it’s been planted . . .
I have been shown a CCTV clip and I now recall that I WAS in fact there, BUT . . .
are known to all.
Statement analysts have developed this. They seek to look beyond what is so often called gut instinct or a copper’s nose, or just a hunch to find out why and how we can identify what is going on, and to formalise their findings.
Richard Hall has recently released a series of three interviews with Peter Hyatt.
Hyatt is by trade a Statement Analyst - someone who is developing the skills of looking at what people say, and importantly what they do not, and the way they say them, the vocabulary they use, and a host of other things, to form a considered and justified opinion on whether they are telling the truth.
His thesis is that denials and lies can in fact reveal an “Embedded Confession”, which is the title of the films.
I have transcribed short extracts from the films. If there are errors they are entirely mine.
I want to consider parts of what he said, and then to compare his opinion with what other researchers have discovered. There is a remarkable coincidence.
To start with Hyatt explains the importance of detecting hesitation or a disruption of the normal pattern of speech. Some people are naturally fluent, some have less articulacy. It is the disruption of the normal pattern which is important.
He goes on to explain that answering a question with another question may indicate an attempt to buy time, as will searching for a word. The inclusion of unnecessary words and phrases, and particularly of going into unnecessary detail may also assume importance.
He then looks at a full transcript of the interview by SN TV channel in Australia with Gerry and Kate McCann in 2011
PH: "Deceptive people, who have Guilty knowledge of what happened to their child don’t want to talk about it, because it causes internal stress - so they talk for a great deal of time about what happened beforehand" Film 1 21:00
He was then asked specifically if this was scientific or his opinion, and replied:
"If I say I believe someone, or I don’t believe someone - as a Statement Analyst - it is my opinion and here’s WHY I have this opinion. I’m going to explain why" 1 27:39
"When someone speaks we presuppose that everything they are telling us is the truth - unless they talk us out of it, deceiving us. What they say in detail can reveal what happened." 1 27:57
He then develops the idea of the ‘need to persuade’ and narrative building. He refers to the McCanns’ emphasising that it was a normal evening, and comments:
“Why do you have to convince me that is was a normal evening”
Statement analysis says more about what one doesn’t say.
He listens to further extracts from the interview and says: “Who are they most concerned about. Madeleine, or themselves ? They are always justifying themselves.” 1 43:20
FILM 2
PH: "They give a lot of detail, but not about Madeline, about themselves.
What happened is limited to a finite number of things . . . When someone tells us what didn’t happen, there can be an infinite number of things. We are on high alert for deception." 2 3:10
He then watches and listens to the ‘whooshing curtains’ story. Hyatt describes this as narrative building and having considered this whole story he says
“She’s Lying. This is deception” 2 35
In a powerful statement he says of Kate’s story about what happened when she visited the apartment - "The room just magically opened itself up and said “Look, look at the evidence . . .”
She’s lying. This tells us Madeleine was not kidnapped.” 2 41:10
A little later he is discussing Gerry’s reported reaction to Kate’s returning to the Tapas bar, which includes the phrase “She can’t be . . .” before he stops himself
Hyatt fills it in for us
“Can’t be . . . - What ? . . . Dead ?” 2 45:18
Gerry continues “And I was saying to Kate as we were both running”
PH: "He has a need to persuade that both were in earnest, both were upset, both were in emergency mode. Because they weren’t. Those who are in emergency mode don’t need to tell us they're in emergency mode, and they certainly don’t need to persuade us.
He has a need to persuade us that they were in emergency mode.
This tells us that this was not unexpected. This was not an emergency."
Richard: "He’s lying.” 2 45:40
The three films are highly recommended viewing. It is also instructive to view the original interview in full after having seen the analyst at work.
Some Observations
It has been established that Peter Hyatt, although he was aware of the Madeleine McCann case, had not looked at it in any depth. He was unaware of the research and analysis of the weather and wind charts for the week in question. He did not know of the details in the Tapas 7’s statements, nor of their rogatory interviews. He did not know of the lack of evidence of violent gusts of wind. He was unaware of the body of evidence that begins to suggest that whatever happened to Madeleine probably happened on the Sunday evening to Monday morning.
He was unaware of the work done around the few available photos.
He worked purely with the content of the interview. In other words -
He worked purely with what the McCanns told him during the interview
Those who have researched or followed the developments in this case will pick up immediately on Gerry’s comment in the interview where he states
“We loved to photograph her, and she loved to be photographed”.
The fact that for the entire week’s holiday only three credible photos seem to exist of Madeleine, or indeed of the twins, is something which has been commented on before. The lack of photos is itself a considerable pointer towards a deliberate decision NOT to take them.
What we are left with is a remarkable coincidence between what Hyatt found, for example on examination of the story about the slamming doors and whooshing curtains., and exactly this same conclusion reached independently. (See Chapter 12, Floppy Sunhat and Flapping Curtains, and many threads on CMoMM.)
Hyatt did not know of the work that has been done, and of the many photos of the 'McCanns' body language during their public interviews. (Appended.)
He did not know that the McCanns had changed both their first Police statements in several material particulars.
He did not know of the Rogatory interviews with the Tapas 7.
He did not know that these professional people, all University graduates, many with post graduate qualifications, some whom routinely teach and profess their own specialism, and who all may, therefore, be assumed to be reasonably at ease with the English Language, to be reasonably articulate, to use normal grammar and syntax, and who would be expected to possess a wide and deep vocabulary . . . .
were reduced to gibbering incoherence when they were faced with an English police officer, speaking English and asking a pertinent question in English.
He was working from the transcript of one short interview.
He did not know all the rest.
BUT HE WILL NOW.
Refs:
McCanns’ Australia TV interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0pBdLyJJhE
Richard D. Hall's interview with Peter Hyatt
Film 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slziMpXYjJo&t=30s
Film 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyB29g6nbDo
Film 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWWjkL-joS4&t=2428s
Tight closed and Whooshing Curtains - first mentioned three years after the original Kate and Gerry Police statement which included “wide-open curtains”
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 20: Spot the water slide !
OK. I apologise. There is nothing remotely amusing about the death of Madeleine, nor about the efforts which have been made to pretend that she was abducted. The only people who have smiled and joked and grinned and laughed are the McCanns.
(See Appendix - and weep for Madeleine !)
But I do now have your attention.
Did Madeleine die on Thursday 3rd May or during the night of Sunday 29th / Monday 30th ?
This is merely one example of a story clearly meant to persuade you.
I have ripped much it from Rich Hall’s recent film, but feel it deserves to stand alone, as a classic example of how lies were fed into the media, and acquired lives of their own.
It is known as Media Manipulation, or SPIN, or as normal people would call it - LYING.
Recent research by a respected seeker for the truth, has reinforced the observation that there is little if any evidence of Madeleine’s continued existence on or after Monday 30th April 2007.
What scant evidence there is is largely unconvincing, and in some cases simply factually inaccurate. Even the members of the Tapas 7, for example, contradict themselves and seek to correct errors made in statements by others.
It is fairly obvious that some of the so-called evidence was deliberately planted into the public domain to ensure that the “abduction on Thursday 3rd May “ story could remain the focus of the world’s attention, and would gradually begin to be believed.
This is a clearly fabricated account which seeks to provide evidence of this type, alleged to be from one Vicky Boyd, and reported by a journalist, one Danielle Gusmaroli. This article appeared some two weeks after Madeleine was reported missing, in a magazine called First Magazine, which seems to have had a fairly short existence.
It is worth repeating, so that the egregious nature of this can be fully understood.
“The day before she disappeared, Maddie spent an idyllic afternoon playing in the sun with three year old Louie Boyd. Here Louie’s mum Vicky, shares her story . . .
Vicky, who works in a bank, was sitting by the pool as Maddie’s mum Kate, 38, relaxed on a sun-lounger and watched her daughter whizzing down the waterslide.
“Maddie was wearing a sunhat, a little pink top and blue skirt, occasionally stopping to pull faces at her mum as Kate looked on adoringly,” Vicky recalled.
And so on in the same vein. The full article is appended below.
There is no mention of this incident in the police records, nor in Kate’s autobiography. So far as is known Vicky Boyd did not make a statement to the PJ, and it is difficult to find her name on the official Ocean Club/Mark Warners Guest list.
A number of observations
• Would a small child dressed in a skirt and sunhat whizz on a water slide?
• The day BEFORE she disappeared should refer to Wednesday 2nd May.
But on Wednesday 2nd May - from Kate’s autobiography . . .
“Today it rained. The children went to their clubs, but our tennis lessons were postponed.”
Weather reports confirm that on this occasion Kate’s reporting of the weather is correct.
There was 100% cloud cover for most of the day. The highest temperature peaked briefly at 19º C, at around 5pm, but most of the day was only 16º or 17º, and there was a fairly brisk wind from the WSW, recorded at Force 4 to 5. Other witnesses refer to rain during part of the day.
So it is plain that Vicky Boyd could not have been speaking about Wednesday 2 May.
• But let us assume that the said Vicky Boyd is speaking of the day after she, Vicky, became personally aware of the report, and that she is therefore speaking about Thursday 3rd May
Thursday was cold and windy, Kate says she ‘hung around’ during the morning. Madeleine, she said, had gone to the beach for their ‘mini-sail’ activity, and that at lunchtime
“The weather was a little on the cool side and I remember thinking I should have brought a cardigan for her, We then sat round the toddler pool for a while, dipping our feet in”
We must always remember that this is the day of the McCanns claim for the very well known Last Photo, showing Gerry and two children, Madeleine and Amelie, dipping their feet in the Ocean Club swimming pool, with Gerry’s sweaty forehead, thin T shirt, children’s light clothing, floppy sun hats, sunglasses, and clear evidence of bright sun and a clear sky.
Kate McCann: “Fiona and Dave had been windsurfing that morning and had seen Madeleine’s group, who had gone down to the beach for their ‘mini-sail’ activity. We heard later that they’d been on a speedboat as well as a dinghy. Fiona told me she’d spotted Ella there but not Madeleine.”
As an aside, the mini-sail is shown as 10.30 to 11am
[We note that in that half hour the group have to walk down to the beach, organise the boats, don lifejackets, sail, then go on a speedboat, return, put the boats away, remove life jackets, and walk back, change out of wet clothing, to resume other activities at 11. If the story is to be believed.]
The wind was force 4 from the North West - an offshore wind - very dangerous for inexperienced sailors. The temperature was a chilly 16 -17º C (61º - 63ºF) See appendix
Kate continues: “After preparing some lunch, I went with Fiona to pick up Madeleine and Scarlett, who was in the adjoining Baby Club, taking her on the quicker route through the grounds of the Ocean Club, which she hadn’t yet discovered.”
Observation. This route snakes through the paths at the back of houses on the neighbouring urbanisation, and so avoids the likelihood of being witnessed by anyone else. Or of not being.
Madeleine, that lunchtime, is one of them. She was wearing an outfit I’d bought especially for her holiday: a peach-coloured smock top from Gap and some white broderie-anglaise shorts from Monsoon.
This directly contradicts Vicky Boyd who maintains Madeleine was wearing a blue skirt.
But in Kate’s book there is no mention of anyone else, no mention of sitting on sun-loungers, nothing about waterslides . . which is just as well, because there IS NO WATERSLIDE, as a glance at any of the contemporaneous photos of the resort will show even the most determined McCann abduction believer.
SPOT THE WATERSLIDE !
Kate speaks of white shorts, as usual with too much detail added, NOT a blue dress, and there is no mention of any ‘football session’, let alone one lasting a whole hour.
[Pro footballers play for 45 minutes and then rest. Rugby 40 minutes]
ADDENDUM: A sharp eyed observer has spotted yet another clue that this entire thing is a mendacious invention. There is a brief mention of Gerry playing tennis, but there is no mention of Amelie and Sean. None at all. So where were they ?
Kate’s book claims she took them back to the Toddlers club, but where were they when Boyd and Kate were lying on the sun loungers for the hour ? Surely not in the unlocked apartment on their own !
Kate: “Together we took Sean and Amelie back to the Toddler Club at around 2.40pm and dropped Madeleine off with the Minis ten minutes later. Ella was already there.” (p. 66)
There are many questions that arise from the publication of this story, which appears to have been published solely to promote the hypothesis that Madeleine was abducted.
Who approached First Magazine? Was it Vicky Boyd?
If so, was she prompted to do so by a member of the McCann Team?
Was she paid for her article ? If so, how much ?
Or was First Magazine approached directly by Clarence Mitchell or one of his PR team ?
Why did Vicky Boyd allow her name to be attached to a story that she must have known was wholly false ? And why would she reveal so many personal details, her own and her husband’s name and occupation, her children’s names and their photographs, including details of where they all live.
Why did the publishers of this story do so ?
Were they paid? If so, how much, and by whom ?
If Danielle Gusmaroli was indeed in Praia da Luz, as is stated in the article, why did she not visit the pool and see for herself that there was no water slide?
Or if she did, why did she then lie in the article ?
The author credit on the article is explicit and clear
“By Danielle Gusmaroli, in Praia da Luz” [my emphasis]
And if Gusmaroli was in PdL, was the interview conducted in person, or over the telephone. Had Boyd remained for two further weeks ? (We believe not, incidentally, but are open to proof that they were both still there)
That is not so clear
“Here, Louie’s mum Vicky shares her story with first”
Did the publishers check out their story directly with the McCanns or their agents?
Or did they simply reproduce whatever they were given by Vicky Boyd or the McCann Team?
And so on…
We can obviously dismiss this account as a total fabrication, and may believe that it was probably fed by government media director Clarence Mitchell (or a colleague) and / or PR company Bell Pottinger (who were retained by holiday company Mark Warner) to a gullible press, and of no value to any investigation.
BUT - it is not neutral. It must not be simply ignored.
It has significant value to researchers of the truth of this dreadful story.
In particular
(a) the very fact of its presence,
(b) the fact that the details were clearly supposed to match those given by Kate, and
(c) the fact that it was planted in an obscure women’s magazine, and then cross referenced some time later in The Sun, again with family photos of the Boyds, which is designed to give it a spurious credibility, whilst allowing The Sun - if challenged - to claim that they were merely reporting it as second-hand …
(d) The article clearly says “Little Madeleine McCann was snatched from her bed TWO WEEKS AGO . . .” [my emphasis] which means that the article was published and placed on the Tabloid women’s magazine stands the same weekend that the Last Photo was released to AFP. Is this pure coincidence or rather evidence of a Machiavellian strategy?
… all this is clear positive evidence of the egregious lengths to which the McCanns’ spokesman - who once said his job was to “control what came out in the media” - and the forces of Bell Pottinger - who despite what Gerry McCann said under Oath at the Leveson enquiry, were paid £500,000 to keep the story in the papers every day for a year - were prepared to go to in order to keep the abduction version of Madeleine’s mysterious disappearance in the public’s mind.
It may, in fact, for those and other reasons be treated as fairly strong evidence that Madeleine was NOT there.
Like the Last Photo -
it has been invented, and planted purely to perpetuate the myth of Madeleine’s continued existence after 29/30 April.
There is nothing else that does this, and much tends to indicate that Madeleine may have died during that night.
Refs;
http://journalisted.com/search?q=danielle+Gusmaroli&type=
Danielle Gusmaroli (The Mirror) Danielle Gusmaroli (MailOnline)
Richard D. Hall’s film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70oo2-Sj7to&t=7833s
Weather Charts
Wednesday 2nd May 2007 and Thursday 3rd May 2007.
Grey bars at top are cloud cover.
Arrows at bottom are wind speed and direction.
Thick line is temperature.
Other lines and shaded areas are 10 yearly averages and max./min and may be ignored.
Weather Chart for whole week
Saturday 28 April 2007 to Saturday 5th May 2007.
Grey bars at top are cloud cover.
Red vertical lines indicate sunshine.
"Thank you so much to everyone who hasn't forgotten about Madeleine . . ."
Let us all assure you, Kate and Gerry, that we have not, and we never will.
We do not think it is funny, and we do not make millions of pounds out of it.
We do not abuse and sue, nor pursue to their deaths those who hold different opinions.
We do not travel the world in private jets owned by 'questionable' business people, funded by other’s pensions, and we do not accept hospitality from proven paedo***s.
We do not accept sponsorship from people who run hotels which host 'questionable' adult weekends, and we do not travel the world, nor attempt to meet the Pope.
We do not carry on a pretence and a 'pact of silence' with our friends, and we are not Ambassadors for Charities which pretend to look for people, but in fact do little more than run a website, whilst spending over £2m on staff salaries.
We are just normal concerned people.
Requiescat in Pace, little one.
Spot the water slide !
A challenge for those who believe the abduction myth
and those who put out stories supporting that nonsense
A challenge for those who believe the abduction myth
and those who put out stories supporting that nonsense
OK. I apologise. There is nothing remotely amusing about the death of Madeleine, nor about the efforts which have been made to pretend that she was abducted. The only people who have smiled and joked and grinned and laughed are the McCanns.
(See Appendix - and weep for Madeleine !)
But I do now have your attention.
Did Madeleine die on Thursday 3rd May or during the night of Sunday 29th / Monday 30th ?
This is merely one example of a story clearly meant to persuade you.
I have ripped much it from Rich Hall’s recent film, but feel it deserves to stand alone, as a classic example of how lies were fed into the media, and acquired lives of their own.
It is known as Media Manipulation, or SPIN, or as normal people would call it - LYING.
Recent research by a respected seeker for the truth, has reinforced the observation that there is little if any evidence of Madeleine’s continued existence on or after Monday 30th April 2007.
What scant evidence there is is largely unconvincing, and in some cases simply factually inaccurate. Even the members of the Tapas 7, for example, contradict themselves and seek to correct errors made in statements by others.
It is fairly obvious that some of the so-called evidence was deliberately planted into the public domain to ensure that the “abduction on Thursday 3rd May “ story could remain the focus of the world’s attention, and would gradually begin to be believed.
This is a clearly fabricated account which seeks to provide evidence of this type, alleged to be from one Vicky Boyd, and reported by a journalist, one Danielle Gusmaroli. This article appeared some two weeks after Madeleine was reported missing, in a magazine called First Magazine, which seems to have had a fairly short existence.
It is worth repeating, so that the egregious nature of this can be fully understood.
“The day before she disappeared, Maddie spent an idyllic afternoon playing in the sun with three year old Louie Boyd. Here Louie’s mum Vicky, shares her story . . .
Vicky, who works in a bank, was sitting by the pool as Maddie’s mum Kate, 38, relaxed on a sun-lounger and watched her daughter whizzing down the waterslide.
“Maddie was wearing a sunhat, a little pink top and blue skirt, occasionally stopping to pull faces at her mum as Kate looked on adoringly,” Vicky recalled.
And so on in the same vein. The full article is appended below.
There is no mention of this incident in the police records, nor in Kate’s autobiography. So far as is known Vicky Boyd did not make a statement to the PJ, and it is difficult to find her name on the official Ocean Club/Mark Warners Guest list.
A number of observations
• Would a small child dressed in a skirt and sunhat whizz on a water slide?
• The day BEFORE she disappeared should refer to Wednesday 2nd May.
But on Wednesday 2nd May - from Kate’s autobiography . . .
“Today it rained. The children went to their clubs, but our tennis lessons were postponed.”
Weather reports confirm that on this occasion Kate’s reporting of the weather is correct.
There was 100% cloud cover for most of the day. The highest temperature peaked briefly at 19º C, at around 5pm, but most of the day was only 16º or 17º, and there was a fairly brisk wind from the WSW, recorded at Force 4 to 5. Other witnesses refer to rain during part of the day.
So it is plain that Vicky Boyd could not have been speaking about Wednesday 2 May.
• But let us assume that the said Vicky Boyd is speaking of the day after she, Vicky, became personally aware of the report, and that she is therefore speaking about Thursday 3rd May
Thursday was cold and windy, Kate says she ‘hung around’ during the morning. Madeleine, she said, had gone to the beach for their ‘mini-sail’ activity, and that at lunchtime
“The weather was a little on the cool side and I remember thinking I should have brought a cardigan for her, We then sat round the toddler pool for a while, dipping our feet in”
We must always remember that this is the day of the McCanns claim for the very well known Last Photo, showing Gerry and two children, Madeleine and Amelie, dipping their feet in the Ocean Club swimming pool, with Gerry’s sweaty forehead, thin T shirt, children’s light clothing, floppy sun hats, sunglasses, and clear evidence of bright sun and a clear sky.
Kate McCann: “Fiona and Dave had been windsurfing that morning and had seen Madeleine’s group, who had gone down to the beach for their ‘mini-sail’ activity. We heard later that they’d been on a speedboat as well as a dinghy. Fiona told me she’d spotted Ella there but not Madeleine.”
As an aside, the mini-sail is shown as 10.30 to 11am
Processo Volume IV page 873
[We note that in that half hour the group have to walk down to the beach, organise the boats, don lifejackets, sail, then go on a speedboat, return, put the boats away, remove life jackets, and walk back, change out of wet clothing, to resume other activities at 11. If the story is to be believed.]
The wind was force 4 from the North West - an offshore wind - very dangerous for inexperienced sailors. The temperature was a chilly 16 -17º C (61º - 63ºF) See appendix
Kate continues: “After preparing some lunch, I went with Fiona to pick up Madeleine and Scarlett, who was in the adjoining Baby Club, taking her on the quicker route through the grounds of the Ocean Club, which she hadn’t yet discovered.”
Observation. This route snakes through the paths at the back of houses on the neighbouring urbanisation, and so avoids the likelihood of being witnessed by anyone else. Or of not being.
Madeleine, that lunchtime, is one of them. She was wearing an outfit I’d bought especially for her holiday: a peach-coloured smock top from Gap and some white broderie-anglaise shorts from Monsoon.
This directly contradicts Vicky Boyd who maintains Madeleine was wearing a blue skirt.
But in Kate’s book there is no mention of anyone else, no mention of sitting on sun-loungers, nothing about waterslides . . which is just as well, because there IS NO WATERSLIDE, as a glance at any of the contemporaneous photos of the resort will show even the most determined McCann abduction believer.
SPOT THE WATERSLIDE !
Kate speaks of white shorts, as usual with too much detail added, NOT a blue dress, and there is no mention of any ‘football session’, let alone one lasting a whole hour.
[Pro footballers play for 45 minutes and then rest. Rugby 40 minutes]
ADDENDUM: A sharp eyed observer has spotted yet another clue that this entire thing is a mendacious invention. There is a brief mention of Gerry playing tennis, but there is no mention of Amelie and Sean. None at all. So where were they ?
Kate’s book claims she took them back to the Toddlers club, but where were they when Boyd and Kate were lying on the sun loungers for the hour ? Surely not in the unlocked apartment on their own !
Kate: “Together we took Sean and Amelie back to the Toddler Club at around 2.40pm and dropped Madeleine off with the Minis ten minutes later. Ella was already there.” (p. 66)
There are many questions that arise from the publication of this story, which appears to have been published solely to promote the hypothesis that Madeleine was abducted.
Who approached First Magazine? Was it Vicky Boyd?
If so, was she prompted to do so by a member of the McCann Team?
Was she paid for her article ? If so, how much ?
Or was First Magazine approached directly by Clarence Mitchell or one of his PR team ?
Why did Vicky Boyd allow her name to be attached to a story that she must have known was wholly false ? And why would she reveal so many personal details, her own and her husband’s name and occupation, her children’s names and their photographs, including details of where they all live.
Why did the publishers of this story do so ?
Were they paid? If so, how much, and by whom ?
If Danielle Gusmaroli was indeed in Praia da Luz, as is stated in the article, why did she not visit the pool and see for herself that there was no water slide?
Or if she did, why did she then lie in the article ?
The author credit on the article is explicit and clear
“By Danielle Gusmaroli, in Praia da Luz” [my emphasis]
And if Gusmaroli was in PdL, was the interview conducted in person, or over the telephone. Had Boyd remained for two further weeks ? (We believe not, incidentally, but are open to proof that they were both still there)
That is not so clear
“Here, Louie’s mum Vicky shares her story with first”
Did the publishers check out their story directly with the McCanns or their agents?
Or did they simply reproduce whatever they were given by Vicky Boyd or the McCann Team?
And so on…
We can obviously dismiss this account as a total fabrication, and may believe that it was probably fed by government media director Clarence Mitchell (or a colleague) and / or PR company Bell Pottinger (who were retained by holiday company Mark Warner) to a gullible press, and of no value to any investigation.
BUT - it is not neutral. It must not be simply ignored.
It has significant value to researchers of the truth of this dreadful story.
In particular
(a) the very fact of its presence,
(b) the fact that the details were clearly supposed to match those given by Kate, and
(c) the fact that it was planted in an obscure women’s magazine, and then cross referenced some time later in The Sun, again with family photos of the Boyds, which is designed to give it a spurious credibility, whilst allowing The Sun - if challenged - to claim that they were merely reporting it as second-hand …
(d) The article clearly says “Little Madeleine McCann was snatched from her bed TWO WEEKS AGO . . .” [my emphasis] which means that the article was published and placed on the Tabloid women’s magazine stands the same weekend that the Last Photo was released to AFP. Is this pure coincidence or rather evidence of a Machiavellian strategy?
… all this is clear positive evidence of the egregious lengths to which the McCanns’ spokesman - who once said his job was to “control what came out in the media” - and the forces of Bell Pottinger - who despite what Gerry McCann said under Oath at the Leveson enquiry, were paid £500,000 to keep the story in the papers every day for a year - were prepared to go to in order to keep the abduction version of Madeleine’s mysterious disappearance in the public’s mind.
It may, in fact, for those and other reasons be treated as fairly strong evidence that Madeleine was NOT there.
Like the Last Photo -
it has been invented, and planted purely to perpetuate the myth of Madeleine’s continued existence after 29/30 April.
There is nothing else that does this, and much tends to indicate that Madeleine may have died during that night.
Refs;
http://journalisted.com/search?q=danielle+Gusmaroli&type=
Danielle Gusmaroli (The Mirror) Danielle Gusmaroli (MailOnline)
Richard D. Hall’s film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70oo2-Sj7to&t=7833s
Weather Charts
Wednesday 2nd May 2007 and Thursday 3rd May 2007.
Grey bars at top are cloud cover.
Arrows at bottom are wind speed and direction.
Thick line is temperature.
Other lines and shaded areas are 10 yearly averages and max./min and may be ignored.
Weather Chart for whole week
Saturday 28 April 2007 to Saturday 5th May 2007.
Grey bars at top are cloud cover.
Red vertical lines indicate sunshine.
* * * * *
I'm sorry, Kate and Gerry, but no one else finds this remotely amusing !
Kate and Gerry's 2016 Christmas message
as you so generously said . . ."Thank you so much to everyone who hasn't forgotten about Madeleine . . ."
Let us all assure you, Kate and Gerry, that we have not, and we never will.
We do not think it is funny, and we do not make millions of pounds out of it.
We do not abuse and sue, nor pursue to their deaths those who hold different opinions.
We do not travel the world in private jets owned by 'questionable' business people, funded by other’s pensions, and we do not accept hospitality from proven paedo***s.
We do not accept sponsorship from people who run hotels which host 'questionable' adult weekends, and we do not travel the world, nor attempt to meet the Pope.
We do not carry on a pretence and a 'pact of silence' with our friends, and we are not Ambassadors for Charities which pretend to look for people, but in fact do little more than run a website, whilst spending over £2m on staff salaries.
We are just normal concerned people.
We will never forget Madeleine Beth McCann
Requiescat in Pace, little one.
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 21: Is the Tennis Balls photo the NEW LAST PHOTO?
Close friend, confidante, and uncritical McCann supporter, journalist Tracey Kim Kandohla seems to suggest this may be about to happen.
In a Mail Online article recently, à propos the McCanns’ blog site, she said:
“Pictures include the iconic last known image of Maddie in pink sunhat and clutching tennis balls while on holiday “ [1]
There are at least two possibilities here:
1 That Tracey Kandohla is simply very stupid, and has not read Kate's autobiography, where it clearly says that the Pool Photo was the Last Photo,
“We then sat round the toddler pool for a while, dipping our feet in, and I took what has turned out to be my last photograph to date of Madeleine.” p. 66 [4]
or
2 That Kandohla was under orders to put that in.
If so, then more questions pose themselves. Who told her to word it like that ?
Has Team McCann been watching Richard D. Hall’s excellent films, been reading the fora and e-books and blogs, and have they now begun to realise that the Pool Photo is indefensible, forensically toxic, and as much a liability - or more - as the smashed and jemmied shutters, the whooshing curtains, slamming doors, the waterslide, Tannerman, Smithman, and all the other nonsense ?
IF - and only if - the Pool Photo has been altered then at least four and probably five people, whose names are very obvious, would be involved in a serious Criminal conspiracy to pervert the course of Justice - both in English Law and its Portuguese equivalent, as was pointed out a long time ago.
So are we now going to see an attempt to dismiss the Pool Photo as having been taken on the Sunday after all, and the Tennis Balls photo being promoted to “official Last Photo”?
It is variously described as having been taken by Kate on Tuesday 1st May,
“. . . I ran back to our apartment for my camera to record the occasion. One of my photographs is known around the world now: a smiling Madeleine clutching armfuls of tennis balls” p. 57 [4]
or by Jane Tanner on Thursday 3rd May [5]
Rachael Oldfield (Rogatory interview):
1578 "The third of May, are you able to summarise the days activities"?
Reply "Yeah, ... . . . Madeleine and Ella and their sort of group came to have a tennis lesson as part of their crèche activities, erm and Kate didn't have her camera and Jane was there then as well and Jane took some photos of both Madeleine and Ella, that's one, that poster of Madeleine with the tennis balls, that sort of pictures".
1578 "That was taken on the"?
Reply "Yeah that was that morning."
1578 "Thursday"?
Or perhaps not by Jane Tanner, even on Wednesday 2nd May - she doesn’t say. [6]
Jane Tanner (Rogatory interview):
Reply "No. Err the Wednesday, err again I think it would have just been a, Evie would have had a sleep and just round the pool or in the, each other apartments, until, until high tea but I think Ella, and Ella would have, Ella went to err, Ella went to the err the kids club.
Actually that morning was the morning Ella and Madeleine had the tennis lesson I think on the Wednesday. You've got the picture of..."
Many years ago a commentator and researcher posted this on a blog [2]
In short, Rachael describes how Jane took the photograph on Thursday, Jane describes the event taking place on Wednesday and Kate describes how she (Kate) took it on Tuesday. SNIPPED
And yet the photograph cannot have been taken during a mini-tennis session on the Tuesday either, because there wasn't one. Mini-tennis took place, according to the 'kids' club' schedule, on the Monday morning. If this photograph is construed as representing Madeleine McCann's 'last hours' therefore (as a recent Sunday Telegraph report would suggest), then these will have been spent on the morning of Monday April 30th, not the early evening of May 3."
In any event
There was only one mini-tennis session scheduled for Madeleine's play group – on the Monday morning (10.00 – 11.00 a.m.).
But what if they do try to run with this one, and to change everything they have said over the last ten years?
Let us go back to Prosecution Exhibit 1 - Kate’s autobiography ‘madeleine’.
On 10th May, they both went to Portimão police station, where Gerry was interviewed at length. Kate continues
“I made use of the long wait I anticipated by sitting down with a notebook, pen and my camera, containing dated photographs of the holiday, and trying to write a detailed account of everything that happened the week before."
p. 123 [4]
So the Pool photo must have had its real date - 29 April 2007 - or we would have been told that she tried, but the internal dating system had apparently gone wrong and could not be relied upon, but that she remembered the dates of the photos . . .
But we were not.
She sat and made a list of however many photos were on the camera for that week with dates and times.
Meanwhile Gerry was making his second statement in which he says
“Asked, he clarifies that, apart from the personal photos already delivered by him to the police authorities after the disappearance of his daughter MADELEINE, he has no others in his possession.” [3]
He says he has no others. His wife says she is sitting in the corridor with a camera-full !
Was he trying to be clever ?
Not in MY possession, officer, you will have to ask my wife whether SHE has any in HER possession.
That is more tricky since in common with many romance languages, in Portuguese
na sua posse
can mean in His -, in Her -, in Their -, and in Your - singular or plural - possession
But they have only one camera. The Canon PowerShot A 620.
So that argument, frankly, will not wash.
Or was Kate trying to be clever when she said
“my last photograph “ ?
Not THE last photograph, but MY last photograph ?
Doubtful. And since she insists the Pool Photo was taken at lunchtime on Thursday 3rd there is simply no window of opportunity after that for the Tennis Balls photo. She is very clear what they did after the Pool Photo - dumped the children back in their crèches, played tennis, and then she went for the run among the beach, before returning to find Gerry having high tea with the children - her version, from the book. p. 66 [4]
“I had finished my run by five-thirty at the Tapas area, where I found Madeleine and the twins already having their tea with Gerry. The others had decided to feed their kids at the beachside restaurant, the Paraíso. Madeleine was sitting on the Tapas terrace, eating.“
There are of course several possible versions.
From the book:
“Having arranged for Gerry to meet the children, I opted to go for a run along the beach, where I spotted the rest of our holiday group. They saw me . . .” p. 66 [4]
(Banishing the entire Tapas group to the Paraiso for the first and only time is interesting as it ensured that there could be no witnesses to this alleged family high tea.)
But then we look again and find that another version involves Kate herself signing Madeleine out of the crèche at 5:30 pm [7]
(It is a strange and compelling characteristic of this case that so many witnesses give stories which simply do not match, and often totally contradict everyone else’s, and in several cases individual witnesses themselves give several ‘versions’ which are totally incompatible one with the other.)
In any event Mitchell told the world to look at the time of the Pool Photo, and clearly intended the date to be noted. The agency rubric for the photo says clearly:
Picture released by the McCann family 24 May 2007 and was taken 03 May 2007 the same day Madeleine McCann (R) went missing from the family’s holiday apartment in the southern Algarve region.
So that is what they were told.
The question is therefore, is this simple Tabloid invented nonsense, not intended to be read closely, nor to be questioned and certainly not believed by anyone ?
Or is it the start of something else entirely ?
Only time will tell.
As another researcher has observed -
It’s surely something you’d think Tracey Kandohla would have known by now, what with her weekly cup of tea and cakes with Clarence Mitchell in the early days, and trading on recycling Clarence’s notes into the press for the past 10 years?
Further information.
Tracey Kim Kandohla lives in Rothley and is a friend of the McCanns, belonging to the same Gym Club as Kate. She is frequently described as “a source close to the McCanns”.
Refs;
1 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4084922/Madeleine-McCann-s-parents-hoping-New-Year-miracle-reunite-daughter-approach-milestone-10th-anniversary-without-her.html
By TRACEY KANDOHLA FOR MAILONLINE
2 http://frommybigdesk.blogspot.com.es/2013/10/madeleine-mccann-what-you-know-is-not.html
3 http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html
4 Various quotes from ‘madeleine’ by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011
5 Rachael Mampilly (Oldfield) Rogatory interview
http://mccannfiles.com/id253.html
6 Jane Tanner - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
http://mccannfiles.com/id222.html
7 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id351.html
Note: The mccannfiles.com site has sadly been suspended, but the above may be referenced by use of the wayback machine. It is merely necessary to insert the code
https://web.archive.org/web/20161021161533/ before the refence given
Thus
https://web.archive.org/web/20161021161533/http://www.mccannfiles.com/id351.html
Is the Tennis Balls photo the NEW LAST PHOTO?
Close friend, confidante, and uncritical McCann supporter, journalist Tracey Kim Kandohla seems to suggest this may be about to happen.
In a Mail Online article recently, à propos the McCanns’ blog site, she said:
“Pictures include the iconic last known image of Maddie in pink sunhat and clutching tennis balls while on holiday “ [1]
There are at least two possibilities here:
1 That Tracey Kandohla is simply very stupid, and has not read Kate's autobiography, where it clearly says that the Pool Photo was the Last Photo,
“We then sat round the toddler pool for a while, dipping our feet in, and I took what has turned out to be my last photograph to date of Madeleine.” p. 66 [4]
or
2 That Kandohla was under orders to put that in.
If so, then more questions pose themselves. Who told her to word it like that ?
Has Team McCann been watching Richard D. Hall’s excellent films, been reading the fora and e-books and blogs, and have they now begun to realise that the Pool Photo is indefensible, forensically toxic, and as much a liability - or more - as the smashed and jemmied shutters, the whooshing curtains, slamming doors, the waterslide, Tannerman, Smithman, and all the other nonsense ?
IF - and only if - the Pool Photo has been altered then at least four and probably five people, whose names are very obvious, would be involved in a serious Criminal conspiracy to pervert the course of Justice - both in English Law and its Portuguese equivalent, as was pointed out a long time ago.
So are we now going to see an attempt to dismiss the Pool Photo as having been taken on the Sunday after all, and the Tennis Balls photo being promoted to “official Last Photo”?
It is variously described as having been taken by Kate on Tuesday 1st May,
“. . . I ran back to our apartment for my camera to record the occasion. One of my photographs is known around the world now: a smiling Madeleine clutching armfuls of tennis balls” p. 57 [4]
or by Jane Tanner on Thursday 3rd May [5]
Rachael Oldfield (Rogatory interview):
1578 "The third of May, are you able to summarise the days activities"?
Reply "Yeah, ... . . . Madeleine and Ella and their sort of group came to have a tennis lesson as part of their crèche activities, erm and Kate didn't have her camera and Jane was there then as well and Jane took some photos of both Madeleine and Ella, that's one, that poster of Madeleine with the tennis balls, that sort of pictures".
1578 "That was taken on the"?
Reply "Yeah that was that morning."
1578 "Thursday"?
Or perhaps not by Jane Tanner, even on Wednesday 2nd May - she doesn’t say. [6]
Jane Tanner (Rogatory interview):
Reply "No. Err the Wednesday, err again I think it would have just been a, Evie would have had a sleep and just round the pool or in the, each other apartments, until, until high tea but I think Ella, and Ella would have, Ella went to err, Ella went to the err the kids club.
Actually that morning was the morning Ella and Madeleine had the tennis lesson I think on the Wednesday. You've got the picture of..."
Many years ago a commentator and researcher posted this on a blog [2]
In short, Rachael describes how Jane took the photograph on Thursday, Jane describes the event taking place on Wednesday and Kate describes how she (Kate) took it on Tuesday. SNIPPED
And yet the photograph cannot have been taken during a mini-tennis session on the Tuesday either, because there wasn't one. Mini-tennis took place, according to the 'kids' club' schedule, on the Monday morning. If this photograph is construed as representing Madeleine McCann's 'last hours' therefore (as a recent Sunday Telegraph report would suggest), then these will have been spent on the morning of Monday April 30th, not the early evening of May 3."
In any event
There was only one mini-tennis session scheduled for Madeleine's play group – on the Monday morning (10.00 – 11.00 a.m.).
But what if they do try to run with this one, and to change everything they have said over the last ten years?
Let us go back to Prosecution Exhibit 1 - Kate’s autobiography ‘madeleine’.
On 10th May, they both went to Portimão police station, where Gerry was interviewed at length. Kate continues
“I made use of the long wait I anticipated by sitting down with a notebook, pen and my camera, containing dated photographs of the holiday, and trying to write a detailed account of everything that happened the week before."
p. 123 [4]
So the Pool photo must have had its real date - 29 April 2007 - or we would have been told that she tried, but the internal dating system had apparently gone wrong and could not be relied upon, but that she remembered the dates of the photos . . .
But we were not.
She sat and made a list of however many photos were on the camera for that week with dates and times.
Meanwhile Gerry was making his second statement in which he says
“Asked, he clarifies that, apart from the personal photos already delivered by him to the police authorities after the disappearance of his daughter MADELEINE, he has no others in his possession.” [3]
He says he has no others. His wife says she is sitting in the corridor with a camera-full !
Was he trying to be clever ?
Not in MY possession, officer, you will have to ask my wife whether SHE has any in HER possession.
That is more tricky since in common with many romance languages, in Portuguese
na sua posse
can mean in His -, in Her -, in Their -, and in Your - singular or plural - possession
But they have only one camera. The Canon PowerShot A 620.
So that argument, frankly, will not wash.
Or was Kate trying to be clever when she said
“my last photograph “ ?
Not THE last photograph, but MY last photograph ?
Doubtful. And since she insists the Pool Photo was taken at lunchtime on Thursday 3rd there is simply no window of opportunity after that for the Tennis Balls photo. She is very clear what they did after the Pool Photo - dumped the children back in their crèches, played tennis, and then she went for the run among the beach, before returning to find Gerry having high tea with the children - her version, from the book. p. 66 [4]
“I had finished my run by five-thirty at the Tapas area, where I found Madeleine and the twins already having their tea with Gerry. The others had decided to feed their kids at the beachside restaurant, the Paraíso. Madeleine was sitting on the Tapas terrace, eating.“
There are of course several possible versions.
From the book:
“Having arranged for Gerry to meet the children, I opted to go for a run along the beach, where I spotted the rest of our holiday group. They saw me . . .” p. 66 [4]
(Banishing the entire Tapas group to the Paraiso for the first and only time is interesting as it ensured that there could be no witnesses to this alleged family high tea.)
But then we look again and find that another version involves Kate herself signing Madeleine out of the crèche at 5:30 pm [7]
(It is a strange and compelling characteristic of this case that so many witnesses give stories which simply do not match, and often totally contradict everyone else’s, and in several cases individual witnesses themselves give several ‘versions’ which are totally incompatible one with the other.)
In any event Mitchell told the world to look at the time of the Pool Photo, and clearly intended the date to be noted. The agency rubric for the photo says clearly:
Picture released by the McCann family 24 May 2007 and was taken 03 May 2007 the same day Madeleine McCann (R) went missing from the family’s holiday apartment in the southern Algarve region.
So that is what they were told.
The question is therefore, is this simple Tabloid invented nonsense, not intended to be read closely, nor to be questioned and certainly not believed by anyone ?
Or is it the start of something else entirely ?
Only time will tell.
As another researcher has observed -
It’s surely something you’d think Tracey Kandohla would have known by now, what with her weekly cup of tea and cakes with Clarence Mitchell in the early days, and trading on recycling Clarence’s notes into the press for the past 10 years?
Further information.
Tracey Kim Kandohla lives in Rothley and is a friend of the McCanns, belonging to the same Gym Club as Kate. She is frequently described as “a source close to the McCanns”.
Refs;
1 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4084922/Madeleine-McCann-s-parents-hoping-New-Year-miracle-reunite-daughter-approach-milestone-10th-anniversary-without-her.html
By TRACEY KANDOHLA FOR MAILONLINE
2 http://frommybigdesk.blogspot.com.es/2013/10/madeleine-mccann-what-you-know-is-not.html
3 http://mccannfiles.com/id192.html
4 Various quotes from ‘madeleine’ by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011
5 Rachael Mampilly (Oldfield) Rogatory interview
http://mccannfiles.com/id253.html
6 Jane Tanner - Record Of Tape Recorded Interview
http://mccannfiles.com/id222.html
7 http://www.mccannfiles.com/id351.html
Note: The mccannfiles.com site has sadly been suspended, but the above may be referenced by use of the wayback machine. It is merely necessary to insert the code
https://web.archive.org/web/20161021161533/ before the refence given
Thus
https://web.archive.org/web/20161021161533/http://www.mccannfiles.com/id351.html
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 22: Tennis Balls Photo
My interest in this particular image was rekindled after the recent newspaper article by Tracey Kandohla, a vehement and uncritical McCann supporter and personal friend of Kate, who referred to the Tennis Balls Photo (TBP) where she says:
“Pictures include the iconic last known image of Maddie in pink sunhat and clutching tennis balls while on holiday “ [1]
Having researched it further, some are now tending towards the conclusion that it could indeed be the ‘last photo’ of Madeleine Beth McCann, taken some hours after the Pool photo.
* * * *
Is there anything we can deduce from what we observe when we examine this image?
There are two versions in circulation. [2]
This one,
which has clearly been cropped from this one
The larger one shows up with an aspect ratio of 800 x 1067 which gives 1.33, or 0.75
depending which way we calculate it.
This is normal for most cameras.
The Canon PowerShot A620 for example uses 3072 x 2304 = 0.75 / 1.33
and the Olympus C-50 similarly uses 2560 x 1920 = 0.75 / 1.33
But immediately we note that most cameras take images in ‘landscape’ format, that is to say the photo is wider than it is high. 4 units wide by 3 units high.
We sometimes observe keen photographers physically turning the camera through 90º, to achieve the ‘Portrait’ format, but in the days of high resolution digital images it is more common simply to crop the middle out and save it separately.
So has the larger of these images itself been cropped from a landscape format image?
If so the original must have looked like this:
This is on any test a very poor photo. Modern cameras have a Zoom button, usually very close to the shutter release, and it would have been easy and far more normal to create this. It also lacks contrast, and overall is too dark.
What else do we observe?
1 Almost total lack of shadow - indicating a lack of bright sun
2 Madeleine is wearing a bright pink sun hat, and sandals
3 She is clutching three full sized yellow tennis balls, possibly even a fourth
We also observe other things, which may be relevant at a future date.
The quality of the photo available is poor so we need to be careful with this - but
4 There appear to be bruises or scratches on Madeleine’s arm and leg,
5 The colour of her legs and arms are significantly different from the Pool photo
6 The position of the head seems unusual, though it may be to steady the balls
and then
7 She is wearing different shoes from the playground photos
8 She is wearing the pink hat worn by Amelie in the Pool photo
9 There is no one else in shot. No Adults, no children, no nanny, no tennis coach.
The McCanns’ Camera, the Canon PowerShot A620 takes photos at 7 mega pixels, giving an extremely clear, crisp, and bright image, as we see in the Pool photo. [3]
The TBP is dark, grainy, and dull - lacking contrast. It is also badly ‘framed’.
Mark Warner specialise in Tennis at many of their summer resorts. [4]
Mini and junior LTA tennis courses for younger players are designed to be fun with the opportunity to learn new skills and offer encouragement to all children. These courses can be pre-booked in the UK. Private lessons may be recommended by the Tennis Manager for children who are particularly strong players.
It is very clear what is offered.
Mini LTA courses
Ages 3 to 5 years
Mini red awards
This course is taught using short racquets and soft balls. It's just like the real game and your coaching includes learning different shot types and focusing on longer rallies.
And a photo is attached showing both these items.
The balls are yellow and RED, to distinguish them from the full “adult’ ones.
They are freely available.
For example on Amazon one can find [5]
Wilson Kid's Starter Tennis Balls (Pack of 3) - Yellow/Red
Large low compression tennis ball for 10 & under tennis
Newly developed 75mm felt covered ball
75% lighter than common tennis balls
So we may deduce that -
Madeleine was not playing tennis on this occasion. Her footwear is inappropriate, the sun hat is inappropriate, and the tennis balls she is clutching are inappropriate.
There are three different accounts by three different people of how, when, and by whom, this photo was taken.
They are, as we now expect, totally incompatible with one another, and openly contradictory.
It is variously described as having been taken by Kate on Tuesday 1st May,
“. . . I ran back to our apartment for my camera to record the occasion. One of my photographs is known around the world now: a smiling Madeleine clutching armfuls of tennis balls” p. 57 [6]
or by Jane Tanner on Thursday 3rd May [7]
Rachael Oldfield (Rogatory interview):
1578 "The third of May, are you able to summarise the days activities"?
Reply "Yeah, ... . . . Madeleine and Ella and their sort of group came to have a tennis lesson as part of their crèche activities, erm and Kate didn't have her camera and Jane was there then as well and Jane took some photos of both Madeleine and Ella, that's one, that poster of Madeleine with the tennis balls, that sort of pictures".
1578 "That was taken on the"?
Reply "Yeah that was that morning."
1578 "Thursday"?
Or perhaps not by Jane Tanner, even on Wednesday 2nd May - she doesn’t say. [8]
Jane Tanner (Rogatory interview):
Reply "No. Err the Wednesday, err again I think it would have just been a, Evie would have had a sleep and just round the pool or in the, each other apartments, until, until high tea but I think Ella, and Ella would have, Ella went to err, Ella went to the err the kids club.
Actually that morning was the morning Ella and Madeleine had the tennis lesson I think on the Wednesday. You've got the picture of..."
Many years ago a commentator and researcher posted this on a blog [9]
In short, Rachael describes how Jane took the photograph on Thursday, Jane describes the event taking place on Wednesday and Kate describes how she (Kate) took it on Tuesday. SNIPPED
And yet the photograph cannot have been taken during a mini-tennis session on the Tuesday either, because there wasn't one. Mini-tennis took place, according to the 'kids' club' schedule, on the Monday morning. If, this photograph is construed as representing Madeleine McCann's 'last hours' therefore (as a recent Sunday Telegraph report would suggest), then these will have been spent on the morning of Monday April 30th, not the early evening of May 3."
Looking at clothing and the tennis balls it becomes more clear that this was not during any mini-tennis session. Which neatly disposes of Rachael’s and Jane Tanner’s “evidence”.
In any event there was only one mini-tennis session scheduled for Madeleine's play group – on the Monday morning (10.00 – 11.00 a.m.) 30th April [10]
On that day -Monday -between 10.00 and 11.00 it was a chilly 17º with almost total cloud cover.
On the following day, when Kate insisted it was taken, the weather was no better [11]
Is Madeleine not merely clutching tennis balls, but also ‘freezing’ ?
But now let us look away and think of an alternative, maybe more probable scenario.
We know that Sunday 29th April was the only warm and cloudless day in the entire holiday, but even that day by later afternoon and early evening the weather front brought a cloud bank which persisted for the following five days, and brought cold wind and rain. [12]
The chart shows that by 6 pm on Sunday there was 50% cloud cover but, also importantly, that the air temperature was at its warmest for that day, 21º C, a relatively pleasant 70ºF.
If that be correct, then the T shirt, shorts and sun hat are entirely appropriate.
As would be keeping the children up and outdoors for a little longer than planned.
We then look at the position of the sun.
Sunset on Sunday 29th April was 20:15, but it was early in the season, and the sun only reached 67º at Solar Zenith at 13:29.
Again the charts are instructive [13]
17:30 32º
18:00 26º
18:30 20º
In other words the sun is very low in the sky, and there is a dense bank of cloud as shown clearly in the available photos. [14]
Is this then compatible, at least, with Madeleine collecting tennis balls, during or after a game involving Gerry, late in the afternoon, possibly even after tea, with the sun low in the sky and behind a cloud bank ?
If so, then that could easily have been on Sunday 29th April
We note that on the available Tennis Court booking sheets, which apparently start only on Tuesday 1st May, the time from 5:30 to 7:30 is shown as “Mixed night”.
On the previous evenings the courts may either have had this session, or may well have been ‘free’ - as in not booked - and the men may well have gone for a short knock-up.
Other hypotheses are possible.
The Tennis Balls Photo (TBP) was not taken by Jane Tanner on Thursday (Claim 1).
The TBP was not taken by Jane on Wednesday (Claim 2).
The TBP was not taken by Kate McCann on Tuesday (Claim 3).
Instead, it is possible that it is a genuine photo of Madeleine taken by Gerry or Kate McCann during the early evening of Sunday 29 April, perhaps after some of the men had been playing tennis. IF CORRECT, the three separate, false claims would surely suggest a deliberate attempt to conceal the real date that the photograph was taken.
An additional observation leads to a slightly different hypothesis.
There are four photographs from the holiday that we can accept as having been taken on the McCanns’ camera on that holiday: the three 'playground' photos, which were clearly taken on the Saturday, and the Pool photo, which the McCanns insist was taken on Thursday 3rd May, but evidence clearly indicates was actually taken on Sunday 29th April.
All these four photos, almost certainly taken by Kate, show evident ability to use the 'Zoom' button, and to frame a shot reasonably well.
The larger version of the TBP, however, even in the format available to us, shows that the 'Zoom' button was clearly NOT used. When that is added to the poor framing and ‘construction’ of the image and the grainy and unclear colour saturation, there is therefore a reasonable argument that Kate did NOT take the Tennis Balls Photo on the Canon PowerShot.
That in turn leads one to question whether someone else – neither Kate nor Jane – may have taken the photo on another camera. When we consider such a scenario, still other possibilities come into view.
Was the photo actually taken that week ?
Could it be a composite photo, with Madeleine superimposed on a background shot of the tennis court ?
Also, as some have suggested, could it be a triple composite: a girl, not Madeleine, added on to a background shot of the tennis court, with Madeleine’s head photoshopped on to replace the head of a different girl ? The image is so grainy that this might not be difficult.
Once we begin to accept
1 that Kate McCann’s account of how and when the Tennis Balls Photo was taken is false
2 the garbled and contradictory accounts of Jane Tanner and Rachael Oldfield are false
3 the photo was NOT taken on the Canon PowerShot, and has therefore never been presented with the EXIF date and time shown
any serious researcher must consider every one of the possibilities and scenarios listed above to be a reasonable hypothesis.
Further analysis can then be undertaken to try to eliminate some of those scenarios and to concentrate on the one that has the best evidence to support it.
ADDENDUM. Another strange issue
In her autobiography, ‘madeleine’, Kate McCann is clear about the sequence of events on Tuesday 1st May. It is so extraordinary that I quote it in full from p. 57 [6]
During Gerry’s tennis lesson, Madeleine and Ella came to the adjoining court with their Mini Club for a mini-tennis session. Jane and I stayed to watch them. It chokes me remembering how my heart soared with pride in Madeleine that morning. She was so happy and obviously enjoying herself. Standing there listening intently to Cat’s instructions, she looked so gorgeous in her little T-shirt and shorts, pink hat, ankle socks and new holiday sandals that I ran back to our apartment for my camera to record the occasion. One of my photographs is known around the world now: a smiling Madeleine clutching armfuls of tennis balls. At the end of their session, the children had been asked to run around the court and pick up as many balls as they could. Madeleine had done really well and was very pleased with herself. Gerry loves that picture.
The implication is clear.
There was an entire group of children, the mini-club, comprising 6 children, (according to the somewhat dubious crèche sheets) under the instruction of Cat, the nanny.
They were playing mini-tennis, so there would have been racquets and the special soft balls appropriate for 3 year olds. (see above)
But the photo shows Madeleine, alone, with “adult’ tennis balls.
No nanny, no adults, no Mini Club of other children, no tennis coach
No parents, no adults playing tennis on the other court . . .
NOTHING.
Nobody.
And Kate says she ran back to the apartment to collect the camera to record the occasion.
So let us accept what she says, apply logic, and consider whether this is remotely credible.
Kate implies that she saw Madeleine in that pose. ( Her use of the pluperfect ‘had been asked” denotes an action completed prior to her next action)
THEN thought how 'gorgeous' she looked
THEN decided to run back to her apartment for her camera
THEN ran back
THEN unlocked the door (if she went round the front through the car park, or opened the unlocked sliding patio doors if they were leaving the apartment unlocked - with camera and passports, and other valuables - during the day as well as during the evenings)
THEN retrieved the camera
THEN locked the door again - (if she did,) or pulled the patio doors closed
THEN ran down the stairs, out of the wicket gate which she closed behind her,
THEN ran or jogged through the reception area, round the pool, across the lawn
THEN found Madeleine
THEN asked her to pose and
THEN took the photo.
How long would all this take?
It is possible to envisage and then to calculate the distance involved. [15]
Applying the shorter distance option with the unlocked patio doors and insecure apartment we see this
and we can put way-points on the path - thus - ( blue with red and white dots)
and then allow the computer to calculate this distance - thus [16]
Allowing Kate to climb the stairs, enter, visit whichever room contained the camera, and exit we can probably round this up to 110 metres. Each way.
Kate herself says the distance from Tapas bar to apartment “ was only thirty to forty-five seconds away,”. That is the way-point marked in black above. (In fact at a brisk walk from Tapas to the wicket gate it is one minute).
Even allowing that Kate is a distance runner, the return trip, past obstacles, with frequent changes of direction, of 220 m. and at a civilised jog perhaps mixed with a brisk walking pace, rather than a determined sprint, is likely to have taken at least three minutes, and very probably up to, and even well over four.
The children - all six of them, have to collect a few tennis balls from a court which is totally surrounded by chain link fencing. How long would this realistically take ?
And who was with Madeleine while Kate rushed back?
To whom did she speak and say: “Hold Maddie there for three or possibly four or five minutes, I must just grab a pic of her!”
Kate tells us none of this, arousing suspicions that her account of this incident may not be entirely accurate !
But to reiterate, so that we do not get seduced into believing even a little bit of this extraordinary story:
Some time ago another researcher and seeker for the truth, who posts under the name Dr Martin Roberts, examined the claims made about the Pool photo - according to Kate McCann the very last photo she took of Madeleine - in some detail. [17]
He begins quoting the same passage from Kate’s autobiography “madeleine”.
“During Gerry's tennis lesson, Madeleine and Ella came to the adjoining court with
their Mini Club for a mini-tennis session... Standing there listening intently to Cat's
instructions, she (Madeleine) looked so gorgeous in her little T-shirt and shorts,
pink hat, ankle socks and new holiday sandals that I ran back to our apartment for
my camera to record the occasion. One of my photographs is known around the
world now: a smiling Madeleine clutching armfuls of tennis balls".
“Thus Kate McCann tells us in her book (madeleine), clearly and unambiguously, exactly where her daughter Madeleine was that Tuesday morning, May 1st. She arrived at the tennis courts, together with Ella O'Brien, during Gerry's tennis lesson, which had started at 10.15. She [Madeleine] was not therefore where she should have been at that time – with her kid's club playmates, at the pool.
On Thursday afternoon at about 2.40 p.m. [actually Kate says it was 2.29pm] Kate McCann tells us she captured the iconic 'last photo' - the pool photo - of her daughter dressed in "an outfit I'd bought especially for her holiday: a peach-coloured smock top from Gap and some white broderie-anglaise shorts from Monsoon".
Madeleine was wearing nothing else but a sun hat. She was signed into the crèche by Kate that same afternoon at 2.50 p.m., [Kate actually says she dropped the twins off at 2.40pm] no doubt following a hurried exodus from the pool area, but unfortunately twenty minutes late for the 'chalk space pictures' activity, which began at 2.30 p.m. Between them the McCanns arranged for Gerry to collect the children later while Kate went off for a run. That is what Kate McCann says in her book. There is no mention whatsoever of any additional visit to the children's playgroups in the meantime.
Since Kate has told us exactly what Madeleine was wearing at 2.40 p.m. [actually from 2.29pm to 2.50 pm and also of course whilst she was at the pool with Gerry and Kate before 2.29pm ] we also know what she was not wearing – her swimming costume. So what did she do come the 'dive and find' time at the pool from 3.30 to 4.30 p.m., stand and watch?”
[My observations]
Our earlier analysis has shown that the only time the ‘Last photo’ - the Pool photo - could possibly have been taken was the Sunday that week, 29th April. Only on that day does the weather match what we see in the photo. This clearly implies that what Kate says about taking Madeleine to the crèche at 2.50 pm is simply unsustainable.
But to return to Dr Martin Roberts’ analysis of what Kate says about the Pool photo in her book, he finishes off his article with the trenchant observation:
NOTA BENE
It must be noted that Kate’s account was published in her book in 2011.
The PJ files, including Kate’s and Gerry’s statements, the Tapas 7 statements and rogatory interviews, crèche records, photos, and everything else were released on DVD by the PJ when the case was ‘shelved’ in 2008.
Kate and her husband Gerry, her advisors, their teams of Lawyers, proof readers, friends, the Tapas 7, and their family had ample opportunity to cross check what she had written before publication, if only to ensure that what was said did not personally compromise them or impugn their individual veracity.
REFS:
1 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4084922/Madeleine-McCann-s-parents-hoping-New-Year-miracle-reunite-daughter-approach-milestone-10th-anniversary-without-her.html
2 https://www.google.es/search?q=madeleine+mccann+tennis+ball+photo
3 google search < madeleine mccann pool photo >
4 http://www.markwarner.co.uk/activity-holidays/tennis
5 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wilson-Kids-Starter-Tennis-Balls
6 ‘madeleine’, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011,
7 Rachael Oldfield rogatory interview http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/Nigel/id253.htm
8 Jane Tanner rogatory interview - http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/Nigel/id222.htm
9 http://frommybigdesk.blogspot.com.es/2013/10/madeleine-mccann-what-you-know-is-not.html ;
10 http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/CRECHE.htm
11 http://www.wunderground.com/history/
12 http://www.wunderground.com/history/
13 https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/portugal/faro?month=4&year=2007
14 Flickr. Search < algarve, 29 April 2007 . . .>
15 google earth < Praia da Luz >
16 https://www.mapdevelopers.com/distance_finder.php
17 http://madeleinemccann.org/blog/2014/04/20/dr-martin-roberts-2014/
Tennis Balls Photo
My interest in this particular image was rekindled after the recent newspaper article by Tracey Kandohla, a vehement and uncritical McCann supporter and personal friend of Kate, who referred to the Tennis Balls Photo (TBP) where she says:
“Pictures include the iconic last known image of Maddie in pink sunhat and clutching tennis balls while on holiday “ [1]
Having researched it further, some are now tending towards the conclusion that it could indeed be the ‘last photo’ of Madeleine Beth McCann, taken some hours after the Pool photo.
* * * *
Is there anything we can deduce from what we observe when we examine this image?
There are two versions in circulation. [2]
This one,
which has clearly been cropped from this one
The larger one shows up with an aspect ratio of 800 x 1067 which gives 1.33, or 0.75
depending which way we calculate it.
This is normal for most cameras.
The Canon PowerShot A620 for example uses 3072 x 2304 = 0.75 / 1.33
and the Olympus C-50 similarly uses 2560 x 1920 = 0.75 / 1.33
But immediately we note that most cameras take images in ‘landscape’ format, that is to say the photo is wider than it is high. 4 units wide by 3 units high.
We sometimes observe keen photographers physically turning the camera through 90º, to achieve the ‘Portrait’ format, but in the days of high resolution digital images it is more common simply to crop the middle out and save it separately.
So has the larger of these images itself been cropped from a landscape format image?
If so the original must have looked like this:
This is on any test a very poor photo. Modern cameras have a Zoom button, usually very close to the shutter release, and it would have been easy and far more normal to create this. It also lacks contrast, and overall is too dark.
What else do we observe?
1 Almost total lack of shadow - indicating a lack of bright sun
2 Madeleine is wearing a bright pink sun hat, and sandals
3 She is clutching three full sized yellow tennis balls, possibly even a fourth
We also observe other things, which may be relevant at a future date.
The quality of the photo available is poor so we need to be careful with this - but
4 There appear to be bruises or scratches on Madeleine’s arm and leg,
5 The colour of her legs and arms are significantly different from the Pool photo
6 The position of the head seems unusual, though it may be to steady the balls
and then
7 She is wearing different shoes from the playground photos
8 She is wearing the pink hat worn by Amelie in the Pool photo
9 There is no one else in shot. No Adults, no children, no nanny, no tennis coach.
The McCanns’ Camera, the Canon PowerShot A620 takes photos at 7 mega pixels, giving an extremely clear, crisp, and bright image, as we see in the Pool photo. [3]
The TBP is dark, grainy, and dull - lacking contrast. It is also badly ‘framed’.
Mark Warner specialise in Tennis at many of their summer resorts. [4]
Mini and junior LTA tennis courses for younger players are designed to be fun with the opportunity to learn new skills and offer encouragement to all children. These courses can be pre-booked in the UK. Private lessons may be recommended by the Tennis Manager for children who are particularly strong players.
It is very clear what is offered.
Mini LTA courses
Ages 3 to 5 years
Mini red awards
This course is taught using short racquets and soft balls. It's just like the real game and your coaching includes learning different shot types and focusing on longer rallies.
And a photo is attached showing both these items.
The balls are yellow and RED, to distinguish them from the full “adult’ ones.
They are freely available.
For example on Amazon one can find [5]
Wilson Kid's Starter Tennis Balls (Pack of 3) - Yellow/Red
Large low compression tennis ball for 10 & under tennis
Newly developed 75mm felt covered ball
75% lighter than common tennis balls
So we may deduce that -
Madeleine was not playing tennis on this occasion. Her footwear is inappropriate, the sun hat is inappropriate, and the tennis balls she is clutching are inappropriate.
There are three different accounts by three different people of how, when, and by whom, this photo was taken.
They are, as we now expect, totally incompatible with one another, and openly contradictory.
It is variously described as having been taken by Kate on Tuesday 1st May,
“. . . I ran back to our apartment for my camera to record the occasion. One of my photographs is known around the world now: a smiling Madeleine clutching armfuls of tennis balls” p. 57 [6]
or by Jane Tanner on Thursday 3rd May [7]
Rachael Oldfield (Rogatory interview):
1578 "The third of May, are you able to summarise the days activities"?
Reply "Yeah, ... . . . Madeleine and Ella and their sort of group came to have a tennis lesson as part of their crèche activities, erm and Kate didn't have her camera and Jane was there then as well and Jane took some photos of both Madeleine and Ella, that's one, that poster of Madeleine with the tennis balls, that sort of pictures".
1578 "That was taken on the"?
Reply "Yeah that was that morning."
1578 "Thursday"?
Or perhaps not by Jane Tanner, even on Wednesday 2nd May - she doesn’t say. [8]
Jane Tanner (Rogatory interview):
Reply "No. Err the Wednesday, err again I think it would have just been a, Evie would have had a sleep and just round the pool or in the, each other apartments, until, until high tea but I think Ella, and Ella would have, Ella went to err, Ella went to the err the kids club.
Actually that morning was the morning Ella and Madeleine had the tennis lesson I think on the Wednesday. You've got the picture of..."
Many years ago a commentator and researcher posted this on a blog [9]
In short, Rachael describes how Jane took the photograph on Thursday, Jane describes the event taking place on Wednesday and Kate describes how she (Kate) took it on Tuesday. SNIPPED
And yet the photograph cannot have been taken during a mini-tennis session on the Tuesday either, because there wasn't one. Mini-tennis took place, according to the 'kids' club' schedule, on the Monday morning. If, this photograph is construed as representing Madeleine McCann's 'last hours' therefore (as a recent Sunday Telegraph report would suggest), then these will have been spent on the morning of Monday April 30th, not the early evening of May 3."
Looking at clothing and the tennis balls it becomes more clear that this was not during any mini-tennis session. Which neatly disposes of Rachael’s and Jane Tanner’s “evidence”.
In any event there was only one mini-tennis session scheduled for Madeleine's play group – on the Monday morning (10.00 – 11.00 a.m.) 30th April [10]
On that day -Monday -between 10.00 and 11.00 it was a chilly 17º with almost total cloud cover.
On the following day, when Kate insisted it was taken, the weather was no better [11]
Is Madeleine not merely clutching tennis balls, but also ‘freezing’ ?
But now let us look away and think of an alternative, maybe more probable scenario.
We know that Sunday 29th April was the only warm and cloudless day in the entire holiday, but even that day by later afternoon and early evening the weather front brought a cloud bank which persisted for the following five days, and brought cold wind and rain. [12]
The chart shows that by 6 pm on Sunday there was 50% cloud cover but, also importantly, that the air temperature was at its warmest for that day, 21º C, a relatively pleasant 70ºF.
If that be correct, then the T shirt, shorts and sun hat are entirely appropriate.
As would be keeping the children up and outdoors for a little longer than planned.
We then look at the position of the sun.
Sunset on Sunday 29th April was 20:15, but it was early in the season, and the sun only reached 67º at Solar Zenith at 13:29.
Again the charts are instructive [13]
17:30 32º
18:00 26º
18:30 20º
In other words the sun is very low in the sky, and there is a dense bank of cloud as shown clearly in the available photos. [14]
Is this then compatible, at least, with Madeleine collecting tennis balls, during or after a game involving Gerry, late in the afternoon, possibly even after tea, with the sun low in the sky and behind a cloud bank ?
If so, then that could easily have been on Sunday 29th April
We note that on the available Tennis Court booking sheets, which apparently start only on Tuesday 1st May, the time from 5:30 to 7:30 is shown as “Mixed night”.
On the previous evenings the courts may either have had this session, or may well have been ‘free’ - as in not booked - and the men may well have gone for a short knock-up.
Is it not at least conceivable that as a ‘special treat’ Madeleine was
allowed to stay up and act as ball girl ?
Other hypotheses are possible.
The Tennis Balls Photo (TBP) was not taken by Jane Tanner on Thursday (Claim 1).
The TBP was not taken by Jane on Wednesday (Claim 2).
The TBP was not taken by Kate McCann on Tuesday (Claim 3).
Instead, it is possible that it is a genuine photo of Madeleine taken by Gerry or Kate McCann during the early evening of Sunday 29 April, perhaps after some of the men had been playing tennis. IF CORRECT, the three separate, false claims would surely suggest a deliberate attempt to conceal the real date that the photograph was taken.
An additional observation leads to a slightly different hypothesis.
There are four photographs from the holiday that we can accept as having been taken on the McCanns’ camera on that holiday: the three 'playground' photos, which were clearly taken on the Saturday, and the Pool photo, which the McCanns insist was taken on Thursday 3rd May, but evidence clearly indicates was actually taken on Sunday 29th April.
All these four photos, almost certainly taken by Kate, show evident ability to use the 'Zoom' button, and to frame a shot reasonably well.
The larger version of the TBP, however, even in the format available to us, shows that the 'Zoom' button was clearly NOT used. When that is added to the poor framing and ‘construction’ of the image and the grainy and unclear colour saturation, there is therefore a reasonable argument that Kate did NOT take the Tennis Balls Photo on the Canon PowerShot.
That in turn leads one to question whether someone else – neither Kate nor Jane – may have taken the photo on another camera. When we consider such a scenario, still other possibilities come into view.
Was the photo actually taken that week ?
Could it be a composite photo, with Madeleine superimposed on a background shot of the tennis court ?
Also, as some have suggested, could it be a triple composite: a girl, not Madeleine, added on to a background shot of the tennis court, with Madeleine’s head photoshopped on to replace the head of a different girl ? The image is so grainy that this might not be difficult.
Once we begin to accept
1 that Kate McCann’s account of how and when the Tennis Balls Photo was taken is false
2 the garbled and contradictory accounts of Jane Tanner and Rachael Oldfield are false
3 the photo was NOT taken on the Canon PowerShot, and has therefore never been presented with the EXIF date and time shown
any serious researcher must consider every one of the possibilities and scenarios listed above to be a reasonable hypothesis.
Further analysis can then be undertaken to try to eliminate some of those scenarios and to concentrate on the one that has the best evidence to support it.
ADDENDUM. Another strange issue
In her autobiography, ‘madeleine’, Kate McCann is clear about the sequence of events on Tuesday 1st May. It is so extraordinary that I quote it in full from p. 57 [6]
During Gerry’s tennis lesson, Madeleine and Ella came to the adjoining court with their Mini Club for a mini-tennis session. Jane and I stayed to watch them. It chokes me remembering how my heart soared with pride in Madeleine that morning. She was so happy and obviously enjoying herself. Standing there listening intently to Cat’s instructions, she looked so gorgeous in her little T-shirt and shorts, pink hat, ankle socks and new holiday sandals that I ran back to our apartment for my camera to record the occasion. One of my photographs is known around the world now: a smiling Madeleine clutching armfuls of tennis balls. At the end of their session, the children had been asked to run around the court and pick up as many balls as they could. Madeleine had done really well and was very pleased with herself. Gerry loves that picture.
The implication is clear.
There was an entire group of children, the mini-club, comprising 6 children, (according to the somewhat dubious crèche sheets) under the instruction of Cat, the nanny.
They were playing mini-tennis, so there would have been racquets and the special soft balls appropriate for 3 year olds. (see above)
But the photo shows Madeleine, alone, with “adult’ tennis balls.
No nanny, no adults, no Mini Club of other children, no tennis coach
No parents, no adults playing tennis on the other court . . .
NOTHING.
Nobody.
And Kate says she ran back to the apartment to collect the camera to record the occasion.
So let us accept what she says, apply logic, and consider whether this is remotely credible.
Kate implies that she saw Madeleine in that pose. ( Her use of the pluperfect ‘had been asked” denotes an action completed prior to her next action)
THEN thought how 'gorgeous' she looked
THEN decided to run back to her apartment for her camera
THEN ran back
THEN unlocked the door (if she went round the front through the car park, or opened the unlocked sliding patio doors if they were leaving the apartment unlocked - with camera and passports, and other valuables - during the day as well as during the evenings)
THEN retrieved the camera
THEN locked the door again - (if she did,) or pulled the patio doors closed
THEN ran down the stairs, out of the wicket gate which she closed behind her,
THEN ran or jogged through the reception area, round the pool, across the lawn
THEN found Madeleine
THEN asked her to pose and
THEN took the photo.
How long would all this take?
It is possible to envisage and then to calculate the distance involved. [15]
Applying the shorter distance option with the unlocked patio doors and insecure apartment we see this
and we can put way-points on the path - thus - ( blue with red and white dots)
and then allow the computer to calculate this distance - thus [16]
Allowing Kate to climb the stairs, enter, visit whichever room contained the camera, and exit we can probably round this up to 110 metres. Each way.
Kate herself says the distance from Tapas bar to apartment “ was only thirty to forty-five seconds away,”. That is the way-point marked in black above. (In fact at a brisk walk from Tapas to the wicket gate it is one minute).
Even allowing that Kate is a distance runner, the return trip, past obstacles, with frequent changes of direction, of 220 m. and at a civilised jog perhaps mixed with a brisk walking pace, rather than a determined sprint, is likely to have taken at least three minutes, and very probably up to, and even well over four.
The children - all six of them, have to collect a few tennis balls from a court which is totally surrounded by chain link fencing. How long would this realistically take ?
And who was with Madeleine while Kate rushed back?
To whom did she speak and say: “Hold Maddie there for three or possibly four or five minutes, I must just grab a pic of her!”
Kate tells us none of this, arousing suspicions that her account of this incident may not be entirely accurate !
But to reiterate, so that we do not get seduced into believing even a little bit of this extraordinary story:
There was only one mini-tennis session scheduled for Madeleine's play group – on the Monday morning (10.00 – 11.00 a.m.) 30th April [10]
Some time ago another researcher and seeker for the truth, who posts under the name Dr Martin Roberts, examined the claims made about the Pool photo - according to Kate McCann the very last photo she took of Madeleine - in some detail. [17]
He begins quoting the same passage from Kate’s autobiography “madeleine”.
“During Gerry's tennis lesson, Madeleine and Ella came to the adjoining court with
their Mini Club for a mini-tennis session... Standing there listening intently to Cat's
instructions, she (Madeleine) looked so gorgeous in her little T-shirt and shorts,
pink hat, ankle socks and new holiday sandals that I ran back to our apartment for
my camera to record the occasion. One of my photographs is known around the
world now: a smiling Madeleine clutching armfuls of tennis balls".
“Thus Kate McCann tells us in her book (madeleine), clearly and unambiguously, exactly where her daughter Madeleine was that Tuesday morning, May 1st. She arrived at the tennis courts, together with Ella O'Brien, during Gerry's tennis lesson, which had started at 10.15. She [Madeleine] was not therefore where she should have been at that time – with her kid's club playmates, at the pool.
On Thursday afternoon at about 2.40 p.m. [actually Kate says it was 2.29pm] Kate McCann tells us she captured the iconic 'last photo' - the pool photo - of her daughter dressed in "an outfit I'd bought especially for her holiday: a peach-coloured smock top from Gap and some white broderie-anglaise shorts from Monsoon".
Madeleine was wearing nothing else but a sun hat. She was signed into the crèche by Kate that same afternoon at 2.50 p.m., [Kate actually says she dropped the twins off at 2.40pm] no doubt following a hurried exodus from the pool area, but unfortunately twenty minutes late for the 'chalk space pictures' activity, which began at 2.30 p.m. Between them the McCanns arranged for Gerry to collect the children later while Kate went off for a run. That is what Kate McCann says in her book. There is no mention whatsoever of any additional visit to the children's playgroups in the meantime.
Since Kate has told us exactly what Madeleine was wearing at 2.40 p.m. [actually from 2.29pm to 2.50 pm and also of course whilst she was at the pool with Gerry and Kate before 2.29pm ] we also know what she was not wearing – her swimming costume. So what did she do come the 'dive and find' time at the pool from 3.30 to 4.30 p.m., stand and watch?”
[My observations]
Our earlier analysis has shown that the only time the ‘Last photo’ - the Pool photo - could possibly have been taken was the Sunday that week, 29th April. Only on that day does the weather match what we see in the photo. This clearly implies that what Kate says about taking Madeleine to the crèche at 2.50 pm is simply unsustainable.
But to return to Dr Martin Roberts’ analysis of what Kate says about the Pool photo in her book, he finishes off his article with the trenchant observation:
"It is not possible to be certain that Madeleine McCann attended at the Ocean Club playgroup during the times referred to above and, by extrapolation, on any other occasion that week.”
NOTA BENE
It must be noted that Kate’s account was published in her book in 2011.
The PJ files, including Kate’s and Gerry’s statements, the Tapas 7 statements and rogatory interviews, crèche records, photos, and everything else were released on DVD by the PJ when the case was ‘shelved’ in 2008.
Kate and her husband Gerry, her advisors, their teams of Lawyers, proof readers, friends, the Tapas 7, and their family had ample opportunity to cross check what she had written before publication, if only to ensure that what was said did not personally compromise them or impugn their individual veracity.
It seems no one took on that awesome responsibility.
REFS:
1 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4084922/Madeleine-McCann-s-parents-hoping-New-Year-miracle-reunite-daughter-approach-milestone-10th-anniversary-without-her.html
2 https://www.google.es/search?q=madeleine+mccann+tennis+ball+photo
3 google search < madeleine mccann pool photo >
4 http://www.markwarner.co.uk/activity-holidays/tennis
5 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wilson-Kids-Starter-Tennis-Balls
6 ‘madeleine’, by Kate McCann, Bantam Press, 2011,
7 Rachael Oldfield rogatory interview http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/Nigel/id253.htm
8 Jane Tanner rogatory interview - http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/Nigel/id222.htm
9 http://frommybigdesk.blogspot.com.es/2013/10/madeleine-mccann-what-you-know-is-not.html ;
10 http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/CRECHE.htm
11 http://www.wunderground.com/history/
12 http://www.wunderground.com/history/
13 https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/portugal/faro?month=4&year=2007
14 Flickr. Search < algarve, 29 April 2007 . . .>
15 google earth < Praia da Luz >
16 https://www.mapdevelopers.com/distance_finder.php
17 http://madeleinemccann.org/blog/2014/04/20/dr-martin-roberts-2014/
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 23:: "Faking it - Tears of a Crime"
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 24: unhelpful relatives
Some time ago many of us tried to make a list of all the blatant lies and untruths said by, or on behalf of, the McCanns and the Tapas 7. So long was the list that eventually it had to go to print in shortened form.
Here I have tried to pinpoint things said by relatives and friends, who perhaps thought they were being supportive and helpful, but which, and who, turned out not to be.
Some of the things said either damaged the “official story” as it was at the time - because as we know even that has changed with the seasons - or caused researchers to focus on the point being made.
All the stories told to the press by close relatives and friends about broken, smashed, forced, and ’jimmied - or whatever the word is . . “ shutters, and doors hanging off hinges are directly traceable back to the McCanns. The sources concerned had clearly been given the same story, and urged to contact the press. Some degree of embellishment may be expected, but the overall story from at least five sources is remarkably consistent.
The fact that the British press and media put out those stories, across the country, at the same time that live video was being streamed on news channels showing a hapless Scenes of Crime officer attempting to find a mark on obviously Un-smashed, -jimmied, -forced, or -broken shutters was the starting point for scepticism for many of us.
1st prize Uncle John McCann - Maddy’s ‘jammies
Pride of place must surely go to Uncle John.
According to John McCann: "Kate dressed Amelie in her sister's pyjamas and the baby said: 'Maddy's jammies. Where is Maddy?'
Even the devout Kate (see later) must cringe when she reads that.
‘Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings’ Matthew 21:16
In two words Amelie demonstrated
a)The pyjamas were Madeleine’s - and logically therefore Madeleine was not wearing them when she ‘disappeared’. The implications of this are surely obvious.
b) There were no duplicate pyjamas owned and worn by Amelie, as the McCanns mendaciously and unconvincingly claimed later, when they realised they had been caught out having shown Madeleine’s pyjamas in public.
b)Madeleine was known as Maddy within the family, despite the subsequent mendacious insistence by Kate that this contraction was an invention of the press. Amelie neatly corroborates everything the world already knew.
Not bad for 2 words from a 2 year old ! Many thanks to Uncle John for telling the world.
http://onlyinamericablogging.blogspot.com/2016/03/a-nightwear-job-by-dr-martin-roberts.html
2nd Susan Healy - Kate’s mother - medication
The whole history of denials that the children had been given any sedatives or other drugs, or whether they had been sedated by anyone else has been researched in detail and reported elsewhere.
Over four years the McCanns’ story moved from initial recognition and acceptance, to outright denial, back to implied acceptance of possibility, then strenuous resumed denials, using the words “ludicrous, nonsense, no suggestion”, and then finally to a renewed acceptance of the possibility, followed by public statements that it MUST have happened. (though one came from the risible David Edgar, and so may be cheerful ignored)
Kate’s mother was more succinct . ’They took Calpol’
3rd Clarence Mitchell - wristwatches and mobile phones
Mitchell deserves a special study. His ability to invent stories, to lie, to ‘spin’, and otherwise to distort the truth is in a class of its own. Pages, if not volumes, of his mendacious howlers have been documented, and it quickly became normal for anyone with genuine interest in the case to start by believing the exact opposite of whatever he had said - until the contrary could be proved. Mostly it couldn’t.
It will be interesting to see if work such as his is included in any attempt to clamp down on “Fake News”
One of Clarence Mitchell’s more notorious outright falsehoods was to the effect that none of the group had watches or mobile phones with them, and that therefore the exact times they gave were not to be taken as wholly accurate. Unfortunately for him he said this in April 2008, nearly a year after the Tapas7 group had drawn up two separate and detailed time lines on the night, and a third mutually agreed amalgamation of both, but also the statements of the Tapas 7, of Gerry McCann “When asked at what time he went to check on the children the night Madeleine disappeared, he recalls that this was around 21:04 according to his watch”, and subsequently Kate McCann in her book “by his watch”, all contradict his mendacious assertion.
He backtracked six weeks later. Quite why Mitchell invented, or was asked to tell this particular lie is difficult to understand.
What it did however, was to prove even to the most loyal McCann supporter that facts were now largely irrelevant to the ‘official story’, and that nothing Mitchell said could be believed
4th Grandma Healy - again. Religion
According to the official line the McCanns were, or are, a religious Roman Catholic couple. Evidence adduced for this was their calling for a priest soon after reporting Madeleine missing, a very early trip to Rome to meet the Pope - both in preference to searching for their missing child - private use of the local church and many other reported issues.
Kate’s publicly reported “Forgiveness” for the alleged predatory paedophile who has been holding, and we may suppose abusing, Madeleine for the past decade is a matter of record, but is set against her published hatred and wish to harm the man who was leading the investigation into the disappearance.
The Press did their duty with ‘Their family says the couple's ordeal has left their staunch Catholic faith undimmed.'
For clarification we may need to heed the words of Kate’s mother, Susan Healy
“Kate and Gerry were not the most devout family."
5th Grandma Healy - YET again. Size of her daughters ‘décolletage’
“MrsHealy has been a staunch defender of her daughter and has spoken out in the past about how Mrs McCann has felt persecuted by parts of the media.
Last October, she claimed that her daughter, Kate told her: “If I weighed another two stone, had a bigger bosom and looked more maternal, people would be more sympathetic.
Special Award
Philomena McCann / Philomena Rickwood / Mrs Tony Rickwood - deserves a special place in the pantheon of those who have, through crass stupidity, demand for the lime-light, lack of attention to detail when they were being instructed what to say, and for many other reasons, have compromised the McCanns’ situation beyond recognition.
She is one of Gerry’s sisters.
These are extracts from interviews - all in the public domain. [My bolding in what follows.]
• PM: Absolutely. It was hours before the local police turned up and we're talking two bobbies that totally downplayed the incident and said that Maddie had maybe just wandered off, and that... but what 3-year-old would wander off for hours on their own? It took the CID 5 hours before they responded to come and even then it was, kind of, shrug of the shoulders.
Kate in her book says they were there by 11.10pm, considerably less than an hour after having been contacted, by whoever actually did. And then Kate adds
“By midnight, however, evidently they were concerned enough to inform the PJ . . . based in the town of Portimao, twenty miles or so from Praia da Luz, and took over an hour to arrive.
So the PJ were there by 1am. Less than 3 hours from the confused report of a missing child.
“. . . kind of, shrug of the shoulders . . “
This hardly corresponds to the reality of the National Guard organising a massive search of the area with local people and holiday makers overnight, the seizing of CCTV images, monitoring of the airport and the bridge between Portugal and Spain, a team of PJ giving up rest days and cancelling family holidays, sleeping in the incident room, some on sofas, some on the floor, queuing for the ‘facilities’, all reported in detail in Dr Amaral’s book “The Truth of the Lie”:
http://goncaloamaraltruthofthelie.blogspot.co.uk/
• PM: She was sleeping between her brother and sister
Not according to the McCanns, who say she was in a bed and the twins were in cots
• PM: Gerry and Kate are in a clear line of sight of their kids. They regularly go across to check; maybe if the kids have been disturbed or crying or anything and if they'd come out the front they would have seen them.
They were not in clear sight of anything, and if the children had ‘come out of the FRONT’ they would have been entirely invisible. In any event the McCanns’ own account and sketch in the PJ documentation prepared by them, shows the McCanns sitting with their backs to the apartment.
• PM: "I mean, you can hear his voice breaking. His wife, she can barely stand up. She can't sleep, she can't eat.
But she can laugh and joke and go jogging.
• PM: Part of it is that they're, errm... trying to get Kate to admit to having accidentally killed Madeleine and disposed of her body... hidden and disposed of her body - which is complete nonsense. Errr... It has no factual basis whatsoever and, looking at the scenario: assuming that when they'd gone home, early evening, Kate has murdered her daughter and then gone out for some convivial company with friends, sat and had a meal and later rai... you know, raised an alarm - but sat through all that perfectly normal with people and then done it.
Philomena McCann: They tried to get Kate to, errr... confess to having accidentally killed, errr... Madeleine by offering her a deal through her lawyer, which was: 'If you say that you killed Madeleine by accident; and then hid her; and then disposed of the body, errr... then we can guarantee you a two-year jail sentence or even less. You may get off because people feel sorry for you; it was an accident.’
This is impossible under Portuguese Law. It is an invention by Kate, though Philomena’s use of the word ‘murder’, and then changing this to ‘killed by accident’ may be revealing.
In fact, as the world knows, the PJ were suggesting no such thing.
• PM: : “. . . As far as I know they've changed their status and they are suspects. -
Q: ”Does this mean that they are now formal suspects?
PM: : "Yes that's true
The McCanns and their spokesman subsequently spent a huge amount of effort and money persuading the public and Leveson LJ that “arguido” did NOT mean suspect - even though it clearly does.
• PM: But he's not the main suspect, for some unknown reason there's something about a sniffer dog sniffing Kate. Suddenly a dog can talk and says she smelled a death. How can that be when a British sniffer dog came out months after Madeleine's case. They're doctors, if there's a smell of death on them could that possibly be a patient?”
No it couldn’t. Doctors do not go on holiday wearing unwashed work clothes soiled by bodily fluids from cadavers they have examined a fortnight earlier, and then not change, or wash the clothes, for THREE MONTHS. Very few people would do this.
• PM: Errr... yes, they absolutely will cooperate with the police. They are more than prepared to undergo more questioning.
We now know that Kate, on her own admission, refused to answer 48 questions put by the police, and that both refused to co-operate further, to the point of concealing the existence of the Pool photo, and fleeing the country when the enquiry started to heat up.
• PM: Kate and Gerry are loving parents; they tried so hard to have children. They had to undergo IVF; Kate had difficult pregnancies.
Kate reports that her first pregnancy was “Totally without complication. No sickness, no back pain, no bleeding, no swelling. I felt great.”
• PM: Yes, I do think she's still alive. We have had no evidence contrary to that and as for cadaver dogs sniffing death on Kate; I mean, what is she? Lassie? Is she gonna speak to them and ask what they're smelling? Kate's a doctor - what does this mean? You know, they've been given a team that send her to go and sniff Kate's clothes and the dogs are told what to do. If they start barking, how are we supposed to interpret that? Except, perhaps, they're ‘barking’.
Yet another person who cares nothing for the reliability of cadaver and blood dogs.
(One wonders what her, and their collective, attitude is towards Cancer detection dogs, or drugs and explosive detection dogs, widely and increasingly used across the world.)
* * * * * * *
These are only some from the almost endless store of Philomena gibbering nonsense.
To sum up, the net effect of almost everything said by Philomena has been either wrong, distorted, or has drawn attention to facts - which are ALL against the ‘Official Story’.
Small wonder then that after a fairly short interval she was shut down, and has gone back into obscurity . . . except that her influence on the children of Ullapool is undiminished.
Ten years have now passed since Madeleine met her death.,
The same ten years have now passed between this
Philomena McCann http://uk.ratemyteachers.com/philomena-mccann/202514-t
’Don’t like her aggressive “I am right - don't question it attitude” ‘ 2007
and this
'A very sorry excuse for a teacher, I wonder how the Ullapool faculty staff has not investigated the “issues” brought up by me, and other parents. A thoroughly dishonest and morally corrupt individual.' 2017.(13 Thumbs up “likes”.)
Let us never forget the immortal words of Groucho Marx - and others
“The opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings,”
When we add the evidence suggesting her link to the forgery and transporting of the Pool Photo, and the almost undoubted fact of her heavy involvement in the preparation of the Dossier of Death which led to the McCann’s orchestration of the hounding to her suicide of the late Brenda Leyland, we cannot help thinking that the epithet “morally corrupt individual” might be perceptive
Some time ago many of us tried to make a list of all the blatant lies and untruths said by, or on behalf of, the McCanns and the Tapas 7. So long was the list that eventually it had to go to print in shortened form.
Here I have tried to pinpoint things said by relatives and friends, who perhaps thought they were being supportive and helpful, but which, and who, turned out not to be.
Some of the things said either damaged the “official story” as it was at the time - because as we know even that has changed with the seasons - or caused researchers to focus on the point being made.
All the stories told to the press by close relatives and friends about broken, smashed, forced, and ’jimmied - or whatever the word is . . “ shutters, and doors hanging off hinges are directly traceable back to the McCanns. The sources concerned had clearly been given the same story, and urged to contact the press. Some degree of embellishment may be expected, but the overall story from at least five sources is remarkably consistent.
The fact that the British press and media put out those stories, across the country, at the same time that live video was being streamed on news channels showing a hapless Scenes of Crime officer attempting to find a mark on obviously Un-smashed, -jimmied, -forced, or -broken shutters was the starting point for scepticism for many of us.
1st prize Uncle John McCann - Maddy’s ‘jammies
Pride of place must surely go to Uncle John.
According to John McCann: "Kate dressed Amelie in her sister's pyjamas and the baby said: 'Maddy's jammies. Where is Maddy?'
Even the devout Kate (see later) must cringe when she reads that.
‘Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings’ Matthew 21:16
In two words Amelie demonstrated
a)The pyjamas were Madeleine’s - and logically therefore Madeleine was not wearing them when she ‘disappeared’. The implications of this are surely obvious.
b) There were no duplicate pyjamas owned and worn by Amelie, as the McCanns mendaciously and unconvincingly claimed later, when they realised they had been caught out having shown Madeleine’s pyjamas in public.
b)Madeleine was known as Maddy within the family, despite the subsequent mendacious insistence by Kate that this contraction was an invention of the press. Amelie neatly corroborates everything the world already knew.
Not bad for 2 words from a 2 year old ! Many thanks to Uncle John for telling the world.
http://onlyinamericablogging.blogspot.com/2016/03/a-nightwear-job-by-dr-martin-roberts.html
2nd Susan Healy - Kate’s mother - medication
The whole history of denials that the children had been given any sedatives or other drugs, or whether they had been sedated by anyone else has been researched in detail and reported elsewhere.
Over four years the McCanns’ story moved from initial recognition and acceptance, to outright denial, back to implied acceptance of possibility, then strenuous resumed denials, using the words “ludicrous, nonsense, no suggestion”, and then finally to a renewed acceptance of the possibility, followed by public statements that it MUST have happened. (though one came from the risible David Edgar, and so may be cheerful ignored)
Kate’s mother was more succinct . ’They took Calpol’
3rd Clarence Mitchell - wristwatches and mobile phones
Mitchell deserves a special study. His ability to invent stories, to lie, to ‘spin’, and otherwise to distort the truth is in a class of its own. Pages, if not volumes, of his mendacious howlers have been documented, and it quickly became normal for anyone with genuine interest in the case to start by believing the exact opposite of whatever he had said - until the contrary could be proved. Mostly it couldn’t.
It will be interesting to see if work such as his is included in any attempt to clamp down on “Fake News”
One of Clarence Mitchell’s more notorious outright falsehoods was to the effect that none of the group had watches or mobile phones with them, and that therefore the exact times they gave were not to be taken as wholly accurate. Unfortunately for him he said this in April 2008, nearly a year after the Tapas7 group had drawn up two separate and detailed time lines on the night, and a third mutually agreed amalgamation of both, but also the statements of the Tapas 7, of Gerry McCann “When asked at what time he went to check on the children the night Madeleine disappeared, he recalls that this was around 21:04 according to his watch”, and subsequently Kate McCann in her book “by his watch”, all contradict his mendacious assertion.
He backtracked six weeks later. Quite why Mitchell invented, or was asked to tell this particular lie is difficult to understand.
What it did however, was to prove even to the most loyal McCann supporter that facts were now largely irrelevant to the ‘official story’, and that nothing Mitchell said could be believed
4th Grandma Healy - again. Religion
According to the official line the McCanns were, or are, a religious Roman Catholic couple. Evidence adduced for this was their calling for a priest soon after reporting Madeleine missing, a very early trip to Rome to meet the Pope - both in preference to searching for their missing child - private use of the local church and many other reported issues.
Kate’s publicly reported “Forgiveness” for the alleged predatory paedophile who has been holding, and we may suppose abusing, Madeleine for the past decade is a matter of record, but is set against her published hatred and wish to harm the man who was leading the investigation into the disappearance.
The Press did their duty with ‘Their family says the couple's ordeal has left their staunch Catholic faith undimmed.'
For clarification we may need to heed the words of Kate’s mother, Susan Healy
“Kate and Gerry were not the most devout family."
5th Grandma Healy - YET again. Size of her daughters ‘décolletage’
“MrsHealy has been a staunch defender of her daughter and has spoken out in the past about how Mrs McCann has felt persecuted by parts of the media.
Last October, she claimed that her daughter, Kate told her: “If I weighed another two stone, had a bigger bosom and looked more maternal, people would be more sympathetic.
Special Award
Philomena McCann / Philomena Rickwood / Mrs Tony Rickwood - deserves a special place in the pantheon of those who have, through crass stupidity, demand for the lime-light, lack of attention to detail when they were being instructed what to say, and for many other reasons, have compromised the McCanns’ situation beyond recognition.
She is one of Gerry’s sisters.
These are extracts from interviews - all in the public domain. [My bolding in what follows.]
• PM: Absolutely. It was hours before the local police turned up and we're talking two bobbies that totally downplayed the incident and said that Maddie had maybe just wandered off, and that... but what 3-year-old would wander off for hours on their own? It took the CID 5 hours before they responded to come and even then it was, kind of, shrug of the shoulders.
Kate in her book says they were there by 11.10pm, considerably less than an hour after having been contacted, by whoever actually did. And then Kate adds
“By midnight, however, evidently they were concerned enough to inform the PJ . . . based in the town of Portimao, twenty miles or so from Praia da Luz, and took over an hour to arrive.
So the PJ were there by 1am. Less than 3 hours from the confused report of a missing child.
“. . . kind of, shrug of the shoulders . . “
This hardly corresponds to the reality of the National Guard organising a massive search of the area with local people and holiday makers overnight, the seizing of CCTV images, monitoring of the airport and the bridge between Portugal and Spain, a team of PJ giving up rest days and cancelling family holidays, sleeping in the incident room, some on sofas, some on the floor, queuing for the ‘facilities’, all reported in detail in Dr Amaral’s book “The Truth of the Lie”:
http://goncaloamaraltruthofthelie.blogspot.co.uk/
• PM: She was sleeping between her brother and sister
Not according to the McCanns, who say she was in a bed and the twins were in cots
• PM: Gerry and Kate are in a clear line of sight of their kids. They regularly go across to check; maybe if the kids have been disturbed or crying or anything and if they'd come out the front they would have seen them.
They were not in clear sight of anything, and if the children had ‘come out of the FRONT’ they would have been entirely invisible. In any event the McCanns’ own account and sketch in the PJ documentation prepared by them, shows the McCanns sitting with their backs to the apartment.
• PM: "I mean, you can hear his voice breaking. His wife, she can barely stand up. She can't sleep, she can't eat.
But she can laugh and joke and go jogging.
• PM: Part of it is that they're, errm... trying to get Kate to admit to having accidentally killed Madeleine and disposed of her body... hidden and disposed of her body - which is complete nonsense. Errr... It has no factual basis whatsoever and, looking at the scenario: assuming that when they'd gone home, early evening, Kate has murdered her daughter and then gone out for some convivial company with friends, sat and had a meal and later rai... you know, raised an alarm - but sat through all that perfectly normal with people and then done it.
Philomena McCann: They tried to get Kate to, errr... confess to having accidentally killed, errr... Madeleine by offering her a deal through her lawyer, which was: 'If you say that you killed Madeleine by accident; and then hid her; and then disposed of the body, errr... then we can guarantee you a two-year jail sentence or even less. You may get off because people feel sorry for you; it was an accident.’
This is impossible under Portuguese Law. It is an invention by Kate, though Philomena’s use of the word ‘murder’, and then changing this to ‘killed by accident’ may be revealing.
In fact, as the world knows, the PJ were suggesting no such thing.
• PM: : “. . . As far as I know they've changed their status and they are suspects. -
Q: ”Does this mean that they are now formal suspects?
PM: : "Yes that's true
The McCanns and their spokesman subsequently spent a huge amount of effort and money persuading the public and Leveson LJ that “arguido” did NOT mean suspect - even though it clearly does.
• PM: But he's not the main suspect, for some unknown reason there's something about a sniffer dog sniffing Kate. Suddenly a dog can talk and says she smelled a death. How can that be when a British sniffer dog came out months after Madeleine's case. They're doctors, if there's a smell of death on them could that possibly be a patient?”
No it couldn’t. Doctors do not go on holiday wearing unwashed work clothes soiled by bodily fluids from cadavers they have examined a fortnight earlier, and then not change, or wash the clothes, for THREE MONTHS. Very few people would do this.
• PM: Errr... yes, they absolutely will cooperate with the police. They are more than prepared to undergo more questioning.
We now know that Kate, on her own admission, refused to answer 48 questions put by the police, and that both refused to co-operate further, to the point of concealing the existence of the Pool photo, and fleeing the country when the enquiry started to heat up.
• PM: Kate and Gerry are loving parents; they tried so hard to have children. They had to undergo IVF; Kate had difficult pregnancies.
Kate reports that her first pregnancy was “Totally without complication. No sickness, no back pain, no bleeding, no swelling. I felt great.”
• PM: Yes, I do think she's still alive. We have had no evidence contrary to that and as for cadaver dogs sniffing death on Kate; I mean, what is she? Lassie? Is she gonna speak to them and ask what they're smelling? Kate's a doctor - what does this mean? You know, they've been given a team that send her to go and sniff Kate's clothes and the dogs are told what to do. If they start barking, how are we supposed to interpret that? Except, perhaps, they're ‘barking’.
Yet another person who cares nothing for the reliability of cadaver and blood dogs.
(One wonders what her, and their collective, attitude is towards Cancer detection dogs, or drugs and explosive detection dogs, widely and increasingly used across the world.)
* * * * * * *
These are only some from the almost endless store of Philomena gibbering nonsense.
To sum up, the net effect of almost everything said by Philomena has been either wrong, distorted, or has drawn attention to facts - which are ALL against the ‘Official Story’.
Small wonder then that after a fairly short interval she was shut down, and has gone back into obscurity . . . except that her influence on the children of Ullapool is undiminished.
Ten years have now passed since Madeleine met her death.,
The same ten years have now passed between this
Philomena McCann http://uk.ratemyteachers.com/philomena-mccann/202514-t
’Don’t like her aggressive “I am right - don't question it attitude” ‘ 2007
and this
'A very sorry excuse for a teacher, I wonder how the Ullapool faculty staff has not investigated the “issues” brought up by me, and other parents. A thoroughly dishonest and morally corrupt individual.' 2017.(13 Thumbs up “likes”.)
Let us never forget the immortal words of Groucho Marx - and others
“The opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings,”
When we add the evidence suggesting her link to the forgery and transporting of the Pool Photo, and the almost undoubted fact of her heavy involvement in the preparation of the Dossier of Death which led to the McCann’s orchestration of the hounding to her suicide of the late Brenda Leyland, we cannot help thinking that the epithet “morally corrupt individual” might be perceptive
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 25: How much of this is Fraud, and how much totally innocent?
In the accounts for 2008 the figure for setting up the website is given as £ 37,071 (Thirty seven THOUSAND).
A website, even of the complexity it now has, seven main pages, some with supplementary pages, and a Shop page, would cost a professional website master less than £ 2,000 (TWO thousand) to set up and to run for a year.
Source, Daily Mail, [1]
Note that the Professional fees for creating the “Fund”, which we assume refers to solicitors, Bates Wells Braithwaite, a top of the range firm, based in central London, amounts only to £ 36,070.
‘Accountants’ (Haysmacintyre ?) is shown separately, as £ 7,050
So we are asked to believe that a teenaged school leaver, in Ullapool, charged more than one and quarter times the average wage for Scotland, (£ 28,296 in 2008) [2] to produce a relatively simple web site, available off-the-peg.
Cost of a Large-Sized Website
Website costs increase considerably as you move up in scale. With multiple sections, 40 to 50 pages and lots of functionality, large websites are ideal for big companies or established online brands. [3]
The website was created by Calum MacRea, a police officer’s son, then aged 18. [4]
An article in the Scottish ‘Sunday Herald’, reported that he had been designing websites “since he was 10”. He had allegedly been approached by Gerry’s sister, the egregious Philomena, previously his teacher, within four days of Madeleine’s being reported missing.
So what are the possibilities ?
1. Callum MacRae invoiced the “Fund” for £ 37,071. The accountants signed it off and he was paid this amount. If so, this is potentially fraudulent.
2. Callum McRae was paid no such amount, but it has been entered as “creative accounting”, and the actual cash has gone elsewhere. If so, then two further possibilities arise.
a. Haysmacintyre did not know and did not notice
b. Haysmacintyre DID know, but let it pass anyway
The first option suggests incompetence, the second - fraud.
3. Is there another option ? Is there a sensible explanation ? If so, I confess I cannot see what it might be.
REFS:
1 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1131284/Where-2m-gave-Madeleine-McCann-gone.html
2 http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12372742.Average_wages_in_Scotland_continue__to_grow/
3 http://webdesign.expertmarket.co.uk/how-much-does-website-cost
4 https://jillhavern.forumotion.net/t1465-calum-macrae-and-the-mccann-website
Post scriptum
To the above we have to add the strange dealings with criminal organisations and people posing as Private detective agencies, such as M3 and Halligen; the extremely suspicious way in which ALPHAIG was set up as a company some time after Mitchell had announced the contract; the lack of transparency of the “fund’ from its inception; the threats of action for defamation by the Solicitors and accountants when pertinent questions were raised; the sudden withdrawal by the accountants - apparently without having prepared a final account . . .
And so on
All very strange - as my grandmother would have said.
In the accounts for 2008 the figure for setting up the website is given as £ 37,071 (Thirty seven THOUSAND).
A website, even of the complexity it now has, seven main pages, some with supplementary pages, and a Shop page, would cost a professional website master less than £ 2,000 (TWO thousand) to set up and to run for a year.
Source, Daily Mail, [1]
Note that the Professional fees for creating the “Fund”, which we assume refers to solicitors, Bates Wells Braithwaite, a top of the range firm, based in central London, amounts only to £ 36,070.
‘Accountants’ (Haysmacintyre ?) is shown separately, as £ 7,050
So we are asked to believe that a teenaged school leaver, in Ullapool, charged more than one and quarter times the average wage for Scotland, (£ 28,296 in 2008) [2] to produce a relatively simple web site, available off-the-peg.
Cost of a Large-Sized Website
Website costs increase considerably as you move up in scale. With multiple sections, 40 to 50 pages and lots of functionality, large websites are ideal for big companies or established online brands. [3]
The website was created by Calum MacRea, a police officer’s son, then aged 18. [4]
An article in the Scottish ‘Sunday Herald’, reported that he had been designing websites “since he was 10”. He had allegedly been approached by Gerry’s sister, the egregious Philomena, previously his teacher, within four days of Madeleine’s being reported missing.
So what are the possibilities ?
1. Callum MacRae invoiced the “Fund” for £ 37,071. The accountants signed it off and he was paid this amount. If so, this is potentially fraudulent.
2. Callum McRae was paid no such amount, but it has been entered as “creative accounting”, and the actual cash has gone elsewhere. If so, then two further possibilities arise.
a. Haysmacintyre did not know and did not notice
b. Haysmacintyre DID know, but let it pass anyway
The first option suggests incompetence, the second - fraud.
3. Is there another option ? Is there a sensible explanation ? If so, I confess I cannot see what it might be.
REFS:
1 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1131284/Where-2m-gave-Madeleine-McCann-gone.html
2 http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12372742.Average_wages_in_Scotland_continue__to_grow/
3 http://webdesign.expertmarket.co.uk/how-much-does-website-cost
4 https://jillhavern.forumotion.net/t1465-calum-macrae-and-the-mccann-website
Post scriptum
To the above we have to add the strange dealings with criminal organisations and people posing as Private detective agencies, such as M3 and Halligen; the extremely suspicious way in which ALPHAIG was set up as a company some time after Mitchell had announced the contract; the lack of transparency of the “fund’ from its inception; the threats of action for defamation by the Solicitors and accountants when pertinent questions were raised; the sudden withdrawal by the accountants - apparently without having prepared a final account . . .
And so on
All very strange - as my grandmother would have said.
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 26 : What do I think happened to Madeleine ?
Over the past decade I have looked at this case and dissected bits of it, trying to decide what parts of the story are credible and to distinguish them from what is frankly not, and to try to see which parts were pure fabrication.
So I am now prepared to rise to the challenge, and to present my “purported’ theory.
I thank all those who have led me to this point, but stress that this, and all the mistakes and inaccuracies which may be found are entirely mine.
I would hope that any inaccuracy or misinterpretation could be pointed out or explained, so I may revise my idea, as everyone should on being confronted with new evidence.
What do I think happened to Madeleine ?
On Saturday night she did not sleep - a combination of excitement and her documented habit of wandering into the parents’ room during the night
Discussion - Kate tells us this in her book, (p. 59) and there is evidence from the “Star Chart” in the Rothley house, and family members. Excitement and over-tiredness on the first day of a holiday is normal
On Sunday evening she and the twins were therefore all given a sedative with their documented ‘cup of tea and a biscuit’. The twins sleep. This continued during the week.
Discussion - Kate tells us in the book that she suspected sedation from the start. Both she and Fiona Payne are qualified anaesthetists; Kate specialised in paediatrics. Strangely neither report that they took any of the medically appropriate steps towards the twins on the night of 3/5/7, leading to a inference that both know exactly what had been given and therefore had no concerns.
Madeleine did not sleep well and during the evening got out of bed, went into the parent’s room, found they were not there, and climbed onto the sofa to look out of the window to see where they were.
Discussion - One of the early theories involved Madeleine ‘wandering off’. Even if those particular shutters had been closed she would not be aware of them, only of the curtains, and would have tried to look out. We were told definitively that Madeleine could not have opened the sliding doors, even though they were allegedly unlocked.
She fell down the back of the sofa, and because the gap was narrow and she was sleepy, was unable to break her fall with her hands. She may have struck her head or face first on the sill as she slipped forward. She landed head first on the terrazzo floor, and some time during the night died of a sub-arachnoid haemorrhage, with light bleeding from the ear and possibly the nose and mouth.
Discussion - The ‘Eeyore’ pyjamas were washed because of the “large brown stain” (p.63) and then dried and photographed on the blue sofa, but then they became confused about what they had said, and why they would have taken a photo of the pyjamas in the first place, and subsequently held them up at a news conference in Berlin on 6th June 2007, describing them as “the ones she was abducted in”. This was confirmed by uncle John McCann when he reported that Amelie had been dressed in the garments and had immediately identified them saying “Maddie’s jammies. Where is Maddie ?”
Bleeding would have been confined to some small leakage from an ear - possibly including cerebrospinal fluid, typical of brain damage - and from the mouth and nose, which stops once the heart stops.
The parents came back late, crept very quietly into their room and went to bed without checking the children
Discussion - There is evidence from other sources that on some nights the parents stayed out into the early hours, and in the book this is admitted (p.60)
In the morning they see the empty bed, and during the frantic search find Madeline’s body behind the sofa, by now stiff and cold and leaking bodily fluids.
In her grief Kate holds and cuddles the body tightly to herself, covering her own clothes and cuddle-cat in cadaverine, which is detected a long time later. She then stays with the twins in the bedroom, getting them dressed and ready, and cuddling them both, holding them all tight to her. Cadaverine is transferred to the red T shirt worn by Sean at this stage, which was alerted to later, and to whatever Amelie was wearing.
Meanwhile Gerry puts Madeleine’s little body into the blue Tennis bag, and places it under the bushes in the garden, so that it will not be seen by the cleaner - if she comes, nor by the twins.
Discussion - The little gate at the bottom of the steps keeps everyone out. In Spain and Portugal there are very few dogs roaming around. The chances of a random intruder entering, searching, finding a bag of ‘stuff’ under a bush and deciding to steal it - without looking inside are - in the author’s estimation, slightly less than the chances of an abduction = 0.
During Monday the bag is left in the flower bed, and the cleaner does not see it. The sofa is pushed fully back against the curtains and the cleaner does not bother pulling it out to clean behind it. Kate goes to the supermarket to make purchases (p. 56) - perhaps including cleaning fluids.
Discussion - The bag may have been brought indoors for Monday night, and placed on the shelf. Bodies do not begin to smell strongly for some time. But if left in the garden it would have assisted the cooling, as the air temperature fell to 10º C (50º F) during the night of 30/4/7/- 1/5/7
There was a suggestion that the cleaner might have been sent away on the Monday. In any event a quick clean two days into a one week holiday does not involve anything much more than beds, bathroom and kitchen area. Moving furniture and cleaning underneath and behind it is confined to the day of departure or a deep “spring’ clean. Even if the cleaner did move the sofa, she would simply mop with bleach.
Personal problems, stains, spills, leakages, soiled sheets and towels are nothing to comment about if you are a cleaner in a holiday resort. The amount of leakage is unlikely to have been much, would probably have been mopped up by the parents, and with three very young children, two in night-time nappies, in an apartment a certain amount of ‘soiling’ would be well within a middle aged Portuguese cleaner’s comprehension and be totally unremarkable.
Robert Murat is summoned, and arrives early on Tuesday. He offers the assistance of a nearby hotel, which has outhouses and chest freezers. Gerry, in full tennis kit, and carrying the tennis bag is able to take Madeleine there and conceal her. Possibly by taxi, or perhaps in Murat’s rented car, and giving some meaning to Gerry’s quote: “I’m not going to answer that . . .” when asked whether he knew Murat previously.
Discussion - Murat had rented a car, as his own was allegedly in for repair (according to his statement). Some may argue that the body might have started to smell by that stage, but Tuesday is only 36 hrs post mortem. Some studies of dead piglets have reported that putrefaction only starts being noticeable to humans at 2-3 days, (but discoverable by dogs within 90 minutes of death ). https://australianmuseum.net.au/image/
Bin liners and air fresheners are on sale in the supermarket.
Gerry’s answer may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qNhoWz0rQw&feature=related
Gerry returns and spends much of the next few days playing tennis at every opportunity to establish his credentials. The now empty tennis bag is placed on the shelf, and the process of scent transference starts
Discussion - despite the denials, the blue tennis bag is clearly visible on the photos taken during the night of 3-4/5/7. It then disappears from the record and like the pink Princess blanket has never been traced. The spot on which the blue tennis bag is shown is the exact point at which the cadaver dog alerts - and it alerts to no other place in that room. The depth of detail in the book about each of the tennis sessions is extremely suspicious. On one day he was reported to have had an injury to the Achilles tendon, which prevented his playing tennis during the afternoon, but was able to resume later that same day. This has not been confirmed.
The conspiracy is hatched with the entire group. After the dreadful event of the Sunday night they all pull together and ensure nothing else could ever happen like that to the other children . . . and begin to work out the strategy. This includes all the children being looked after by one adult every evening.
Discussion - There is much circumstantial evidence to support this theory. It is concealed in statements about recurrent illness accounting for the absence at dinner every night of at least one of the group.
The planning stage concentrates on large issues, but neglects details like cuddle cat, the pink blanket, and the pyjamas. It also neglects the weather, ambient temperature, evidence to be deduced from the lack of photographs and video recording, and the sheer implausibility of the half hourly checks being made by everyone every evening. It becomes overcomplicated with far too much detail and precision being offered.
Discussion - At some stage during that week the Pool Photo - which may be the last or penultimate photo of Madeleine, is selected as ‘proof’ of her continued existence on 3/5/7, and an elaborate strategy is developed, firstly to ensure the Polícia Judiciária never obtain a copy, (included in GM’s second statement in which he affirms and signs that he has no further photos in his possession, only to produce the Pool Photo via Mitchell exactly three weeks later ) and secondly to falsify the time and date. It is clear that the Pool Photo CANNOT POSSIBLY have been taken at lunchtime on 3/5/7, and is most likely or almost certainly - considerably beyond the test of the ‘balance of probabilities’ - to have been taken at lunchtime on Sunday 29th April.
The date for the discovery is deliberately chosen to allow the Police one whole day to take statements before they had to allow people to leave on Saturday, but not to allow them two whole days to conduct follow up interviews or detain witnesses when inconsistencies began to show.
Discussion - The Tapas 7 mostly return to the UK on Saturday 5/5/7 as planned and are replaced with close McCann family members who close ranks
I think this fits with what we know. Whether it is accurate or near the truth is an entirely different issue.
What I do not know is WHY ?
Over the past decade I have looked at this case and dissected bits of it, trying to decide what parts of the story are credible and to distinguish them from what is frankly not, and to try to see which parts were pure fabrication.
So I am now prepared to rise to the challenge, and to present my “purported’ theory.
I thank all those who have led me to this point, but stress that this, and all the mistakes and inaccuracies which may be found are entirely mine.
I would hope that any inaccuracy or misinterpretation could be pointed out or explained, so I may revise my idea, as everyone should on being confronted with new evidence.
What do I think happened to Madeleine ?
On Saturday night she did not sleep - a combination of excitement and her documented habit of wandering into the parents’ room during the night
Discussion - Kate tells us this in her book, (p. 59) and there is evidence from the “Star Chart” in the Rothley house, and family members. Excitement and over-tiredness on the first day of a holiday is normal
On Sunday evening she and the twins were therefore all given a sedative with their documented ‘cup of tea and a biscuit’. The twins sleep. This continued during the week.
Discussion - Kate tells us in the book that she suspected sedation from the start. Both she and Fiona Payne are qualified anaesthetists; Kate specialised in paediatrics. Strangely neither report that they took any of the medically appropriate steps towards the twins on the night of 3/5/7, leading to a inference that both know exactly what had been given and therefore had no concerns.
Madeleine did not sleep well and during the evening got out of bed, went into the parent’s room, found they were not there, and climbed onto the sofa to look out of the window to see where they were.
Discussion - One of the early theories involved Madeleine ‘wandering off’. Even if those particular shutters had been closed she would not be aware of them, only of the curtains, and would have tried to look out. We were told definitively that Madeleine could not have opened the sliding doors, even though they were allegedly unlocked.
She fell down the back of the sofa, and because the gap was narrow and she was sleepy, was unable to break her fall with her hands. She may have struck her head or face first on the sill as she slipped forward. She landed head first on the terrazzo floor, and some time during the night died of a sub-arachnoid haemorrhage, with light bleeding from the ear and possibly the nose and mouth.
Discussion - The ‘Eeyore’ pyjamas were washed because of the “large brown stain” (p.63) and then dried and photographed on the blue sofa, but then they became confused about what they had said, and why they would have taken a photo of the pyjamas in the first place, and subsequently held them up at a news conference in Berlin on 6th June 2007, describing them as “the ones she was abducted in”. This was confirmed by uncle John McCann when he reported that Amelie had been dressed in the garments and had immediately identified them saying “Maddie’s jammies. Where is Maddie ?”
Bleeding would have been confined to some small leakage from an ear - possibly including cerebrospinal fluid, typical of brain damage - and from the mouth and nose, which stops once the heart stops.
The parents came back late, crept very quietly into their room and went to bed without checking the children
Discussion - There is evidence from other sources that on some nights the parents stayed out into the early hours, and in the book this is admitted (p.60)
In the morning they see the empty bed, and during the frantic search find Madeline’s body behind the sofa, by now stiff and cold and leaking bodily fluids.
In her grief Kate holds and cuddles the body tightly to herself, covering her own clothes and cuddle-cat in cadaverine, which is detected a long time later. She then stays with the twins in the bedroom, getting them dressed and ready, and cuddling them both, holding them all tight to her. Cadaverine is transferred to the red T shirt worn by Sean at this stage, which was alerted to later, and to whatever Amelie was wearing.
Meanwhile Gerry puts Madeleine’s little body into the blue Tennis bag, and places it under the bushes in the garden, so that it will not be seen by the cleaner - if she comes, nor by the twins.
Discussion - The little gate at the bottom of the steps keeps everyone out. In Spain and Portugal there are very few dogs roaming around. The chances of a random intruder entering, searching, finding a bag of ‘stuff’ under a bush and deciding to steal it - without looking inside are - in the author’s estimation, slightly less than the chances of an abduction = 0.
During Monday the bag is left in the flower bed, and the cleaner does not see it. The sofa is pushed fully back against the curtains and the cleaner does not bother pulling it out to clean behind it. Kate goes to the supermarket to make purchases (p. 56) - perhaps including cleaning fluids.
Discussion - The bag may have been brought indoors for Monday night, and placed on the shelf. Bodies do not begin to smell strongly for some time. But if left in the garden it would have assisted the cooling, as the air temperature fell to 10º C (50º F) during the night of 30/4/7/- 1/5/7
There was a suggestion that the cleaner might have been sent away on the Monday. In any event a quick clean two days into a one week holiday does not involve anything much more than beds, bathroom and kitchen area. Moving furniture and cleaning underneath and behind it is confined to the day of departure or a deep “spring’ clean. Even if the cleaner did move the sofa, she would simply mop with bleach.
Personal problems, stains, spills, leakages, soiled sheets and towels are nothing to comment about if you are a cleaner in a holiday resort. The amount of leakage is unlikely to have been much, would probably have been mopped up by the parents, and with three very young children, two in night-time nappies, in an apartment a certain amount of ‘soiling’ would be well within a middle aged Portuguese cleaner’s comprehension and be totally unremarkable.
Robert Murat is summoned, and arrives early on Tuesday. He offers the assistance of a nearby hotel, which has outhouses and chest freezers. Gerry, in full tennis kit, and carrying the tennis bag is able to take Madeleine there and conceal her. Possibly by taxi, or perhaps in Murat’s rented car, and giving some meaning to Gerry’s quote: “I’m not going to answer that . . .” when asked whether he knew Murat previously.
Discussion - Murat had rented a car, as his own was allegedly in for repair (according to his statement). Some may argue that the body might have started to smell by that stage, but Tuesday is only 36 hrs post mortem. Some studies of dead piglets have reported that putrefaction only starts being noticeable to humans at 2-3 days, (but discoverable by dogs within 90 minutes of death ). https://australianmuseum.net.au/image/
Bin liners and air fresheners are on sale in the supermarket.
Gerry’s answer may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qNhoWz0rQw&feature=related
Gerry returns and spends much of the next few days playing tennis at every opportunity to establish his credentials. The now empty tennis bag is placed on the shelf, and the process of scent transference starts
Discussion - despite the denials, the blue tennis bag is clearly visible on the photos taken during the night of 3-4/5/7. It then disappears from the record and like the pink Princess blanket has never been traced. The spot on which the blue tennis bag is shown is the exact point at which the cadaver dog alerts - and it alerts to no other place in that room. The depth of detail in the book about each of the tennis sessions is extremely suspicious. On one day he was reported to have had an injury to the Achilles tendon, which prevented his playing tennis during the afternoon, but was able to resume later that same day. This has not been confirmed.
The conspiracy is hatched with the entire group. After the dreadful event of the Sunday night they all pull together and ensure nothing else could ever happen like that to the other children . . . and begin to work out the strategy. This includes all the children being looked after by one adult every evening.
Discussion - There is much circumstantial evidence to support this theory. It is concealed in statements about recurrent illness accounting for the absence at dinner every night of at least one of the group.
The planning stage concentrates on large issues, but neglects details like cuddle cat, the pink blanket, and the pyjamas. It also neglects the weather, ambient temperature, evidence to be deduced from the lack of photographs and video recording, and the sheer implausibility of the half hourly checks being made by everyone every evening. It becomes overcomplicated with far too much detail and precision being offered.
Discussion - At some stage during that week the Pool Photo - which may be the last or penultimate photo of Madeleine, is selected as ‘proof’ of her continued existence on 3/5/7, and an elaborate strategy is developed, firstly to ensure the Polícia Judiciária never obtain a copy, (included in GM’s second statement in which he affirms and signs that he has no further photos in his possession, only to produce the Pool Photo via Mitchell exactly three weeks later ) and secondly to falsify the time and date. It is clear that the Pool Photo CANNOT POSSIBLY have been taken at lunchtime on 3/5/7, and is most likely or almost certainly - considerably beyond the test of the ‘balance of probabilities’ - to have been taken at lunchtime on Sunday 29th April.
The date for the discovery is deliberately chosen to allow the Police one whole day to take statements before they had to allow people to leave on Saturday, but not to allow them two whole days to conduct follow up interviews or detain witnesses when inconsistencies began to show.
Discussion - The Tapas 7 mostly return to the UK on Saturday 5/5/7 as planned and are replaced with close McCann family members who close ranks
I think this fits with what we know. Whether it is accurate or near the truth is an entirely different issue.
What I do not know is WHY ?
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 27: Can any of this really be true?
Metodo 3 whose principal investigators went to prison for 4 years
involving :
Francisco Marco - was appointed in September 2007, or possibly earlier, by the McCanns and their advisers, to head their much-vaunted ‘search for Madeleine’. He was the boss of the disreputable downtown Barcelona detective agency, Metodo 3. The agency had been in constant trouble with the authorities, having been caught up in a telephone tapping scandal in the 1990s, when all their top staff were arrested. During the period leading up to Christmas 2007, his staff did not look for Madeleine. They were busy promoting fake sightings to keep up the pretence that Madeleine had been abducted. In the lead-up to Christmas, he was exposed as a serial, and practiced liar. He said he knew Madeleine was alive. He maintained his men ‘knew where she was being held’. He claimed his men were ‘closing in on the kidnappers’, and finally promised that ‘Maddie will be home by Christmas’. These were all outright lies.
(Strangely the lawyers for the McCanns denied in writing that he had said this, only later to realise that Kate had included it in her book)
Antonio Giminez Raso - once a high-flying Detective Inspector in the Regional Crime Squad of Catalonia. He had a prime position in the Drugs and Human Trafficking Department. This employment came to an end around the end of 2004; whether he ‘resigned’ or was ‘pushed’ is unclear.
and
Julian Peribañez - who admitted in his book Cortina de Humo that he had been paid to invent sightings of Madeleine in Morocco
Kevin Halligen - operating under the company name of Oakley, who was sentenced to a term of imprisonment for fraud.
Mitchell told the world “The hunt for Madeleine is becoming more and more international, and it was felt that a truly international firm was now needed to lead the inquiry.
These really are the big boys. They are absolutely the best . . “ In fact Oakley was not set up until after Madeleine had been reported missing.
Followed by
The ALPHAIG 2 - David Edgar and Arthur Cowley - who did not go to Barcelona to investigate an allegedly strong lead, (but probably charged the “Fund” for [not] doing so.) The pair who it seems continue to maintain that Madeleine is being “held in a hellish lair in the lawless hinterlands...”.
Again the egregious and mendacious Mitchell led the world to believe that they were Alpha Group Investigations – a non existent company, but with a name similar to Alpha Investigations Group, a large internationally known American company.
ALFAIG was in fact registered some time after the TV documentary in which their appointment had been announced.
Clement Freud - A known Paedophile and pervert
Ray Wyre - A self appointed expert in Paedophilia - who it later transpired was on the Elm House list of visitors - for “whatever reason”
Jim Gamble - Sometime head of CEOP, and another self appointed expert on Paedophilia, who was notoriously silent and apparently inactive during the decades of abuse of young white girls in Oldham, Rochdale, Bradford, Oxford, but who went to Thailand to buy a young girl - ALLEGEDLY to see if it was possible.
They were contacted and assisted by
Gordon Brown - then Chancellor of the Exchequer, who was instrumental in covering up the details of the Hamilton / Dunblane massacre. His motives for this are unknown, but there are serious rumours on the internet about his own past activities and proclivities, for which he has neither issued a denial nor sued.
Cherie Blair - wife of Tony Blair, then PM, widely known as “Miranda”, and jokingly referred to by his own Head of Chambers as “the nearest star to Uranus”. Believed by some to have been fined for homosexual indecency many years ago, under the name Charles Lynton (his middle two names)
Brian Kennedy - the double glazing millionaire, represented by lawyer
Edward Smethurst - who had been publicly criticised in a trial by a judge for his lack of candour
HaysMcIntyre - Accountants for the “Fund: who on due consideration and after the publication of a damning revelation of the very simple and obvious methods involved in defrauding the “Fund” and their apparent total lack of any professional application of “Due Diligence” - - - (Cortina de Humo) and some percipient questions in an Open Letter - resigned without presenting even an interim final account
Michael Linnett - who was then, as a retired Accountant and director, forced to take over financial responsibility for the “Fund” but resigned within three months. He died recently - (before he could be questioned about his knowledge of what details he had found which caused him to resign)
Mishcon de Reya - who specialise in preventing the extradition for proper trial of people whose alleged actions are beyond comprehension by civilised people
Carter-Ruck - who represent indefensible people in their attempts to keep disgusting secrets hidden, often by threatening to inflict financial misery on those who attempt to speak or discover the truth. The list of clients subsequently found “guilty” of the very things C-R had alleged it was libelous to state - is too long to include here.
Sandy Cameron - brother in law who helped deep clean the carpet in the boot of the hired car prior to the search with cadaver and blood dogs - which nevertheless alerted to the car and key fob
Philomena McCann - sister, who took a leading role in the preparation of the “Dossier of Death” which led ultimately to the death of Brenda Leyland, and was probably involved in the Pool Photo conspiracy
Tony Rickwood - husband of Philomena q.v. specialist in astronomy and creator of perverted images of young women drowning in mud or quicksand, who probably had a leading role in the Pool Photo conspiracy
Tracey Kandohla - ‘journalist’ for The Sun, whose articles have been mendacious, ludicrous, or simply demonstrated a total lack of knowledge of the facts of the case, or of the legal niceties that surround it. More recent articles have been left with the Comments open and apparently unmoderated, allowing the full extent of the public disbelief and antagonism towards the McCanns’ story to be demonstrated
Various Shills - on Twitter and Facebook. Many actively support the convicted child murderers Leonor Cipriano and Joao Cipriano
Including
Nigel Nessling - outspoken McCann supporter, who narrowly avoided imprisonment on being found guilty of possession of over 40,000 indecent images of children
Michael Shrimpton - outspoken McCann supporter who claimed that Madeleine had been stolen by a paedophile ring, and was then himself found guilty of possession of pornographic images of children
Clarence Mitchell - The official spokesman for the McCanns contacted
Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor - who had been on the point of being prosecuted for failing to report priest Fr. Hill to the police for indecent assaults on children, but who died before action could be taken - to arrange a visit to Rome to meet
Pope Benedict XVI - who as Cardinal Ratzinger and then as Pope, was involved with and then became the head of an outrageous systematic and long term cover-up of child sexual abuse by hundreds of thousands of homosexual pederast priests - much of it covered up personally by him both as Cardinal in Germany and then as Pope
We make no further comment
Shortly after reporting Madeleine missing, the McCanns selected -
VERY CAREFULLY and very quickly
VERY CAREFULLY and very quickly
Metodo 3 whose principal investigators went to prison for 4 years
involving :
Francisco Marco - was appointed in September 2007, or possibly earlier, by the McCanns and their advisers, to head their much-vaunted ‘search for Madeleine’. He was the boss of the disreputable downtown Barcelona detective agency, Metodo 3. The agency had been in constant trouble with the authorities, having been caught up in a telephone tapping scandal in the 1990s, when all their top staff were arrested. During the period leading up to Christmas 2007, his staff did not look for Madeleine. They were busy promoting fake sightings to keep up the pretence that Madeleine had been abducted. In the lead-up to Christmas, he was exposed as a serial, and practiced liar. He said he knew Madeleine was alive. He maintained his men ‘knew where she was being held’. He claimed his men were ‘closing in on the kidnappers’, and finally promised that ‘Maddie will be home by Christmas’. These were all outright lies.
(Strangely the lawyers for the McCanns denied in writing that he had said this, only later to realise that Kate had included it in her book)
Antonio Giminez Raso - once a high-flying Detective Inspector in the Regional Crime Squad of Catalonia. He had a prime position in the Drugs and Human Trafficking Department. This employment came to an end around the end of 2004; whether he ‘resigned’ or was ‘pushed’ is unclear.
and
Julian Peribañez - who admitted in his book Cortina de Humo that he had been paid to invent sightings of Madeleine in Morocco
Kevin Halligen - operating under the company name of Oakley, who was sentenced to a term of imprisonment for fraud.
Mitchell told the world “The hunt for Madeleine is becoming more and more international, and it was felt that a truly international firm was now needed to lead the inquiry.
These really are the big boys. They are absolutely the best . . “ In fact Oakley was not set up until after Madeleine had been reported missing.
Followed by
The ALPHAIG 2 - David Edgar and Arthur Cowley - who did not go to Barcelona to investigate an allegedly strong lead, (but probably charged the “Fund” for [not] doing so.) The pair who it seems continue to maintain that Madeleine is being “held in a hellish lair in the lawless hinterlands...”.
Again the egregious and mendacious Mitchell led the world to believe that they were Alpha Group Investigations – a non existent company, but with a name similar to Alpha Investigations Group, a large internationally known American company.
ALFAIG was in fact registered some time after the TV documentary in which their appointment had been announced.
The McCanns immediately made friends with and consorted with
Clement Freud - A known Paedophile and pervert
Ray Wyre - A self appointed expert in Paedophilia - who it later transpired was on the Elm House list of visitors - for “whatever reason”
Jim Gamble - Sometime head of CEOP, and another self appointed expert on Paedophilia, who was notoriously silent and apparently inactive during the decades of abuse of young white girls in Oldham, Rochdale, Bradford, Oxford, but who went to Thailand to buy a young girl - ALLEGEDLY to see if it was possible.
They were contacted and assisted by
Gordon Brown - then Chancellor of the Exchequer, who was instrumental in covering up the details of the Hamilton / Dunblane massacre. His motives for this are unknown, but there are serious rumours on the internet about his own past activities and proclivities, for which he has neither issued a denial nor sued.
Cherie Blair - wife of Tony Blair, then PM, widely known as “Miranda”, and jokingly referred to by his own Head of Chambers as “the nearest star to Uranus”. Believed by some to have been fined for homosexual indecency many years ago, under the name Charles Lynton (his middle two names)
They accepted gifts from
Philip Green - noted for his corrupt and greedy theft of many hundreds of millions from BHS, before selling the totally destroyed company for £1 to another fraudster, and for a long time refusing to assist the many hundreds of defrauded members of the BHS pension schemeBrian Kennedy - the double glazing millionaire, represented by lawyer
Edward Smethurst - who had been publicly criticised in a trial by a judge for his lack of candour
They employed
HaysMcIntyre - Accountants for the “Fund: who on due consideration and after the publication of a damning revelation of the very simple and obvious methods involved in defrauding the “Fund” and their apparent total lack of any professional application of “Due Diligence” - - - (Cortina de Humo) and some percipient questions in an Open Letter - resigned without presenting even an interim final account
Michael Linnett - who was then, as a retired Accountant and director, forced to take over financial responsibility for the “Fund” but resigned within three months. He died recently - (before he could be questioned about his knowledge of what details he had found which caused him to resign)
They briefed Lawyers
Bates Wells Braithwaite - who set up the "Fund" and apparently still act for it. Their apparent lack of "Due dilligence" in the appointment of various fraudulent firms and teams of bogus private detectives seems to mirror that of HaysMcintyre q.v. This, combined with their supposed neglect or refusal to attempt to reclaim the monies defrauded from the "Fund" has been a matter of some speculation.
Mishcon de Reya - who specialise in preventing the extradition for proper trial of people whose alleged actions are beyond comprehension by civilised people
Carter-Ruck - who represent indefensible people in their attempts to keep disgusting secrets hidden, often by threatening to inflict financial misery on those who attempt to speak or discover the truth. The list of clients subsequently found “guilty” of the very things C-R had alleged it was libelous to state - is too long to include here.
They were represented by PR agents
Bell-Pottinger - who represented the most hideous and vile dictators and regimes across the world, and the most wicked murderers, and whose company has recently fallen apart when the true nature of their methods of planting mendacious “false-news” was revealed. The company said were paid £500,000 to keep the ‘abduction’ story on the front pages of the Tabloid press for a year.
They were supported by
Father Jose Pacheco - who comforted Gerry and Kate McCann in the days after Madeleine vanished but later claimed that he had been the victim of some form of deception. He gave them the keys to his church but left the parish soon afterwards. He has said it was an extremely unpleasant situation and the McCann family only ever brought him problems. He later added that the McCanns had “ruined his life” Sandy Cameron - brother in law who helped deep clean the carpet in the boot of the hired car prior to the search with cadaver and blood dogs - which nevertheless alerted to the car and key fob
Philomena McCann - sister, who took a leading role in the preparation of the “Dossier of Death” which led ultimately to the death of Brenda Leyland, and was probably involved in the Pool Photo conspiracy
Tony Rickwood - husband of Philomena q.v. specialist in astronomy and creator of perverted images of young women drowning in mud or quicksand, who probably had a leading role in the Pool Photo conspiracy
They are supported by
Tracey Kandohla - ‘journalist’ for The Sun, whose articles have been mendacious, ludicrous, or simply demonstrated a total lack of knowledge of the facts of the case, or of the legal niceties that surround it. More recent articles have been left with the Comments open and apparently unmoderated, allowing the full extent of the public disbelief and antagonism towards the McCanns’ story to be demonstrated
Various Shills - on Twitter and Facebook. Many actively support the convicted child murderers Leonor Cipriano and Joao Cipriano
Including
Nigel Nessling - outspoken McCann supporter, who narrowly avoided imprisonment on being found guilty of possession of over 40,000 indecent images of children
Michael Shrimpton - outspoken McCann supporter who claimed that Madeleine had been stolen by a paedophile ring, and was then himself found guilty of possession of pornographic images of children
And then a further very strange link
Clarence Mitchell - The official spokesman for the McCanns contacted
Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor - who had been on the point of being prosecuted for failing to report priest Fr. Hill to the police for indecent assaults on children, but who died before action could be taken - to arrange a visit to Rome to meet
Pope Benedict XVI - who as Cardinal Ratzinger and then as Pope, was involved with and then became the head of an outrageous systematic and long term cover-up of child sexual abuse by hundreds of thousands of homosexual pederast priests - much of it covered up personally by him both as Cardinal in Germany and then as Pope
They count as a personal friend
Jon Corner - who released a highly dubious photo of Madeleine, with adult make up and accessories, and in exactly the same pose as one released by Graham Ovenden, who received a long prison sentence for the creation of child pornography
¿ ¿ ¿ WHY ? ? ?
We make no further comment
Res ipsa loquitur
Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 28: The 'Pool Photo' refuses to go away
The Pool Photo is of crucial importance. Of that there can be little doubt.
To put the matter simply –
IF it was taken on Thursday 3rd May 2007 - it is capable of showing that Madeleine was alive and well at lunchtime that day
IF it was not, - then the implications go far beyond a simple misunderstanding.
The fact that it was presented by Mitchell on behalf of the McCanns as having been taken at a particular time on a particular date, and the fact that Kate unequivocally repeated this in her autobiography has great bearing on almost every aspect of the case. It goes directly to the veracity of the McCanns and the involvement of Mitchell – amongst many others.
In previous essays the issue of the weather was set out, and some contemporary photos and weather reports were appended in support of the thesis.
This failed to impress some, who argue that the photos themselves are not sufficient to prove the negative, namely that the photo could not have been taken at lunchtime on 3/5/7. Proving a negative is notoriously difficult, but not impossible. The legal process deals with this by insisting on an overwhelming weight of evidence.
What follows therefore is another more detailed examination of the weather conditions, with yet more evidence introduced in the form of weather reports from several stations, many more contemporary photos, and a recapitulation of the pertinent parts of statements and comments.
No apology is given for the length of this essay, nor for the volume of the evidence included.
For ease of understanding, and for reasons of clarity I am pasting edited pieces about the formation of clouds taken from various places on the internet. All can be searched through “google”.
Many of the photos may be accessed on Flickr, using the search engine on that site.
Some were accessed from ‘google images’, others are screen shots from the videos of the World Windsurfing competition in Portimão held between 29/4/7 and 3/5/7, and four are from the author’s personal collection.
I have included only a few in the main text, in thumbnail format, to illustrate the various points. The rest are included in an appendix after the reference section.
The weather reports are all available on the internet, and the exact references are given to allow anyone who has a genuine interest to do their own research. A small fee was payable for one set.
After I have set out the main thesis I shall try to raise and answer the objections I am already aware of, or can think of, but as always if strong contrary evidence can be adduced, I am prepared to be shown to be in error.
I shall first discuss Clouds, then Weather reports in general terms, then I shall look at specific reports before looking in detail at the photos and analysing what they can tell us.
After this I shall look again at what people said in their statements, and at pertinent extracts from Kate McCann’s autobiography, before discussing a personal diary kept by a resident of PdL.
A cloud is defined as ‘a visible aggregate of minute droplets of water or particles of ice or a mixture of both floating in the free air’. Each droplet has a diameter of about a hundredth of a millimetre and each cubic metre of air will contain 100 million droplets.
Clouds form when the invisible water vapour in the air condenses into visible water droplets or ice crystals. For this to happen, the parcel of air must be saturated, i.e. unable to hold all the water it contains in vapour form, so it starts to condense into a liquid or solid form. There are two ways by which saturation is reached.
(a) By increasing the water content in the air, e.g. through evaporation, to a point where the air can hold no more. The steam from a boiling kettle is a simple example. As it rises it reaches air which is not saturated, and so disappears from human view
(b) By cooling the air so that it reaches its dew point – this is the temperature at which condensation occurs, and is unable to ‘hold’ any more water. There is a maximum amount of water vapour the air, at a given temperature, can hold. In general, the warmer the air, the more water vapour it can hold. Therefore, reducing its temperature decreases its ability to hold water vapour.
Method (b) is the usual way that clouds are produced, and it is associated with air rising in the lower part of the atmosphere. As the air rises it expands due to the reduction in atmospheric pressure, and the expansion causes the air to cool. Generally speaking, for each 100 metres the air rises, it will cool by 1 °C. The rate of cooling will vary depending on the water content, or humidity, of the air.
Therefore, the vertical ascent of air will reduce its ability to hold water vapour, so that condensation occurs.
Put simply, clouds are simply air containing moisture, which condenses so it can be seen.
This can also be seen in mountainous areas where clouds form over the highest peaks and ridges, and although the clouds appear to ‘move’ they warm up as they lose altitude and the moisture is lost to human view. The English expression “burning off” is sometimes used to describe this phenomenon.
These photos are taken of the Sierra de Grazalema near Ronda in southern Spain. The high peak shown is 1654 m. (5,400 ft.) the village lying at 800 m. (2650 ft.)
The photos are taken towards the west, and the prevailing wind is a westerly i.e. from the west. It has picked up moisture as it crosses the Atlantic, and this ridge is the first high one it crosses. Grazalema has the reputation of being one of the wettest places in Spain
The “burning off” effect may be seen here as the cloud passed through the pass “Puerto de las Palomas”. (In this photo the wind is travelling from left to right)
These and more photos may be found at Appendix A - CLOUDS
Most weather reports are recorded automatically by Meteorological stations, situated at intervals around a country.
These weather stations measure a large variety of different meteorological parameters, including air temperature, atmospheric pressure, rainfall, wind speed and direction, humidity, cloud height, visibility, and sunshine.
This map shows the distribution of the weather stations in Portugal of which current data and forecasts with pinpoint precision are available. In general, the weather stations measure air temperature and humidity (2 meters above ground), wind speed and wind direction (10 meters above ground), as well as sunshine duration, amount of precipitation and air pressure
The nearest ones to Praia da Luz are at Faro airport to the east of Praia da Luz, and at Sagres at the far western point of the Algarve. Their position relative to PdL may be seen here
The distance Sagres – PdL is 22 km.
The distance Faro – PdL is 66 km.
The distance from Sagres to Faro is 86 km.
A similar pattern is observed in the UK.
The distance Camborne – Yeovilton = 150 km
The distance Hurn – Eastbourne = 100 km
In what follows I shall concentrate on two dates.
The first is Thursday 3rd May 2007
The date on which Mitchell said on the McCann’s behalf the Pool Photo had been taken.
The date which Kate herself repeats in her book ‘madeleine’ that the photo was taken.
The date which is embedded in the EXIF Metadata on the photo as released to the world’s press on 24th May 2007
The second is Sunday 29th April 2007.
I shall explain why.
The family arrived in PdL on Saturday 28th April, and it was not until mid to late afternoon, after checking in and being taken to their apartment, then re-arranging furniture and unpacking, that they were able to visit their part of the resort to explore.
It is fairly clear that the three photos of the children in the play area on the lawn and with the playhouse were taken then.
p. 69 ‘madeleine’ - The weather was pleasant enough, although there was a cool breeze.
In fact there were large ‘fluffy’ cumulus clouds, which are seen on the photos of the children.
On Sunday 29th April the weather was, on any test, beautiful. There was no cloud, the sun shone for 13 hours at Faro – the Meteorological Station just along the coast, and photos from third parties posted on Flickr are clear evidence of this
On Monday 30th April the weather ‘closed in’ and it was dull and cold for the next few days. It rained on Wednesday 2nd May, as the group record.
I do not therefore concentrate on the days 30th April to 2nd May, though for the sake of completeness several dated photos may be found in Appendix D
But on one of the days between Saturday 28th April and Friday 4th May, the Pool Photo was taken.
The question is obvious.
Weather stations record meteorological date in coded form. It is standardised through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which allows it to be understood throughout most of the world.
An example looks like this
Two layers of cloud are then described
There is another common entry, which is important for this discussion
CAVOK Definition : Provided the visibility is >= 10 km, AND the height of the lowest cloud (any amount) is >=5000 ft (or highest minimum sector altitude) AND there are no cumulonimbus clouds (CB, any height) within sight, AND there is no significant weather (see list below), then the visibility and cloud part of the standard METAR is replaced by CAVOK (say "cav-oh-kay": 'Ceiling And Visibility OK').
Here we shall confine ourselves to looking at the period 1230 to 1530 on each day
Q: What does the METAR data tell us?
A: At lunchtime on Sunday 29th April the sky was clear - CAVOK
At lunchtime on Thursday 3rd May the sky was overcast - with 2 levels of cloud
The tutorial on the interpretation of METAR data may be found by activating the reference, and at Appendix B
The full set of METAR data from which the above have been extracted may be found by activating the references given, and at Appendix C1 and C2
Some weather stations record the total sunshine on a daily basis
Both Sagres and Faro do so.
The charts and details may be found in Appendix C and by consulting the references given
They show that
In Faro, on 28th and 29th April 12.6 hours of sun were recorded
On 30th April, 1st May and 2nd May NO sunshine was recorded
On Thursday 3rd May only 0.9 hours (54 minutes) of sun were recorded over the entire day
In Sagres, on 28th and 29th April 12.6 hours of sun were recorded
On 30th April, 1st May and 2nd May diminishing amounts of sunshine were recorded
On Thursday 3rd May only 8 hours of sun were recorded over the entire day
Q: What does the Sunshine data tell us?
A: It confirms what we already know from the raw METAR data
For most of Sunday 29th April the sky was clear - CAVOK
For most of Thursday 3rd May the sky was overcast
Observation: The sunshine recorded in Sagres is exactly as expected. The weather station is on the furthest west point of the Algarve, and the wind during that period was a fairly consistent WSW. As we have already discussed, cloud does not usually form until the air begins to rise over the land, and so we would predict that Sagres would have clear skies. The next section examining the photos will make this more clear
The website Flickr invites people to upload photos, and large numbers of people do so. Most if not all have the date and the type of camera and other details attached
The site has a good internal search engine, and is thus a useful if unintended resource where weather conditions are an issue.
There is the obvious caveat – that people do not take many photos on dull days, and secondly that even on a cloudy day where the sun appears only occasionally, unless the event itself is the focus of attention, they may wait until such a moment.
On a dull or overcast day however, there is no such choice.
A few photos in thumbnail size will suffice. The originals and many more are to be found in Appendix D, and the relevant url is shown in the reference section
Sunday 29th April
Thursday 3rd May
Between 29th April and 5th May 2007 the World Windsurfing Championship was held in Portimão, Algarve, some 17 km from PdL.
The website has a wealth of photos and video of the whole event, and brief references to wind speed and sea state with wave height in the daily Press release.
It is also instructive since the archive shows photos taken not only from the land out to sea, but also from the official launches back towards the coast
These photos were taken on the same day at the World Windsurfing event.
Photos taken from the sea show thick cloud over the land.
Those taken from the land show clear sky over the sea.
The wind was blowing at an angle from the sea towards the land, (WSW)
So we can observe how the saturated air is forced to rise and how the clouds form over the land.
This is incidentally how mariners across the ages knew they were approaching land
But even if we have a photo taken outdoors which does not show the sky, we may deduce what the weather must have been. To make this more clear, consider these.
Here a photo taken on land is seen, showing a lack of sharp shadows, from which we may reasonably deduce significant cloud cover, even though we cannot directly see it
From this photo however we can reasonably deduce clear sky, again without being able directly to see it
The first photo is dated 3/5/7. The second 29/4/7
Knowing how clouds form and disperse as the air reaches the coast, we can therefore look back at the three photos at the start of this section, and deduce that in the third, although there appears to be only 6/8 cloud cover, this is out at sea, and therefore over the land must have been considerably more. The cloud is, to use the common English expression ”breaking up”.
This solves another of the apparent objections raised by this issue.
The METAR data at Faro reports one layer of cloud at 1/8 – 2/8 cover, and a higher one at 3/8 – 4/8 cover. Faro airport is close to the coast, only 2,200m to the control tower.
The cloud cover report is of the entire visible sky, in this case horizon in the south to the mountains in the north.
Full cloud cover over the land and clear sky over the sea gives 4/8 cover even if the lower 2/8 layer is ignored.
In Appendix 3 many more photos from the windsurfing event may be viewed, including not only those taken towards the sea, those taken from the sea towards the land, but some taken on the land.
Q: What do the Photos tell us?
A: They confirm what we already know from the METAR and the Sunshine data
For most of Sunday 29th April the sky over land and sea was clear - CAVOK
For most of Thursday 3rd May the sky over the land was overcast
Let us look at what witnesses said about the weather.
Firstly the Tapas 7
These are clipped from the full statements.
References for the full statements may be found in App F
* * * * *
Kate McCann has told the world that the Last Photo was taken at 14:29 on Thursday 3rd May 2007. At that time there was heavy cloud, overcast and an ambient temperature of only 17ºC or 18º C (62.5ºF - 64.5ºF)
By 9pm that evening the temperature had dropped one or two degrees, to 16ºC, a temperature which prompted Jane Tanner to complain about the cold and to make quite an issue of collecting one of her partner’s thick fleeces during her visit to their apartment.
Kate McCann describes the day of their arrival, Saturday 28th April, thus
p. 69 “The weather was pleasant enough, although there was a cool breeze.”
There is no mention of the weather on Sunday 29th April.
She goes on to say of Tuesday 1st May
p. 84 “The weather wasn’t great: in fact, on the beach it started to rain.
Strangely, Kate McCann also describes the weather at the time and date she states she took the Pool Photo
p. 94 “The weather was a little on the cool side and I remember thinking I should have brought a cardigan for her,
Referring to the evening of Thursday 3rd May Kate McCann is very clear that outside, the weather was cold.
p. 104 “It was so cold . . .”
The remaining quotes refer to the evening of Thursday 3rd May
Jane Tanner is insistent in her rogatory interview
JT: . . . and I just thought that child's not got any shoes on because you could see the feet, and it was quite a cold night in Portugal in May it's not actually that warm, and I'd got a big jumper on, and I can remember thinking oh that parent is not a particularly good parent, they've not wrapped them up.
- - -
and yet again
4078 “So you went on the wrong day.”
Reply “Yeah, I think err so it wasn’t, that’s one reason why we didn’t open the shutters to open the window or anything in that room, it wasn’t actually really hot at all, it was actually quite cloudy in the days and at night it was actually quite chilly.”
The remaining Tapas group are also clear that 15ºC is cold.
Russell O’Brien : The nights were quite chilly
Matthew Oldfield : in the evenings it was very cold,
Rachel Oldfield : it was really cold in the evenings
David Payne : it was quite cold some nights and you know perhaps nearly too cold to be sat outside
Fiona Payne : it was still very cold
Diane Webster : when they were brought up to our apartment and they would have to
come out into the cold
Here they are describing their experience of a temperature of 15ºC or 14ºC
This is only one or two degrees less than that recorded at lunchtime on 3rd May
Q: What do these accounts and statements tell us?
A: They confirm what we already know from the METAR and the Sunshine data
From 30th April to 3rd May a weather front passed over Portugal, bringing cold and cloudy conditions, only moving away late on Thursday 3rd May
A local PdL resident and retired RAF Navigator, who continued into his retirement his practice of observing weather and recording it in his diary said
[NOTE: This has been heavily edited to concentrate on the weather related items]
Saturday, April 28 2007. Clear skies with warm temperatures for time of year enabled a full entry in the golf competition at the nearby Boavista Resort. From 1 ’til 4pm, warm dry conditions. Clear skies at night resulted in cooler conditions by dawn the following day.
Sunday, April 29 2007. Another fine day (warm once the Sun got up) but some evidence of weather on the change by evening. No threat of frost for the following day due to cloud cover that night.
Monday, April 30 2007. Cloudy day, but dry and average temperatures.
Tuesday, May 1 2007. Cooler cloudier weather,
Wednesday, May 2 2007. Cool, cloudy with sunny spells and moderate winds
Thursday, 3 May 2007 Weather continues cool and cloudy with sunny intervals, but not pool dipping weather. Noticed first evidence of weather change, as by 7.15 pm cloud was clearing from the North. Just after 11pm night sky clear with full moon. I arrived at my apartment about 11:45pm. It was a clear dry moonlit, and it was good to reflect that better weather had now set in.
Friday 4 May, 2007 I was awakened at c.0750 on a fine clear morning,
Saturday 5 May, 2007. Weather continues fine and sunny.
He was then asked to view a series of photos taken from Flickr - shown in Appendix D
He replied
All show the same pattern, of the clear skies on 28 and 29, then turning to heavy overcast and beginning to open up on 3/5/7 in the evening.
Q: What does this account tell us?
A: It confirms what we already know from the METAR and the Sunshine data, and from the photos, and from the first hand witness statements
For most of Sunday 29th April the sky over land and sea was clear - CAVOK
During the week a weather front moved across Portugal bringing cold, cloudy, and rainy weather
For most of Thursday 3rd May the sky was overcast and the day was cold
From late evening of Thursday 3rd and on Friday 4th May the weather improved
Q: What does all this tell us?
A: Does all this tell us that Thursday 3rd May 2007 was largely overcast, cold and windy, but Sunday 29th April 2007 was clear, and warm. Does it tell us that on the first full day of the holiday the McCann family acted normally, as would any other family of five, the children dressed in their new holiday clothes, wearing their new sun hats, exploring, having their photo taken, dipping their feet into the pool, and generally enjoying the sensation of being on a family holiday ?
It may do.
But there are two important objections to all of this
1 Gerry McCann is on record as saying the evening of 3rd May was HOT
Concerning the bed where his daughter was on the night she disappeared, he says that she slept uncovered, as usual when it was hot, with the bedclothes folded down'. Police statement 10 May
2 Mitchell, acting for the McCanns, and subsequently Kate McCann in her autobiography, have united in saying that the photo was taken on Thursday 3rd May
Those 3 people clearly reject the Meteorological Office records, ignore the many photos on Flickr, dismiss the evidence of official photos of the World Windsurfing Championships, reject the statements, turn a blind eye to the diaries, and insist that the photo was taken at lunchtime on Thursday 3rd May 2007
Q: The charts show there was 4/8 cloud cover. Only half the sky is covered, so the sun would have shone through the other half.
A1: Clouds are not static. They move more or less quickly across the sky. Everyone knows how the sun ‘comes out’ and then ‘goes back in’ to use the standard English expressions. The Pool Photo shows bright sun, but also, crucially, shows Gerry with a sheen of perspiration on his forehead, and everyone wearing light clothing.
If the Pool Photo had been taken during a brief appearance of the sun through a gap in the clouds, we might have to explain why everyone was suitable dressed for that exact moment, and not for a generally overcast and cool day. Even Kate says so -
p. 95 “The weather was a little on the cool side
At Faro airport only 54 minutes of sunshine were recorded for the entire day
A2: There were two levels of cloud. The higher altitude one was in the range 3-4/8 cover, the lower one in the range 1-2/8. These move at different speeds, and in slightly different directions depending on the wind direction at each altitude. Thus some of the time there would have been 6/8 cloud cover. Only when the two levels coincided would there have been only 4/8 cover. It is submitted that although this might have been enough to allow the pool photo to have been taken in one of the short intervals, it would not have caused, or allowed Gerry and the children to dress in light clothing, don sunglasses, sun hats, nor to persuade Gerry to wear sunglasses and develop a sheen of sweat on his forehead.
The highest temperature recorded on 3/5/7 was 19º C (66º F) some 2 hours after solar zenith. At 1429 it was 18º C (64º F), with a Force 3-4 wind off the sea.
A3: The figure of 4/8 cover is recorded by the Meteorological station at Faro. Faro is close to the coast. As we have seen, cloud forms as air comes in from the sea, and rises over the land. The land can then have total cloud cover and the sea be entirely cloud free. The report will then show 4/8 cloud cover. This is clearly illustrated in the windsurfing photos.
The weather report from Faro records only 0.9 hours of sunshine on 3/5/7
Was this photo
.
taken on this day ?
or on this day ?
https://www.thoughtco.com/types-of-clouds-recognize-in-the-sky-4025569
METAR
https://www.wunderground.com/metarFAQ.asp#sky
http://www.centrometeo.pt/en/weather/weather-stations.html
http://weatherfaqs.org.uk/book/export/html/197
https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/LPFR/2007/5/3/DailyHistory.html?req_city=&req_state=&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo=
https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/LPFR/2007/4/29/DailyHistory.html?req_city=&req_state=&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo=
https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/LPFR/2007/5/3/WeeklyHistory.html
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/making-a-forecast/first-steps/observations/weather-stations
https://www.windfinder.com/#12/37.0958/-8.6648
http://dpds.weatheronline.co.uk/historical_data/weather_stations_download/#forward
PHOTOS
https://www.flickr.com/search/?sort=relevance&advanced=1&text=ALGARVE&min_taken_date=1178143200&max_taken_date=1178315999
http://www.formulawindsurfing.org/event/112
GENERAL
https://www.cm-portimao.pt/
EXTRACTS
From the Hard Back edition
“madeleine” Kate McCann, 2011, Bantam Press. Random House
Version 1.0 Epub ISBN 9781446437605
ISBNs 9780593067918 (hb)
9780593067925 (tpb)
A CLOUDS
B METAR Tutorial
C METAR report Faro
METAR report Sagres
C1 pdf METAR REPORT FARO 29/4/5
C2 pdf METAR REPORT FARO 3/5/7
D FLICKR Photos
E WINDSURFING photos Portimão
F STATEMENTS
The Pool Photo is of crucial importance. Of that there can be little doubt.
To put the matter simply –
IF it was taken on Thursday 3rd May 2007 - it is capable of showing that Madeleine was alive and well at lunchtime that day
IF it was not, - then the implications go far beyond a simple misunderstanding.
The fact that it was presented by Mitchell on behalf of the McCanns as having been taken at a particular time on a particular date, and the fact that Kate unequivocally repeated this in her autobiography has great bearing on almost every aspect of the case. It goes directly to the veracity of the McCanns and the involvement of Mitchell – amongst many others.
In previous essays the issue of the weather was set out, and some contemporary photos and weather reports were appended in support of the thesis.
This failed to impress some, who argue that the photos themselves are not sufficient to prove the negative, namely that the photo could not have been taken at lunchtime on 3/5/7. Proving a negative is notoriously difficult, but not impossible. The legal process deals with this by insisting on an overwhelming weight of evidence.
What follows therefore is another more detailed examination of the weather conditions, with yet more evidence introduced in the form of weather reports from several stations, many more contemporary photos, and a recapitulation of the pertinent parts of statements and comments.
No apology is given for the length of this essay, nor for the volume of the evidence included.
For ease of understanding, and for reasons of clarity I am pasting edited pieces about the formation of clouds taken from various places on the internet. All can be searched through “google”.
Many of the photos may be accessed on Flickr, using the search engine on that site.
Some were accessed from ‘google images’, others are screen shots from the videos of the World Windsurfing competition in Portimão held between 29/4/7 and 3/5/7, and four are from the author’s personal collection.
I have included only a few in the main text, in thumbnail format, to illustrate the various points. The rest are included in an appendix after the reference section.
The weather reports are all available on the internet, and the exact references are given to allow anyone who has a genuine interest to do their own research. A small fee was payable for one set.
After I have set out the main thesis I shall try to raise and answer the objections I am already aware of, or can think of, but as always if strong contrary evidence can be adduced, I am prepared to be shown to be in error.
I shall first discuss Clouds, then Weather reports in general terms, then I shall look at specific reports before looking in detail at the photos and analysing what they can tell us.
After this I shall look again at what people said in their statements, and at pertinent extracts from Kate McCann’s autobiography, before discussing a personal diary kept by a resident of PdL.
What causes clouds
A cloud is defined as ‘a visible aggregate of minute droplets of water or particles of ice or a mixture of both floating in the free air’. Each droplet has a diameter of about a hundredth of a millimetre and each cubic metre of air will contain 100 million droplets.
Clouds form when the invisible water vapour in the air condenses into visible water droplets or ice crystals. For this to happen, the parcel of air must be saturated, i.e. unable to hold all the water it contains in vapour form, so it starts to condense into a liquid or solid form. There are two ways by which saturation is reached.
(a) By increasing the water content in the air, e.g. through evaporation, to a point where the air can hold no more. The steam from a boiling kettle is a simple example. As it rises it reaches air which is not saturated, and so disappears from human view
(b) By cooling the air so that it reaches its dew point – this is the temperature at which condensation occurs, and is unable to ‘hold’ any more water. There is a maximum amount of water vapour the air, at a given temperature, can hold. In general, the warmer the air, the more water vapour it can hold. Therefore, reducing its temperature decreases its ability to hold water vapour.
Method (b) is the usual way that clouds are produced, and it is associated with air rising in the lower part of the atmosphere. As the air rises it expands due to the reduction in atmospheric pressure, and the expansion causes the air to cool. Generally speaking, for each 100 metres the air rises, it will cool by 1 °C. The rate of cooling will vary depending on the water content, or humidity, of the air.
Therefore, the vertical ascent of air will reduce its ability to hold water vapour, so that condensation occurs.
Put simply, clouds are simply air containing moisture, which condenses so it can be seen.
This can also be seen in mountainous areas where clouds form over the highest peaks and ridges, and although the clouds appear to ‘move’ they warm up as they lose altitude and the moisture is lost to human view. The English expression “burning off” is sometimes used to describe this phenomenon.
These photos are taken of the Sierra de Grazalema near Ronda in southern Spain. The high peak shown is 1654 m. (5,400 ft.) the village lying at 800 m. (2650 ft.)
The photos are taken towards the west, and the prevailing wind is a westerly i.e. from the west. It has picked up moisture as it crosses the Atlantic, and this ridge is the first high one it crosses. Grazalema has the reputation of being one of the wettest places in Spain
The “burning off” effect may be seen here as the cloud passed through the pass “Puerto de las Palomas”. (In this photo the wind is travelling from left to right)
These and more photos may be found at Appendix A - CLOUDS
Weather reports
Most weather reports are recorded automatically by Meteorological stations, situated at intervals around a country.
These weather stations measure a large variety of different meteorological parameters, including air temperature, atmospheric pressure, rainfall, wind speed and direction, humidity, cloud height, visibility, and sunshine.
This map shows the distribution of the weather stations in Portugal of which current data and forecasts with pinpoint precision are available. In general, the weather stations measure air temperature and humidity (2 meters above ground), wind speed and wind direction (10 meters above ground), as well as sunshine duration, amount of precipitation and air pressure
The nearest ones to Praia da Luz are at Faro airport to the east of Praia da Luz, and at Sagres at the far western point of the Algarve. Their position relative to PdL may be seen here
The distance Sagres – PdL is 22 km.
The distance Faro – PdL is 66 km.
The distance from Sagres to Faro is 86 km.
A similar pattern is observed in the UK.
The distance Camborne – Yeovilton = 150 km
The distance Hurn – Eastbourne = 100 km
When was the Pool Photo taken ?
In what follows I shall concentrate on two dates.
The first is Thursday 3rd May 2007
The date on which Mitchell said on the McCann’s behalf the Pool Photo had been taken.
The date which Kate herself repeats in her book ‘madeleine’ that the photo was taken.
The date which is embedded in the EXIF Metadata on the photo as released to the world’s press on 24th May 2007
The second is Sunday 29th April 2007.
I shall explain why.
The family arrived in PdL on Saturday 28th April, and it was not until mid to late afternoon, after checking in and being taken to their apartment, then re-arranging furniture and unpacking, that they were able to visit their part of the resort to explore.
It is fairly clear that the three photos of the children in the play area on the lawn and with the playhouse were taken then.
p. 69 ‘madeleine’ - The weather was pleasant enough, although there was a cool breeze.
In fact there were large ‘fluffy’ cumulus clouds, which are seen on the photos of the children.
On Sunday 29th April the weather was, on any test, beautiful. There was no cloud, the sun shone for 13 hours at Faro – the Meteorological Station just along the coast, and photos from third parties posted on Flickr are clear evidence of this
On Monday 30th April the weather ‘closed in’ and it was dull and cold for the next few days. It rained on Wednesday 2nd May, as the group record.
I do not therefore concentrate on the days 30th April to 2nd May, though for the sake of completeness several dated photos may be found in Appendix D
But on one of the days between Saturday 28th April and Friday 4th May, the Pool Photo was taken.
The question is obvious.
What day ? What date?
METAR DATA
Weather stations record meteorological date in coded form. It is standardised through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which allows it to be understood throughout most of the world.
An example looks like this
Two layers of cloud are then described
There is another common entry, which is important for this discussion
CAVOK Definition : Provided the visibility is >= 10 km, AND the height of the lowest cloud (any amount) is >=5000 ft (or highest minimum sector altitude) AND there are no cumulonimbus clouds (CB, any height) within sight, AND there is no significant weather (see list below), then the visibility and cloud part of the standard METAR is replaced by CAVOK (say "cav-oh-kay": 'Ceiling And Visibility OK').
Here we shall confine ourselves to looking at the period 1230 to 1530 on each day
Q: What does the METAR data tell us?
A: At lunchtime on Sunday 29th April the sky was clear - CAVOK
At lunchtime on Thursday 3rd May the sky was overcast - with 2 levels of cloud
The tutorial on the interpretation of METAR data may be found by activating the reference, and at Appendix B
The full set of METAR data from which the above have been extracted may be found by activating the references given, and at Appendix C1 and C2
SUNSHINE DATA
Some weather stations record the total sunshine on a daily basis
Both Sagres and Faro do so.
The charts and details may be found in Appendix C and by consulting the references given
They show that
In Faro, on 28th and 29th April 12.6 hours of sun were recorded
On 30th April, 1st May and 2nd May NO sunshine was recorded
On Thursday 3rd May only 0.9 hours (54 minutes) of sun were recorded over the entire day
In Sagres, on 28th and 29th April 12.6 hours of sun were recorded
On 30th April, 1st May and 2nd May diminishing amounts of sunshine were recorded
On Thursday 3rd May only 8 hours of sun were recorded over the entire day
Q: What does the Sunshine data tell us?
A: It confirms what we already know from the raw METAR data
For most of Sunday 29th April the sky was clear - CAVOK
For most of Thursday 3rd May the sky was overcast
Observation: The sunshine recorded in Sagres is exactly as expected. The weather station is on the furthest west point of the Algarve, and the wind during that period was a fairly consistent WSW. As we have already discussed, cloud does not usually form until the air begins to rise over the land, and so we would predict that Sagres would have clear skies. The next section examining the photos will make this more clear
PHOTOS
The website Flickr invites people to upload photos, and large numbers of people do so. Most if not all have the date and the type of camera and other details attached
The site has a good internal search engine, and is thus a useful if unintended resource where weather conditions are an issue.
There is the obvious caveat – that people do not take many photos on dull days, and secondly that even on a cloudy day where the sun appears only occasionally, unless the event itself is the focus of attention, they may wait until such a moment.
On a dull or overcast day however, there is no such choice.
A few photos in thumbnail size will suffice. The originals and many more are to be found in Appendix D, and the relevant url is shown in the reference section
Sunday 29th April
Thursday 3rd May
Between 29th April and 5th May 2007 the World Windsurfing Championship was held in Portimão, Algarve, some 17 km from PdL.
The website has a wealth of photos and video of the whole event, and brief references to wind speed and sea state with wave height in the daily Press release.
It is also instructive since the archive shows photos taken not only from the land out to sea, but also from the official launches back towards the coast
These photos were taken on the same day at the World Windsurfing event.
Photos taken from the sea show thick cloud over the land.
Those taken from the land show clear sky over the sea.
The wind was blowing at an angle from the sea towards the land, (WSW)
So we can observe how the saturated air is forced to rise and how the clouds form over the land.
This is incidentally how mariners across the ages knew they were approaching land
But even if we have a photo taken outdoors which does not show the sky, we may deduce what the weather must have been. To make this more clear, consider these.
Here a photo taken on land is seen, showing a lack of sharp shadows, from which we may reasonably deduce significant cloud cover, even though we cannot directly see it
From this photo however we can reasonably deduce clear sky, again without being able directly to see it
The first photo is dated 3/5/7. The second 29/4/7
Knowing how clouds form and disperse as the air reaches the coast, we can therefore look back at the three photos at the start of this section, and deduce that in the third, although there appears to be only 6/8 cloud cover, this is out at sea, and therefore over the land must have been considerably more. The cloud is, to use the common English expression ”breaking up”.
This solves another of the apparent objections raised by this issue.
The METAR data at Faro reports one layer of cloud at 1/8 – 2/8 cover, and a higher one at 3/8 – 4/8 cover. Faro airport is close to the coast, only 2,200m to the control tower.
The cloud cover report is of the entire visible sky, in this case horizon in the south to the mountains in the north.
Full cloud cover over the land and clear sky over the sea gives 4/8 cover even if the lower 2/8 layer is ignored.
In Appendix 3 many more photos from the windsurfing event may be viewed, including not only those taken towards the sea, those taken from the sea towards the land, but some taken on the land.
Q: What do the Photos tell us?
A: They confirm what we already know from the METAR and the Sunshine data
For most of Sunday 29th April the sky over land and sea was clear - CAVOK
For most of Thursday 3rd May the sky over the land was overcast
FIRST HAND WITNESSES
Let us look at what witnesses said about the weather.
Firstly the Tapas 7
These are clipped from the full statements.
References for the full statements may be found in App F
* * * * *
Kate McCann has told the world that the Last Photo was taken at 14:29 on Thursday 3rd May 2007. At that time there was heavy cloud, overcast and an ambient temperature of only 17ºC or 18º C (62.5ºF - 64.5ºF)
By 9pm that evening the temperature had dropped one or two degrees, to 16ºC, a temperature which prompted Jane Tanner to complain about the cold and to make quite an issue of collecting one of her partner’s thick fleeces during her visit to their apartment.
Kate McCann describes the day of their arrival, Saturday 28th April, thus
p. 69 “The weather was pleasant enough, although there was a cool breeze.”
There is no mention of the weather on Sunday 29th April.
She goes on to say of Tuesday 1st May
p. 84 “The weather wasn’t great: in fact, on the beach it started to rain.
Strangely, Kate McCann also describes the weather at the time and date she states she took the Pool Photo
p. 94 “The weather was a little on the cool side and I remember thinking I should have brought a cardigan for her,
Referring to the evening of Thursday 3rd May Kate McCann is very clear that outside, the weather was cold.
p. 104 “It was so cold . . .”
The remaining quotes refer to the evening of Thursday 3rd May
Jane Tanner is insistent in her rogatory interview
JT: . . . and I just thought that child's not got any shoes on because you could see the feet, and it was quite a cold night in Portugal in May it's not actually that warm, and I'd got a big jumper on, and I can remember thinking oh that parent is not a particularly good parent, they've not wrapped them up.
- - -
and yet again
4078 “So you went on the wrong day.”
Reply “Yeah, I think err so it wasn’t, that’s one reason why we didn’t open the shutters to open the window or anything in that room, it wasn’t actually really hot at all, it was actually quite cloudy in the days and at night it was actually quite chilly.”
The remaining Tapas group are also clear that 15ºC is cold.
Russell O’Brien : The nights were quite chilly
Matthew Oldfield : in the evenings it was very cold,
Rachel Oldfield : it was really cold in the evenings
David Payne : it was quite cold some nights and you know perhaps nearly too cold to be sat outside
Fiona Payne : it was still very cold
Diane Webster : when they were brought up to our apartment and they would have to
come out into the cold
Here they are describing their experience of a temperature of 15ºC or 14ºC
This is only one or two degrees less than that recorded at lunchtime on 3rd May
Q: What do these accounts and statements tell us?
A: They confirm what we already know from the METAR and the Sunshine data
From 30th April to 3rd May a weather front passed over Portugal, bringing cold and cloudy conditions, only moving away late on Thursday 3rd May
* * * *
Weather conditions may not only be seen in or deduced from photographs and METAR data. Many people for personal or professional reasons keep diaries in which they record weather, and many have recollections, particularly if asked soon after the event, or if given access to photos they have takenA local PdL resident and retired RAF Navigator, who continued into his retirement his practice of observing weather and recording it in his diary said
[NOTE: This has been heavily edited to concentrate on the weather related items]
Saturday, April 28 2007. Clear skies with warm temperatures for time of year enabled a full entry in the golf competition at the nearby Boavista Resort. From 1 ’til 4pm, warm dry conditions. Clear skies at night resulted in cooler conditions by dawn the following day.
Sunday, April 29 2007. Another fine day (warm once the Sun got up) but some evidence of weather on the change by evening. No threat of frost for the following day due to cloud cover that night.
Monday, April 30 2007. Cloudy day, but dry and average temperatures.
Tuesday, May 1 2007. Cooler cloudier weather,
Wednesday, May 2 2007. Cool, cloudy with sunny spells and moderate winds
Thursday, 3 May 2007 Weather continues cool and cloudy with sunny intervals, but not pool dipping weather. Noticed first evidence of weather change, as by 7.15 pm cloud was clearing from the North. Just after 11pm night sky clear with full moon. I arrived at my apartment about 11:45pm. It was a clear dry moonlit, and it was good to reflect that better weather had now set in.
Friday 4 May, 2007 I was awakened at c.0750 on a fine clear morning,
Saturday 5 May, 2007. Weather continues fine and sunny.
He was then asked to view a series of photos taken from Flickr - shown in Appendix D
He replied
All show the same pattern, of the clear skies on 28 and 29, then turning to heavy overcast and beginning to open up on 3/5/7 in the evening.
Q: What does this account tell us?
A: It confirms what we already know from the METAR and the Sunshine data, and from the photos, and from the first hand witness statements
For most of Sunday 29th April the sky over land and sea was clear - CAVOK
During the week a weather front moved across Portugal bringing cold, cloudy, and rainy weather
For most of Thursday 3rd May the sky was overcast and the day was cold
From late evening of Thursday 3rd and on Friday 4th May the weather improved
CONCLUSION
Q: What does all this tell us?
A: Does all this tell us that Thursday 3rd May 2007 was largely overcast, cold and windy, but Sunday 29th April 2007 was clear, and warm. Does it tell us that on the first full day of the holiday the McCann family acted normally, as would any other family of five, the children dressed in their new holiday clothes, wearing their new sun hats, exploring, having their photo taken, dipping their feet into the pool, and generally enjoying the sensation of being on a family holiday ?
It may do.
But there are two important objections to all of this
1 Gerry McCann is on record as saying the evening of 3rd May was HOT
Concerning the bed where his daughter was on the night she disappeared, he says that she slept uncovered, as usual when it was hot, with the bedclothes folded down'. Police statement 10 May
2 Mitchell, acting for the McCanns, and subsequently Kate McCann in her autobiography, have united in saying that the photo was taken on Thursday 3rd May
Those 3 people clearly reject the Meteorological Office records, ignore the many photos on Flickr, dismiss the evidence of official photos of the World Windsurfing Championships, reject the statements, turn a blind eye to the diaries, and insist that the photo was taken at lunchtime on Thursday 3rd May 2007
Is it even remotely possible that it could have been ?
OBJECTIONS, OBSERVATIONS AND QUESTIONS
These relate to Thursday 3/5/7 unless otherwise stated.
Q: The charts show there was 4/8 cloud cover. Only half the sky is covered, so the sun would have shone through the other half.
A1: Clouds are not static. They move more or less quickly across the sky. Everyone knows how the sun ‘comes out’ and then ‘goes back in’ to use the standard English expressions. The Pool Photo shows bright sun, but also, crucially, shows Gerry with a sheen of perspiration on his forehead, and everyone wearing light clothing.
If the Pool Photo had been taken during a brief appearance of the sun through a gap in the clouds, we might have to explain why everyone was suitable dressed for that exact moment, and not for a generally overcast and cool day. Even Kate says so -
p. 95 “The weather was a little on the cool side
At Faro airport only 54 minutes of sunshine were recorded for the entire day
A2: There were two levels of cloud. The higher altitude one was in the range 3-4/8 cover, the lower one in the range 1-2/8. These move at different speeds, and in slightly different directions depending on the wind direction at each altitude. Thus some of the time there would have been 6/8 cloud cover. Only when the two levels coincided would there have been only 4/8 cover. It is submitted that although this might have been enough to allow the pool photo to have been taken in one of the short intervals, it would not have caused, or allowed Gerry and the children to dress in light clothing, don sunglasses, sun hats, nor to persuade Gerry to wear sunglasses and develop a sheen of sweat on his forehead.
The highest temperature recorded on 3/5/7 was 19º C (66º F) some 2 hours after solar zenith. At 1429 it was 18º C (64º F), with a Force 3-4 wind off the sea.
A3: The figure of 4/8 cover is recorded by the Meteorological station at Faro. Faro is close to the coast. As we have seen, cloud forms as air comes in from the sea, and rises over the land. The land can then have total cloud cover and the sea be entirely cloud free. The report will then show 4/8 cloud cover. This is clearly illustrated in the windsurfing photos.
The weather report from Faro records only 0.9 hours of sunshine on 3/5/7
IT BOILS DOWN TO ONE SIMPLE QUESTION
Was this photo
.
taken on this day ?
or on this day ?
As they say in school exams . . .”show your reasoning”
REFERENCES
CLOUDShttps://www.thoughtco.com/types-of-clouds-recognize-in-the-sky-4025569
METAR
https://www.wunderground.com/metarFAQ.asp#sky
http://www.centrometeo.pt/en/weather/weather-stations.html
http://weatherfaqs.org.uk/book/export/html/197
https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/LPFR/2007/5/3/DailyHistory.html?req_city=&req_state=&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo=
https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/LPFR/2007/4/29/DailyHistory.html?req_city=&req_state=&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo=
https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/LPFR/2007/5/3/WeeklyHistory.html
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/making-a-forecast/first-steps/observations/weather-stations
https://www.windfinder.com/#12/37.0958/-8.6648
http://dpds.weatheronline.co.uk/historical_data/weather_stations_download/#forward
PHOTOS
https://www.flickr.com/search/?sort=relevance&advanced=1&text=ALGARVE&min_taken_date=1178143200&max_taken_date=1178315999
http://www.formulawindsurfing.org/event/112
GENERAL
https://www.cm-portimao.pt/
EXTRACTS
From the Hard Back edition
“madeleine” Kate McCann, 2011, Bantam Press. Random House
Version 1.0 Epub ISBN 9781446437605
ISBNs 9780593067918 (hb)
9780593067925 (tpb)
APPENDICES
A CLOUDS
B METAR Tutorial
C METAR report Faro
METAR report Sagres
C1 pdf METAR REPORT FARO 29/4/5
C2 pdf METAR REPORT FARO 3/5/7
D FLICKR Photos
E WINDSURFING photos Portimão
F STATEMENTS
APPENDIX A – CLOUDS
Personal collection, ‘google images’Re: PeterMac's FREE e-book: What really happened to Madeleine McCann?
Chapter 29: Fake News
Enlarge this imageReduce this image Click to see fullsize
UNTRUTH
When a normal person does it, it is called a Lie
When a child does it, it is called a Fib
When a person does it in court, it is called Perjury
When a politician does it, it is called Spin
When a journalist does it, it is called Fake News
But is there a difference ?
And why do we not like a Lie, teach a child to forgo a Fib, punish Perjury, but suck up Spin, and just shrug our shoulders and give up on Fake News ?
WIKI gives a reasonable definition of Fake news. [1]
Fake news is a neologism often used to refer to fabricated news. This type of news, found in traditional news, or fake news websites, has no basis in fact, but is presented as being factually accurate.
Claire Wardle of First Draft News identifies seven types of fake news
Those who have followed the Madeleine McCann case quickly became hypersensitive to the stream of Fake news and indeed outright lies put out by Team McCann through the compliant media. It quickly became clear, for example, that anything said by the spokesman Clarence Mitchell was likely to be the reverse of the objective and verifiable truth. Lists of his falsehoods have circulated for years.
And although at 11 years after the event, the stream of invented sightings has diminished, and the attention seems to have turned in a different direction, there remains a body of unconditional supporters of the McCanns who will hear nothing said against them, and who refuse to address issues raised by the available evidence.
Recently, and right on cue, the main offenders published two stories. The first about the impending decision of the ECHR in the case brought by the McCanns against the State of Portugal. The second about various aspects of the “Fund” and the six-monthly application for further funding for Operation Grange to continue.
Both appeared in the tabloid press, and were copied freely between and among them.
Both were so riddled with mistakes, falsehoods and downright lies that they are hardly worthy of comment, except to observe that the clear intention of both was somehow to present the McCanns as permanent victims of a cruel and inhuman system.
I append the references to both articles, and will confine myself to short extracts.
Daily Mail, online. [2]
Kate and Gerry McCann are returning to court to fight against the ex-detective who claimed they were responsible for Madeleine's death. No they are not. The ECHR does not take evidence from individuals, it considers documents and Legal arguments.
If they lose the case the pair will be forced to pay Goncalo Amaral £750,000, after he made a bid to sue them for compensation. No they will not. And no he did not.
The couple will face Amaral in the European Court, as public money which was funding the search for Madeleine is about to dry up. No they will not. The case is McCanns v Portugal, They have to show that Portuguese law and its Constitution is contrary to Human Rights. Their case against Dr Amaral was lost a long time ago. And in any event none of the parties ‘go’ anywhere.
A hearing is expected this year after Amaral decided to sue the McCanns when their libel case was overturned. No he did not.
The Sun, online [3]
The McCanns are embroiled in a row with Goncalo Amaral. No they are not. They took him to court, won at First Instance and then lost on Appeal and on final Appeal to the Supreme Court. That part of the case is finished, over, terminated, ‘res judicata’.
The legal action is aimed at overturning a Portuguese Supreme Court ruling that detective Goncalo Amaral — who wrote a book about the case claiming Madeleine died in Portugal and her parents covered it up — did not defame the McCanns. No it isn’t. It is about something else entirely.
If the couple lose the European Court of Human Rights case they face having to pay Amaral £430,000 in damages, plus costs, which could wipe out most of the remaining money. No they won’t. They do not have to pay Dr Amaral anything in Damages. He was the respondent in the original action. They sued HIM. And lost. So they have to pay full costs of all the actions.
As we see, if we ignore the inevitable padding in the articles, the only attempts at presentation of ‘facts’ are simply inaccurate, or wrong. Given that the authors have all the resources of their own legal departments and researchers, proof readers and sub-editors, these examples of False News can be classed as downright lies.
And furthermore, lies told with a specific intent, which makes them more sinister.
The manipulation of the public’s credulity by the Press may however be coming to a close.
The internet allows people to do their own ‘research’, and to cross check the facts against many other sources.
But the traditional dead-tree press continue to blunder on in the way they always have, secure in the delusion that they will be believed.
Increasingly they seem to be using a desperate form of self-justification to add an air of authority as in “I have been reporting on this case for 10 years and I can say . . . .” or “I was first on the scene . . . ” with the phrase “. . and therefore know more than you do” implied
One notable example is the free newspaper circulating in southern Spain - ”The Olive Press”.
The proprietor, who was once a decent investigative journalist, wrote the obligatory 10 year anniversary article, which also appears on the on-line version. [4]
In the article he repeats the following “Facts”.
“When I arrived at about 11.45am I was firstly able to walk into the apartment, where I introduced myself to the McCanns and told them I would do everything I could to help.
The only reporter on the scene till late that evening – apart from Sky News reporter Kate Burley, who happened to be on holiday there – I spent time grilling neighbours,”
Note: In the initial piece he referred to a KATE Burley, but he amended that to ‘Kay Burley’ after the Comments Section pointed out his mistake. But he has failed to amend the name to that of the journalist who WAS there. Ms Burley was in the UK at the time. Timed and dated video evidence of this fact exists and was pointed out to the author. The identify of the reporter who was there is known, and has been pointed out, but despite this, he has done nothing to correct his potentially serious allegation.
And then he introduces a very familiar “Straw Man” fallacious argument.
“These are just some of the reasons why I am convinced the McCanns did not kill their daughter.”
(This is also technically an Argumentum ad lapidem, a statement made forcibly, but without any relevant facts adduced, or a species of Proof by Repeated Assertion. The ‘facts’ he does adduce are entirely irrelevant to his conclusion, including as they do the number of people in the group, their professional status, and the fact that he personally cannot see how ‘it’ could have been achieved.)
He recounts one of the more egregious leads for which he was responsible
“. . . I inadvertently found myself interviewing a former nightclub bouncer in Huelva, who claimed he knew who snatched Maddie.
A huge Angolan chap, he told me she had been taken on order and was now, most l likely, in America.
We double checked his credentials, ran it past Maddie’s family and published a carefully worded and, I believe, sensitive piece, which then of course got picked up by the Sun to be splashed on its front page. Not so sensitively.” [5]
And he finishes with a nice journalistic oratorical flourish
“I doubt the case will ever be solved, but I am certain the parents were not involved.
And nor, should I add, was I.“
[ I think “And nor, I should add, was I”, is stylistically better; the personal pronouns separated slightly more for balance, but the iambic-anapestic-iambic is satisfying]
So how much of this is objectively true, how much is “Spin”, how much “Fake News”, and how much deliberate lying.
It is difficult to know where to start, but his criticism of The Sun is as good a place as any.
The facts are that he was writing exclusively for The SUN and other papers for many months. Even though he had his own newspaper which was in its early stages of development, he did not publish a single article about the case there until September or October. Some articles in the Sun appeared under his name alone, others jointly with Lazzeri, some with Emily Nash, some with others.
The Sun make no pretence that he is on their team. [6]
MOMENT HOL MUM'S WORLD FELL TO PIECES
Sun team: John Scott, Guy Patrick, Antonella Lazzeri, Alastair Taylor, John Coles, Gary O'Shea, Emma Cox, David Goodwin, Tom Worden, Jon Clarke and Doug Seeburg.
Which begs an important question.
Why did he ask me to refrain from making the link between him and News International in his Comments columns all those years ago ? I have refrained, but now, 11 years on, I feel able to reveal this apparently insignificant fact.
But let us go back, once again right to the beginning. Keep our eye on the squirrel.
He tells us he walked into the apartment, and spoke to the McCanns, and then spent time “grilling neighbours”.
He does NOT tell us and never has told us, about the state of the apartment, of the windows, of the shutters, of the curtains, or of the doors.
He does NOT tell us about the conversation he had with the McCanns, about their physical or emotional state, nor the story they told.
He does not tell us if he re-traced the walk from the Tapas bar to the apartment, or paced it out, or timed it, or indeed of anything he actually did.
Since he was there (and there is no reason to suspect that he was not) he will have seen that the shutters were NOT damaged in any way. He will - must - have observed this by mid-day.
But he clearly did not relay this first-hand information back to his employers. For several days many media outlets in the UK, both in print and television news, were repeating the totally false and frankly mendacious claim that the shutters had been forced or broken, jemmied or smashed.
Why did he not ?
It was left to John Hill, the manager of the Ocean Club to make that statement. Strangely, after his announcement he was quietly sidelined by the media and never again asked to comment. Not one reporter, investigative or otherwise, has published an in-depth interview with him about what he saw and what he found. Not one.
Why not ?
The question that springs up is not Why were they all doing this ?, but rather WHO was controlling this information flow, to ensure that the LIE about the shutters was repeated sufficiently often and for sufficiently long to enter the mendacious narrative ?
And WHO was paying for this mendacity ?
A Portuguese investigative journalist, (a real one) Paulo Reis, did some investigation of his own. Specifically he investigated the way in which ex-pat and British journalists were behaving, by going incognito into their midst. It is a fascinating or deeply worrying description, depending on your view of the role of the Media in modern society.
I quote a few short extracts. The entire article may be found in the references, [7]
. . . I approached the crowd of onlookers, tried to be close to the British journalists, listening what they were talking about. As it happens with most British coming to Portugal (and don’t take me wrong, I don’t want to be offensive) they believe “natives” could not understand English, so they talked. And talked a lot.
The comments of John Hill were published and broadcasted by the British Media only in the first couple of days after Maddie disappeared. Then, as people used to see in Soviet Union, something happened to Mr. John Hill: he just vanished from the newspapers pages and TV reports, like the rivals or supposed enemies of Stalin were erased from official pictures.
I collected a lot of information, during those three times I stayed “incognito” at Praia da Luz. I had the opportunity to find how the system set up by Alex Woolfall, from Bell Pottinger, worked, “managing” information released by PJ to the McCann couple and "feeding" it to be published and broadcasted (after some“adaptations”…) by British Media.
So let us look again at the two main claims for Friday 4th May 2007.
“When I arrived at about 11.45am I was firstly able to walk into the apartment, where I introduced myself to the McCanns and told them I would do everything I could to help.
There is no doubt about what he is saying. No doubt about the time, day, date or place. No doubt about the people. It is a straightforward and unequivocal statement of ‘fact’.
The PJ had taken photos of the scene during the night and early hours of the morning, and then, as is normal practice, sealed the scene, and left it under the control and supervision of the GNR. Their statements are clear, the practice is so normal as hardly to merit further consideration. [8]
Even Kate in her autobiography confirms this, though she puts a different interpretation on their presence [9].
p.81 I couldn’t see anyone about by this time, except for a couple of GNR police cars in the road outside and a handful of officers hanging around. None of them appeared to be doing very much.
And at 9 am
p.85. The GNR patrol was still in evidence, although again, there didn’t seem to be much sense of urgency
Around 10 am the McCanns were taken to Portimão to give statements. They did not return until 8.30 pm.
How can we be sure ?
Because the McCanns’ statements are timed and dated; the PJ officers’ statements covering the McCanns’ statements are timed and dated and confirm this; the Tapas 7 confirm it in their statements; AND Kate spells it out in great detail.
p. 88 It was about 10am by the time a couple of PJ officers turned up. (One of them, in his thirties, tall and well built, I thought of for ages simply as John. I’m not sure he ever gave us his name, but later – much later – we found out that it was João Carlos.) They told us they had to take us and our friends to the police station in Portimão. We couldn’t all go at once as somebody needed to look after the children. After some discussion, it was agreed that Gerry and I, Jane, David and Matt would be interviewed first and the PJ would come back for the others later in the day. Fiona and Dianne took Sean and Amelie to their club along with the other children. While our world was falling apart, the best way of trying to keep theirs together seemed to be to stick with what they were used to.
Gerry and I travelled in one police car with the others following in a second vehicle. It was an awful journey. It took twenty, twenty-five minutes, but it felt much longer.
And then
p. 92 We were completely unprepared for what we found when we drove back into Praia da Luz some time after 8.30pm.
Conclusion : - The McCanns were in Portimão, NOT in the apartment. And the apartment was sealed and under the control of the GNR until the arrival of the Forensic team.
The apartment was examined later that day in detail by Forensic scientists.
How do we know ?
Because it is normal practice; because their statements tell us what they did; because the list of things they did and the exhibits they collected is available for anyone to read; AND because Kate tells us in her autobiography that she watched the proceedings on the television in the police station in Portimão
p. 86. A forensic team also arrived from Lisbon that Friday. Having moved out of apartment 5A, we weren’t aware of exactly when, but presumably it was some time in the morning.
Her use of the Perfect Participle “having moved out”, carries in English the clear indication that this was an action which had been completed, and the context tells us this happened some time before the morning.
But the Author tells us he walked into the apartment and spoke to the McCanns . . .
As someone once said . . .
He then says something very strange - for an investigative journalist.
And this may be the clue, the brain leak, the hidden confession . . .
He says
“I introduced myself to the McCanns and told them I would do everything I could to help.”
He does not say he asked them for details; that he quickly rehearsed the story with them; that he had a look at the window and the shutters - (which even while he was there were being described across the English speaking news media as smashed, broken, forced and jemmied); he does not say he did any of the things an investigative journalist might reasonably be supposed to have done.
He told them he would do everything he could to HELP.
What part of an investigative journalist’s role is it to HELP the principal suspects in a case ?
But was that in fact his brief ? Has he just told the truth ?
Has he inadvertently revealed the link between News International and Team McCann ?
And does his admission that with the Angolan bouncer story he “ran it past Maddie’s family”. also give the game away ?
* * * * * * *
So in the space of one short piece of parrot-cage, cat-litter, free-paper ’journalism’ we have
Four classical fallacies. (Straw man, Argumentum ad hominem (abusive), Argumentum ad Lapidem and Proof by Repeated Assertion)
One demonstrably false story about a named person placed at the locus delicti - potentially a very serious allegation
Two further demonstrably false stories about his visit to the scene and about his speaking to the principle players in the Missing Person enquiry
One long story of extremely dubious content clearly designed to be repeated in the English gutter press.
But not much else.
The author had had 10 years to do the research, to cross check, to compare and contrast, to read the statements of the principal parties and others, to write out time lines, to think about alternative scenarios, and so on.
Instead of which he tells us he does “not believe the McCanns killed their daughter” !
Where then to place this ?
Can we say he is LYING ?
Tricky, for if he genuinely believes his own fantasy after 10 years then that is a species of delusion, and he is not culpable in the usual sense.
Can we say it is a FIB?
Not really. He is a self-professed investigative journalist who years ago did some good and perspicacious work. He is no longer a silly child.
Can we say it is PERJURY ?
Certainly not. He has never sworn or even averred or insisted that what he has said is the truth. (He is a journalist, and like Government spokesmen, they do not give evidence under oath). He has however said it, and written it in permanent and electronic form, and clearly expects it to be taken at face value and believed.
Can we say it is SPIN ?
We could, but that is normally reserved for politicians and their spokes-people. In any event this is not slight distortion of background truth. This is blatant invention.
Can we say it is FAKE NEWS ?
More difficult. We might have to delve into the intention behind writing the piece. It seems to fit three of Claire Wardle’s categories, but doesn’t sit easily there.
Or do we think it fits into another category ? That of a long and detailed conspiracy to deceive, in which the Author may be merely a innocent pawn, himself deceived into churning out nonsense stories for money without perhaps understanding the “Bigger Picture”, or understanding how so many small players were being manipulated, nor why or by whom.
I do not know.
I do not know why he wrote what he did, nor why he used the manner or tone in which he wrote it.
Nor do I know why having been given documentary proof of several glaring errors, he did not correct the article, or take it down.
These are indeed strange times.
Over the years we have grown to despise, revile and reject anything written by Lazzeri, or Kandohla, or said by Mitchell.
But his tragedy is this -
His credibility and personal veracity have been damaged
His credibility as a journalist is seriously damaged
His credibility as an investigative journalist was lost long ago
The credibility of his newspaper has gone
He can no longer rely on anyone’s believing anything written by him, either before or since.
In mitigation we can suggest that he is an old fashioned wordsmith, trained in a pre-internet age, and believing that by putting his words on paper and on-line they somehow acquire ‘gravitas’. The reality is different.
He is not alone. Team McCann had clearly also not seen it coming, and had not realised that so much of the documentary evidence would be released into the public domain, or subject to the detailed scrutiny it has had over the past decade.
We no longer live in the Age of Credulity and Gullibility
Journalists may not like it, but we no longer do.
And behind all this is the fear that we may all be being manipulated by the Press, under the control of an Orwellian MiniTrue
Let us hope it is more Lewis Carrol. (Alice Through the Looking Glass)
Alice laughed. 'There's no use trying,' she said, 'one can't believe impossible things.’
'I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.
REFS:
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fake_news
2 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6178661/Public-fund-Madeline-McCann-WIPED-upcoming-court-case.html
3 https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7319265/madeleine-mccann-donations-dried-up/
4 http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2017/05/11/madeleine-mccann-olive-press-editor-talks-first-journalist-scene-10th-anniversary-disappearance/
5 https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/news/379292/madeleine-mccann-is-in-america-and-i-know-who-took-her/
This is the Sun article in question.
Madeleine McCann is in America – and I know who took her
From EMILY NASH and JON CLARKE in Huelva, Spain
18th February 2011, 12:00 am Updated: 4th April 2016, 8:00 pm
AN INVESTIGATOR has told cops Madeleine McCann was taken to the US — and he has named two key suspects.
Marcelino Italiano, 36, said she had been snatched by an Algarve-based
paedophile ring.
Angolan-born Italiano said the gang of influential and dangerous perverts had
hunted children in the Algarve before smuggling them out of Portugal.
And he told how he had to flee for his life when his investigations threatened
to unmask them. . . .
The facts, if anyone is interested, are that Huelva is just over an hour’s drive from Faro along the coast into Spain. There is no border control as both countries are within the Schengen zone. The English expression “flee for his life” tends to imply something slightly more than this.
And if anyone cares to ‘double check his credentials’ they will discover very easily that Italiano lived and worked in Huelva, and had done so for some time, being named as one of the main players in the local basketball team. His height of 6’4” must have been of great benefit, as they were promoted in their first season. He also clearly made no attempt to hide his identity or whereabouts.
6 http://newsoutlines.blogspot.com/2007/05/shutters-had-been-jemmied-maddie-was_05.html
Shutters had been jemmied.. Maddie was gone
John Askill and Julie Moult in Praia da Luz, Portugal, and James Clench in London
5 May 2007
The Sun
MOMENT HOL MUM'S WORLD FELL TO PIECES
Sun team: John Scott, Guy Patrick, Antonella Lazzeri, Alastair Taylor, John Coles, Gary O'Shea, Emma Cox, David Goodwin, Tom Worden, Jon Clarke and Doug Seeburg.
7 https://gazetadigitalmadeleinecase.blogspot.com/search?q=undercover&max-results=20&by-date=true
Thursday, 10 May 2018
Why I went undercover to Praia da Luz
8 http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/VITOR_MARTINS.htm#p15p3862
After the site had been isolated, he proceeded to make an inspection, together with the inspection and photographic report carried out by Deputy Specialist Joao Barreiras.
* * *
He then states that upon leaving the apartment was locked, leaving the space preserved for the GNR elements that were stationed next to the apartment.
9 ‘madeleine’, Kate McCann, 2011, Bantam Press
APPENDIX
Ref 7
https://gazetadigitalmadeleinecase.blogspot.com/search?q=undercover&max-results=20&by-date=true
Paulo Reis, Thursday, 10 May 2018
Why I went undercover to Praia da Luz
In 2007, I wrote in my blog “Madeleine McCann Disappearance” that I went to Praia da Luz once. That is not truth. But this not exactly a lie. I went once, as a journalist. I was there three other times, acting not as a journalist, but playing the “role” of another “Portuguese native”, curious like all the other inhabitants of the small village about what was going on with Madeleine McCann’s police investigation.
Before going there, those three times, I took some precautions. I shaved my hair just like a skinhead (I had it medium to long-sized), cut my moustache and, to help the “disguise”, at the time I already had to use glasses. It’s amazing how much these little details can change your appearance. I didn’t want to be recognized by other colleagues, journalist that knew me before.
I had something in my favor. In 1986, I went to Macau and stayed there until 1997. Came back to Portugal, worked on a national weekly newspaper “O Independente”, between 1989 and 2004. I had editorial responsibilities, so spend most of my time in the office, not in the street, reporting and getting in touch with other journalists. Between 2004 and 2008, I worked as a freelance journalist.
Many of the colleagues that knew me before 1986 had a successful career and are, actually, working at top jobs, in newspapers, radios and TV. The actual editor of “Correio da Manhã”, the leading daily newspaper in Portugal, Octávio Ribeiro, around 1984/85, was just a young man, friend of a fiend of mine, also journalist and, at the time, I think he wasn’t planning a career in journalism. My good friend António Ribeiro Ferreira, who I know since 1981 as we started as journalists at the same time, in the same newspaper, was until recently editor of a daily newspaper, the “i”. Nuno Tiago Pinto, who was a trainee at “O Independente”, now is deputy-editor of “Sábado”, a weekly news magazine. They just stay in the office, don't go out for reporting.
PLAYING A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE
While I was at Praia da Luz, I kept a closed eye on Portuguese journalists that were there, reporting. They had the natural tendency of bundling together, exchanging tips and information, so it was easy to spot them. During those three stays at Praia da Luz, I detected only two journalists that knew me: Rui Gustavo, from the weekly “Expresso” and Francisco Leong, a photographer from Agence France Press.
I was sleeping in a tent with capacity only for one person, at a camping park, a few miles from Praia da Luz and I always parked my Honda CB 500 far from the place where action was going on, near the Ocean Club resort. I approached the area carefully, trying to spot those two friends and, in case of a “positive identification”, I just change my path and went to a coffee-shop near by, waiting until they left the area.
When there was no risk to meet them, I approached the crowd of onlookers, tried to be close to the British journalists, listening what they were talking about. As it happens with most British coming to Portugal (and don’t take me wrong, I don’t want to be offensive) they believe “natives” could not understand English, so they talked. And talked a lot.
After lunch, I spend time at the terrace of supermarket Batista, very close to Ocean Park and the only place where you could buy all British newspapers. But I never bought a single one, always choose one or two Portuguese newspaper and spend a long time reading them. Many British journalists spend their free time in that sunny terrace. They had laptops, mobile connection to Internet, fresh beer and some snacks. They sat down in groups of three or four and, once again, they talked among them with the same lack of basic precautions, convinced that the few “natives” sitting there English illiterates.
At the end of the afternoon and after dinner time, I used to made a round up through a few bars were retired British expatriates met, for a couple of beers and a small chat. Late at night, I had the routine of going to the two only places that were open until dawn. There was a big disco, but I don’t remember the name, and a bar, I think it was known as the “Carlos Bar” – but I’m not absolutely sure.
There, I played the role of a joyful “native” who had a couple of beers more that he should, but always in a good and happy mood, choosing carefully my “targets” (groups of British journalists), making toasts with them, trying to make “contact”, and speaking in a rather primitive and basic English.
THE REASONS WHY I DID IT
Some people may question the ethics of this behaviour, from the point of view of the Deontological Code of Portuguese Journalists, “spying” on his own colleagues. May be this a matter for discussion and debate and there will be, of course different views. I did what I did because, since the beginning of this case, when I was in Lisbon, sleeping 5/6 hours and spending the remaining of the day (and night) zapping through Sky News, BBC, ITV, checking dozens of British website newspapers and online news sites, I had the feeling that there was something strange, in the way UK Media was reporting the case.
I remember one of the first details that called my attention: the alleged broken shutters, and the Press reports “quoting” that “Gerry and Kate reportedly believed someone had ‘jemmied open’ the shutters to get into (Madeleine) her bedroom”.
A direct testimony of Kate McCann was more clear: at 10.00pm she checked the children and “she becomes alarmed when she reaches out to the children's bedroom door and it blows shut. Inside the room, the window is open and the shutter is up. The twins are sleeping but Madeleine's bed is empty.” More details came from Gerry McCann. He told Polícia Judiciária “that, when he was first alerted to the disappearance, he had lowered the shutter, then had gone outside and discovered that it could be raised only from the outside”. Against this, the police said the shutter could not be raised from the outside without being forced, but there was no sign of forced entry; they also said forcing the shutter open would have caused a lot of noise.
"Trish Cameron and Philomena McCann, Gerry’s sisters, Jill Renwick, a family friend and Jon Corner, Madeleine’s godparent were important key players in the McCann’s campaign of manipulation and distortion, since the early hours. Despite the clear and blunt denials of John Hill, the Ocean resort manager, Portuguese police and witnesses, they insisted that the shutters of apartment 5A were “jemmied” or “broken” and – small but interesting detail – the door, which had been locked, was open.”
The comments of John Hill were published and broadcasted by the British Media only in the first couple of days after Maddie disappeared. Than, as people was used to see in Soviet Union, something happened to Mr. John Hill: he just vanished from the newspapers pages and TV reports, like the rivals or supposed enemies of Stalin were erased from official pictures.
I collected a lot of information, during those three times I stayed “incognito” at Praia da Luz. I had the opportunity to find how the system set up by Alex Woolfall, from Bell Pottinger, worked, “managing” information released by PJ to the McCann couple and "feeding" it to be published and broadcasted (after some“adaptations”…) by British Media. It will be the subject, soon, of another detailed post in my blog.
I must tell one of the most curious stories of this case. Around September 2007, after the McCann were made “arguidos”, his British lawyers from Carter-Ruck asked for meetings with the editorial board of several UK Media organisations. One of the newspapers that got the request was a little bit uncomfortable, expecting something bad, from that meeting. So, minutes before, the team of lawyers from the newspaper came in and waited in another room, ready for a confrontation with Carter-Ruck lawyers, as they were expecting some kind of legal threat that could take them to court.
But the newspaper’s lawyers spend around 30 minutes waiting for nothing. All that the Carter-Ruck lawyers wanted to explain to the editorial board of that newspaper (and they did the same with other Media organizations) was that, according to the Portuguese Law, if there was no body found,the McCann never could be accused of nothing…
That, is not truth. Recently, a group pf criminals kidnapped a Portuguese businessman, to demand a ransom. They killed him and dissolved his body in a tank with sulfuric acid, leaving no trace, not even a small piece that could be used for a DNA analysis. But they were arrested, went on trial and sentenced, because their phones were wiretapped and PJ collected other strong evidence, enough to convince the court send them to prison for 25 years.
Enlarge this imageReduce this image Click to see fullsize
UNTRUTH
When a normal person does it, it is called a Lie
When a child does it, it is called a Fib
When a person does it in court, it is called Perjury
When a politician does it, it is called Spin
When a journalist does it, it is called Fake News
But is there a difference ?
And why do we not like a Lie, teach a child to forgo a Fib, punish Perjury, but suck up Spin, and just shrug our shoulders and give up on Fake News ?
WIKI gives a reasonable definition of Fake news. [1]
Fake news is a neologism often used to refer to fabricated news. This type of news, found in traditional news, or fake news websites, has no basis in fact, but is presented as being factually accurate.
Claire Wardle of First Draft News identifies seven types of fake news
- satire or parody ("no intention to cause harm but has potential to fool")
- false connection ("when headlines, visuals or captions don't support the content")
- misleading content ("misleading use of information to frame an issue or an individual")
- false context ("when genuine content is shared with false contextual information")
- imposter content ("when genuine sources are impersonated" with false, made-up sources)
- manipulated content ("when genuine information or imagery is manipulated to deceive", as with a "doctored" photo)
- fabricated content ("new content is 100% false, designed to deceive and do harm”)
Those who have followed the Madeleine McCann case quickly became hypersensitive to the stream of Fake news and indeed outright lies put out by Team McCann through the compliant media. It quickly became clear, for example, that anything said by the spokesman Clarence Mitchell was likely to be the reverse of the objective and verifiable truth. Lists of his falsehoods have circulated for years.
And although at 11 years after the event, the stream of invented sightings has diminished, and the attention seems to have turned in a different direction, there remains a body of unconditional supporters of the McCanns who will hear nothing said against them, and who refuse to address issues raised by the available evidence.
Recently, and right on cue, the main offenders published two stories. The first about the impending decision of the ECHR in the case brought by the McCanns against the State of Portugal. The second about various aspects of the “Fund” and the six-monthly application for further funding for Operation Grange to continue.
Both appeared in the tabloid press, and were copied freely between and among them.
Both were so riddled with mistakes, falsehoods and downright lies that they are hardly worthy of comment, except to observe that the clear intention of both was somehow to present the McCanns as permanent victims of a cruel and inhuman system.
I append the references to both articles, and will confine myself to short extracts.
Daily Mail, online. [2]
Kate and Gerry McCann are returning to court to fight against the ex-detective who claimed they were responsible for Madeleine's death. No they are not. The ECHR does not take evidence from individuals, it considers documents and Legal arguments.
If they lose the case the pair will be forced to pay Goncalo Amaral £750,000, after he made a bid to sue them for compensation. No they will not. And no he did not.
The couple will face Amaral in the European Court, as public money which was funding the search for Madeleine is about to dry up. No they will not. The case is McCanns v Portugal, They have to show that Portuguese law and its Constitution is contrary to Human Rights. Their case against Dr Amaral was lost a long time ago. And in any event none of the parties ‘go’ anywhere.
A hearing is expected this year after Amaral decided to sue the McCanns when their libel case was overturned. No he did not.
The Sun, online [3]
The McCanns are embroiled in a row with Goncalo Amaral. No they are not. They took him to court, won at First Instance and then lost on Appeal and on final Appeal to the Supreme Court. That part of the case is finished, over, terminated, ‘res judicata’.
The legal action is aimed at overturning a Portuguese Supreme Court ruling that detective Goncalo Amaral — who wrote a book about the case claiming Madeleine died in Portugal and her parents covered it up — did not defame the McCanns. No it isn’t. It is about something else entirely.
If the couple lose the European Court of Human Rights case they face having to pay Amaral £430,000 in damages, plus costs, which could wipe out most of the remaining money. No they won’t. They do not have to pay Dr Amaral anything in Damages. He was the respondent in the original action. They sued HIM. And lost. So they have to pay full costs of all the actions.
As we see, if we ignore the inevitable padding in the articles, the only attempts at presentation of ‘facts’ are simply inaccurate, or wrong. Given that the authors have all the resources of their own legal departments and researchers, proof readers and sub-editors, these examples of False News can be classed as downright lies.
And furthermore, lies told with a specific intent, which makes them more sinister.
The manipulation of the public’s credulity by the Press may however be coming to a close.
The internet allows people to do their own ‘research’, and to cross check the facts against many other sources.
But the traditional dead-tree press continue to blunder on in the way they always have, secure in the delusion that they will be believed.
Increasingly they seem to be using a desperate form of self-justification to add an air of authority as in “I have been reporting on this case for 10 years and I can say . . . .” or “I was first on the scene . . . ” with the phrase “. . and therefore know more than you do” implied
One notable example is the free newspaper circulating in southern Spain - ”The Olive Press”.
The proprietor, who was once a decent investigative journalist, wrote the obligatory 10 year anniversary article, which also appears on the on-line version. [4]
In the article he repeats the following “Facts”.
“When I arrived at about 11.45am I was firstly able to walk into the apartment, where I introduced myself to the McCanns and told them I would do everything I could to help.
The only reporter on the scene till late that evening – apart from Sky News reporter Kate Burley, who happened to be on holiday there – I spent time grilling neighbours,”
Note: In the initial piece he referred to a KATE Burley, but he amended that to ‘Kay Burley’ after the Comments Section pointed out his mistake. But he has failed to amend the name to that of the journalist who WAS there. Ms Burley was in the UK at the time. Timed and dated video evidence of this fact exists and was pointed out to the author. The identify of the reporter who was there is known, and has been pointed out, but despite this, he has done nothing to correct his potentially serious allegation.
And then he introduces a very familiar “Straw Man” fallacious argument.
“These are just some of the reasons why I am convinced the McCanns did not kill their daughter.”
(This is also technically an Argumentum ad lapidem, a statement made forcibly, but without any relevant facts adduced, or a species of Proof by Repeated Assertion. The ‘facts’ he does adduce are entirely irrelevant to his conclusion, including as they do the number of people in the group, their professional status, and the fact that he personally cannot see how ‘it’ could have been achieved.)
He recounts one of the more egregious leads for which he was responsible
“. . . I inadvertently found myself interviewing a former nightclub bouncer in Huelva, who claimed he knew who snatched Maddie.
A huge Angolan chap, he told me she had been taken on order and was now, most l likely, in America.
We double checked his credentials, ran it past Maddie’s family and published a carefully worded and, I believe, sensitive piece, which then of course got picked up by the Sun to be splashed on its front page. Not so sensitively.” [5]
And he finishes with a nice journalistic oratorical flourish
“I doubt the case will ever be solved, but I am certain the parents were not involved.
And nor, should I add, was I.“
[ I think “And nor, I should add, was I”, is stylistically better; the personal pronouns separated slightly more for balance, but the iambic-anapestic-iambic is satisfying]
So how much of this is objectively true, how much is “Spin”, how much “Fake News”, and how much deliberate lying.
It is difficult to know where to start, but his criticism of The Sun is as good a place as any.
The facts are that he was writing exclusively for The SUN and other papers for many months. Even though he had his own newspaper which was in its early stages of development, he did not publish a single article about the case there until September or October. Some articles in the Sun appeared under his name alone, others jointly with Lazzeri, some with Emily Nash, some with others.
The Sun make no pretence that he is on their team. [6]
MOMENT HOL MUM'S WORLD FELL TO PIECES
Sun team: John Scott, Guy Patrick, Antonella Lazzeri, Alastair Taylor, John Coles, Gary O'Shea, Emma Cox, David Goodwin, Tom Worden, Jon Clarke and Doug Seeburg.
Which begs an important question.
Why did he ask me to refrain from making the link between him and News International in his Comments columns all those years ago ? I have refrained, but now, 11 years on, I feel able to reveal this apparently insignificant fact.
But let us go back, once again right to the beginning. Keep our eye on the squirrel.
He tells us he walked into the apartment, and spoke to the McCanns, and then spent time “grilling neighbours”.
He does NOT tell us and never has told us, about the state of the apartment, of the windows, of the shutters, of the curtains, or of the doors.
He does NOT tell us about the conversation he had with the McCanns, about their physical or emotional state, nor the story they told.
He does not tell us if he re-traced the walk from the Tapas bar to the apartment, or paced it out, or timed it, or indeed of anything he actually did.
Since he was there (and there is no reason to suspect that he was not) he will have seen that the shutters were NOT damaged in any way. He will - must - have observed this by mid-day.
But he clearly did not relay this first-hand information back to his employers. For several days many media outlets in the UK, both in print and television news, were repeating the totally false and frankly mendacious claim that the shutters had been forced or broken, jemmied or smashed.
Why did he not ?
It was left to John Hill, the manager of the Ocean Club to make that statement. Strangely, after his announcement he was quietly sidelined by the media and never again asked to comment. Not one reporter, investigative or otherwise, has published an in-depth interview with him about what he saw and what he found. Not one.
Why not ?
The question that springs up is not Why were they all doing this ?, but rather WHO was controlling this information flow, to ensure that the LIE about the shutters was repeated sufficiently often and for sufficiently long to enter the mendacious narrative ?
And WHO was paying for this mendacity ?
A Portuguese investigative journalist, (a real one) Paulo Reis, did some investigation of his own. Specifically he investigated the way in which ex-pat and British journalists were behaving, by going incognito into their midst. It is a fascinating or deeply worrying description, depending on your view of the role of the Media in modern society.
I quote a few short extracts. The entire article may be found in the references, [7]
. . . I approached the crowd of onlookers, tried to be close to the British journalists, listening what they were talking about. As it happens with most British coming to Portugal (and don’t take me wrong, I don’t want to be offensive) they believe “natives” could not understand English, so they talked. And talked a lot.
The comments of John Hill were published and broadcasted by the British Media only in the first couple of days after Maddie disappeared. Then, as people used to see in Soviet Union, something happened to Mr. John Hill: he just vanished from the newspapers pages and TV reports, like the rivals or supposed enemies of Stalin were erased from official pictures.
I collected a lot of information, during those three times I stayed “incognito” at Praia da Luz. I had the opportunity to find how the system set up by Alex Woolfall, from Bell Pottinger, worked, “managing” information released by PJ to the McCann couple and "feeding" it to be published and broadcasted (after some“adaptations”…) by British Media.
So let us look again at the two main claims for Friday 4th May 2007.
“When I arrived at about 11.45am I was firstly able to walk into the apartment, where I introduced myself to the McCanns and told them I would do everything I could to help.
There is no doubt about what he is saying. No doubt about the time, day, date or place. No doubt about the people. It is a straightforward and unequivocal statement of ‘fact’.
The PJ had taken photos of the scene during the night and early hours of the morning, and then, as is normal practice, sealed the scene, and left it under the control and supervision of the GNR. Their statements are clear, the practice is so normal as hardly to merit further consideration. [8]
Even Kate in her autobiography confirms this, though she puts a different interpretation on their presence [9].
p.81 I couldn’t see anyone about by this time, except for a couple of GNR police cars in the road outside and a handful of officers hanging around. None of them appeared to be doing very much.
And at 9 am
p.85. The GNR patrol was still in evidence, although again, there didn’t seem to be much sense of urgency
Around 10 am the McCanns were taken to Portimão to give statements. They did not return until 8.30 pm.
How can we be sure ?
Because the McCanns’ statements are timed and dated; the PJ officers’ statements covering the McCanns’ statements are timed and dated and confirm this; the Tapas 7 confirm it in their statements; AND Kate spells it out in great detail.
p. 88 It was about 10am by the time a couple of PJ officers turned up. (One of them, in his thirties, tall and well built, I thought of for ages simply as John. I’m not sure he ever gave us his name, but later – much later – we found out that it was João Carlos.) They told us they had to take us and our friends to the police station in Portimão. We couldn’t all go at once as somebody needed to look after the children. After some discussion, it was agreed that Gerry and I, Jane, David and Matt would be interviewed first and the PJ would come back for the others later in the day. Fiona and Dianne took Sean and Amelie to their club along with the other children. While our world was falling apart, the best way of trying to keep theirs together seemed to be to stick with what they were used to.
Gerry and I travelled in one police car with the others following in a second vehicle. It was an awful journey. It took twenty, twenty-five minutes, but it felt much longer.
And then
p. 92 We were completely unprepared for what we found when we drove back into Praia da Luz some time after 8.30pm.
Conclusion : - The McCanns were in Portimão, NOT in the apartment. And the apartment was sealed and under the control of the GNR until the arrival of the Forensic team.
The apartment was examined later that day in detail by Forensic scientists.
How do we know ?
Because it is normal practice; because their statements tell us what they did; because the list of things they did and the exhibits they collected is available for anyone to read; AND because Kate tells us in her autobiography that she watched the proceedings on the television in the police station in Portimão
p. 86. A forensic team also arrived from Lisbon that Friday. Having moved out of apartment 5A, we weren’t aware of exactly when, but presumably it was some time in the morning.
Her use of the Perfect Participle “having moved out”, carries in English the clear indication that this was an action which had been completed, and the context tells us this happened some time before the morning.
But the Author tells us he walked into the apartment and spoke to the McCanns . . .
As someone once said . . .
“And surely Brutus is an honourable man . . .”
He then says something very strange - for an investigative journalist.
And this may be the clue, the brain leak, the hidden confession . . .
He says
“I introduced myself to the McCanns and told them I would do everything I could to help.”
He does not say he asked them for details; that he quickly rehearsed the story with them; that he had a look at the window and the shutters - (which even while he was there were being described across the English speaking news media as smashed, broken, forced and jemmied); he does not say he did any of the things an investigative journalist might reasonably be supposed to have done.
He told them he would do everything he could to HELP.
What part of an investigative journalist’s role is it to HELP the principal suspects in a case ?
But was that in fact his brief ? Has he just told the truth ?
Has he inadvertently revealed the link between News International and Team McCann ?
And does his admission that with the Angolan bouncer story he “ran it past Maddie’s family”. also give the game away ?
* * * * * * *
So in the space of one short piece of parrot-cage, cat-litter, free-paper ’journalism’ we have
Four classical fallacies. (Straw man, Argumentum ad hominem (abusive), Argumentum ad Lapidem and Proof by Repeated Assertion)
One demonstrably false story about a named person placed at the locus delicti - potentially a very serious allegation
Two further demonstrably false stories about his visit to the scene and about his speaking to the principle players in the Missing Person enquiry
One long story of extremely dubious content clearly designed to be repeated in the English gutter press.
But not much else.
The author had had 10 years to do the research, to cross check, to compare and contrast, to read the statements of the principal parties and others, to write out time lines, to think about alternative scenarios, and so on.
Instead of which he tells us he does “not believe the McCanns killed their daughter” !
Where then to place this ?
Can we say he is LYING ?
Tricky, for if he genuinely believes his own fantasy after 10 years then that is a species of delusion, and he is not culpable in the usual sense.
Can we say it is a FIB?
Not really. He is a self-professed investigative journalist who years ago did some good and perspicacious work. He is no longer a silly child.
Can we say it is PERJURY ?
Certainly not. He has never sworn or even averred or insisted that what he has said is the truth. (He is a journalist, and like Government spokesmen, they do not give evidence under oath). He has however said it, and written it in permanent and electronic form, and clearly expects it to be taken at face value and believed.
Can we say it is SPIN ?
We could, but that is normally reserved for politicians and their spokes-people. In any event this is not slight distortion of background truth. This is blatant invention.
Can we say it is FAKE NEWS ?
More difficult. We might have to delve into the intention behind writing the piece. It seems to fit three of Claire Wardle’s categories, but doesn’t sit easily there.
Or do we think it fits into another category ? That of a long and detailed conspiracy to deceive, in which the Author may be merely a innocent pawn, himself deceived into churning out nonsense stories for money without perhaps understanding the “Bigger Picture”, or understanding how so many small players were being manipulated, nor why or by whom.
I do not know.
I do not know why he wrote what he did, nor why he used the manner or tone in which he wrote it.
Nor do I know why having been given documentary proof of several glaring errors, he did not correct the article, or take it down.
These are indeed strange times.
Over the years we have grown to despise, revile and reject anything written by Lazzeri, or Kandohla, or said by Mitchell.
But his tragedy is this -
His credibility and personal veracity have been damaged
His credibility as a journalist is seriously damaged
His credibility as an investigative journalist was lost long ago
The credibility of his newspaper has gone
He can no longer rely on anyone’s believing anything written by him, either before or since.
In mitigation we can suggest that he is an old fashioned wordsmith, trained in a pre-internet age, and believing that by putting his words on paper and on-line they somehow acquire ‘gravitas’. The reality is different.
He is not alone. Team McCann had clearly also not seen it coming, and had not realised that so much of the documentary evidence would be released into the public domain, or subject to the detailed scrutiny it has had over the past decade.
We no longer live in the Age of Credulity and Gullibility
Journalists may not like it, but we no longer do.
And behind all this is the fear that we may all be being manipulated by the Press, under the control of an Orwellian MiniTrue
Let us hope it is more Lewis Carrol. (Alice Through the Looking Glass)
Alice laughed. 'There's no use trying,' she said, 'one can't believe impossible things.’
'I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.
As someone else once more trenchantly remarked -
“You are entitled to your own opinion
“You are entitled to your own opinion
You are NOT entitled to your own set of facts.”
REFS:
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fake_news
2 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6178661/Public-fund-Madeline-McCann-WIPED-upcoming-court-case.html
3 https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7319265/madeleine-mccann-donations-dried-up/
4 http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2017/05/11/madeleine-mccann-olive-press-editor-talks-first-journalist-scene-10th-anniversary-disappearance/
5 https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/news/379292/madeleine-mccann-is-in-america-and-i-know-who-took-her/
This is the Sun article in question.
Madeleine McCann is in America – and I know who took her
From EMILY NASH and JON CLARKE in Huelva, Spain
18th February 2011, 12:00 am Updated: 4th April 2016, 8:00 pm
AN INVESTIGATOR has told cops Madeleine McCann was taken to the US — and he has named two key suspects.
Marcelino Italiano, 36, said she had been snatched by an Algarve-based
paedophile ring.
Angolan-born Italiano said the gang of influential and dangerous perverts had
hunted children in the Algarve before smuggling them out of Portugal.
And he told how he had to flee for his life when his investigations threatened
to unmask them. . . .
The facts, if anyone is interested, are that Huelva is just over an hour’s drive from Faro along the coast into Spain. There is no border control as both countries are within the Schengen zone. The English expression “flee for his life” tends to imply something slightly more than this.
And if anyone cares to ‘double check his credentials’ they will discover very easily that Italiano lived and worked in Huelva, and had done so for some time, being named as one of the main players in the local basketball team. His height of 6’4” must have been of great benefit, as they were promoted in their first season. He also clearly made no attempt to hide his identity or whereabouts.
6 http://newsoutlines.blogspot.com/2007/05/shutters-had-been-jemmied-maddie-was_05.html
Shutters had been jemmied.. Maddie was gone
John Askill and Julie Moult in Praia da Luz, Portugal, and James Clench in London
5 May 2007
The Sun
MOMENT HOL MUM'S WORLD FELL TO PIECES
Sun team: John Scott, Guy Patrick, Antonella Lazzeri, Alastair Taylor, John Coles, Gary O'Shea, Emma Cox, David Goodwin, Tom Worden, Jon Clarke and Doug Seeburg.
7 https://gazetadigitalmadeleinecase.blogspot.com/search?q=undercover&max-results=20&by-date=true
Thursday, 10 May 2018
Why I went undercover to Praia da Luz
8 http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/VITOR_MARTINS.htm#p15p3862
After the site had been isolated, he proceeded to make an inspection, together with the inspection and photographic report carried out by Deputy Specialist Joao Barreiras.
* * *
He then states that upon leaving the apartment was locked, leaving the space preserved for the GNR elements that were stationed next to the apartment.
9 ‘madeleine’, Kate McCann, 2011, Bantam Press
APPENDIX
Ref 7
https://gazetadigitalmadeleinecase.blogspot.com/search?q=undercover&max-results=20&by-date=true
Paulo Reis, Thursday, 10 May 2018
Why I went undercover to Praia da Luz
In 2007, I wrote in my blog “Madeleine McCann Disappearance” that I went to Praia da Luz once. That is not truth. But this not exactly a lie. I went once, as a journalist. I was there three other times, acting not as a journalist, but playing the “role” of another “Portuguese native”, curious like all the other inhabitants of the small village about what was going on with Madeleine McCann’s police investigation.
Before going there, those three times, I took some precautions. I shaved my hair just like a skinhead (I had it medium to long-sized), cut my moustache and, to help the “disguise”, at the time I already had to use glasses. It’s amazing how much these little details can change your appearance. I didn’t want to be recognized by other colleagues, journalist that knew me before.
I had something in my favor. In 1986, I went to Macau and stayed there until 1997. Came back to Portugal, worked on a national weekly newspaper “O Independente”, between 1989 and 2004. I had editorial responsibilities, so spend most of my time in the office, not in the street, reporting and getting in touch with other journalists. Between 2004 and 2008, I worked as a freelance journalist.
Many of the colleagues that knew me before 1986 had a successful career and are, actually, working at top jobs, in newspapers, radios and TV. The actual editor of “Correio da Manhã”, the leading daily newspaper in Portugal, Octávio Ribeiro, around 1984/85, was just a young man, friend of a fiend of mine, also journalist and, at the time, I think he wasn’t planning a career in journalism. My good friend António Ribeiro Ferreira, who I know since 1981 as we started as journalists at the same time, in the same newspaper, was until recently editor of a daily newspaper, the “i”. Nuno Tiago Pinto, who was a trainee at “O Independente”, now is deputy-editor of “Sábado”, a weekly news magazine. They just stay in the office, don't go out for reporting.
PLAYING A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE
While I was at Praia da Luz, I kept a closed eye on Portuguese journalists that were there, reporting. They had the natural tendency of bundling together, exchanging tips and information, so it was easy to spot them. During those three stays at Praia da Luz, I detected only two journalists that knew me: Rui Gustavo, from the weekly “Expresso” and Francisco Leong, a photographer from Agence France Press.
I was sleeping in a tent with capacity only for one person, at a camping park, a few miles from Praia da Luz and I always parked my Honda CB 500 far from the place where action was going on, near the Ocean Club resort. I approached the area carefully, trying to spot those two friends and, in case of a “positive identification”, I just change my path and went to a coffee-shop near by, waiting until they left the area.
When there was no risk to meet them, I approached the crowd of onlookers, tried to be close to the British journalists, listening what they were talking about. As it happens with most British coming to Portugal (and don’t take me wrong, I don’t want to be offensive) they believe “natives” could not understand English, so they talked. And talked a lot.
After lunch, I spend time at the terrace of supermarket Batista, very close to Ocean Park and the only place where you could buy all British newspapers. But I never bought a single one, always choose one or two Portuguese newspaper and spend a long time reading them. Many British journalists spend their free time in that sunny terrace. They had laptops, mobile connection to Internet, fresh beer and some snacks. They sat down in groups of three or four and, once again, they talked among them with the same lack of basic precautions, convinced that the few “natives” sitting there English illiterates.
At the end of the afternoon and after dinner time, I used to made a round up through a few bars were retired British expatriates met, for a couple of beers and a small chat. Late at night, I had the routine of going to the two only places that were open until dawn. There was a big disco, but I don’t remember the name, and a bar, I think it was known as the “Carlos Bar” – but I’m not absolutely sure.
There, I played the role of a joyful “native” who had a couple of beers more that he should, but always in a good and happy mood, choosing carefully my “targets” (groups of British journalists), making toasts with them, trying to make “contact”, and speaking in a rather primitive and basic English.
THE REASONS WHY I DID IT
Some people may question the ethics of this behaviour, from the point of view of the Deontological Code of Portuguese Journalists, “spying” on his own colleagues. May be this a matter for discussion and debate and there will be, of course different views. I did what I did because, since the beginning of this case, when I was in Lisbon, sleeping 5/6 hours and spending the remaining of the day (and night) zapping through Sky News, BBC, ITV, checking dozens of British website newspapers and online news sites, I had the feeling that there was something strange, in the way UK Media was reporting the case.
I remember one of the first details that called my attention: the alleged broken shutters, and the Press reports “quoting” that “Gerry and Kate reportedly believed someone had ‘jemmied open’ the shutters to get into (Madeleine) her bedroom”.
A direct testimony of Kate McCann was more clear: at 10.00pm she checked the children and “she becomes alarmed when she reaches out to the children's bedroom door and it blows shut. Inside the room, the window is open and the shutter is up. The twins are sleeping but Madeleine's bed is empty.” More details came from Gerry McCann. He told Polícia Judiciária “that, when he was first alerted to the disappearance, he had lowered the shutter, then had gone outside and discovered that it could be raised only from the outside”. Against this, the police said the shutter could not be raised from the outside without being forced, but there was no sign of forced entry; they also said forcing the shutter open would have caused a lot of noise.
"Trish Cameron and Philomena McCann, Gerry’s sisters, Jill Renwick, a family friend and Jon Corner, Madeleine’s godparent were important key players in the McCann’s campaign of manipulation and distortion, since the early hours. Despite the clear and blunt denials of John Hill, the Ocean resort manager, Portuguese police and witnesses, they insisted that the shutters of apartment 5A were “jemmied” or “broken” and – small but interesting detail – the door, which had been locked, was open.”
The comments of John Hill were published and broadcasted by the British Media only in the first couple of days after Maddie disappeared. Than, as people was used to see in Soviet Union, something happened to Mr. John Hill: he just vanished from the newspapers pages and TV reports, like the rivals or supposed enemies of Stalin were erased from official pictures.
I collected a lot of information, during those three times I stayed “incognito” at Praia da Luz. I had the opportunity to find how the system set up by Alex Woolfall, from Bell Pottinger, worked, “managing” information released by PJ to the McCann couple and "feeding" it to be published and broadcasted (after some“adaptations”…) by British Media. It will be the subject, soon, of another detailed post in my blog.
I must tell one of the most curious stories of this case. Around September 2007, after the McCann were made “arguidos”, his British lawyers from Carter-Ruck asked for meetings with the editorial board of several UK Media organisations. One of the newspapers that got the request was a little bit uncomfortable, expecting something bad, from that meeting. So, minutes before, the team of lawyers from the newspaper came in and waited in another room, ready for a confrontation with Carter-Ruck lawyers, as they were expecting some kind of legal threat that could take them to court.
But the newspaper’s lawyers spend around 30 minutes waiting for nothing. All that the Carter-Ruck lawyers wanted to explain to the editorial board of that newspaper (and they did the same with other Media organizations) was that, according to the Portuguese Law, if there was no body found,the McCann never could be accused of nothing…
That, is not truth. Recently, a group pf criminals kidnapped a Portuguese businessman, to demand a ransom. They killed him and dissolved his body in a tank with sulfuric acid, leaving no trace, not even a small piece that could be used for a DNA analysis. But they were arrested, went on trial and sentenced, because their phones were wiretapped and PJ collected other strong evidence, enough to convince the court send them to prison for 25 years.
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