Was Mr Smiths claim just pie in the sky after all?

[pegasus]

Significant, isn't it, Pegasus.
Perhaps SY have reason to believe he is not Portuguese, German or Dutch ??

Thats not what I meant.
SY correctly recognised that to prompt a new witness to come forward (this might be either a further witness who saw smithman, or it might be smithman himself), it is important to target not only english readers, but also portuguese dutch and german readers (the primary languages of many people in PDL that night) .
So on the SY website, they do provide translated text in those three languages briefly describing smithman.
I was just pointing out that the translation work on their site omitted to also translate the text on the actual 2 e-fit images which remains in english only. I think SY are doing a great job, I was just pointing out a small omission which could be easily rectified.

[sadie]

The CPS has the file so we (I) can assume the POI's are British.
 

The CPS has no authority to act in any other country apart from the UK.

I think Swiskas has something here.

Anyway it fits with my theory ... thanks Swiskas

[John]

I don't think the Smiths initially realised the significance of their encounter with Smithman.  My home in Spain is in a small town very similar in size to Praia da Luz and it also has a large British/Irish population.  I am acquainted with most of the residents and can usually tell if someone is not a local.  Mr and Mrs Smith were regular visitors to Praia da Luz and would have been similarly familiar with most of the locals.  The fact that neither of them recognised this man in 2007 and have never seen him since leads me to conclude that he was not a local.

[pegasus]

I don't think the Smiths initially realised the significance of their encounter with Smithman.  My home in Spain is in a small town very similar in size to Praia da Luz and it also has a large British/Irish population.  I am acquainted with most of the residents and can usually tell if someone is not a local.  Mr and Mrs Smith were regular visitors to Praia da Luz and would have been similarly familiar with most of the locals.  The fact that neither of them recognised this man in 2007 and have never seen him since leads me to conclude that he was not a local.

Good point. Then there are possibilities like a portuguese resident of another town having a holiday in PDL or visiting relatives in PDL. Or a dutch/german/polish/french/etc person having a holiday in PDL. If he is an innocentman (which is how I lean currently although I might be wrong) I think the non-response to Mrs S's greeting (as reported in press) favours it being someone with little understanding of the foreign language english. If someone on a dark street in some small UK seaside resort greeted me in some foreign language I did not understand I would probably ignore them.

[John]

Good point. Then there are possibilities like a portuguese resident of another town having a holiday in PDL or visiting relatives in PDL. Or a dutch/german/polish/french/etc person having a holiday in PDL. If he is an innocentman (which is how I lean currently although I might be wrong) I think the non-response to Mrs S's greeting (as reported in press) favours it being someone with little understanding of the foreign language english. If someone on a dark street in some small UK seaside resort greeted me in some foreign language I did not understand I would probably ignore them.

I can't remember how many were in the Smith group but for every single one of them to be ignored over the 30 seconds or so it took for this man to pass them all is definitely suspicious imo.  An adult carrying a child at night in a holiday resort usually acknowledges other adults with children but not in this case.  I have a feeling there is more to this than the Smiths were able to impart in a statement.

Put this together with the description of the child being carried, the time relative to Madeleine last being seen and several other factors and it all leads me to agree with DCI Redwood.  Smithman is top of the suspect list imo.

But why are the two e-fits so different if they are supposed to be the same man?    >@@(*&)

[Sherlock Holmes]

Thats not what I meant.
SY correctly recognised that to prompt a new witness to come forward (this might be either a further witness who saw smithman, or it might be smithman himself), it is important to target not only english readers, but also portuguese dutch and german readers (the primary languages of many people in PDL that night) .
So on the SY website, they do provide translated text in those three languages briefly describing smithman.
I was just pointing out that the translation work on their site omitted to also translate the text on the actual 2 e-fit images which remains in english only. I think SY are doing a great job, I was just pointing out a small omission which could be easily rectified.

Ok thanks for that clarification,  pegasus.

[Mr Gray]

If you have ever taken young children on such a holiday you would know that sedatives would be totally unnecessary to induce sleep. The children would be totally worn out by evening

[Mr Gray]

The CPS has the file so we (I) can assume the POI's are British.
 

The CPS has no authority to act in any other country apart from the UK.

As far as I have read it is the CPS who prepare the ILOR....nothing to do with the nationality of the suspects

[sadie]

sadie has been chloroformed more times than you have had hot dinners.  No I am exaggerating.  Soz, but I have been chloroformed a good few times.

I think that it would have been only used for the initial sedating.  Afterwards i think a measured injection.

Tannernam has been bypassed, but NOT absolutely ruled out.  There could have been two men.

[Cariad]

sadie has been chloroformed more times than you have had hot dinners.  No I am exaggerating.  Soz, but I have been chloroformed a good few times.

I think that it would have been only used for the initial sedating.  Afterwards i think a measured injection.

Tannernam has been bypassed, but NOT absolutely ruled out.  There could have been two men.

What? I mean....what??

[Wonderfulspam]

sadie has been chloroformed more times than you have had hot dinners.  No I am exaggerating.  Soz, but I have been chloroformed a good few times.

I think that it would have been only used for the initial sedating.  Afterwards i think a measured injection.

Tannernam has been bypassed, but NOT absolutely ruled out.  There could have been two men.

I reckon there was a man walking behind innocent creche man who was just another innocent man.
And then after that man, walked another man, who was also innocent, but the man after that, he did it.

[sadie]

I reckon there was a man walking behind innocent creche man who was just another innocent man.
And then after that man, walked another man, who was also innocent, but the man after that, he did it.

What can we do with you?

[icabodcrane]

What? I mean....what??

Speaking in the third person again too  ...  that's always a sign that we have some major fantasy stories coming our way

[sadie]

Speaking in the third person again too  ...  that's always a sign that we have some major fantasy stories coming our way

Yep, big fantasie story coming up >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Am about to have something to eat and then I am going to my S.inLaws to spend a bit of time with her.  Will that do?
Might do a bit of grocery shopping too.

[pegasus]

... But why are the two e-fits so different if they are supposed to be the same man?    >@@(*&)

My theory is, the private detective spoke with the family group and determined that two of them had some recollection of facial features.
Probably IMO the detective used e-fit software on a laptop. Can anyone here tell from the e-fits whether they are hand-drawn or software drawn?
So the detective sits down with one witness, and produces an e-fit based on the recollection of that witness.
When finished, the detective then sits down, totally seperately, with the other witness, and makes a second e-fit based on the recollection that second witness.
So the detective ends up with two e-fits, of the same man, but based on two different witnesses's memories.
This is good scientific method IMO, to produce the 2 e-fits completely seperately.