Amaral and the dogs

[Alfred R Jones]

It's simple really try this first: "For what would you use an M20 ring spanner"?
So by extension:
"The role of the dogs is to assist in the locating of deceased human’s remains. Victim Remains Recovery Dogs are trained to smell decomposition. Blood Screening Dogs are trained to smell blood. The dogs are used as a coarse screening tool to narrow down search areas for the CSIs, SOCOs call ‘em what you will".
Just as an aside verbal cues and directional cues are common practice.
Like I don't know of an M20 spaniard that will jump on a bolt without me cuing it !
The dog's a tool nothing more nothing less.

Hot dang!  I DID know what the role of the dogs was after all, but thanks for confirming.  What was their role in Apartment 5a though, where it was pretty obvious there were no bits of body lying about?

[Alice Purjorick]

Hot dang!  I DID know what the role of the dogs was after all, but thanks for confirming.  What was their role in Apartment 5a though, where it was pretty obvious there were no bits of body lying about?

Apart from your definition of "remains" seemingly being a bit more prescriptive than is the case you mean?

Recap:
The dogs are used as a coarse screening tool to narrow down search areas for the CSIs, SOCOs call ‘em what you will".  Then it's up to the SOCOs to find or not, things that dogs alert to.
Recap: that being, scent of decomposition and blood among other things they are trained to alert to.
Then when the SOCOs have found something it goes to a lab for analysis and report.
Then in this instance the report says, effectively, "we can rule nothing in and can rule nothing out".
End of the line for anything stout enough to stand up in court but intelligence enough for a competent IO to park it until something does rule it in or out.

[ferryman]

Then in this instance the report says, effectively, "we can rule nothing in and can rule nothing out".

Nope.

Doesn't say that, effectively or literally.

It says nothing at all.

Nil.

Zilch

Blank.

Try again another day ...

[G-Unit]

Have already done so, but I will do so again.

Harrison's recommendations

In considering the two scenarios that Madeleine McCann has been murdered and her body disposed of by a person on foot or in a vehicle, I have reflected on the areas within zone 1 that have been previously searched or subject to forensic examination.

Mark Warner Creche at Praia Da Luz.

This is the location of the last confirmed sighting by a person independent of family members of Madeleine McCann. Although this location was within the original search area it may well benefit from a further search using enhanced detecting methods for human remains. This will depend on the size of any outside grounds and concealed areas inside the building.

McCann's Apartment.

The apartment in which the McCann's had stayed may present further
opportunities to search. The use of a specialist EVRD (Enhanced Victim
Recovery Dog) and CSI dog (human blood detecting dog) could potentially indicate on whether Madeline's blood is in the property or the scent of a dead body is present. In relation to the dead body scent if such a scent is indicated by the EVRD and no body is located it may suggest that a body has been in the property but removed. This search process could be repeated in all the apartments that were occupied by the friends holidaying with the McCann's.

Murat's House and Garden.

The property has been forensically examined to recover any surface trace evidence however the house and gardens may benefit from a fully invasive specialist search to preclude the presence of Madeleine McCann.
A method previously employed on similar cases has been to use the below assets.
Deploy the EVRD to search the house and garden to ensure Madeleine McCann's remains are not present. The dog may also indicate if a body has been stored in the recent past and then moved off the property, though this is not evidential merely intelligence.
Deploy the CSI dog to search the house to locate any human blood.
This will act in support of the forensic examination already completed.
An inhibiting factor will be on areas where Luminol has been used.


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Deploy geophysical instruments in the house and garden to detect any burial of a body or concealment in voids.

These specialists should be supported by physical search teams exploring and accessing all areas where concealment of a child's body could be made typically 0.5m.

Murat's Vehicles.

All vehicles Murat has had access to have been forensically examined to recover any surface trace evidence however they may all benefit from a full search by the EVRD and CSI dogs. They may be able to detect whether a dead body has been transported in one of the vehicles for intelligence purposes or detect human blood deposits that can be recovered and
examined in a laboratory for Madeleine McCann's blood.

Open Area to East of Praia Da Luz.

This open area between the village urban limits and the Boavista golf club to the east and includes a plateau on which sits a trig point and mobile phone mast.
This area has been previously searched by officers and dogs walking through the area to check for Madeleine McCann's visible remains. However considering the new scenario of Homicide and concealed deposition this area affords many opportunities to dispose of a body. Within this area there are old empty properties, wells, thick vegetation, pockets of soft sand and natural fissures in the cliffs. Whilst there is no intelligence she is buried or concealed in this land it would be a natural place an offender may choose dose to the Village using the least effort principle. A proportionate response may therefore be considered to conduct a search of this area using a team of Victim Recovery Dogs (VRD) that are specifically trained to located concealed human remains.
Prior to undertaking this task it would be beneficial to consult with a Forensic Anthropologist with knowledge of this region of Portugal to give opinion as to the likely state of any remains to be found. Further research could also be conducted with regards to the natural scavenging predators in the area.

An inhibiting factor is that since the disappearance of the child an old empty house adjacent to the Trig Point on the Rocha Negra has been demolished and all rubble removed, If she was concealed within this property the search would be unlikely to detect her now.

Praia Da Luz Beach and Shoreline.

The beach and shoreline are bounded by high cliffs and shallow waters. The beach has fine granular sand and provides easy digging. However the beach is extensively used by tourists and locals and af?rds minimal areas of cover from view for concealment. It may be considered appropriate to use the VRD dog team supported by geophysical GPR to sweep the beach. This would be


Page 2229 :

a considerable time and cost undertaking and should be weighed in the absence of specific intelligence.

Search Duration.

If all the described assets were deployed it would be likely all assets would complete their searches within one week.

I have attempted to help you by underlining those parts that indicate Harrison's direct recommendations.

Note three absences: no reference to the villa (where Madeleine never lived); no reference to the gym (where Madeleine never went near); no reference to vehciles other than those owned or driven by Murat.

Taken from 'Madeleine McCann Search Decision support document' written by Harrison and dated 23rd July;

It recommended considering re searching:
 
- All accommodation occupied by the McCann family and their friends as well as any hired vehicles.
- The villa and garden occupied by Robert Murat and any vehicles he had access to.
- Areas of wasteland adjacent to Murat’s and the McCann’s apartment.
- Areas of the beach in Praia da Luz.
- A portion of the coastline east of Praia da Luz.

More in an edit:

(Something went wrog with my attempt to add an edit).

Will attempt again.

Seconds out, take 2:

Here is where Harrison makes reference to places or things Madeleine never lived in or went near.

This is the first reference to places Madeleine never lived in or never went near.

And Harrison's wording is very different.

The output of this process of reconnaissance and review was a written document entitled “Madeleine McCann Search Decision Support Document” (see appendix 2) and submitted to the PJ with copies supplied to Leicestershire Police and NPIA on 23-07-07.

It recommended considering re searching:
 
- All accommodation occupied by the McCann family and their friends as well as any hired vehicles.
- The villa and garden occupied by Robert Murat and any vehicles he had access to.
- Areas of wasteland adjacent to Murat’s and the McCann’s apartment.
- Areas of the beach in Praia da Luz.
- A portion of the coastline east of Praia da Luz.
 
These recommendations were based on the fact that these areas had not been previously searched with the specific intent to locate Madeleine McCann’s concealed and deceased body and that the areas recommended afforded likely and obvious places to consider for concealment in such an investigation.
 
This document was discussed on 23-07-07 with the PJ Director, myself and the Leicestershire Police liaison officer DI Neil Holden who made relevant notes.
 
On 25-07-07 the PJ Director decided his officers would re-search some of the areas suggested within the report. He also decided the order of their priority. These were the accommodation the McCann’s and their friends have occupied in Praia da Luz, the villa and the grounds occupied by Robert Murat, wasteland that surrounds these locations and any known vehicles the suspect, the McCanns and their friends had access to when Madeleine disappeared.

Still no reference to the gym ....

Nevertheless the recommendations come from a report written and submitted by Harrison, quoted above.

And it won't go away that in his summary of all searches, Harrison references Grime and his dogs only in those searches he (Harrison) recommended:

The timeline of these searches was as follows:
 
On 31-07-07 the PJ conducted canine searches with a search warrant at apartments in Praia da Luz that had been previously occupied by the McCanns and their friends.
 
On 01-08-07 the PJ and GNR assisted by a canine, conducted searches on the eastern beach and wasteland in Praia da Luz.
 
On 02-08-07 the PJ conducted a search warrant at a villa in Praia da Luz currently occupied by the McCann family.
 
Later the same day PJ officers conducted a screening procedure involving items removed from the McCann’s villa.
 
On 03-08-07 PJ and GNR officers were given instruction based on translated extracts from NPIA doctrine on search management and procedures. This focused on search procedures relating to buildings and vehicles.
 
On 04-08-07 and 05-08-07 a search warrant was executed at the villa and gardens belonging to the PJ suspect Robert Murat. This search involved both PJ and GNR personnel supported by civil defence, geophysical equipment operators and a canine handler.
 
On 06-08-07 ten vehicles were searched associated to the enquiry.
 
On 07-08-07 the western beach and remaining wasteland areas were searched using canine and GNR personnel.
 
On 08-08-07 the drains around the apartment block where Madeleine McCann disappeared from were subject to a visual inspection by PJ officers.

Why, in your opinion (for instance) does Harrison summarise both inspections at villa and gym as PJ exercises?

When you say he referred to some searches 'without mentioning Grime' so what? It's just the way he's written it and not of any significance. The significance you think you've found is just your opinion.

After all the fuss, the only place Harrison didn't recommend searching is a gym? Why would he recommend that? In reality the screening in the gym happened because they decided to remove items form the villa. I'll allow you that - he never recommended screening clothes. How that arose we don't know.

[Alfred R Jones]

Apart from your definition of "remains" seemingly being a bit more prescriptive than is the case you mean?

Recap:
The dogs are used as a coarse screening tool to narrow down search areas for the CSIs, SOCOs call ‘em what you will".  Then it's up to the SOCOs to find or not, things that dogs alert to.
Recap: that being, scent of decomposition and blood among other things they are trained to alert to.
Then when the SOCOs have found something it goes to a lab for analysis and report.
Then in this instance the report says, effectively, "we can rule nothing in and can rule nothing out".
End of the line for anything stout enough to stand up in court but intelligence enough for a competent IO to park it until something does rule it in or out.

So a dog is  like the canine version of a metal detector, a tool that helps its user to find stuff, though it can't tell its owner precisely what it is alerting to, it's up to the user(s) to find the stuff that might have triggered the alert and try to make head and tail of it.  I expect I got that wrong and you will educate me some more.

[stephen25000]

So a dog is  like the canine version of a metal detector, a tool that helps its user to find stuff, though it can't tell its owner precisely what it is alerting to, it's up to the user(s) to find the stuff that might have triggered the alert and try to make head and tail of it.  I expect I got that wrong and you will educate me some more.

Wow alfred.

That's amazing. Dogs don't talk.

Actually the user doesn't find the 'stuff'.

That's the job of the forensic scientists.

[ferryman]

When you say he referred to some searches 'without mentioning Grime' so what? It's just the way he's written it and not of any significance. The significance you think you've found is just your opinion.

After all the fuss, the only place Harrison didn't recommend searching is a gym? Why would he recommend that? In reality the screening in the gym happened because they decided to remove items form the villa. I'll allow you that - he never recommended screening clothes. How that arose we don't know.

I have pointed out before, and am happy to repeat, that there was never the slightest justification for inspection of clothing; let alone two inspections of the same clothing in two different places.

Inspection of clothing is something else Harrison made literally no reference to.

Do you not think it significant that Harrison waited until after both inspections at villa and gym to issue PJ personnel with instructions on how to conduct canine inspections in buildings?

And given disregard of principles of cross-contamination in the way clothing was transferred to the gym, does that not make a mockery of apparent preoccupation with the possibility of pre-existing scents in the gym?

Or did the PJ crib off this translated literature Harrison gave them on how to conduct canine inspections in buildings and vehicles?

[Mr Gray]

Wow alfred.

That's amazing. Dogs don't talk.

Actually the user doesn't find the 'stuff'.

That's the job of the forensic scientists.

the user does find the stuff...and the scientists analyse it

[stephen25000]

I have pointed out before, and am happy to repeat, that there was never the slightest justification for inspection of clothing; let alone two inspections of the same clothing in two different places.

Inspection of clothing is something else Harrison made literally no reference to.

Do you not think it significant that Harrison waited until after both inspections at villa and gym to issue PJ personnel with instructions on how to conduct canine inspections in buildings?

And given disregard of principles of cross-contamination in the way clothing was transferred to the gym, does that not make a mockery of apparent preoccupation with the possibility of pre-existing scents in the gym?

Or did the PJ crib off this translated literature Harrison gave them on how to conduct canine inspections in buildings and vehicles?

Why was there no justification for inspection of clothing ?

Have you know become an expert in forensics as well ?

[Mr Gray]

Apart from your definition of "remains" seemingly being a bit more prescriptive than is the case you mean?

Recap:
The dogs are used as a coarse screening tool to narrow down search areas for the CSIs, SOCOs call ‘em what you will".  Then it's up to the SOCOs to find or not, things that dogs alert to.
Recap: that being, scent of decomposition and blood among other things they are trained to alert to.
Then when the SOCOs have found something it goes to a lab for analysis and report.
Then in this instance the report says, effectively, "we can rule nothing in and can rule nothing out".
End of the line for anything stout enough to stand up in court but intelligence enough for a competent IO to park it until something does rule it in or out.

the dogs are quite a precise screening  tool and can locate blood residues invisible to the naked eye,,,,

looks like I understand the alerts a lot better than you do

[Eleanor]

Keep it pleasant, please.

[G-Unit]

I have pointed out before, and am happy to repeat, that there was never the slightest justification for inspection of clothing; let alone two inspections of the same clothing in two different places.

Inspection of clothing is something else Harrison made literally no reference to.

Do you not think it significant that Harrison waited until after both inspections at villa and gym to issue PJ personnel with instructions on how to conduct canine inspections in buildings?

And given disregard of principles of cross-contamination in the way clothing was transferred to the gym, does that not make a mockery of apparent preoccupation with the possibility of pre-existing scents in the gym?

Or did the PJ crib off this translated literature Harrison gave them on how to conduct canine inspections in buildings and vehicles?

I have no interest in debating  how and why the searches were conducted. My only interest was in correcting your assumptions about Harrison and your assertions that he tacitly criticised Grime (not demonstrated) and that he didn't suggest certain search areas (incorrect, he did).

[Alfred R Jones]

Wow alfred.

That's amazing. Dogs don't talk.

Actually the user doesn't find the 'stuff'.

That's the job of the forensic scientists.

Dogs don't talk but some people believe that when Eddie barked he was telling us that Madeleine's body was in the apartment and hire car.  There's nowt so queer as folk!

[stephen25000]

Dogs don't talk but some people believe that when Eddie barked he was telling us that Madeleine's body was in the apartment and hire car.  There's nowt so queer as folk!

Among other things, dogs bark when they indicate.

You do realize of course there is a subtle difference between a body being present, and 'residues' being detected from one ?

[ferryman]

I have no interest in debating  how and why the searches were conducted. My only interest was in correcting your assumptions about Harrison and your assertions that he tacitly criticised Grime (not demonstrated) and that he didn't suggest certain search areas (incorrect, he did).

Ah well.

Ernest try, but you failed.