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

[Silkywhiskers]

It is not zigzagging or ducking and diving it is normal pedestrian behaviour.

On a busy road maybe.

Walking through a sleepy town with no vehicles about?

   You certainly do live a strange life.

[pegasus]

I do agree with that but what if a person carrying was for some reasons not able to obtain on time anything that might be used to conceal Maddie's body?

A good point. There are many items that could have been used.
Luggage bags, curtains, showercurtain, bedding, bathtowels.
The puzzle is, that none of those items went missing, that night.

[misty]

A good point. There are many items that could have been used.
Luggage bags, curtains, showercurtain, bedding, bathtowels.
The puzzle is, that none of those items went missing, that night.

Did the PJ check all suitcases were present & correct?

[Silkywhiskers]

Did the PJ check all suitcases were present & correct?

Check against WHAT?

The word of the Tapas?

 8-)(--)

[Wonderfulspam]

A good point. There are many items that could have been used.
Luggage bags, curtains, showercurtain, bedding, bathtowels.
The puzzle is, that none of those items went missing, that night.

1485 "What about a kit bag' Would they have a kit bag with them?"

Reply "Err he certainly didn't have a great big tennis bag....  >@@(*&)

[pegasus]

Walking through a sleepy town with no vehicles about ...

... it is normal behaviour by pedestrians to alter their courses to avoid bumping into other pedestrians.

When one man walks past a straggling group of nine coming the other way, you will find the one man alters his course more than the group of nine do.

[Silkywhiskers]

... it is normal behaviour by pedestrians to alter their courses to avoid bumping into other pedestrians.

When one man walks past a straggling group of nine coming the other way, you will find the one man alters his course more than the group of nine do.

A "straggling group of nine" means they are walking in  twos or threes or singly.

Do you honestly suggest Smithman had to swerve to avoid every single person?  That implies he headed straight for them!

A straggling group usually follows the leader....such as sheep do.

Smithman would only need to cross ONCE.  He would not need to zig zag.  The Smiths were all headed in the same direction, as a group, and if he crossed to avoid one, he naturally avoided them all.

[misty]

A good point. There are many items that could have been used.
Luggage bags, curtains, showercurtain, bedding, bathtowels.
The puzzle is, that none of those items went missing, that night.

I don't think we do know for sure that no suitcases went missing that night, from 5a or any of the Tapas group. The McCanns & the Paynes stayed "on holiday" - the absence of one case would not have been obvious.  I assume the cases were stored under the beds in 5a as I cannot recall seeing any in the crime scene photos.
Someone wheeling a suitcase in a holiday complex would not have aroused any suspicion - much easier than carrying a child in your arms.

[pegasus]

No the 9 witnesses were not in single file following the leader.
They were in several smaller groups, some side by side with others.
Yes the man carrying his daughter only adjusted his course to his right once, after passing group P, to walk around group M, then adjusted his course to his left, after passing group A, to go down Travessa das Escadhinas.

Are you suggesting he should have rudely walked straight into group M? And then walked straight into the stone wall of the building opposite?

Zigzigging is an exagerration IMO.
All the poor guy did was not collide with oncoming people, seems civil enough to me, and expecting him to speak the foreign english language is a bit unfair too as this happened in a portuguese speaking region of the world where not everyone is just there to serve tourists.

[Silkywhiskers]

No the 9 witnesses were not in single file following the leader.
They were in several smaller groups, some side by side with others.
Yes the man carrying his daughter only adjusted his course to his right once, after passing group P, to walk around group M, then adjusted his course to his left, after passing group A, to go down Travessa das Escadhinas.

Are you suggesting he should have rudely walked straight into group M? And then walked straight into the stone wall of the building opposite?

Zigzigging is an exagerration IMO.
All the poor guy did was not collide with oncoming people, seems civil enough to me, and expecting him to speak the foreign english language is a bit unfair too as this happened in a portuguese speaking region of the world where not everyone is just there to serve tourists.

Yes all of this is incredibly relevant isn't it?

The actions of Smithman imply he was DODGING.  Hiding, doing his best not to be seen - whatever.

Unfortunately it failed.

Thank God for the Smiths.

[pegasus]

Yes all of this is incredibly relevant isn't it?
The actions of Smithman imply he was DODGING.  Hiding, doing his best not to be seen - whatever.
Unfortunately it failed.
Thank God for the Smiths.

If the man was deliberately "dodging" and "zigzagging" as you claim, surely that would simply attract attention?

Even the book "How To Not Be Seen" missed that invisibility technique.

[pathfinder73]

You would give way to a man carrying a child. He was moving away from the group as he passed because he didn't want to be seen clearly by eye witnesses when committing a crime.

[pegasus]

You're making a reasonable assumption that someone commiting a crime would want to not be seen. But in that case why would he walk past a safe concealment place, which he cannot have failed to notice, because your route has him walk along many metres of its perimeter fence, and instead continue walking via a circuitous route to the church in the centre of town, with the obvious risk of being seen? It doesn't make sense.

[pathfinder73]

He had no choice but to walk and he knew the risks and his destination. The panic and chaos of the alarm gave him this one chance to get away from the rest. His destination made sense because Madeleine has never been found. He didn't want to be recognised by eye witnesses. "My wife Mary remembered afterwards that she asked him, 'Oh, is she asleep?' "He just put his head down and averted his eyes."

[pegasus]

... "My wife Mary remembered afterwards that she asked him, 'Oh, is she asleep?' "He just put his head down and averted his eyes."

Examining the possibility this was an innocent father with his daughter, the following may be deduced:
1. From what M.Smith says (as quoted above from pathfinder's post) the man was not conversant in the foreign language (English) he was addressed in.
2. He therefore did not work in a job involving extensive talking with foreigners.
3. He most likely lived a short distance down T.d.E or in a very nearby road off that one.
4. There was no off-road parking and scarce on-street parking at residence.
5. He was likely to park vehicle on or next to R.d.E.P just N of the narrow bit.
IMO if the PJ/UK police team had just after 26 May 2007 done a doortodoor survey of the relevant very small area they might have located this what was JIMO an innocent father and child.