Deceased/Not Found UK - April Jones, 5, Machynlleth, Wales, 1 Oct 2012 #5 *M. Bridger guilty*

[Clio]

Can anyone please confirm that either the child witness or AJs mother named MB to police as this is being bandied about as fact and I have not read it anywhere. Likewise that the child ever mentioned a land rover.

All that LE said was that the child had given a description of the man but it was too vague to be released. LE said the child had described a "van".

In the press conference the words used were

the van was small at the front and large at the back. So that could be interpreted as something simliar to a Ford Connect Van, something like a Landrover"

It was the media who reported that

Mr Jones, 43, and his wife, 40, reported April missing immediately, and it emerged last night that they had told police who they suspected the driver of the car was.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...ses-on-areas-highlighted-by-arrested-man.html

 

[Insp.Dots]

Can anyone please confirm that either the child witness or AJs mother named MB to police as this is being bandied about as fact and I have not read it anywhere. Likewise that the child ever mentioned a land rover.

The Police announced the Landrover of interest after spending hours 'carefully' talking to the child witness.

As far as I know CJ naming MB to Police came from social networking where a family member mentioned it. However, anything from social networking is a No no on here I think. There is no 'firm' proof that CJ actually did this though I personally would go with this. MOO

 

[Inge Jones]

Mr Haynes, who has helped with the search efforts during the past eight days, said many of his staff were still struggling to come to terms with the events.

“April used the centre, she was a member of the centre, she came in for swimming lessons the night she was taken,” he said.

“She was here having lessons at about 5pm so it was only two hours later that it happened.”

The caveat with this is he himself had probably only heard the time she was meant to have been taken via the media. And we don't know he ever saw her or knew which of the hundreds of kids who use his centre she was, until the news story broke. So he may even have been relying on media reports to tell him when she was meant to have been at his leisure centre. To get an accurate picture, we'd have had to hear the words from the person who actually led the swimming lesson - who by that time had probably already had their statement taken by police and encouraged not to speak to the media as they may be called to give evidence at court.

 

[Insp.Dots]

The caveat with this is he himself had probably only heard the time she was meant to have been taken via the media. And we don't know he ever saw her or knew which of the hundreds of kids who use his centre she was, until the news story broke. So he may even have been relying on media reports to tell him when she was meant to have been at his leisure centre. To get an accurate picture, we'd have had to hear the words from the person who actually led the swimming lesson - who by that time had probably already had their statement taken by police and encouraged not to speak to the media as they may be called to give evidence at court.

Sorry, yes I do agree with you though you would think as Manager he would probably have been privvy to this information.

 

[UKgirl]

who says that she did? and who says that it was the LR?

THe LE stated that april climbed into the landrover on the drivers side of the vehicle. Thats how they confirmed it was a left hand drive.

 

[Inge Jones]

Sorry, yes I do agree with you though you would think as Manager he would probably have been privvy to this information.

Yes if he had had time between hearing about it and the interview he would have been perfectly entitled to ask the member of staff concerned if she had turned up for her lesson, so that would place April as definitely alive at about 5pm, but the comment referring to her time of disappearance he almost certainly had only heard via the media or via the local chinese whisper grapevine.

 

[Inge Jones]

THe LE stated that april climbed into the landrover on the drivers side of the vehicle. Thats how they cofirmed it was a left hand drive.

They'd have to have more information than that to draw that conclusion. There are all manner of variables that can lead to a child climbing in on the drivers' side like which side of the road the car was, whether the child walked round the vehicle into the road to get in, etc.

So at best that snippet can only hint at a range of further questions that had to be asked, and doll-propped reconstructions that had to be played, before one could work out where the steering wheel was.

 

[Clio]

The Police announced the Landrover of interest after spending hours 'carefully' talking to the child witness.

They announced the vehicle of interest could be something like a Ford Connect or a Landrover. It wasn't until after the arrest that the vehicle was confirmed as a Landrover.

As far as I know CJ naming MB to Police came from social networking where a family member mentioned it. However, anything from social networking is a No no on here I think. There is no 'firm' proof that CJ actually did this though I personally would go with this. MOO

It was reported by the Telegraph. Where they got it from I have no idea.

See post upstream on both points

After he was arrested, shortly before 5pm, Det Bevan said

We are continuing our investigation to find April, however within the last hour we have arrested a 46-year-old male from the Machynlleth area who is being detained at Aberystwyth police station.

"We knew he was in the area, we've been anxious to trace him and speak to him," he said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...-old-arrested-over-abduction-knew-family.html

 

[Cendlaetholwr]

What if he buried her? He certainly is fit enough to dig a grave. Would that prevent wildlife getting to her?

Someone would have had to bury her quite deep to prevent any scent leaking out. Once a particularly hungry animal got scent of "food" buried somewhere, they go to extraordinary efforts to get to it. The hungrier they are, the more effort they put in. Nature is red in tooth and claw, unfortunately. It's all about survival.

 

[Insp.Dots]

Wonder if someone can help, I don't think we are allowed to discuss motive are we?

I just wondered how a motive affects the Police investigation, is it actually said as evidence or is it literally just a theory as to why someone has done what they've done?

IE: If they could say well he had reason to do it because......it would make much difference??

 

[Clio]

Wonder if someone can help, I don't think we are allowed to discuss motive are we?

I just wondered how a motive affects the Police investigation, is it actually said as evidence or is it literally just a theory as to why someone has done what they've done?

IE: If they could say well he had reason to do it because......it would make much difference??

Motive is not necessary in order to prove a charge of murder. However, if there is clear indication of motive, then if evidence is allowed to be presented it can stengthen the prosecution's case as it sometimes helps to pursuade a jury if they can understand the "why".

All the above AFAIK

 

[LegallyBrunette]

Wonder if someone can help, I don't think we are allowed to discuss motive are we?

I just wondered how a motive affects the Police investigation, is it actually said as evidence or is it literally just a theory as to why someone has done what they've done?

IE: If they could say well he had reason to do it because......it would make much difference??

Motive might be brought in by defence if prosecution evidence was more circumstantial, if Police have strong forensic and other evidence not really relevant. They have to prove accused committed the offence, not why. You can see why it might be more relevant in other scenarios, someone stands to gain from a will or life insurance, someone having affair and partner won't divorce etc. Probably still goes more to who police look at first when investigating.

 

[PADDYWHACK]

I respectfully disagree. I think there are a number of moms who would suspect their child was kidnapped as soon as they realized they were not where they were supposed to be, and after hearing a playmate say that the child got into a vehicle with someone. IMO, it's not productive to try to analyze a parent's thoughts and feelings when we can't possibly know WHY they were thinking or feeling something. She could have had a very good reason for suspecting this man as well.

You missed my point. If the child knew it was Bridger and Coral immediately thought kidnap, then she knows something about Bridger that we don't.

 

[PADDYWHACK]

Someone would have had to bury her quite deep to prevent any scent leaking out. Once a particularly hungry animal got scent of "food" buried somewhere, they go to extraordinary efforts to get to it. The hungrier they are, the more effort they put in. Nature is red in tooth and claw, unfortunately. It's all about survival.

If Bridger did do it he worked in the dark, or had a building to do it in. I doubt there was enough time between sun up and arrest to have dug something sufficient. It took me a whole day to dig my garden pond 4ft x 3ft deep.

 

[LegallyBrunette]

The Police announced the Landrover of interest after spending hours 'carefully' talking to the child witness.

As far as I know CJ naming MB to Police came from social networking where a family member mentioned it. However, anything from social networking is a No no on here I think. There is no 'firm' proof that CJ actually did this though I personally would go with this. MOO

And considering that MB was AWOL from around the time of the abduction and until the next afternoon when he was arrested, and that in normal circumstances a person so close to the family and with the skills he has including 'potholing' and generally pretty fit and had worked in the forest, wouldn't he have been right up there with the searchers?
Instead he's arrested while 'strolling' along the riverbank. Hello???
BTW, on FB, VF and ED (nee EG) and SW are all friends. MB is also on SW's friend's list. All public profiles.

 

[PADDYWHACK]

If my little girl's 'uncle' (MB is uncle by 'marriage' to April's half siblings) picked her up without permission at 7pm at night and didn't immediately phone and say, hey saw her playing and she wanted an icecream or whatever, we'll be back soon' I would be VERY worried.

I'm working off the press saying the little girl knew who it was, but yes a responsible adult would say they were just popping to the shop etc

 

[veggiefan]

Can anyone please confirm that either the child witness or AJs mother named MB to police

We do not know. The Sun reported that "Police said Bridger is known to her family but is not a relative", but there is no official police statement to that effect, and other papers were more cautious and simply said "A man believed to be known to her family, but not a relative".

I think someone put two and two together from the fact that it was probably a RHD vehicle, and the fact that he was probably known to AJ, but who that was we do not know.

Likewise that the child ever mentioned a land rover.

No she did not - I doubt if a girl that young would know cars by their make.

 

[LegallyBrunette]

I'm working off the press saying the little girl knew who it was, but yes a responsible adult would say they were just popping to the shop etc

Exactly, you don't just pick up a child like that and nick off, even a parent wouldn't do that without telling the other where they'd gone to. If you leave your child outside playing somewhere that's where you expect them to be.

 

[PADDYWHACK]

And considering that MB was AWOL from around the time of the abduction and until the next afternoon when he was arrested, and that in normal circumstances a person so close to the family and with the skills he has including 'potholing' and generally pretty fit and had worked in the forest, wouldn't he have been right up there with the searchers?
Instead he's arrested while 'strolling' along the riverbank. Hello???
BTW, on FB, VF and ED (nee EG) and SW are all friends. MB is also on SW's friend's list. All public profiles.

A fit ex soldier and not a very smart one.

 

[LegallyBrunette]

We do not know. The Sun reported that "Police said Bridger is known to her family but is not a relative", but there is no official police statement to that effect, and other papers were more cautious and simply said "A man believed to be known to her family, but not a relative".

I think someone put two and two together from the fact that it was probably a RHD vehicle, and the fact that he was probably known to AJ, but who that was we do not know.



No she did not - I doubt if a girl that young would know cars by their make.

My granddaughter did when she was 3, if the car was the same as belonged to a family member.