The CCTV camera which Amaral claimed captured the image of the man carrying Madeleine.

[John]

The PJ Coordinator in the Madeleine case, Dr Gonçalo Amaral, was pictured in front of a hotel's CCTV camera which he claims captured the image of the man carrying Madeleine on the night she disappeared.  Unfortunately though,  he claims that his officers failed to identify this camera and by the time he found it the hotel had deleted the recordings.



_{Former PJ Coordinator Dr Amaral pictured in front of the elusive CCTV camera.}

[John]

_{This map depicts the route (shown in red) which former PJ Coordinator Dr Amaral believes the man carrying Madeleine took on the night she disappeared.}

[Mr Moderator]

This topic has been parked for some time. 

Since the BBC Crimewatch programme has failed to turn up a single lead relating to Smithman should we consign this claim by Amaral to the litter bin?

 

[John]

This topic has been parked for some time. 

Since the BBC Crimewatch programme has failed to turn up a single lead relating to Smithman should we consign this claim by Amaral to the litter bin?

You forgot to unlock   

[pegasus]

IMO this route is only a quarter of a mile, which would take under 3 minutes.
Interesting because if the sighting turns out to be a little later than 10.00, even for example if was only 10 mins later, it would have the man leaving the apartment after the group had rushed back there, which would make Mr R's time revelation an understatement.

BTW even if the man with child used a slightly different route and not past this camera, it would definitely have filmed the witnesses returning home and would have provided an accurate timing for the sighting.

[pathfinder73]

This topic has been parked for some time. 

Since the BBC Crimewatch programme has failed to turn up a single lead relating to Smithman should we consign this claim by Amaral to the litter bin?

 

If he ran half-way it would take no more than 2 minutes. How do you know it failed to turn up a single lead? It's interesting that the Portuguese officially reopened the case after the Crimewatch efits were shown. Missing that camera was a massive mistake.

[Sherlock Holmes]

IMO this route is only a quarter of a mile, which would take under 3 minutes.
Interesting because if the sighting turns out to be a little later than 10.00, even for example if was only 10 mins later, it would have the man leaving the apartment after the group had rushed back there, which would make Mr R's time revelation an understatement.

BTW even if the man with child used a slightly different route and not past this camera, it would definitely have filmed the witnesses returning home and would have provided an accurate timing for the sighting.

Good point Pegasus. The camera may also have picked up other witnesses or potential witnesses in addition to the Smith Family.

As a matter of interest - probably moot as the camera film is lost - does anyone know if the scrub ground between Rua Primeiro di Maio and Rua Escola is enclosed by a perimeter fence? Would it have been possible for Smithman to have entered the scrub ground on the corner of Rua Primeiro and traverse it diagonally, coming out further down Rua Escola just before meeting the Smiths?

In that case he may not have been caught on the camera in the first place.

[pathfinder73]

It's all fenced off on the north end so Smithman would have to follow the road from the apartment. There's an entrance into the wasteland half-way down that road opposite the tennis courts.

[Sherlock Holmes]

It's all fenced off on the north end so Smithman would have to follow the road from the apartment. There's an entrance into the wasteland half-way down that road opposite the tennis courts.

Thanks for that, pathfinder. So theoretically he may not have walked past the corner the camera is placed at.

[pathfinder73]

I believe he would've passed that corner either from the road or the path next to the camera. I don't think he went over the fence or the other road/ocean club side.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes he would've passed that corner either from the road or the path next to it.

Oh I think I see what you mean now. I was looking at the tennis courts on the east side of Rua Primeiro de Maio. If he entered the scrub ground at that point, he would avoid the camera.

So the entrance to the scrub is on Rua Escola, south of the camera?

[pathfinder73]

Yes entrance is south of the camera opposite tennis courts. I saw the entrance and followed that road on Google Earth. You can follow that route on Google Earth. He didn't go over the fence IMO.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes entrance is south of the camera opposite tennis courts. I saw the entrance and followed that road on Google Earth. You can follow that route on Google Earth.

OK thanks will do

[pathfinder73]

It's a pity I can't follow beach level or grey stone slab on top of hill ground level on Google Earth.

[Sherlock Holmes]

It's a pity I can't follow beach level or grey stone slab on top of hill ground level on Google Earth.

I just looked at the perimeter fence there, and the entrance we are talking about doesn't look like a formal entrance. It's just a place where the fencing appears to have been broken and collapsed to the ground. In fact the whole fence seems pretty flimsily constructed. It's all pieced together in small sections like lego, and not very high. Probably quite easy to enter that ground from any point - theoretically.

I think it's an important question because SY believe that more people must have seen Smithman. If he was in the scrub ground at any point the chances of that are presumably less. There's also a possibility he went down Rua Primeiro until much further down, turning into Rua Alvernaz at the south edge of the scrub.

This looks like a slightly busier route and therefore less likely, though we don't know how well Smithman knew the town.