Why would an abductor 'hide' in the apartment ?

[Eleanor]

So why did he choose the worse possible moment to carry out his meticulously planned abduction ?

As it turns out, it wasn't the worst possible moment to carry out his meticulously planned abduction was it? Was he caught?  Has he been identified?  Seems to me he got clean away with it, a wholly successful abduction in other words (unfortunately).

Quite remarkable isn't it  ?

There he is,  this audacious abductor,  choosing to go into an apartment to steal a child away at the exact time he knows the childs father will be there  ...  hiding in such a confined space with aplomb  ...  then without care for any disturbance or noise made, he opens the window and shutters, for no real reason at all,  because he intends leaving through the front door anyway  ...  and off he boldly strides with the sleeping child in his arms  (  another stroke of luck there, in that she didn't  wake up  )  ...  straight across the road he unhesitatingly marches,  within yards  of the child's father,  his mate and a woman walking directly towards him  ...  and gets clean away

Remarkable indeed

Well said, Icabod.  I couldn't have put it better myself.

PS.  Actually, it's Ichabod.  But what's an aitch between friends.

[icabodcrane]

So why did he choose the worse possible moment to carry out his meticulously planned abduction ?

As it turns out, it wasn't the worst possible moment to carry out his meticulously planned abduction was it? Was he caught?  Has he been identified?  Seems to me he got clean away with it, a wholly successful abduction in other words (unfortunately).

Quite remarkable isn't it  ?

There he is,  this audacious abductor,  choosing to go into an apartment to steal a child away at the exact time he knows the childs father will be there  ...  hiding in such a confined space with aplomb  ...  then without care for any disturbance or noise made, he opens the window and shutters, for no real reason at all,  because he intends leaving through the front door anyway  ...  and off he boldly strides with the sleeping child in his arms  (  another stroke of luck there, in that she didn't  wake up  )  ...  straight across the road he unhesitatingly marches,  within yards  of the child's father,  his mate and a woman walking directly towards him  ...  and gets clean away

Remarkable indeed

Well said, Icabod.  I couldn't have put it better myself.

PS.  Actually, it's Ichabod .  But what's an aitch between friends.

I did know

...  I was waiting to see who would feel the need to point it out  ...  and there you are 

[Eleanor]

So why did he choose the worse possible moment to carry out his meticulously planned abduction ?

As it turns out, it wasn't the worst possible moment to carry out his meticulously planned abduction was it? Was he caught?  Has he been identified?  Seems to me he got clean away with it, a wholly successful abduction in other words (unfortunately).

Quite remarkable isn't it  ?

There he is,  this audacious abductor,  choosing to go into an apartment to steal a child away at the exact time he knows the childs father will be there  ...  hiding in such a confined space with aplomb  ...  then without care for any disturbance or noise made, he opens the window and shutters, for no real reason at all,  because he intends leaving through the front door anyway  ...  and off he boldly strides with the sleeping child in his arms  (  another stroke of luck there, in that she didn't  wake up  )  ...  straight across the road he unhesitatingly marches,  within yards  of the child's father,  his mate and a woman walking directly towards him  ...  and gets clean away

Remarkable indeed

Well said, Icabod.  I couldn't have put it better myself.

PS.  Actually, it's Ichabod .  But what's an aitch between friends.

I did know

...  I was waiting to see who would feel the need to point it out  ...  and there you are

And dead lucky you are to have me.  Most people have never heard of him, and know even less about who he was.

[gilet]

My dear Bod [is Bod ok?  The rest is too long.]

Have you never stayed in a big complex?  Hotels or apartments?

Everyone to do with the place has a master .. or at least has access to a key ... and the handing out of keys to various personnel is very casual at most places.


Now what do you think about this Bod?

1) There had been a series of burglaries at OC where entrance was thru the front door.  No break in .. so obviously a key was used ?  Mrs Fenns flat, above 5A, was entered this way ... and that was just a few weeks before The McCanns arrived.

2)  Holidaymakers, now were they on honeymoon, I forget?  Anyway a holidaying couple who were renting 5A just before The Mccanns, were truly upset because the cleaning ladies/maids were just walking into the apartment without warning.  Coming in thru a locked front door !


What do you think about that Bod?

I don't mind Bod  ...  I won't call you Sad though  (  that seems a bit unkind ) 

Whilst  cleaners/ chambermaids/maintenance staff use master keys to access rooms in their working hours,  they are returned at the end of the working day   ...  they don't put them in their back pockets and go home with them

So keys never go missing then? Not in your perfect world? No criminal has ever simply copied a key?

And here we have an apartment block which has only a short time previously suffered a keyed illegal entry but that doesn't register with you does it?

Cleaners, managers, maintenance staff, owners of the apartments, holidaymakers. No chance there of a key being copied or lost or mislaid or deliberately witheld? Nobody would ever forget a key was in their pocket? Simply would never happen in your world would it?

And Mrs Fenn must have just have imagined someone entering her apartment? Could that have been a master key to that block the person who she imagined and reported to the authorities used?

Of course I am just using common sense and a bit of logic about this but don't let that worry you.

[icabodcrane]

My dear Bod [is Bod ok?  The rest is too long.]

Have you never stayed in a big complex?  Hotels or apartments?

Everyone to do with the place has a master .. or at least has access to a key ... and the handing out of keys to various personnel is very casual at most places.


Now what do you think about this Bod?

1) There had been a series of burglaries at OC where entrance was thru the front door.  No break in .. so obviously a key was used ?  Mrs Fenns flat, above 5A, was entered this way ... and that was just a few weeks before The McCanns arrived.

2)  Holidaymakers, now were they on honeymoon, I forget?  Anyway a holidaying couple who were renting 5A just before The Mccanns, were truly upset because the cleaning ladies/maids were just walking into the apartment without warning.  Coming in thru a locked front door !


What do you think about that Bod?

I don't mind Bod  ...  I won't call you Sad though  (  that seems a bit unkind ) 

Whilst  cleaners/ chambermaids/maintenance staff use master keys to access rooms in their working hours,  they are returned at the end of the working day   ...  they don't put them in their back pockets and go home with them

So keys never go missing then? Not in your perfect world? No criminal has ever simply copied a key?

And here we have an apartment block which has only a short time previously suffered a keyed illegal entry but that doesn't register with you does it?

Cleaners, managers, maintenance staff, owners of the apartments, holidaymakers. No chance there of a key being copied or lost or mislaid or deliberately witheld? Nobody would ever forget a key was in their pocket? Simply would never happen in your world would it?

And Mrs Fenn must have just have imagined someone entering her apartment? Could that have been a master key to that block the person who she imagined and reported to the authorities used?

Of course I am just using common sense and a bit of logic about this but don't let that worry you.

Well if we are going down the path of logic and common sense,  let's be honest here shall we  ?

I have no agenda,  I am not an  'anti'  ... and I do not post on any of the designated boards which are entrenched in a constant state of warfare/competition

I post honestly and with a genuine desire to debate and learn more about this sad, but compelling case

When I post a thread , therefore,  that questions the fact that an abductor  (  an abductor who has been clever and cunning enough to leave not a single clue or lead in all these years )   would be  stupid  enough to put himself in the risky  position  of having to hide behind a bedroom door  ...  when the frequent lengthy absenses of the parents meant he didn't  have  to  ...  I do so because I genuinely find it hard to believe

Yes, you can come back with all sorts of excuses and explanations  ...  but if you could set aside your avowed intent to defend the McCann's stated position at every turn, for just a moment  (  and apply the logic and common sense you allude to  ) wouldn't you  honestly agree that the scenario  simply doesn't make sense ?

[John]

It doesn't say much for the apartments to have such bad publicity about rooms being entered by would-be burglars.  It is certainly true to say that there could very well be a problem there with unauthorised keys floating around.

Another point I want to make after reading what has already been posted is that the alleged abductor had no way of knowing when one of the parents would appear to do the checks.  If indeed they were being watched I would assume the best time to attempt an abduction was immediately after one of them had done their check and left to return to the bar.