Latest news on the search for Madeleine McCann

[Carana]

Rubbish as far as I can tell. There were NO hairs that could have belonged to Madeleine in Casa Liliana. Her haplotype is C. All they found were M (Murat - Rob or Jenny), K (a female who isn't Jenny)* and one Z.

* ETA: K is Michaela's haplotype.



Relating to Residencia Casa Liliana - Praia da Luz-Lagos:

- 40 hairs in envelope No. 1 recovered from the bed in the bedroom of of the suspect.

[The above were] Delivered by the Policia Judiciaria on 15/05/2007.

(...)

Relating to the Residencia Casa Liliana - Praia da Luz-Lagos:

- Envelope No. 1 - "recovered from the bed in the bedroom of of the suspect" 36 hairs with root; 4 hairs only stem.

(...)
M          48       13 vehicle (envlps 1,2,3 and 4)
                    35 Residencia Liliana             Robert Murat

(...)

6th- In the samples analysed from Residencia Liliana and the vehicle, several mitochondrial DNA profiles were found:

- Profile identified by letter "M", present in 48 samples (35 from Residencia Liliana and 13 from the vehicle), was identical to that of Robert James Queriol Eveleigh Murat meaning those samples were from him or from someone having the same maternal bloodline.

- Profile identified by letter "K", present in 14 samples (1 from Residencia Liliana and 13 from the vehicle), meaning that all these samples came from the same person or from someone having the same maternal bloodline, did not match any of the reference samples.

- One of the 13 samples from the vehicle in letter "K" - hair root C742-05 (floor in front of the front seat - Env 3) showed a female DNA genetic profile.

http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/PORTUGUESE-FORENSIC.htm

From a later report, there was also one Z found.

[Montclair]

Latest piece from Express:

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/541742/Madeleine-McCann-detectives-set-to-quiz-key-witnesses-again

[Wonderfulspam]

EXCLUSIVE: Madeleine McCann detectives set to quiz key witnesses again

MADELEINE McCANN detectives are planning to requestion key figures who arrived on the scene shortly after the three-year-old disappeared.


The Scotland Yard officers have analysed minutely events which happened just before, during and immediately after Madeleine vanished on May 3, 2007 and appear to be seeking new information and clarification from important witnesses.

Among those scheduled for requestioning is Silvia Batista, who ran the service and maintenance departments of the Ocean Club at Praia da Luz on the Algarve where the McCanns were staying.

Shortly after the alarm was raised, Mrs Batista was contacted at her home in nearby Lagos and immediately went back to work.

When she arrived at a reception area she saw Madeleine's father Gerry on his knees on the floor crying out for help and banging his hands on the floor.

A few minutues later she entered the bedroom at apartment 5a and said that the shutters were down, the windows closed and the curtains slightly open.

Kate McCann has said that when she arrived to find Madeleine gone, the shutters were partly open in the bedroom, leading her to believe that Madeleine had been taken through the window.

In her statement Mrs Batista said Gerry told her he had closed the windows as their other two children, Sean and Amelie, then 18 months, were still asleep in separate cots in the bedroom.

Mrs Batista, a former receptionist at the Ocean Club, worked closely with her husband Joao, who was head of maintenance and services.

In the past year both were made redundant because of falling bookings at the Ocean Club, which have been blamed on the recession and publicity surrounding Madeleine's disappearance.

Another facing requestioning is John Hill, manager of the Ocean Club.

When he arrived at the club after receiving a call at 10.28pm from a colleague, some 100 people were already searching for Madeleine.

He also spoke with Kate and Gerry that night in their apartment and helped arrange for photos of the child to be distributed.

Mr Hill and his wife Donna printed pictures after being given a memory stick by Russell O'Brien, a friend of the McCanns whose partner Jane Tanner's picture of Madeleine gathering tennis balls is well known.


Donna Hill is likely to be requestioned early in the New Year.

Scotland Yard detectives are also interested in claims that a set of keys to apartment 5a, kept in the maintenance section, went missing in the week that Madeleine vanished, first revealed by the Sunday Express last February when we reported that a former maintenance worker said the disappearance of the keys had not been reported to the authorities.

Detectives also want their Portuguese counterparts to interview Mario Fernando, 47, who came forward last May to say he saw a suspicious man wearing sun glasses in a stairwell looking at apartment 5a 24 hours before Madeleine disappeared. The former Ocean Club laundryman was collecting sheets when he saw the man: "I saw the weird guy and we nearly bumped into each other.

"He was embarrassed. He was nervous. He was walking out from the hole under the stairs and must have been much further inside but had taken several steps back after hearing me coming.

"He had a really fat face and had two-tone sunglasses on."

Last week it was revealed that Robert Murat was one of those on the Yard's list of people it wants more information from.

Mr Murat told the Sunday Express he would be happy to cooperate but has not received anything official yet from the authorities.

Portuguese police have to conduct the interviews but Scotland Yard officers can sit in during questioning. Some interviews were due to be held last week but they now look likely to be held in the New Year.

Former Scotland Yard murder detective Peter Bleksley said that this next stage of the investigation was a "logical progression" for the police.

"I would think that they have been concentrating on the timeline in the review period and they have may have come across some inconsistencies which they want to look into," he said. "That would be my thinking on this.

"They will want to know who was where, who saw what and at what time and try to work through the inconsistencies while at the same time seeking new information.

"Going back to square one will have formed a big part of the original review which has now moved into the investigative stage. It is a logical progression."

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/541742/Madeleine-McCann-detectives-set-to-quiz-key-witnesses-again

[faithlilly]

EXCLUSIVE: Madeleine McCann detectives set to quiz key witnesses again

MADELEINE McCANN detectives are planning to requestion key figures who arrived on the scene shortly after the three-year-old disappeared.


The Scotland Yard officers have analysed minutely events which happened just before, during and immediately after Madeleine vanished on May 3, 2007 and appear to be seeking new information and clarification from important witnesses.

Among those scheduled for requestioning is Silvia Batista, who ran the service and maintenance departments of the Ocean Club at Praia da Luz on the Algarve where the McCanns were staying.

Shortly after the alarm was raised, Mrs Batista was contacted at her home in nearby Lagos and immediately went back to work.

When she arrived at a reception area she saw Madeleine's father Gerry on his knees on the floor crying out for help and banging his hands on the floor.

A few minutues later she entered the bedroom at apartment 5a and said that the shutters were down, the windows closed and the curtains slightly open.

Kate McCann has said that when she arrived to find Madeleine gone, the shutters were partly open in the bedroom, leading her to believe that Madeleine had been taken through the window.

In her statement Mrs Batista said Gerry told her he had closed the windows as their other two children, Sean and Amelie, then 18 months, were still asleep in separate cots in the bedroom.

Mrs Batista, a former receptionist at the Ocean Club, worked closely with her husband Joao, who was head of maintenance and services.

In the past year both were made redundant because of falling bookings at the Ocean Club, which have been blamed on the recession and publicity surrounding Madeleine's disappearance.

Another facing requestioning is John Hill, manager of the Ocean Club.

When he arrived at the club after receiving a call at 10.28pm from a colleague, some 100 people were already searching for Madeleine.

He also spoke with Kate and Gerry that night in their apartment and helped arrange for photos of the child to be distributed.

Mr Hill and his wife Donna printed pictures after being given a memory stick by Russell O'Brien, a friend of the McCanns whose partner Jane Tanner's picture of Madeleine gathering tennis balls is well known.


Donna Hill is likely to be requestioned early in the New Year.

Scotland Yard detectives are also interested in claims that a set of keys to apartment 5a, kept in the maintenance section, went missing in the week that Madeleine vanished, first revealed by the Sunday Express last February when we reported that a former maintenance worker said the disappearance of the keys had not been reported to the authorities.

Detectives also want their Portuguese counterparts to interview Mario Fernando, 47, who came forward last May to say he saw a suspicious man wearing sun glasses in a stairwell looking at apartment 5a 24 hours before Madeleine disappeared. The former Ocean Club laundryman was collecting sheets when he saw the man: "I saw the weird guy and we nearly bumped into each other.

"He was embarrassed. He was nervous. He was walking out from the hole under the stairs and must have been much further inside but had taken several steps back after hearing me coming.

"He had a really fat face and had two-tone sunglasses on."

Last week it was revealed that Robert Murat was one of those on the Yard's list of people it wants more information from.

Mr Murat told the Sunday Express he would be happy to cooperate but has not received anything official yet from the authorities.

Portuguese police have to conduct the interviews but Scotland Yard officers can sit in during questioning. Some interviews were due to be held last week but they now look likely to be held in the New Year.

Former Scotland Yard murder detective Peter Bleksley said that this next stage of the investigation was a "logical progression" for the police.

"I would think that they have been concentrating on the timeline in the review period and they have may have come across some inconsistencies which they want to look into," he said. "That would be my thinking on this.

"They will want to know who was where, who saw what and at what time and try to work through the inconsistencies while at the same time seeking new information.

"Going back to square one will have formed a big part of the original review which has now moved into the investigative stage. It is a logical progression."

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/541742/Madeleine-McCann-detectives-set-to-quiz-key-witnesses-again

Interesting that Blacksmith told us  on Wednesday that Batista, Hill and his wife were going to be questioned. I hadn't heard it anywhere else until now. Had anyone else ?

[Carana]

Mr Hill and his wife Donna printed pictures after being given a memory stick by Russell O'Brien, a friend of the McCanns whose partner Jane Tanner's picture of Madeleine gathering tennis balls is well known.

Donna Hill is likely to be requestioned early in the New Year.

- Donna Hill doesn't appear to have ever been questioned. (ETA: she was contacted informally to provide the names of nannies).
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/KIDS-CLUB-STAFF.htm

- It was one of the nannies who printed out the photos from a memory stick...

[bros]

 Is this DONNA who was responsible for creche where the children spent time?

Processos Vol I
Pages 86 –90


External Activity Report

Date: 2007-05-04

Place: Praia da Luz, Lagos

Officer responsible: Inspector Manuel Pinho

Description and Result:


On this date, in the company of my colleague L.Madeira, we spoke with Mrs Silvia Maria Correia Ramos B., director of maintenance and services for the company "GREENTROUST", which manages the "OCEAN CLUB" company, contactable by mobile phone 964....

Through her, we contacted Donna Louise Rafferty Hill (contactable by mobile phone number 964...) responsible for the crèche employees belonging to the "MARK WARNER" company, who were responsible for Madeleine and the twins for several periods during the day after their arrival in Portugal.

She told us that all these employees are English nationals and that they work in Portugal from
March/April until November; that there are 13 people who work in the crèche, their names and telephone numbers being as follows: [NOTE: Phone numbers withheld]
- Pauline Francis M.
- Emma Louise W.
- Sarah Elizabeth W.
- Susan Bernadette O.
- Leanne Danielle W.
- Shinead Maria V.
- Jacqueline Mary W.
- Kirsty Louise M.
- Lynne R.F.
- Catriona Treasa Sisile B.
- Stacey P.
- Lyndsay Jayne J.
- Amy Ellen T.

--- It was also determined that all these girls live outside the resort, although quite close to it, and that Catriona B. was responsible for Madeleine during the day yesterday.
--- Stacey P. was the staff member responsible for the McCann twins.
--- Usually, it is always the same nanny who cares for each child.
--- The latest to arrive in Portugal were Sarah W. and Charlotte Pennington who arrived last Saturday, April 28th 2007.
--- The witness is the one responsible for coordination, and who distributed the children between the various girls, allocating each child to one of them.
--- Nothing abnormal happened today and no one was absent from work except those who were on their day off.
--- All the carers have made themselves available to speak with the police.


In our informal conversation with Catriona Trease Sisile B., also known as CAT, she stated:

1. That she arrived on March 21st 2007 and that she plans to return to the UK on November 7th 2007;
2. That she cared for Madeleine since Sunday April 29th 2007, daily until yesterday and that she always worked the same hours;
3. That yesterday she received Madeleine at 9.10. It was her father, Gerry, who brought her;
4. That she handed her to her mother, Kate at 12.25;
5. That she received Madeleine again from her mother at 14.50 and handed her over at 17.30;
6. That in the same room as Madeleine, there were 6 children in the morning and 4 in the afternoon (including Madeleine);
7. That she did not see any strangers in the complex during that time or previous days.
8. That on the first day, Madeleine was shy. On the following days she was more calm and uninhibited. Yesterday she was quite happy.
9. That she was never far from Madeleine, keeping her under visual supervision at all times when she was her responsibility, even asking her permission to go to the bathroom;
10. That, over the days, she noticed no change in the behaviour of the child's parents;
11. That she noticed no abnormal situation relating to this family;
12. That Madeleine had not told her about any person who had contacted [spoken to] her in recent days, nor [about] any possibly suspicious conversation.

[Carana]

Detectives also want their Portuguese counterparts to interview Mario Fernando, 47, who came forward last May to say he saw a suspicious man wearing sun glasses in a stairwell looking at apartment 5a 24 hours before Madeleine disappeared. The former Ocean Club laundryman was collecting sheets when he saw the man: "I saw the weird guy and we nearly bumped into each other.

"He was embarrassed. He was nervous. He was walking out from the hole under the stairs and must have been much further inside but had taken several steps back after hearing me coming.

"He had a really fat face and had two-tone sunglasses on."

- Which hole under which stairs would have given a view of 5A?
- If it is Mario-the-laundryman who came forward last May (2013?), why didn't he say anything in 2007?
- There was an alleged incident of someone being seen near the stairs / lift in 5a on 3 May (not 24 hours before), but then that person couldn't have been "observing" the McCann apartment from there.

[Carana]

Is this DONNA who was responsible for creche where the children spent time?

Processos Vol I
Pages 86 –90


External Activity Report

Date: 2007-05-04

Place: Praia da Luz, Lagos

Officer responsible: Inspector Manuel Pinho

Description and Result:


On this date, in the company of my colleague L.Madeira, we spoke with Mrs Silvia Maria Correia Ramos B., director of maintenance and services for the company "GREENTROUST", which manages the "OCEAN CLUB" company, contactable by mobile phone 964....

Through her, we contacted Donna Louise Rafferty Hill (contactable by mobile phone number 964...) responsible for the crèche employees belonging to the "MARK WARNER" company, who were responsible for Madeleine and the twins for several periods during the day after their arrival in Portugal.

She told us that all these employees are English nationals and that they work in Portugal from
March/April until November; that there are 13 people who work in the crèche, their names and telephone numbers being as follows: [NOTE: Phone numbers withheld]
- Pauline Francis M.
- Emma Louise W.
- Sarah Elizabeth W.
- Susan Bernadette O.
- Leanne Danielle W.
- Shinead Maria V.
- Jacqueline Mary W.
- Kirsty Louise M.
- Lynne R.F.
- Catriona Treasa Sisile B.
- Stacey P.
- Lyndsay Jayne J.
- Amy Ellen T.

--- It was also determined that all these girls live outside the resort, although quite close to it, and that Catriona B. was responsible for Madeleine during the day yesterday.
--- Stacey P. was the staff member responsible for the McCann twins.
--- Usually, it is always the same nanny who cares for each child.
--- The latest to arrive in Portugal were Sarah W. and Charlotte Pennington who arrived last Saturday, April 28th 2007.
--- The witness is the one responsible for coordination, and who distributed the children between the various girls, allocating each child to one of them.
--- Nothing abnormal happened today and no one was absent from work except those who were on their day off.
--- All the carers have made themselves available to speak with the police.


In our informal conversation with Catriona Trease Sisile B., also known as CAT, she stated:

1. That she arrived on March 21st 2007 and that she plans to return to the UK on November 7th 2007;
2. That she cared for Madeleine since Sunday April 29th 2007, daily until yesterday and that she always worked the same hours;
3. That yesterday she received Madeleine at 9.10. It was her father, Gerry, who brought her;
4. That she handed her to her mother, Kate at 12.25;
5. That she received Madeleine again from her mother at 14.50 and handed her over at 17.30;
6. That in the same room as Madeleine, there were 6 children in the morning and 4 in the afternoon (including Madeleine);
7. That she did not see any strangers in the complex during that time or previous days.
8. That on the first day, Madeleine was shy. On the following days she was more calm and uninhibited. Yesterday she was quite happy.
9. That she was never far from Madeleine, keeping her under visual supervision at all times when she was her responsibility, even asking her permission to go to the bathroom;
10. That, over the days, she noticed no change in the behaviour of the child's parents;
11. That she noticed no abnormal situation relating to this family;
12. That Madeleine had not told her about any person who had contacted [spoken to] her in recent days, nor [about] any possibly suspicious conversation.

Ah. Thanks, Bros.

I searched mccannpjfiles, but couldn't find anything, possibly because the search function didn't recognise the format with hyphens:

"Through her, we contacted, Donna_Louise_Rafferty_Hill..."

So it was one of these informal interviews, which don't appear as statements.

[Matthew Wyse]

Detectives also want their Portuguese counterparts to interview Mario Fernando, 47, who came forward last May to say he saw a suspicious man wearing sun glasses in a stairwell looking at apartment 5a 24 hours before Madeleine disappeared. The former Ocean Club laundryman was collecting sheets when he saw the man: "I saw the weird guy and we nearly bumped into each other.

"He was embarrassed. He was nervous. He was walking out from the hole under the stairs and must have been much further inside but had taken several steps back after hearing me coming.

"He had a really fat face and had two-tone sunglasses on."

- Which hole under which stairs would have given a view of 5A?
- If it is Mario-the-laundryman who came forward last May (2013?), why didn't he say anything in 2007?
- There was an alleged incident of someone being seen near the stairs / lift in 5a on 3 May (not 24 hours before), but then that person couldn't have been "observing" the McCann apartment from there.

I wouldnt blame anyone for not coming forward since who the hell wants their details plastered all over the newspapers.

[Carana]

I wouldnt blame anyone for not coming forward since who the hell wants their details plastered all over the newspapers.

That is, indeed, a problem.

However, Mario-the-laundryman was interviewed in 2007 and said nothing about a suspicious lurker. It may not have been him, but some other employee who noticed something. It rings a faint bell, but about a female employee.

[bros]

Boys and girls of the forum THIS IS GETTING BIG! Instead of narrowing SY is expanding list, someone said smart thing here too many people involved  it is like football team. FISH MUST HAVE BIG HEAD that SY is after, just first to settle score with the local crew!

[pathfinder73]

Wise words.

Former Scotland Yard murder detective Peter Bleksley said that this next stage of the investigation was a "logical progression" for the police.

"I would think that they have been concentrating on the timeline in the review period and they have may have come across some inconsistencies which they want to look into," he said. "That would be my thinking on this.

"They will want to know who was where, who saw what and at what time and try to work through the inconsistencies while at the same time seeking new information.

"Going back to square one will have formed a big part of the original review which has now moved into the investigative stage. It is a logical progression."

[Brietta]

If the leaks reported in the press are to be believed, SY are quite keen to interview people of interest who are neither the McCanns nor their friends. 

You really are going to have to come round to the notion they know exactly where this may take them. 
They are forward looking, they are not looking backward at failed notions of the past. 

In 2007 scrutiny of the wrong phone pings allowed the significance of the right ones to be overlooked which wasn't picked up until Operation Grange started investigating at the same time as Heriberto studied it and passed his findings to the authorities.

SY are not repeating the error of trying to make the evidence fit a hypothesis.  They are following the evidence.

[faithlilly]

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/british-police-question-seven-suspects-4724786

From the article :

"Officers from Operation Grange are set to arrive in Faro in the Algarve next Monday.

They will spend three days interviewing a total of 11 people – seven suspects and four witnesses.

The suspects will be asked 253 questions, including: “Did you kill Madeleine?”

So SY belueve Madeleine is dead. I wonder if Redwood and co will be sued for harming the search too ?

[Alfred R Jones]

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/british-police-question-seven-suspects-4724786

From the article :

"Officers from Operation Grange are set to arrive in Faro in the Algarve next Monday.

They will spend three days interviewing a total of 11 people – seven suspects and four witnesses.

The suspects will be asked 253 questions, including: “Did you kill Madeleine?”

So SY belueve Madeleine is dead. I wonder if Redwood and co will be sued for harming the search too ?

Asking the question "did you kill Madeleine" is not confirmation that they have excluded the possibility that she is still alive, is it?