Could an intruder have opened the shutter and climbed in the window?

[Heriberto Janosch]

I think the walking direction you suggest (walking towards the window towards the scary noise) is impossible. I agree with the towards parents bit, but surely this would be the exact opposite direction to what you propose. People naturally move away from danger, towards safety. This would also explain the door being slightly wider open.

Madeleine, half asleep and under poor light, thinking: "Mom (or Dad) is opening the window". No scary noise.

[icabodcrane]

Madeleine, half asleep and under poor lightning, thinking: "Mom (or Dad) is opening the window". No scary noise.

Your theory,  if I remember correctly,  is that someone opened the shutters/window from the outside,  and  Madeleine voluntarily walked towards it to be lifted out by an abductor  whose good fortune could never be predicted  ... (  given that  most children would not behave that way )

I think that it is a very silly theory,  if I may say so

[Redblossom]

LOL heres Heri abducting a sack....



Now Heri why WOULD a burglar abduct a child? And if you dont mind me saying I find you  rather creepy!!

[icabodcrane]

LOL heres Heri abducting a sack....



Now Heri why WOULD a burglar abduct a child?

Is that  Heri in that video  ? 


Xrist,  that's creepy  ...   s***  me right up that did  ! 



Some people get  WAY  too invested  ...

[pegasus]

I think the video is very good, and (up to 40 seconds) very plausible.
I would assume it is a petty burglar, who has decided, using the usual indications, that everyone is out.
Especially good is that the audio accurately records the noise, as it sounds to anyone inside the room, so that people can consider what effect this would have.

[colombosstogey]

The first part of the video is very good. Yes it should omit the first two raises of the shutter which are unnecessary. Also I think it would take maybe only 10 seconds to get the window and shutter completely open by this method, if the person has done it before and knows the method well. So the first 40 seconds of the video is very good, but should be compressed IMO to maybe only 10 or 15 seconds for the entire opening method.
 
The second half of the video is impossible IMO. You have the man asking the child to walk across the room to the window? If I was young, on holiday,  asleep, and then awakened and scared by that shutter noise, would I calmly stay in the room to politely await instructions? No way. I would be straight out that door into the lounge.

I had to TURN my player DOWN, the noise was so loud I couldnt hear my T.V.

And isnt that the point?

At night it is a KNOWN fact sound is louder and travels further....possible because of its so much quieter and i think it also has something to do with other elements too.

Can you imagine not hearing that racket?

ALSO no one has attempted to open that shutter before 2007 to burglarise it, instead I believe the burgled the flats above...or one of them anyway. Why would that be....hummmm BECAUSE of the noise for one, and for two being seen by people going into the apartment block surely.

Not only that, IF the child was under the window yes it would be feasible, but under that window was a BED. The video has actually shown to me just how DIFFICULT it would be to take a child. YOU WOULD HAVE very little space to GET INTO THE ROOM, jump down onto a un unstable bed, and try to find a child in the dark.

NOW if you were going to just take a child, doing it this way well you would have gone to the first child you came too which were the 2 in cots....why risk going into the room further.

No actually I thank the poster for this video as it now has totally CONVINCED me the window was just a ruse.

[Apostate]

A possibility not to discard:
1. A burglar opened the window.
2. While the window was been opened, Madeleine went to the window, half asleep, thinking he was one of her parents.

With respect, ridiculous.

[stephen25000]

With respect, ridiculous.

Well Heriberto does come up with wild theories, based on his 'expertise'.

[Kazcutt]

Maybe someone just opened the shutter.just to look outside to talk to someone
Maybe just to check its clear or to talk with someone

[Cariad]

Is that  Heri in that video  ? 


Xrist,  that's creepy  ...   s***  me right up that did  ! 



Some people get  WAY  too invested  ...

Even she walked over to the window, she'd have to put her arms up to the scary stranger to facilitate lifting. Otherwise you'd have to grab her by her upper arms....

I can't see a 4 year old doing that.

[colombosstogey]

Even she walked over to the window, she'd have to put her arms up to the scary stranger to facilitate lifting. Otherwise you'd have to grab her by her upper arms....

I can't see a 4 year old doing that.

No I agree at 4 they do have some sense of danger. I think she would have ran out of the bedroom crying about a bogey man....i am sure my grandson the same age would have gone NUTS if he heard someone trying to get into the window....and all that noise of the shutter going up etc surely would have woke up the twins.

[pegasus]

Yes and so what does the petty burglar do now? Having decided there is no-one in, then having opened shutter and window, then immediatly realising he was completely wrong. (Please note he is still outside). Does he say oh well I thought no-one was in but there is but never mind I will climb in as originally intended and get arrested and get some free food in jail? No. So what does he do?

[Apostate]

What petty burglar?

[pegasus]

Mr Redwood treats the possibility of interrupted burglary seriously.

There is a clear witness account by someone who returns to their apartment and finds the window and shutter open. Surely it would be wise to consider the possibility of burglary.
It is by far the single commonest cause of unauthorised opening of shutters and windows. 

The evidence, that no burglar entered through the window, does not contradict the burglar hypothesis at all. It gives the valuable extra information that the burglary was disturbed just after opening, and just BEFORE entry.

[Mr Moderator]

Mr Redwood treats the possibility of interrupted burglary seriously.

There is a clear witness account by someone who returns to their apartment and finds the window and shutter open. Surely it would be wise to consider the possibility of burglary.
It is by far the single commonest cause of unauthorised opening of shutters and windows. 

The evidence, that no burglar entered through the window, does not contradict the burglar hypothesis at all. It gives the valuable extra information that the burglary was disturbed just after opening, and just BEFORE entry.

The first observation I would make is that burglars don't abduct children.  Secondly, burglars usually case the premises they target and avoid any which are occupied at the McCanns was.