Madeleine McCann: German prisoner identified as suspect - #21

[Taskforce88]

A 43-year-old German prisoner who travelled around Portugal in a camper van is now the focus of Scotland Yard's investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

New suspect identified in Madeleine McCann case

List of case players by initials and their relationship to this discussion

Thread #1 Thread #2 Thread #3 Thread #4 Thread #5 Thread #6 Thread #7 Thread #8 Thread #9 Thread #10 Thread #11 Thread #12 Thread #13 Thread #14 Thread #15 Thread #16 Thread #17 Thread #18 Thread #19 Thread #20

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

Do NOT name innocent people (individuals who have not been named by LE as either POI or suspect). If you have to discuss someone other than a victim or a POI/suspect, use initials.

Also stop posting images of random people or children. It is a terrible violation of privacy for people to have their pictures splashed over the internet on a crime sleuthing site.

Sleuth all you want behind the scenes or in private conversations (where you can invite up to 20 members to the convo), but if it's not in MSM, don't bring it to the thread.

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

Please review Websleuths Terms of Service, and specifically The Rules: Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Posts containing links to FB or other social media accounts that do not belong to either a victim or an officially named POI/suspect are not allowed.

Some posts have been removed but if members are aware of other posts containing the above noted TOS violations, please use the Report feature to let us know so we can remove the post.

As always, members can discuss such things in private conversations (where you can add up to 20 members), but the information is not allowed to be posted on the public threads.

Thank you.

ETA: Typo > "now" was intended to be "not". Big difference there

 

[Sillybilly]

Bumping my Admin Note from the Opening Posts of this thread:

Please continue discussion here.

NOTE:

This thread is dedicated specifically to discussion of the German prisoner who has been identified as a suspect in this case. Any hint or discussion of the McCann's having involvement in Madeleine's disappearance is off limits.

Read all Opening Posts and post accordingly.

This thread is for discussion of CB as the suspect. It is not to rehash all old info unless you can specifically tie it to CB as the suspect.

The next member to suggest the parents had involvement in or are somehow responsible for Madeleine's disappearance will be permanently banned from this discussion.

 

[Dlk79]

Maddie McCann suspect Christian B may not be charged until next year, say cops

 

[Carly@lul]

''We have some evidence against our suspect but it is not strong enough. We have proof that he was involved and that he killed Madeleine but it's not strong enough to charge him.

 

[C.greek]

''We have some evidence against our suspect but it is not strong enough. We have proof that he was involved and that he killed Madeleine but it's not strong enough to charge him.

What is this proof that is not enough to charge him?

 

[altojack]

HCW saying

''We have some evidence against our suspect but it is not strong enough. We have proof that he was involved and that he killed Madeleine but it's not strong enough to charge him.
''

Please be gentle with me as I know nothing about German Law. However as reported above "We have proof that he was involved and that he killed Madeleine but it's not strong enough to charge him"

If the German LE have proof do they have to either have the body or the location before they can charge CB. I thought people could be charged with murder without finding the body, or is it not like that with G LE?

I've only followed the case in newspapers and online version but you never get a true picture sometimes they embellish reports.

 

[redplanet]

IMO the stage they can't solve yet might be the last (=concealment) stage?

 

[Okapi]

Agree redplanet.

HCW from the latest Sun interview: "We have not been in touch with Madeleine's parents other than a few months ago when we made the announcement of our investigation because there is no need to."

There is no need to. What does that suggest about the progress of the investigation? To me, they are unable to identify the child conclusively from an image and/or corroborating witness testimony they may have. The only way they can know for certain is by finding her body. Hence they need more witnesses/evidence to lead them to the location. MOO.

 

[Victoria Chambers]

IMO, many missing people are 'declared' dead without a body having been found - in some cases - without even knowing that they are dead.. simply because they vanished without a trace and all contact ceased. So even if 100x a week, somebody reports a 'sighting' of MM, this can easily be quashed, using the PROOF they claim to have - PROOF of death and PROOF of who killed her is more than enough evidence to bring a charge of murder. If what they have amounts to PROOF - and proof is evidence - then they have it! apparently!
It would not make any sense whatsoever if this all went away without a charge being brought! X

 

[Victoria Chambers]

Agree redplanet.

HCW from the latest Sun interview: "We have not been in touch with Madeleine's parents other than a few months ago when we made the announcement of our investigation because there is no need to."

There is no need to. What does that suggest about the progress of the investigation? To me, they are unable to identify the child conclusively from an image and/or corroborating witness testimony they may have. The only way they can know for certain is by finding her body. Hence they need more witnesses/evidence to lead them to the location. MOO.

But translated.. that says they 'think' MM was killed by CB. And not that they have 'proof' of it being so. Because to have proof is to have proven. And that amounts to him being guilty.
We know she was taken, if they can prove what took place in-between, then it is not hard to conclude that in concealing a body, that she may never be found. But that doesn't mean he should get away with it. Given the proof! IMO X

 

[Monic]

''We have some evidence against our suspect but it is not strong enough. We have proof that he was involved and that he killed Madeleine but it's not strong enough to charge him.

This is the reason why xy ungelöst asked for help in their broadcast!

Nothing came out, to get more proof!
We knew from the beginning it Wolters don't find more evidence against CB, they have to let him go

 

[Arnie M]

Please be gentle with me as I know nothing about German Law. However as reported above "We have proof that he was involved and that he killed Madeleine but it's not strong enough to charge him"

If the German LE have proof do they have to either have the body or the location before they can charge CB. I thought people could be charged with murder without finding the body, or is it not like that with G LE?

I've only followed the case in newspapers and online version but you never get a true picture sometimes they embellish reports.

You are probably correct.

I do not know German law either but in most countries if there is no solid evidence the jury (judge) has to find them not guilty (of course)

But the biggest problem (worry) is the suspect cannot be charged again for the same crime , even if very good evidence shows up later.

So in a twisted logical way it may be best not to charge him now.

 

[Newthoughts]

Agree redplanet.

HCW from the latest Sun interview: "We have not been in touch with Madeleine's parents other than a few months ago when we made the announcement of our investigation because there is no need to."

There is no need to. What does that suggest about the progress of the investigation? To me, they are unable to identify the child conclusively from an image and/or corroborating witness testimony they may have. The only way they can know for certain is by finding her body. Hence they need more witnesses/evidence to lead them to the location. MOO.

Or it could mean they've already told the McCanns everything they need to know? That CB is a strong suspect for HCW, that he's being investigated and that LE believe she's dead.

I hope they do find her body for her parents sake but I'm not sure how much use it would be forensically after 13 years.

 

[SuperdadV8]

If someone may have made more than one confession to pals or maybe in relevant webchats, even with a past and crime record, it wouldn't be enough to charge someone in germany. Not just because of boasting around about a crime, even if combined with typical or exclusive perp-knowledge. But it's a very strong verdict, that has to be investigated.

As FF said, a paedo isn't a murderer inevitably and that is the strongest argument to have!

Without forensics that can be linked to the confession or the suspect itself, or footage showing the suspect and the victim, there is a huge danger that the trial could end with acquittal. Once that happens, the chances for a new charge and trial on that crime against the suspect is almost zero, according to the rules of german penalty law.

IMO the highest hurdle in that case is evidence to prove CB's confessions as true! Everybody could go around and tell the whole world, he snatched MM. No court in the northern hemisphere would allow a trial on that claim, without the irrefutable evidence that the claim is true.

 

[Denis R Tandib]

HCW was quoted in The Sun this evening as saying : ''I cannot say how long our investigation will go on for but I know there will be no developments this year, in 2020. We had hoped to charge him but that has not been possible.

''Maybe we hope to have something by the Spring of 2021, maybe it could take longer but certainly nothing this year.

''We have some evidence against our suspect but it is not strong enough. We have proof that he was involved and that he killed Madeleine but it's not strong enough to charge him.

''We need more evidence and more witnesses but if we don't get them then the case may drop but we hope that will not happen and he will be charged.''

What an incredible exclusive for the Sun, HCW has told them only what has already been reported. I don’t think any of this means anything other than the BKA are not ready to charge CB or stop investigating him for MM’s abduction/murder.

... meanwhile, IMO real work is happening behind the scenes.

 

[Chiatos]

Maddie McCann suspect Christian B may not be charged until next year, say cops

The meeting is said to have taken place “recently” at the Lisbon HQ of the Policia Judiciaria (PJ), the force heading the Portuguese probe into the three-year-old's disappearance, reports daily newspaper Correio da Manha.

The article in Correio da Manha is behind a paywall. This is pretty much the only news available for free:
ADN não coloca suspeito no apartamento, mas há provas de envolvimento em outros crimes.
DNA (traces) do(es) not place the suspect inside the apartment, but there is proof for his involvement in other crimes.
PJ junta polícias inglesa e alemã em encontro secreto para encontrar Maddie

 

[Victoria Chambers]

Here is how this case reads to me..
We have proof of CB phone in the very area for at least half an hour on 03/05/07.
We have proof of MM death.
We have proof that CB killed her.
We do not have enough proof to charge him!
Have I missed something with regards to changes in the law?? Maybe proof has a different meaning in Germany because there was a time when proof was classed as real evidence. Not all murderers are convicted through their DNA. Sometimes the law must rely on other sources to get a conviction ie,. reliable testimony, CCTV etc- this often proves a case. It was a huge mistake to release his name as a suspect thus allowing the whole world to dig up the dirt on CB 'bad charachter' history. It jeapordised the whole case, because even if his past cannot be mentioned in court, it has to be said that it is hard to remain neutral given what we know about him and so everybody has a personal opinion of CB way before a possible trial.
It just seems the entire investigation has gone full circle on the botched roundabout!
And MM deserves real justice for whatever truly happened to her. X

 

[SuperdadV8]

The name of the suspect wasn't released by the prosecuters but by the tabloids, shortly after HCW's announcement.