GM's initial statement.

[misty]

LOL my apologies Misty- It got all mixed up.

I never said I KNEW or quoted GM. I  was describing what they said they did upon hearing from Kate that MBM was 'missing' NOT abducted just missing. 

If it was an alert of an abducted child why would they search the apartment?  None of their behavour makes any sense at all.

If the group hadn't all attempted to obtain the best case scenario, what would everyone's reaction have been?

[Brietta]

Yes really. As has been pointed out ad infinitum previously, the first hour is the golden hour in any missing child case. Giving police erroneous facts from the outset was inexcusable. In fact, one could be forgiven for thinking it was intentional.

But the police were not fooled for a minute were they?

JOSE MANUEL OLIVEIRA
Crime reporter, 'Diario de Noticias'
Information started circulating from sources connected to the Portuguese police that the story was full of holes from the side of the McCanns and their friends. Indeed within two days of Madeleine disappearing, this crime correspondent was filing this piece in the Portuguese Daily: Diario of the Noticias: "Headline: a badly told story." We started to receive information according to which the police suspected the theory they had apprehensions, didn't believe the theory that she had been kidnapped. To conclude, the police started to suspect the parents from the word go.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/7106086.stm


But despite having their finger on the pulse right from the word go they still managed to make a monumental screw up of actually finding out what happened to the little three year old child who should have been the focal point of their endeavours.
Could that possibly be because those suspected by the police from the word go were actually as innocent as the absolute absence of evidence against them confirmed ... and while the police were flaffing around the real criminal or criminals were confidently consolidating their position during and long after the golden hours were incompetently frittered away confident of the police inability to touch them.

[G-Unit]

Do you believe that NSY  are asking these questions?

I'm afraid I have decided not to answer off-topic posts as I have done that recently and been the one to get told off.

[Brietta]

I'm afraid I have decided not to answer off-topic posts as I have done that recently and been the one to get told off.

If you cannot reply to a question regarding your post because you consider it Off Topic ... does that mean you think your original post is Off Topic?

[pathfinder73]

Gerry McCann 4th May https://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/GERRY-MCCANN.htm

"At about 21.30 his friend Matt (member of the group) went to the apartment, where his children were and on his way went to the witness' apartment, entering by means of a glass sliding door that was always unlocked and was located laterally to the building".

Locals knew the following morning the patio door was unlocked.
http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/press/1may7/Express_05_05_2007.htm
*snipped*
Another friend, Pat Perkins, 61, said: “Gerry and Kate are fantastic parents and could see the bedroom from the hotel restaurant.

“Madeleine’s a beautiful little girl. It’s her fourth birthday soon. They were supposed to be flying home tomorrow (*proving article written on the Friday) to celebrate. We can’t believe what’s happening. We’re sat by the phone waiting to hear news. We’re all going through hell.”

Praia da Luz resident Mark McCarrick said the girl might have simply walked out of her room.

“The parents left the door ajar so they could keep going over and looking at her,” he said. “We are hoping that because the door was open, she just walked out.”


There is zero evidence Gerry told the GNR, who were the force in attendance on May 3rd, that the patio doors were locked.

"I was aware of them swapping their arrangement at some point, because I know they had been coming, using the front door, erm, which is the door with the key, to go in and check the children."

https://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/FIONA-PAYNE-ROGATORY.htm

According to Fiona the patio door wasn't always unlocked. Gerry said he used a key which suggests the patio door was locked when he checked.

[misty]

"I was aware of them swapping their arrangement at some point, because I know they had been coming, using the front door, erm, which is the door with the key, to go in and check the children."

https://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/FIONA-PAYNE-ROGATORY.htm

According to Fiona the patio door wasn't always unlocked. Gerry said he used a key which suggests the patio door was locked when he checked.

Gerry's statement of 10th May indicted he used the front door on some nights prior to May 3rd. Using the front door for some checks doesn't invalidate remarks that the patio door was always unlocked.

[G-Unit]

If you cannot reply to a question regarding your post because you consider it Off Topic ... does that mean you think your original post is Off Topic?

No.

[Holly Goodhead]

Gerry's statement of 10th May indicted he used the front door on some nights prior to May 3rd. Using the front door for some checks doesn't invalidate remarks that the patio door was always unlocked.

Page 212 KM's PB:

It was the following evening, Sunday 3rd June - exactly a month after Madeleine's abduction - that Gerry and I opened up a little more to each other and shared some of the thoughts and anxieties that had been quietly tormenting us both; thoughts and anxieties that perhaps we hadn't felt able or ready to voice up to now.

We'd been sitting alone at the table, working at our computers.  It was quiet and the lights were low.  Though I can't remember how the conversation started, I'm glad it did.  We'd talked through the guilt we felt about not having been in that apartment with the children; about having left the patio doors unlocked.  How we found it hard to comprehend that we could have been so naive.  We acknowledged the possibility that Madeleine might no longer be alive; the possibility that we might never find out what had happened to her.  Would we ever be able to return to our home, the home we had shared with her?  Maybe we should move elsewhere.  Where?  We discussed the need we felt to do our utmost to prevent this from happening to another child; to prevent another family going through what we going through.  We have to ensure that something positive for someone, even if it wasn't us, came out of this horrific experience.

For me, the honest exposure of this buried poison was like lancing a boil.  Admitting these secret fears and concerns, bringing them out into the open and sharing them with the only other person who was persecuted in the same way, made them suddenly a little easier to understand and to manage.  Strengthened and comforted, I fell asleep that night more peacefully than I had in many days.

I think it is safe to say the McCanns were not exactly forthcoming during the all important 'golden hour' re the fact the patio doors were unlocked given that up until 3rd June they found it difficult to voice to each other. 

[Vertigo Swirl]

Page 212 KM's PB:

It was the following evening, Sunday 3rd June - exactly a month after Madeleine's abduction - that Gerry and I opened up a little more to each other and shared some of the thoughts and anxieties that had been quietly tormenting us both; thoughts and anxieties that perhaps we hadn't felt able or ready to voice up to now.

We'd been sitting alone at the table, working at our computers.  It was quiet and the lights were low.  Though I can't remember how the conversation started, I'm glad it did.  We'd talked through the guilt we felt about not having been in that apartment with the children; about having left the patio doors unlocked.  How we found it hard to comprehend that we could have been so naive.  We acknowledged the possibility that Madeleine might no longer be alive; the possibility that we might never find out what had happened to her.  Would we ever be able to return to our home, the home we had shared with her?  Maybe we should move elsewhere.  Where?  We discussed the need we felt to do our utmost to prevent this from happening to another child; to prevent another family going through what we going through.  We have to ensure that something positive for someone, even if it wasn't us, came out of this horrific experience.

For me, the honest exposure of this buried poison was like lancing a boil.  Admitting these secret fears and concerns, bringing them out into the open and sharing them with the only other person who was persecuted in the same way, made them suddenly a little easier to understand and to manage.  Strengthened and comforted, I fell asleep that night more peacefully than I had in many days.

I think it is safe to say the McCanns were not exactly forthcoming during the all important 'golden hour' re the fact the patio doors were unlocked given that up until 3rd June they found it difficult to voice to each other.

Very strange logic if I may say so.

[Holly Goodhead]

But the police were not fooled for a minute were they?

JOSE MANUEL OLIVEIRA
Crime reporter, 'Diario de Noticias'
Information started circulating from sources connected to the Portuguese police that the story was full of holes from the side of the McCanns and their friends. Indeed within two days of Madeleine disappearing, this crime correspondent was filing this piece in the Portuguese Daily: Diario of the Noticias: "Headline: a badly told story." We started to receive information according to which the police suspected the theory they had apprehensions, didn't believe the theory that she had been kidnapped. To conclude, the police started to suspect the parents from the word go.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/7106086.stm


But despite having their finger on the pulse right from the word go they still managed to make a monumental screw up of actually finding out what happened to the little three year old child who should have been the focal point of their endeavours.
Could that possibly be because those suspected by the police from the word go were actually as innocent as the absolute absence of evidence against them confirmed ... and while the police were flaffing around the real criminal or criminals were confidently consolidating their position during and long after the golden hours were incompetently frittered away confident of the police inability to touch them.

The little three year old should also have been the focal point of her parents endeavours unfortunately she wasn't and a very devious mind(s) spotted an opportunity in the lackadaisical childcare arrangements. 

Once the authorities became involved the McCanns put all the emphasis on the open window and raised shutter and were adamant MM's disappearance was an abduction.  There appears to have been a downplaying of the unsecured patio doors.  Given 5A showed no signs of forced entry what evidence existed at the time to support the abduction theory over any other?   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XhNk2Lz594

[Holly Goodhead]

Very strange logic if I may say so.

Not really, no.  I think once KM found MM missing it hit the McCanns instantly and very hard that the idea to leave the children in the unsecured apartment without any sort of adult supervision was absolute madness.  Were they reticent about the unsecured patio doors due to overwhelming feelings of guilt and/or pride, fear of what others might think, embarrassment, shame etc. 

[Mr Gray]

Not really, no.  I think once KM found MM missing it hit the McCanns instantly and very hard that the idea to leave the children in the unsecured apartment without any sort of adult supervision was absolute madness.  Were they reticent about the unsecured patio doors due to overwhelming feelings of guilt and/or pride, fear of what others might think, embarrassment, shame etc.

That MAY be the case.. It's one explanation... So if it was... What's, the big deal... Do you think you should send letters to SY and the PJ

[Lace]

Without knowing what the McCann's were asked during their statements it is difficult to work out the confusion as to the replies.

What I think is,  Gerry was asked how he left the apartment,  now usually during the day Kate and the children left through the patio doors,  which Gerry  locked and then left through the front door,  when they arrived back Gerry would unlock the front door [using his key]  then unlock the patio doors for the Kate and the children to enter.

Maybe this is what Gerry was explaining [we don't know what the question was] Then noticing the discrepancy in his statement,  as he was asked 'how did you leave the apartment, on the evening of the 3rd of May'   he changed it to entering through the patio doors.   Kate had already said this in her statement.

Remember the questions had to be translated from Portuguese to English.

[Holly Goodhead]

That MAY be the case.. It's one explanation... So if it was... What's, the big deal... Do you think you should send letters to SY and the PJ

The big deal imo was a breakdown in communication which impeded the investigation during the early days. 

[Holly Goodhead]

Without knowing what the McCann's were asked during their statements it is difficult to work out the confusion as to the replies.

What I think is,  Gerry was asked how he left the apartment,  now usually during the day Kate and the children left through the patio doors,  which Gerry  locked and then left through the front door,  when they arrived back Gerry would unlock the front door [using his key]  then unlock the patio doors for the Kate and the children to enter.

Maybe this is what Gerry was explaining [we don't know what the question was] Then noticing the discrepancy in his statement,  as he was asked 'how did you leave the apartment, on the evening of the 3rd of May'   he changed it to entering through the patio doors.   Kate had already said this in her statement.

Remember the questions had to be translated from Portuguese to English.

The witness statements afforded the McCanns the opportunity to provide investigators with as much info as possible to help determine MM's whereabouts.

I don't see the relevance of the daytime arrangements in terms of which doors were locked/unlocked and which doors the occupants left by?  The McCanns knew full well what they did every eve Sun - Thu: exited via patio doors and re-entered and exited to carry out their checks.