What was it that jogged Mr Smiths memory?

[John]

I have separated this thread off since the topic under discussion has changed somewhat.

The image below is what apparently jogged Mr Smiths memory of the events of 3rd May 2007 when he and his family encountered a man carrying a child in the same manner.



Gerry and Kate McCann return from Portugal.

[Carana]

None of Martin Smith's kids agreed with him.

In the rogs, I found it interesting that they were trying to remember their own memories (what their individual recollections were) and tried to divorce those from what they had later heard or had otherwise perhaps falsely assimilated. Even to the point of disagreeing with their spouses' recollections.

Such in-depth interviews should have taken place whilst memories were fresh (without the press interference of RM having been made arguido), by officers trained in such interview techniques.

[AnneGuedes]

None of Martin Smith's kids agreed with him.

In the rogs, I found it interesting that they were trying to remember their own memories (what their individual recollections were) and tried to divorce those from what they had later heard or had otherwise perhaps falsely assimilated. Even to the point of disagreeing with their spouses' recollections.

Such in-depth interviews should have taken place whilst memories were fresh (without the press interference of RM having been made arguido), by officers trained in such interview techniques.

Mr Smith said the rest of the family, except for his wife who agreed with him, didn't. We don't know whether they said "we can't say" or "he's definitively not the one" (which, imo, would have allowed Mr Smith to desist without feeling a coward).
Did the TP3 wrote a letter begging pardon to Robert M. ? Not many would have reacted as he did. He's really the guy depicted in the Times.

[ferryman]

except for his wife who agreed with him,

Wasn't Mr Smith's wife ambivalent?

I think she said it could have been Gerry

[Carana]

except for his wife who agreed with him,

Wasn't Mr Smith's wife ambivalent?

I think she said it could have been Gerry

Martin didn't say anything much different, except that he was presumably asked to express his doubt on a scale.

[ferryman]

except for his wife who agreed with him,

Wasn't Mr Smith's wife ambivalent?

I think she said it could have been Gerry

Martin didn't say anything much different, except that he was presumably asked to express his doubt on a scale.

The thing I'd love to know is what Mr Smith thinks now ...

[AnneGuedes]

except for his wife who agreed with him,

Wasn't Mr Smith's wife ambivalent?

I think she said it could have been Gerry

Martin didn't say anything much different, except that he was presumably asked to express his doubt on a scale.

Exactly.

[Benice]

except for his wife who agreed with him,

Wasn't Mr Smith's wife ambivalent?

I think she said it could have been Gerry

Martin didn't say anything much different, except that he was presumably asked to express his doubt on a scale.

He didn't even say it was Gerry himself who reminded him of the man he saw - it was the way he was holding/carrying his sleeping child that looked familiar to him.       His memory had not been jogged by all the pictures of Gerry that he must have seen previously on TV and in the Press.

[debunker]

Mr Smith said the rest of the family, except for his wife who agreed with him, didn't. We don't know whether they said "we can't say" or "he's definitively not the one" (which, imo, would have allowed Mr Smith to desist without feeling a coward).
Did the TP3 wrote a letter begging pardon to Robert M. ? Not many would have reacted as he did. He's really the guy depicted in the Times.

See above comment. Interesting use of the word 'desist'.

[AnneGuedes]

He didn't even say it was Gerry himself who reminded him of the man he saw - it was the way he was holding/carrying his sleeping child that looked familiar to him.       His memory had not been jogged by all the pictures of Gerry that he must have seen previously on TV and in the Press.

Right. It wasn't his face (nobody said so), but the uncomfortable holding that... struck him, which is coherent with his assumed incapacity to recognize the carrier. You don't expect a father to hold his child clumsily and this detail is likely kept in memory.

[Carana]

He didn't even say it was Gerry himself who reminded him of the man he saw - it was the way he was holding/carrying his sleeping child that looked familiar to him.       His memory had not been jogged by all the pictures of Gerry that he must have seen previously on TV and in the Press.

Right. It wasn't his face (nobody said so), but the uncomfortable holding that... struck him, which is coherent with his assumed incapacity to recognize the carrier. You don't expect a father to hold his child clumsily and this detail is likely kept in memory.

I never understood what was clumsy in the way Gerry carried Sean down the steps of an aircraft.

The little boy was, and stayed, sound asleep (despite getting out of seats, out of the plane, all the noise on a tarmac).

This little boy was totally limp in his daddy's arms and his daddy was obviously looking down to see where he was going.

There aren't 10,000 ways to carry a child of that age down such steps.

Could THAT similarity have triggered a flash memory?

[AnneGuedes]

I never understood what was clumsy in the way Gerry carried Sean down the steps of an aircraft.

The little boy was, and stayed, sound asleep (despite getting out of seats, out of the plane, all the noise on a tarmac).

This little boy was totally limp in his daddy's arms and his daddy was obviously looking down to see where he was going.

There aren't 10,000 ways to carry a child of that age down such steps.

Could THAT similarity have triggered a flash memory?

Have you seen the video or a photo ?

[Benice]

I never understood what was clumsy in the way Gerry carried Sean down the steps of an aircraft.

The little boy was, and stayed, sound asleep (despite getting out of seats, out of the plane, all the noise on a tarmac).

This little boy was totally limp in his daddy's arms and his daddy was obviously looking down to see where he was going.

There aren't 10,000 ways to carry a child of that age down such steps.

Could THAT similarity have triggered a flash memory?

That is exactly what happened in my opinion Carana.  How many other ways are there of carrying a sleeping child of that age and size down aircraft steps?   Only one IMO and that's exactly the same except on the R/H shoulder.    Only a small baby would be carried differently.

[AnneGuedes]

But Mr Smith doesn't say it's the way to carry in itself, it's the fact the carrier did it uncomfortably, as someone who isn't trained to.

[Carana]

I never understood what was clumsy in the way Gerry carried Sean down the steps of an aircraft.

The little boy was, and stayed, sound asleep (despite getting out of seats, out of the plane, all the noise on a tarmac).

This little boy was totally limp in his daddy's arms and his daddy was obviously looking down to see where he was going.

There aren't 10,000 ways to carry a child of that age down such steps.

Could THAT similarity have triggered a flash memory?

Have you seen the video or a photo ?

Of what? Gerry carrying his little boy down the steps and reading out a statement on the tarmac with his little boy fast asleep on one shoulder? Yes.