What was it that jogged Mr Smiths memory?

[icabodcrane]

The entire Smith family agreed that the man they saw that night was carrying a child in the exact way as Gerry is seen to be carrying his son in the image above

There is nothing remarkable about that  ...  it is the most natural and comfortable way to carry a sleeping child

What is worth mentioning, though,  is that in the McCann documentary/reconstruction the manner in which the man was carrying the child was misrepresented

The McCanns and Dave Edgar  (  their private detective who was participating ) had read the Smith witness statements,  and yet chose to present the man they had seen that night to be carrying the child in the way Jane Tanner,  and not they  had described

Why did they do that  ?

I think they tried a compromise between JT carrier and Smith carrier, the result being rather implausible (a child would surely have woken up being carried this way).

The Smiths saw a man carrying a child vertically against his body  (  as Gerry is carrying his son in the imagae here )

In the documentary/reconstruction the man was shown to carrying the child horizontally across his arms, with his face fully visible  (  exactly as Jane Tanner described  )

Where was the compromise   ?

[AnneGuedes]

The entire Smith family agreed that the man they saw that night was carrying a child in the exact way as Gerry is seen to be carrying his son in the image above

Only Aoife says this explicitly.

[AnneGuedes]

The Smiths saw a man carrying a child vertically against his body  (  as Gerry is carrying his son in the imagae here )

In the documentary/reconstruction the man was shown to carrying the child horizontally across his arms, with his face fully visible  (  exactly as Jane Tanner described  )

Where was the compromise   ?

I might be wrong, but I remember the child wasn't lying flat on arms, like the sketch ordered by Metodo 3, but seized like a bundle, with her head upper than her knees. The actress child looked very uncomfortable.

[sadie]

The entire Smith family agreed that the man they saw that night was carrying a child in the exact way as Gerry is seen to be carrying his son in the image above

From memory, you are not right there Icabod.  I am pretty sure only Mr Smith thought that.

[John]

I will post a frame from the reconstruction video tomorrow.  You are correct, it shows a man carrying a child in exactly the same manner as that described by Jane Tanner and not as Gerry carried one of the twins down the aircraft steps.

Fast forward to 14.50

Interesting to note that the voice-over is from Mr Smiths perspective and using his words.

[AnneGuedes]

I will post a frame from the reconstruction video tomorrow.  You are correct, it shows a man carrying a child in exactly the same manner as that described by Jane Tanner and not as Gerry carried one of the twins down the aircraft steps.

Fast forward to 14.50

Interesting to note that the voice-over is from Mr Smiths perspective and using his words.

Thank you, John. I don't find it "exactly the same manner", the child is more sitting than lying. A baby would be carried this way, because a baby doesn't grasp, but not a 4yrs old.

[sadie]

I will post a frame from the reconstruction video tomorrow.  You are correct, it shows a man carrying a child in exactly the same manner as that described by Jane Tanner and not as Gerry carried one of the twins down the aircraft steps.

Fast forward to 14.50

Interesting to note that the voice-over is from Mr Smiths perspective and using his words.

Thank you, John. I don't find it "exactly the same manner", the child is more sitting than lying. A baby would be carried this way, because a baby doesn't grasp, but not a 4yrs old.

A drugged unconscious child does not grasp, I think.

[icabodcrane]

I will post a frame from the reconstruction video tomorrow.  You are correct, it shows a man carrying a child in exactly the same manner as that described by Jane Tanner and not as Gerry carried one of the twins down the aircraft steps.

Fast forward to 14.50

Interesting to note that the voice-over is from Mr Smiths perspective and using his words.

Thanks for posting the McCann documentary here John,  I havn't seen it since it was on TV

Perhaps it could have a thread of it's own since it raises quite a few questions, I think

[AnneGuedes]

A drugged unconscious child does not grasp, I think.

Does grasp, yes. Even in coma there's some grasp, it's instinctive.

[Redblossom]

For reference

Text: Reported that he passed a male carrying a child in Praia da Luz the night Maddie went missing. Went and made a statement to Portugal police in Portimao on 26th of May and returned to the U.K. Is saying that after seeing McCANNS on the news on 9th of September when they returned to the U.K. He has not slept and is worried sick. He states he was watching the 10 pm news on BBC and saw the McCANNS getting off the plane and coming down the steps. He states it was like watching an action replay of the night he saw the male carrying the child back in Portugal. He states the way Gerry was carrying his twin triggered something in his head. It was exactly the same way and look of the other male seen the night Maddy went missing. He also watched ITV news and SKY news and inferred it looked like the same person both times carrying the children. Is asking a member of the OP Task Force to ring him back. He was with a group of 9 family and friends the night he saw the male in Portugal. He sounded quite shaken and worried whilst speaking to me.


and

would like to state that the statement I made on 26th May 2007 in Portugal is correct. The description of the individual that I saw on 3rd May 2007 carrying a child is as follows. He was average build, 5 foot 10' in height, brown hair cut short, aged 40 years approximately. Wearing beige trousers and darkish top maybe a jacket or blazer. He had a full head of hair with a tight cut. This individual was alone. I saw Gerard McCann (sic) going down the plane stairs carrying one of his children on 9th September 2007 BBC news at 10 PM, I have been shown the video clip by Sergeant Hogan which I recognise. A clip I have seen before on the Internet. In relation to the video clips of Gerard McCann and the person I saw on 3rd May 2007 when I saw the BBC news at 10 PM on 9th September 2007 something struck me that it could have been the same person. It was the way Gerard McCann turned his head down which was similar to what the individual did on 3rd May 2007 when we met him. It may have been the way he was carrying the child either. I would be 60-80% sure that it was Gerard McCann that I met that night carrying a child. I am basing that on his mannerism in the way he carried the child off the plane. After seeing the BBC news at 10 PM, footage on the 9th September 2007 I contacted Leicestershire police with this information. During that time I spoke to all my family members who were with me on the night of 3rd May 2007 about this and the only one who felt the same way as me was my wife. She had seen the video clip of Gerard McCann walking down the stairs of the plane earlier that day. We did not discuss this until some days later. This statement has been read over to me and is correct.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARTIN_SMITH.htm

[Redblossom]

The entire Smith family agreed that the man they saw that night was carrying a child in the exact way as Gerry is seen to be carrying his son in the image above

There is nothing remarkable about that  ...  it is the most natural and comfortable way to carry a sleeping child

What is worth mentioning, though,  is that in the McCann documentary/reconstruction the manner in which the man was carrying the child was misrepresented

The McCanns and Dave Edgar  (  their private detective who was participating ) had read the Smith witness statements,  and yet chose to present the man they had seen that night to be carrying the child in the way Jane Tanner,  and not they  had described

Why did they do that  ?

Also why did they depict the Smithman as identical to the Tanner man in appearance? the Smiths did not describe a man with chin length hair as shown, then Gerry says, come on, lets get the phones ringing...

[AnneGuedes]

The Smithman was obviously embarrassing, but they couldn't ignore him. Though Jane T didn't actually see the carried child, the Tannerman has the preference. Instead of contending with the carrier issue, there's a sort of escaping it.

[Benice]

The Smithman was obviously embarrassing, but they couldn't ignore him. Though Jane T didn't actually see the carried child, the Tannerman has the preference. Instead of contending with the carrier issue, there's a sort of escaping it.

For whom was the 'Smithman' embarrassing Anne, and why?

[AnneGuedes]

The Smithman was obviously embarrassing, but they couldn't ignore him. Though Jane T didn't actually see the carried child, the Tannerman has the preference. Instead of contending with the carrier issue, there's a sort of escaping it.

For whom was the 'Smithman' embarrassing Anne, and why?

For once he was embarrassing for Mr and Mrs Smith, Benice.
He sounded quite shaken and worried whilst speaking to me.

[debunker]

The Smithman was obviously embarrassing, but they couldn't ignore him. Though Jane T didn't actually see the carried child, the Tannerman has the preference. Instead of contending with the carrier issue, there's a sort of escaping it.

For whom was the 'Smithman' embarrassing Anne, and why?

For once he was embarrassing for Mr and Mrs Smith, Benice.
He sounded quite shaken and worried whilst speaking to me.

You spoke to him?