The mysterious lady who reported the car boot being open every day.

[pegasus]

I can't remember having to air my car. Tied up plastic bags don't let smell escape.
I read the police was looking for a baby, they brought cadaver dogs on a property and those dogs alerted in some part of the house, but the police found nothing there. They took the dogs in the garden and the dogs didn't react anywhere. There was a little cabin for tools, full up to the roof with all sorts of rubbish. A police officer saw a bag, opened it and... horrible. But the (many) bags were very well tied up, the dogs were cheated.

I have not found that case.
But in most cases the perp would be acting in desperate "spur of moment " and have not the time for researching such precautions nor a ready stock of bags

[VIXTE]

IMO, without taking sides, (and this applies even to those who take the viewpoint that Eddie's signal of the driver door-seal and of the key as 100% directly relevant), it is important to see that additionally there are also 4 other logical causes for airing the car (household rubbish, green waste, leaky supermarket packaging, drying out after cleaning).

or spilt milk, it is the worse thing ever.. with babies on board it is easy to spill milk..

[pegasus]

or spilt milk, it is the worse thing ever.. with babies on board it is easy to spill milk..

I've had a split plastic milk container leaking after a day or two it makes a sour smell.

[Silkywhiskers]

All these people with smelly cars....unless you've also had a cadaver alert on your car, your experiences re spilt milk and shrubbery are totally irrelevant.

[Benice]

All these people with smelly cars....unless you've also had a cadaver alert on your car, your experiences re spilt milk and shrubbery are totally irrelevant.

I think you have missed the point.  The point being that there are various innocent reasons why a car would need airing -  unless of course you believe a raised car boot can only ever mean one thing - i.e. that a decaying dead body must have been in there.

[Carana]

I think you have missed the point.  The point being that there are various innocent reasons why a car would need airing -  unless of course you believe a raised car boot can only ever mean one thing - i.e. that a decaying dead body must have been in there.

Perhaps carbootlady did see the boot open a few times, and the story got exaggerated. It wouldn't necessarily be just to air the car, people would be loading and unloading luggage, shopping, belongings, etc., if family members were travelling to and forth or had gone out for the day...

Without a statement, however, there's no way of knowing the timeframe during which she apparently noticed this, beyond the fact that it was parked in the vicinity of the villa.

[Benice]

Perhaps carbootlady did see the boot open a few times, and the story got exaggerated. It wouldn't necessarily be just to air the car, people would be loading and unloading luggage, shopping, belongings, etc., if family members were travelling to and forth or had gone out for the day...

Without a statement, however, there's no way of knowing the timeframe during which she apparently noticed this, beyond the fact that it was parked in the vicinity of the villa.

I agree Carana - all valid points imo.

[Angelo222]

I agree Carana - all valid points imo.

In Portugal in July and August it tends to be very hot and locals tend to put their cars under the shade.  From what I have seen of the parking arrangements there was no covered parking at the villa so in order to keep the car cool they would have left the tailgate raised imo.

There was also the admission by Gerry's brother-in-law that they had seepage from some shopping and that the tailgate was left open to air the car.  A reasonable explanation if I might say so.

[Lyall]

Perhaps carbootlady did see the boot open a few times, and the story got exaggerated. It wouldn't necessarily be just to air the car, people would be loading and unloading luggage, shopping, belongings, etc., if family members were travelling to and forth or had gone out for the day...

Without a statement, however, there's no way of knowing the timeframe during which she apparently noticed this, beyond the fact that it was parked in the vicinity of the villa.

Stories being exaggerated probably applies to most of what said in this case, Carana. Not just one witness - most of them.

[AnneGuedes]

In Portugal in July and August it tends to be very hot and locals tend to put their cars under the shade.  From what I have seen of the parking arrangements there was no covered parking at the villa so in order to keep the car cool they would have left the tailgate raised imo.

There was also the admission by Gerry's brother-in-law that they had seepage from some shopping and that the tailgate was left open to air the car.  A reasonable explanation if I might say so.

Yes.
It's no practice in Portugal to leave the boot open to cool the car. Does it ?

[AnneGuedes]

Stories being exaggerated probably applies to most of what said in this case, Carana. Not just one witness - most of them.

This witness' observation concerning days before the car was examined by the dogs would be at the most a mere indication. The air of the carboot wasn't captured and even when it is (like in the Anthony case) it's not (yet) a proof.

[pathfinder73]

Of course it's normal behaviour for the neighbour to report an open car boot to the police - I don't think so!

[Luz]

I think you have missed the point.  The point being that there are various innocent reasons why a car would need airing -  unless of course you believe a raised car boot can only ever mean one thing - i.e. that a decaying dead body must have been in there.

Only cadaver stench requires a week's long airing....Spilling milk?!!! Indeed.

Even so the dog was able to signal that cadaver odour, and you and we all know these dogs don't signal dirty nappies, spilled milk or spilled beef defrosting,....only dirty people would do that, anyway.

[Carana]

Of course it's normal behaviour for the neighbour to report an open car boot to the police - I don't think so!

Dunno. I suppose it might be if you'd read the tabloid horror stories of "tufts of hair" and "body fluids" in the non-existent tyre well of a car that you assume to be your neighbours'. However, if she'd been that worried about it, why did she not make a statement to the PJ? Unless she did and it got lost. It would hardly qualify for the restricted list.

[AnneGuedes]

the tabloid horror stories of "tufts of hair" and "body fluids"

Horror stories ? How would you qualify stories of dismembered body ?