Sunday Times claim that Smith e-fits had been suppressed for 5 years.

[pathfinder73]

Stop laughing Redwood  Don't miss Crimewatch when we release these efits to the public for the first time with the McCanns in the studio. We also have got rid of their abductor Tannerman - our revelation moment.

[Wonderfulspam]

He couldn't say "This sighting may be innocent" & keep a straight face 

Can't imagine why.

[misty]

As to the P.I.'s, what did they find that has resulted in any real progress in solving Madeleine's disappearance ?

Now if the mccanns had gone public at that time, they would open themselves to prosecution.
#

and that state of,affairs should still stand.

As to the P.I.'s, what did they find that has resulted in any real progress in solving Madeleine's disappearance ?

We know precious little about what Oakley Int. discovered during their investigations. Whether or not it has been of any use to SY remains to be seen.
What we do know is that SY have had far more access to the original PJ findings than Oakley ever would have had, and also the necessary authority to re-interview witnesses in the UK who may be otherwise unwilling to speak to PI's.
What I find amazing, and commendable, is that no information from any of the UK witnesses which could potentially undermine possible future prosecution(s) has been anonymously leaked onto the internet.

[Alice Purjorick]

As to the P.I.'s, what did they find that has resulted in any real progress in solving Madeleine's disappearance ?


We know precious little about what Oakley Int. discovered during their investigations. Whether or not it has been of any use to SY remains to be seen.
What we do know is that SY have had far more access to the original PJ findings than Oakley ever would have had, and also the necessary authority to re-interview witnesses in the UK who may be otherwise unwilling to speak to PI's.
What I find amazing, and commendable, is that no information from any of the UK witnesses which could potentially undermine possible future prosecution(s) has been anonymously leaked onto the internet.

There may be three, possibly more, reasons for this:-
The witnesses are scrupulously ethical and honest.
The witnesses have been warned off by legal eagles.
There is no information worth leaking.

[Brietta]

There may be three, possibly more, reasons for this:-
The witnesses are scrupulously ethical and honest.
The witnesses have been warned off by legal eagles.
There is no information worth leaking.

 ... hasn't been a barrier to date ...

[Brietta]

The dossier may well have been passed to the UK police in 2009, but at that time the Portuguese investigation had been shelved & the UK police had not been authorised to open their own investigation.
What do you suppose the McCans legal position would have been, had they gone to a UK newspaper & asked them to print efits of a man they believe was carrying their daughter? Who would have collated the data received?

I  also think you can guess what the Portuguese response would have been, had the McCanns tried to present the "new evidence". The PJ had ample opportunity to get efits from the Smiths - yet they chose not to, and, from the statements in the files it is clear to understand why they didn't.

The only suggestion that this is not the man the Smiths saw is the phrase "walking down to the sea". No-one knows for sure where Smithman was heading.

Having read the Smith family statements I can't see how they could have supplied such clear images for the efits. 

… "walking down to the sea" is indeed very specific and the Smiths are on record as not having witnessed the direction this man took.

Is it possible he was seen by another witness who had a clear view of his face - which the Smiths did not - and the direction he was taking - which the Smiths did not - who was located by the McCann PIs?

One of the most discussed escape routes for an abductor was by sea.

[pathfinder73]

Having read the Smith family statements I can't see how they could have supplied such clear images for the efits. 

… "walking down to the sea" is indeed very specific and the Smiths are on record as not having witnessed the direction this man took.

Is it possible he was seen by another witness who had a clear view of his face - which the Smiths did not - and the direction he was taking - which the Smiths did not - who was located by the McCann PIs?

One of the most discussed escape routes for an abductor was by sea.

Aoife was next to a light when she looked left and saw him. I think she must have seen his face and did an efit. Be interesting to know which one she did  >@@(*&)

— The deponent remembers that upon reaching the top of the stairs, she looked to her left and saw a man (1) with a female child (2) in his arms, walking along the pavement of Rua 25 de Abril. He was walking in her direction at a distance of, give or take, two metres.

[Alfred R Jones]

Aoife was next to a light when she looked left and saw him. I think she must have seen his face and did an efit. Be interesting to know which one she did  >@@(*&)

— The deponent remembers that upon reaching the top of the stairs, she looked to her left and saw a man (1) with a female child (2) in his arms, walking along the pavement of Rua 25 de Abril. He was walking in her direction at a distance of, give or take, two metres.

If she saw his face how do you explain why she didn't agree with the Senior Smith about it being Gerry?

[misty]

If she saw his face how do you explain why she didn't agree with the Senior Smith about it being Gerry?

The clear differences in those 2 fits is what leads me to believe that Smithman is merely a figment of someone's imagination. I think that is why the efits were released when they were - for elimination & not identification.

[Alfred R Jones]

The clear differences in those 2 fits is what leads me to believe that Smithman is merely a figment of someone's imagination. I think that is why the efits were released when they were - for elimination & not identification.

I don't get your reasoning.  Someone carrying a child was seen by a group of people, not just one person.

[Brietta]

Aoife was next to a light when she looked left and saw him. I think she must have seen his face and did an efit. Be interesting to know which one she did  >@@(*&)

— The deponent remembers that upon reaching the top of the stairs, she looked to her left and saw a man (1) with a female child (2) in his arms, walking along the pavement of Rua 25 de Abril. He was walking in her direction at a distance of, give or take, two metres.

She may have seen him and probably had the best view of him but she was clear that she could not positively identify him.  When the McCann PIs - who we assume are the source of the efits - were investigating many months later, why would her recall be any better?

 - snipped -
Questioned, states that probably she would not be able to recognise either the individual or the child.

At the time she saw his face but now cannot remember it.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARTIN_SMITH.htm

[Brietta]

The clear differences in those 2 fits is what leads me to believe that Smithman is merely a figment of someone's imagination. I think that is why the efits were released when they were - for elimination & not identification.

As far as elimination goes ... no one so far has stepped up to the mark claiming to be innocentsmithman ... and to date we do not know if SY have a lookalike suspect in the frame.

[misty]

I don't get your reasoning.  Someone carrying a child was seen by a group of people, not just one person.

I don't get your reasoning.  Someone carrying a child was seen by a group of people, not just one person.

http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARTIN_SMITH.htm
*snip*
— Urged, states that when he passed this individual it would have been around 22H00, and at the time he was completely unaware that a child had disappeared. He only became aware of the disappearance of the child the next morning, through his daughter, L*****, in Ireland who had sent him a message or called him regarding what had happened. At this point he thought that MADELEINE could have been the child he saw with the individual.

Yet he never thought to contact the PJ immediately about this potentially  important sighting and not one of the remainder of the group said "Grandad/Dad....remember that man we saw last night?"

Then, of course, there was another 2 weeks of frantic worrying about telling the police he was pretty sure the man was Gerry in the September......just as Gerry & Kate walked...

[faithlilly]

She may have seen him and probably had the best view of him but she was clear that she could not positively identify him.  When the McCann PIs - who we assume are the source of the efits - were investigating many months later, why would her recall be any better?

 - snipped -
Questioned, states that probably she would not be able to recognise either the individual or the child.

At the time she saw his face but now cannot remember it.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARTIN_SMITH.htm

If the efits were produced by a witness found by the PIs it would have made it more important to have handed it over to the authorities at the first possible opportunity, not over a year after they were commissioned and also to make the public aware of the sighting.

[misty]

As far as elimination goes ... no one so far has stepped up to the mark claiming to be innocentsmithman ... and to date we do not know if SY have a lookalike suspect in the frame.

If SY had a lookalike suspect in the frame, why didn't they carry out the necessary interviews BEFORE carrying out all those digs? None of the 4 arguidos fits both the age-group & hair-colouring of Smithman.