Sadie's theory, the watcher and a getaway car.

[faithlilly]

This witness statement that i found again yesterday, is not conclusive in any way, but does seem to add some weight to my theory of a watcher/ controller on the balcony opposite 5A, that fateful night.  As suggested in the earlier posts on this thread.


http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/GRAHAM-MCKENZIE.htm
 
 
The following day we saw Kate McCann when she came to collect the twins from the creche at lunchtime, she was distraught and broke down sobbing.

We didn't have any other involvement with their group for the remainder of our holiday and flew home on the Saturday. On the day of our departure we had to move out of our apartment and Mark Warner gave us another to use during the day until we left.

It was across the road from the McCann's apartment and the public balcony overlooked the side of their building and the road. You could actually see the front and back of the building from that view point. I noticed on the balcony that there was a pile of cigarette butts as if there had been someone stood there for some time smoking. I thought that was odd , and it could have been someone watching the McCann's apartment to monitor their comings and goings.

This was only a day and a half after Madeleine was taken and that balcony did not exactly have a beautiful sea view or anything !.

Cigarette butts on a balcony may speak of the occupier's laziness but it is certainly not 'odd'. Many, many non-smokers, who have partners who are smokers, ask them to go outside when having a cigarette, or in this case  onto the balcony. The cigarette butt is then thrown on to the floor to be ground out by the heel of the smoker's shoe. Nothing odd about it and certainly not indicative of anything more sinister.

[sadie]

But this is the PUBLIC balcony, not the private one.

And there had been rain earlier in the week IIRC.

May be nothing, but it may be.  Pity Amaral couldn't be bothered to check these places.  But then he decided from day one that the "Mccanns DUNIT, didn't he?  All he was interested in, it seems, was pinning it on  them.

IMO

[faithlilly]

But this is the PUBLIC balcony, not the private one.

And there had been rain earlier in the week IIRC.

May be nothing, but it may be.  Pity Amaral couldn't be bothered to check these places.  But then he decided from day one that the "Mccanns DUNIT, didn't he?  All he was interested in, it seems, was pinning it on  them.

IMO

What did you expect him to do. Go around every area that had a view of the McCanns apartment picking up cigarette butts and other detritus ? To do what with ?

[Benice]

What did you expect him to do. Go around every area that had a view of the McCanns apartment picking up cigarette butts and other detritus ? To do what with ?

As a child had been abducted  - and the apartment had probably been watched, then yes they should have checked places from where a person could have been watching 5A.   They could have tried to find out whether the cigarette butts belonged to someone who was staying there and was in the habit of going to that spot for a smoke.    If no-one had - then that would be worth logging as potential evidence.   What's the difference between that and other door to door enquiries?

[faithlilly]

As a child had been abducted  - and the apartment had probably been watched, then yes they should have checked places from where a person could have been watching 5A.   They could have tried to find out whether the cigarette butts belonged to someone who was staying there and was in the habit of going to that spot for a smoke.    If no-one had - then that would be worth logging as potential evidence.   What's the difference between that and other door to door enquiries?

There is absolutely no specific evidence that the apartment was watched so shall we start from there and work our way forward ?

[Benice]

There is absolutely no specific evidence that the apartment was watched so shall we start from there and work our way forward ?

So wouldn't trying to find out whether there was any evidence be the logical thing to do - right at the beginning of the enquiry?

[faithlilly]

So wouldn't trying to find out whether there was any evidence be the logical thing to do - right at the beginning of the enquiry?

By picking up cigarette butts ? From where ? The street ? The car park ? The car park across the road ? And how are you going to know when they were deposited ?

[sadie]

There is absolutely no specific evidence that the apartment was watched so shall we start from there and work our way forward ?

as you well know, there is lots of evidence that 5A was being watched.

[sadie]

By picking up cigarette butts ? From where ? The street ? The car park ? The car park across the road ? And how are you going to know when they were deposited ?

Any copper worthy of his money should have looked there ... and yes picked up the cigarette stubs for analyisis later, if thought necessary

[faithlilly]

as you well know, there is lots of evidence that 5A was being watched.

No sadie, there is no conclusive evidence 5a was watched.

[faithlilly]

Any copper worthy of his money should have looked there ... and yes picked up the cigarette stubs for analyisis later, if thought necessary

Absolute nonsense. What next, fingerprinting the balconies from all the apartment that looks on to 5a just in case ? 

[Rachel Granada]

Absolute nonsense. What next, fingerprinting the balconies from all the apartment that looks on to 5a just in case ? 

In big cases Faithlilly we generally see the UK police doing fingertip searches, combing the area.  It's a shame that the PT police didn't at least look into the fag but business further.  It could have been nothing of course, but equally it could have yielded DNA that may have helped further.

[faithlilly]

In big cases Faithlilly we generally see the UK police doing fingertip searches, combing the area.  It's a shame that the PT police didn't at least look into the fag but business further.  It could have been nothing of course, but equally it could have yielded DNA that may have helped further.

Not in a case of abduction Rachel,  a murder absolutely.

[Rachel Granada]

Not in a case of abduction Rachel,  a murder absolutely.

I would think definitely in a case where a child has disappeared? Again, the fag butts could have been nothing but IMO they should have been checked.

[faithlilly]

I would think definitely in a case where a child has disappeared? Again, the fag butts could have been nothing but IMO they should have been checked.

Nope. Do some research Rachel.