Active Search for Evidence taking Place Around Portugese Resort

[SapphireSteel]

Yes, which is why I noticed the mismatch. GM's ears are prominent enough to be quite noticeable.

Good point.

Personally I think efit 1 looks just like him.

We don't have to guess, anyway - we have an eyewitness and a positive ID.

As disparaged and ignored as it is....was.

 

[Morag]

Gosh.

First of all, no one has been reinterviewed.

Those who were at the resort were interviewed by the PJ but SY, who are staging the dig, have not interviewed ANYONE.

Just let that thought settle for a moment - they are digging based on "substantial" information, which NO ONE GAVE THEM.

The only possible answer is - the phone pings.

The mobile phone records WERE NOT made available to the PJ, but SY got them, along with (true not fantasy) satellite images of PDL that night.

So. The results of the phone pings and whatever other information SY uncovered, are a dig 300m from 5a.

The crime scene tape has just gone up.

Interesting about the phones! I was hoping that one of the Tapasians had finally talked. And if none of them have, then I go back to the theory I had initially as to why they didn't talk. But I love the phone idea.

 

[Junebug99]

We also have eye witnesses placing GM at the resort with the rest of his group. Smith also thought that whomever he saw was not a tourist but a local who looked uncomfortable carrying a child.

 

[ThoughtFox]

I think if she is found that close it won't be the McCanns arrested.

When did they have the time to dig a hole and bury her so well that no one found her when searching???? There was no time for such a thing.

The body may not have been buried at all, but put under the grass and leaves. It looks like an old hay field. In some of the articles they call it a "waste place" - lots of weeds, etc. They may have to dig now because it has been so many years.

I was on this case day after day when it first began, and the parents did indeed have plenty of time to move the body, especially considering this field is within walking distance, and certainly easy driving distance. No one was following them around at first. They were going out running every day, and no one was with them at night.

Madeleine's DNA was found on a windowsill and cadaver dogs later hit where a couch under the window used to be. One theory was that the child had an accident and fell while the parents were out that night and they covered it up. Also they had a rental car in which they took several trips while the investigation was going on. There was an odor in the car and I think dogs hit on that as well, but Gerry explained it away as the smell of chicken bones from garbage they took to the dump.

This article from 2008 says DNA was found in the rental car too.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1562710/Madeleine-McCann-DNA-an-accurate-match.html

Sources close to the investigation revealed that the DNA evidence - analysed by the Forensic Science Service in Britain - was regarded by Portuguese police as crucial.

A sample that was a full match to Madeleine's DNA was allegedly found on the windowsill of the McCanns' apartment at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz. Although the nature of the sample was not disclosed, previous reports claimed that blood had been found by sniffer dogs.

One Portuguese newspaper claimed that "biological fluids" with an 80 per cent match to Madeleine were found under the carpet in the boot of the McCanns' hire car, which was rented 25 days after she disappeared.

Forensic experts in the UK have pointed out that if the samples found in the car were hair or skin they would be of little evidential value as they could have rubbed off Madeleine's toys or clothing.

But there were fresh reports claiming that both samples were blood, and one source close to the inquiry told The Daily Telegraph that the nature of the samples led police to believe that they had come from Madeleine's body being placed in the car.

 

[ThoughtFox]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/recap-madeleine-mccann-search-praia-3635188

Here's an aerial photo outlining where the search will be taking place.

It's an area around 300m from the apartment complex where Madeleine was staying with her family in 2007.

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

The body may not have been buried at all, but put under the grass and leaves. It looks like an old hay field. In some of the articles they call it a "waste place" - lots of weeds, etc. They may have to dig now because it has been so many years.

I was on this case day after day when it first began, and the parents did indeed have plenty of time to move the body, especially considering this field is within walking distance, and certainly easy driving distance. No one was following them around at first. They were going out running every day, and no one was with them at night.

Madeleine's DNA was found on a windowsill and cadaver dogs later hit where a couch under the window used to be. One theory was that the child had an accident and fell while the parents were out that night and they covered it up. Also they had a rental car in which they took several trips while the investigation was going on. There was an odor in the car and I think dogs hit on that as well, but Gerry explained it away as the smell of chicken bones from garbage they took to the dump.

This article says DNA was found in the rental car too.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1562710/Madeleine-McCann-DNA-an-accurate-match.html

For all we know she touched the window sill after sucking her thumb.
Her dna is supposed to be in the apt so her dna does not point to the parents for me.
If they left her under leaves she would have been found then. There was not enough time for them to find a place and bury her well enough to be gone forever.

 

[Junebug99]

That telegraph article is from 2008, and not accurate.

 

[SapphireSteel]

None of which explain the dog alerts.

 

[carbuff]

Good point.

Personally I think efit 1 looks just like him.

We don't have to guess, anyway - we have an eyewitness and a positive ID.

As disparaged and ignored as it is....was.

I don't disparage the eyewitness, but on the other hand I'm aware that eyewitness testimony is often inaccurate, so I'm not taking it as gospel, either. It certainly sounds plausible.

 

[SapphireSteel]

I don't disparage the eyewitness, but on the other hand I'm aware that eyewitness testimony is often inaccurate, so I'm not taking it as gospel, either. It certainly sounds plausible.

You don't have to worry.

We KNOW it's accurate, and here's how -

Smithman has been confirmed as THE suspect by Scotland Yard
Smithman has been identified as Gerry (accurately or not, he resembled Gerry)
Smithman was seen carrying Madeleine alongside vacant land
That vacant land has got crime scene tape up, as of this morning.

There really isn't much room for an abductor in this scenario.

Indeed, there never really was.

 

[EGirl]

For all we know she touched the window sill after sucking her thumb.
Her dna is supposed to be in the apt so her dna does not point to the parents for me.
If they left her under leaves she would have been found then. There was not enough time for them to find a place and bury her well enough to be gone forever.

IMO then there wasn't enough time for anyone to bury her close by.

People abduct children pretty much for 3 reasons... to have a child they can't have, sexual assault or parental abduction.

In all of those scenarios, IMO, the abductor would have fled the area.

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

"CNN understands that London's Metropolitan Police will be in charge of the new digging operation in abandoned terrain close to where Madeleine disappeared. A large investigation team is expected to use dogs and radar in the search and dig a number of holes, sources said.
Portuguese police searched the area soon after Madeleine's disappearance, and it is understood they will intervene only if a body is found."

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/02/world/europe/portugal-uk-madeleine-mccann-digging/index.html

 

[zwiebel]

I am hearing reports on the radio that it looks like searchers have found something.

Looking for links.

 

[ThoughtFox]

I am hearing reports on the radio that it looks like searchers have found something.

Looking for links.

OMG, I'm holding my breath! I'll check Twitter.

 

[LemonCloud]

Anything??!! I tried searching but came up with nothing. Keep us posted!

 

[zwiebel]

All I'm finding is that police have set up forensic tents and begun the dig, in two or three specific spots.

But I don't think it's because they have found remains, I think it's just to protect the digs. Police do seem to have identified quite specific areas of interest though, so I am guessing their forensic archeologists and radar have identified something of interest.

 

[zwiebel]

Mirror has a recent article but doesn't seem to be doing live updates today.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/madeleine-mccann-search-unprecedented-operation-3638457

 

[ThoughtFox]

I don't see anything yet on Twitter.

I ought to be in bed but probably couldn't sleep anyway.

 

[zwiebel]

I have searched in Portuguese too - though I don't speak the language! But no-one seems to have any big news from today - in fact many haven't updated articles since yesterday.

The search started 8am and went on until 6pm ish yesterday, so I am guessing today will be the same. Think it's about 9.30am in Portugal.

http://www.cmjornal.xl.pt/detalhe/n...-marcam-o-terreno-para-escavar-na-terca-feira

 

[ThoughtFox]

Interesting tidbit from Daily Mail:

After work is completed, officers will move on to two other sites in the resort, including another area of scrubland nearby and roads close to Our Lady Of The Light church where Madeleine’s parents prayed after she vanished.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...are-dig-wasteland-Portugal.html#ixzz33Yeuailw