Theories

[KR2tonenow]

I've been thinking about this case and forgive me if starting another thread isn't the right thing to do... but I have a theory and I'm not sure if anyone else has thought about this...? (Mods, feel free to move this if need be)

I don't know much about the town or area where this little girl disappeared, so bear with me. But what I do know is that if the reports are true about the kids crying on previous nights when they were left alone, could it be plausible that Madeleine got out of bed and wandered out of the apartment on her own, looking for Mom and Dad?

In small European towns, there are narrow streets and alleyways around buildings that can be very dark at night. Also Europeans tend to drive a lot faster than us Yanks and also do not have the "yield the right of way to pedestrians" thing ingrained in their psyche. (If you've been to Europe and tried to cross a street then you know what I mean.)

I am wondering if this child got out of the apartment somehow and then met with either foul play or an accident? If a person hit her they could have panicked and tried to dump the body somewhere. Also is it possible this could have happened and then the parents found her after, panicked and disposed of the body?

Three year olds can be very mischevious and it is not beyond the realm of possibility to me that this little girl could have wandered out of the apartment since there was no supervision.

Thoughts?

Absolutely! I wonder what the blood near the window was? The cadaver dogs caught the scent in the apartment and then down to the church.

I wish they'd search the church grounds already!!

 

[christine2448]

My theory is that it was Russell O'Brien who accidentally killed Maddie. Here's how I think it happened: On the day of May 3, the Tapas group was planning their evening outing, and the McCanns said they might not be able to go out because Maddie had cried so the night before that a neighbor had complained. O'Brien, an anesthesiologist, offered to give the child a sedative to put her to sleep.

When Gerry went to check on her, he found her either in some sort of distress or perhaps already dead, so he returned to the bar and asked O'Brien for help. When O'Brien went to check on her, he found her dead, and panicked. He took her body and hid it, perhaps in the trunk of his rental car. (Is this possibly the same car the McCann's rented 5 weeks later?) That would explain why he was gone so long. He made up the story about his own daughter vomiting to account for it. (I mean, really, what parent would leave a vomiting child unattended?) Meanwhile, his wife concocted the story of seeing a man carrying a child under a blanket to make it seem like Maddie had been abducted. Ironically, she may have actually seen this -- except it was not a stranger but instead O'Brien carrying Maddie out under a blanket. Perhaps they were also covering their tracks in case any one else witnessed O'Brien carrying her out.

After O'Brien returned to the bar, the entire group discussed a cover-up plan. That would explain why they are now observing a code of silence. Once the plan was in place, Kate returned to the room and made the scene about Maddie missing. Her odd claim that "They took her" may have referred to a part of the plan that was never put into play. Perhaps, for example, one of the Tapa group had was supposed to report seeing two strangers sniffing around the kids earlier that day. (Or perhaps they were going to claim that she was abducted by the same group of individuals that represented a small foreign faction who kidnapped Jon Benet. )

The McCanns launched into a media blitz not only to cover things up but to keep O'Brien out of the spotlight. And they can both honestly say that neither of them killed Maddie.

Hmmmmm..so many possibilities. This all sounds very possible.

 

[christine2448]

I think it's another very good theory! Thanks for posting. There are so many possibilites.

There is a thread for everyone to discuss their theories and reexamine, LOL, as we learn more...I have teeter tottered a couple of times already!

The thread can be found here...why not copy and paste your initial post there, so people looking for 'theories' will see your idea, it's another good one!

 

[superunknown]

Christine, can you merge this thread into the theories thread? I didn't see it until AFTER I started this one. I don't want to clutter up this subforum.

Thanks

 

[Schmerty_Jones]

My theory is that it was Russell O'Brien who accidentally killed Maddie. Here's how I think it happened: On the day of May 3, the Tapas group was planning their evening outing, and the McCanns said they might not be able to go out because Maddie had cried so the night before that a neighbor had complained. O'Brien, an anesthesiologist, offered to give the child a sedative to put her to sleep.The McCanns accepted his offer.

When either Gerry or Oldfield went to check on her, Maddie was found either in some sort of distress or perhaps already dead, so O'Brien was called for help. O'Brien found her dead, and panicked. He took her body and hid it, perhaps in the trunk of his rental car. (Is this possibly the same car the McCann's rented 5 weeks later?) That would explain why he was gone so long. He made up the story about his own daughter vomiting to account for it. (I mean, really, what parent would leave a vomiting child unattended?) This would also make it possible to wash Maddie's sheets without raising suspicion.

Meanwhile, his partner, Jane Tanner, concocted the story of seeing a man carrying a child under a blanket to make it seem like Maddie had been abducted. Ironically, she may have actually seen this -- except it was not a stranger but instead O'Brien carrying Maddie out under a blanket. Perhaps they were also covering their tracks in case any one else witnessed O'Brien carrying her out. Part of the cover-up plan was to implicate Robert Murat, whom O'Brien and Tanner had reportedly met days before Maddie's disappearance.

After O'Brien returned to the bar, the entire group panicked and discussed a cover-up plan. That would explain why they are now observing a code of silence. Once the plan was in place, Kate returned to the room and made the scene about Maddie missing. Her odd claim that "They took her" may have referred to a part of the plan that was never put into play. Perhaps, for example, one of the Tapa group had was supposed to report seeing two strangers sniffing around the kids earlier that day. (Or perhaps they were going to claim that she was abducted by the same group of individuals that represented a small foreign faction who kidnapped Jon Benet. )

The McCanns launched into a media blitz not only to cover things up but to keep O'Brien out of the spotlight. And they can both honestly say that neither of them killed Maddie.

I have been thinking this scenario for quite some time. Are you in my head:?silenced: Vomiting & aspirating came to my mind & it was such a coincidence that O'Brien said his___ child was vomiting & also had the same car that the McCanns later rented.IIRC O'Brien had some disciplinary problems at the hospital where he worked & was currently unemployed? or on leave? It seems to fit very well with some of the unexplanable actions! Yes the cover-up worse than the crime!

 

[Siren]

I agree!! The most logical assumption for someone to make if they checked on their child and they were not in their bed is that the child wandered off. Those sweet babes were left completely unsupervised. Why did Dr/Mrs McCann immediately assume that Madeleine has been "taken," AND then WHY did she leave the twins alone when she found Madeleine gone? I would have been screaming my head off from the apartment, NOTHING would have made my leave my other two babies if I thought someone had been in my apartment!!!

HINKY METER ALERT: Why DID Dr/Mrs McCann assume her daughter had been taken? I just doesn't make any sense unless she knew something she wasn't telling. (It's just like referring to the victim as was instead of is when you did the deed and the body hasn't been found.

 

[superunknown]

Here's a personal story about a "missing" child:

When I was very young, about 5 years old or so, my younger brother, then about 3 years old, disappeared from the yard. We lived in a semi rural area at that time that was just beginning to become "suburban". This was in the 60s when all the neighborhood Moms were home with their kids and the Dads were at work.

Because of the rural setting and our familiarity with our neighbors, we were given a pretty wide berth in terms of "wandering space" and so were other kids on the block. My mother thought my brother was with me in the backyard, but he'd gone into the house about 30 mins beforehand and I didn't know where he was either. My Mom began frantically looking all over the house for him, this went on for about five or ten minutes, and then she started calling for him and checking with neighbors. No brother.

Finally she called the Fire Department and Sheriff. She was scared he'd wandered down to a creek that was behind our subdivision. Never ONCE did she say, "Someone took him!!" Her mind was more focused on the fact that he may be hurt or STUCK somewhere.

The fire department arrived first and then the police. They searched everywhere for him and I remember the police particularly looking VERY CONCERNED. (Being so young, I didn't get it then, but I get it now.)

Finally an officer came into the garage of our house and opened the lid of the clothes hamper sitting next to the washing machine. Inside it, was my brother, sound asleep. He had not heard us calling for him or any of the chaos with neighbors or the fire department. I keep thinking back to this when I think about the McCann case. Never once did it even cross into my Mom's possibility of thinking that he'd been taken. I think that as mothers, that is something too horrifying to grasp when you first think about this kind of thing. It must be some automatic form of psychological denial. In fact, my Mother and I just spoke about this incident (and laughed about it) recently and were discussing the McCann case. She said never once did it cross her mind that he'd been taken... she was more worried he'd gotten hurt or wandered off somewhere and gotten injured. Of course if he'd NOT been found where he was, my Mom said that the horrible realization of a kidnapping would have come into play. I think this is the same sentiment a lot of others are expressing with regard to Kate McCann and her statements about Maddy being "taken". Of course we live in different times now and people are much more afraid of abductions as a reality, so who knows.

My mother was in her early 20's at the time, with two small kids, so she says that was a valuable lesson for her to not let us out of her sight again.

 

[aussie_mum]

Hi everyone - new poster here.

Sudden flash on an old topic: Kate running back to the tapas bar and shouting to her friends "They've taken her!"

Might she have meant -- or, more cynically, meant to imply to the friends that she believed -- that "they" were some of the staff of the resort, who, having already spoken to the McCanns about leaving their children alone, had taken it upon themselves to go snooping about the McCanns' villa and upon seeing that the kids were once again alone then had the gall to walk in and remove Maddie themselves? Perhaps she and Gerry had told the friends that they'd been warned earlier by the staff not to leave the children. So "They've taken her" would have been said in sort of gossipy exasperation, not in panic. "Oh good grief, check this out, can you believe the nerve" kind of thing. And would explain running back to the tapas bar instead of calling the police, or even going down to the front desk. AND would give her an absolute air of innocence.

I haven't read anywhere the details of that scene, and obviously everyone immediately determined Maddie had been kidnapped, not simply removed to safety by some uppity disapproving workers. But... interesting, anyway, IMO.

Interesting.... but why would she think if the staff were so concerned about Maddie and took her that they woud leave 2 x 2 year olds by themselves.

And wow just for me then.... the realisation that she left the twins alone AGAIN! Even tho she 'knew' someone had taken he daughter.... she left those 2 babies alone again.

 

[poco]

My theory is that it was Russell O'Brien who accidentally killed Maddie. Here's how I think it happened: On the day of May 3, the Tapas group was planning their evening outing, and the McCanns said they might not be able to go out because Maddie had cried so the night before that a neighbor had complained. O'Brien, an anesthesiologist, offered to give the child a sedative to put her to sleep.The McCanns accepted his offer.

When either Gerry or Oldfield went to check on her, Maddie was found either in some sort of distress or perhaps already dead, so O'Brien was called for help. O'Brien found her dead, and panicked. He took her body and hid it, perhaps in the trunk of his rental car. (Is this possibly the same car the McCann's rented 5 weeks later?) That would explain why he was gone so long. He made up the story about his own daughter vomiting to account for it. (I mean, really, what parent would leave a vomiting child unattended?) This would also make it possible to wash Maddie's sheets without raising suspicion.

Meanwhile, his partner, Jane Tanner, concocted the story of seeing a man carrying a child under a blanket to make it seem like Maddie had been abducted. Ironically, she may have actually seen this -- except it was not a stranger but instead O'Brien carrying Maddie out under a blanket. Perhaps they were also covering their tracks in case any one else witnessed O'Brien carrying her out. Part of the cover-up plan was to implicate Robert Murat, whom O'Brien and Tanner had reportedly met days before Maddie's disappearance.

After O'Brien returned to the bar, the entire group panicked and discussed a cover-up plan. That would explain why they are now observing a code of silence. Once the plan was in place, Kate returned to the room and made the scene about Maddie missing. Her odd claim that "They took her" may have referred to a part of the plan that was never put into play. Perhaps, for example, one of the Tapa group had was supposed to report seeing two strangers sniffing around the kids earlier that day. (Or perhaps they were going to claim that she was abducted by the same group of individuals that represented a small foreign faction who kidnapped Jon Benet. )

The McCanns launched into a media blitz not only to cover things up but to keep O'Brien out of the spotlight. And they can both honestly say that neither of them killed Maddie.

Good theory up until the point where you get to the part about O'Brien returning to the bar............ What, did he sit down and say, hey, look but your kid is dead, blah blah blah, at which point they all conspired to do a cover up. If true, the McCann's must have thought more of their daughter as a pet than a true child - If I were Kate and Gerry I would have been friggin' flipping out, right there in the restaurant....

 

[Trino]

I think it's very possible that O'Brien could have done this. I cannot imagine that he would return to the dinner party, tell everyone that Madeline died, and that her parents and everyone else went along with the situation.

Surely, the McCanns would have screamed and called the police. THEY didn't administer anything.

 

[christine2448]

Christine, can you merge this thread into the theories thread? I didn't see it until AFTER I started this one. I don't want to clutter up this subforum.

Thanks

Done!

I somehow got a poll on there, it just appeared when I merged them! :doh:

Learning as I go!

 

[SleuthMom]

I am new here, but I have been reading this case for quite a while as well as this forum and it is so great to have people like you guys trying to figure out what happened to Madeleine. Here is what I think it may have happened. First of all, it is my impression that Maddie was a special needs child. I am a mom of a 7 year old with PDD-NOS (Pervasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, basically a very mild case of Austism). Unless you have a child with this condition, you have no idea the challenges you go through daily with a child like this. It is EXTREMELY stressful. BUT your LOVE for your own child conquers everything. And yes, it is hard. Let me tell you that my husband and I were NOT able to go out ANYWHERE because our son was uncontrollable, he would never settle down so we were at home ALL the time (my husband works from home) and we had to reject invitations to go out, etc because we knew our son could not handle it neither we had anyone willing to take care of him. We did NOT resent him because is OUR son and we love him more than anything in the world. Parents DO sacrifices for their children daily and unfortunately, not everyone is willing to take the HUGE task of raising a child with special needs. I think this was the case of the Mc Canns. Both doctors, both trying to live a lifestyle that because of their obligations was NOT meant to be (How can you want to have a family but at the same time try to live a life like if you are single?) You can't have it both ways, even more IF Maddie had some sort of special needs. Her age (3) was the MOST challenging age of my own son so I feel the Mc Canns just could NOT handle it. I just do not see how Maddie's death could be accidental. The night before she "disappeared". Mrs. Fenn said she hear Maddie crying for 75 minutes. Imagine that. Your own kid getting up in the middle of the night crying for YOU because she is afraid because you are NOT there. Do you leave her AGAIN the NEXT DAY to go and party with your friends? I don't think. I do not see "love" in that action AT ALL. Forgive me if I sound harsh but these people left their own children (3 and under) ALONE for the whole week! It seems to me that it is the typical case of people who just want to say I have cute kids but are NOT willing to do what it takes because let's be honest, even the most UNEDUCATED person KNOWS that leaving three kids of that age alone is NOT right neither SAFE but hey these two doctors think it was fine! Does not sound right to me. I do not believe she was drugged, I think she just did not want to settle down for the night (as it is SO common with these children) and the FATHER got upset at her and hit her to the point of death. For what other purpose they will go and hide the body, etc IF it was just an ACCIDENT? No, I think they perfectly knew the body would show signs of violence and that's why they did all this. BUT, by the other hand I have suspicious of Dr. Russell O' Brien. I do not buy for a minute that his daughter was so sick that he had to stay away from the table MOST of the night. He is obviously either INVOLVED in hiding Maddie's body OR he was part of the whole thing.

 

[Trino]

I agree that it was strange that O'Brien spent much of the evening caring for a sick child. Has it been verified the child was sick by anyone other than the infamous dinner party members?

 

[SleuthMom]

Trino, I don't think so. I think it was reported he changed sheets but staff does not recall giving clean sheets to him. For me, it does not make any sense that he will leave his sick daughter to go and have dinner IF she was THAT sick. I think we should investigate more about him since it is interesting to notice that wasn't his girlfriend the one that suddenly remembers seeing a guy carrying a child on her arms and that later on she says was Murrat? Also, wasn't reported that he rented the same car prior to the Mc Canns? Too many connections.

 

[hcc2007]

I agree with the posts about Kate yelling "they've taken her" ... utterly ludicrous, as the McCanns' unflinching supporters keep saying.

Me? I would've yelled "She's gone!" I might even have been a little annoyed, if she had run off on previous nights. Question: do we know FOR SURE that this is what Kate said? Who reported those statements? Man, how I'd love to see that dossier.

Also, new thought, on being named suspects: Does anyone besides me find it increasingly difficult to accept their calm and stoic manner, in the face of being named suspects?

I'm normally reserved and stoic myself, but if I were innocent and had been knocking myself out for months to find my child's abductor only to be named a suspect, I'd blow my top! I'd be yelling my head off about Portuguese incompetence and stupidity, and how dare they shift the blame to me just to clear themselves.

Think about it, wouldn't you be simply outraged, at that point? Yet they stay mum and sneak quietly away. To me that seems like guilty behavior.

 

[patti54]

According to the reports, Kate immediately thought Maddie was taken because the window was open. Also heard on Nancy Grace last night that the Cuddly Cat was found on a shelf that was too high for Maddie to reach.

I am not sure what the sleeping locations were of the children but I would assume the twins were in another room. Wouldn't that be the first place you looked to see if Maddie had woke up and went by her siblings? In no report does it say anything that Kate looked for Maddie around the apartment. Nor does it say she checked ont he twins. Rather she LEAVES the twins ALONE and goes back to the bar! Hell even Patsy Ramsey looked to see if JonBenet was in Burke's room and she had a ransom note in her hand!

I was just looking at various online newspapers and noticed that Gerry seems to have a little smile on his face way too many times. It was ironic that you commented on their demeanor just after I thought about that.

Another interesting note:
From the Mark Warner Resort website:
(it is on the very first page of their website)
http://www.markwarner.co.uk/sun/portugal...

Award-winning childcare

The Ocean Club offers a unique 'dine out' service. Simply get your little ones ready for bed and drop them off at our kids club. We'll watch over them whilst you go out and enjoy yourselves and you can pick them up on your way home.
^^^^
http://strivingforordinary.blogspot.com/...
Here is a photo showing the distance between the apartment and the bar they were at. Looks like more than 50 yards to me! Not to mention it's NOT a clear view from point A to point B

 

[princessmer81]

For some reason when I first heard about this case I instantly thought of the movie "Man on Fire" (good movie, if you haven't seen it). In the movie a young girl is kidnapped and eventually it comes to light that her father (without the wife/mother's knowledge) arranged to have his daughter kidnapped in order to receive the kidnapping insurance money. This type of insurance is common in some countries. The insurance provides ransom money, money for costs associated with the search, ect.

In the movie the plan was that the little girl would be kidnapped, the kidnappers would ask for ransom money in exchange for the girl, the parents would get the insurance company to pay it and then the kidnappers would split the ransom money with the dad. Well, something went wrong, the kidnappers got greedy and the plan fell through and the little girl was in great danger.

This may be crazy but I can't help but wonder if Madeleine's parent(s) were in on some sort of deal like this and it went horribly wrong.

 

[patti54]

Hmmm...interesting theory. Good thinking. Especially in light of the controversery surrounding the Find Maddie fund.

Brings to mind the question of whether Kate may have accidentally tipped us off when she said "they" have taken her.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Good post Princessmer. Way to think out of the box!!!!!

 

[patti54]

From the courttv website:
(this is from their message boards so I do not know the source or if this is totally accurate. I am trying to find a report saying that the staff did ask the McCanns to not leave their kids alone)
Pamela Fenn, 70, who lives in the apartment above where the McCanns were staying, and her niece, who is flying to Portugal from the UK, will be among those spoken to.

Mrs Fenn has said that in the weeks leading up to Madeleine's disappearance she scared off an intruder in her apartment.

There was no apparent sign of a break-in and it is thought the man may have had a key to let himself into the flat. She will be making a formal statement today at police headquarters in the city of Portimao. There was also another burglary in the complex a few weeks before in which police also suspected the intruder had a key.