The locked front door versus the unlocked rear patio door issue.

[Benice]

No confusion Benice imo as the patio door did not have a key nor could it be opened from the outside.  When Gerry spoke of accessing the apartment using a key he was referring to the front door located on the north side of the premises.  He later changed this to using the unlocked ratio door on the south side. Question will always be why did he make such a transparent error?

So why isn't his explanation why he changed his statement recorded anywhere? 

[icabodcrane]

So why isn't his explanation why he changed his statement recorded anywhere?

Why are you presuming he  offered an explanation  ?

Neither he, nor Kate have ever made mention of it as far as I am aware, and Kate makes no mention of it in her book

Why is that  ?   

I mean if there is an  'explanation'  for that glaring difference in their statements why have the McCanns never clarified it  ?

[John]

Wasn't it mentioned by Gerry in the Ch4 documentary?

[icabodcrane]

Wasn't it mentioned by Gerry in the Ch4 documentary?

I don't think Gerry has ever explained why his first statement claimed he had checked on Madeleine that last night by way of the locked front door

[Mr Gray]

I don't think Gerry has ever explained why his first statement claimed he had checked on Madeleine that last night by way of the locked front door

As SY say they are not suspects the SY must have no concerns about the statements

[Benice]

Why are you presuming he  offered an explanation  ?

Neither he, nor Kate have ever made mention of it as far as I am aware, and Kate makes no mention of it in her book

Why is that  ?   

I mean if there is an  'explanation'  for that glaring difference in their statements why have the McCanns never clarified it  ?

Why would they need to explain anything to anyone?  The confusion had been cleared up with the PJ during the 2nd interview as far as they knew.   That's all that mattered.   The fact that the conversation which must have taken place over that change of statement  during the second interview was not included in any report  - can only mean it wasn't considered necessary.    The idea that Gerry would not give an explanation - or that the PJ wouldn't require one is unrealistic IMO.

Gerry knew that Kate would say she came in via the unlocked patio door and he had already said Matt had, so what possible reason would he have to say he came in via the carpark door when he knew the patio door was unlocked.    What did he have to gain by telling such a ridiculous lie - for which he could have no credible explanation?

Gerry:  I'll lie and tell them Kate and I came in through the front door because.....................................what?

[John]

I don't think Gerry has ever explained why his first statement claimed he had checked on Madeleine that last night by way of the locked front door

Sorry, I meant to say he reconstructs the event and enters via the locked front door using a KEY (not a key card)


See from 7.00

[pathfinder73]

Why would they need to explain anything to anyone?  The confusion had been cleared up with the PJ during the 2nd interview as far as they knew.   That's all that mattered.   The fact that the conversation which must have taken place over that change of statement  during the second interview was not included in any report  - can only mean it wasn't considered necessary.    The idea that Gerry would not give an explanation - or that the PJ wouldn't require one is unrealistic IMO.

Gerry knew that Kate would say she came in via the unlocked patio door and he had already said Matt had, so what possible reason would he have to say he came in via the carpark door when he knew the patio door was unlocked.    What did he have to gain by telling such a ridiculous lie - for which he could have no credible explanation?

Gerry:  I'll lie and tell them Kate and I came in through the front door because.....................................what?

More shabby detective work Benice. There's only one reason for using a key (two actually if it was nearest entrance). Kate didn't need to use the key

At around 10pm, the witness came to check on the children. She went into the apartment by the side door, which was closed, but unlocked, as already said, and immediately noticed that the door to her children's bedroom was completely open, the window was also open, the shutters raised and the curtains open, while she was certain of having closed them all as she always did. (KM 1st Statement 4 May)

[pathfinder73]

Sorry, I meant to say he reconstructs the event and enters via the locked front door using a KEY (not a key card)


See from 7.00

'About 3 or 4 minutes later she was taken' i.e. Tannerman. And he's now outside talking on the other side of the road away from where a crime is taking place.

[Benice]

More shabby detective work Benice. There's only one reason (two actually if it was nearest entrance) for using a key. Kate didn't need to use the key

At around 10pm, the witness came to check on the children. She went into the apartment by the side door, which was closed, but unlocked, as already said, and immediately noticed that the door to her children's bedroom was completely open, the window was also open, the shutters raised and the curtains open, while she was certain of having closed them all as she always did. (KM 1st Statement 4 May)

I'm afraid you've lost me Pathfinder - what has the above quote got to do with Gerry apparently deciding to lie by saying he and Kate came in through the carpark door when he had already acknowledged that the patio door was unlocked?

[icabodcrane]

I'm afraid you've lost me Pathfinder - what has the above quote got to do with Gerry apparently deciding to lie by saying he and Kate came in through the carpark door when he had already acknowledged that the patio door was unlocked?

We don't  know if Gerry .... when he said,  in his first statement to the police,  that he had made his 9.05pm check via the front door, using his key  ...  as far as we know he might have done just that

What we  do  know, though,  is that when he later changed his story and said he made his check via the unlocked patio door,  a major contradiction was presented

The fact is,  one of those statements  has  to be false

[Benice]

We don't  know if Gerry .... when he said,  in his first statement to the police,  that he had made his 9.05pm check via the front door, using his key  ...  as far as we know he might have done just that

What we  do  know, though,  is that when he later changed his story and said he made his check via the unlocked patio door,  a major contradiction was presented

The fact is,  one of those statements  has  to be false

Well I'm afraid until someone can come up with a credible reason why Gerry would inexplicably walk past a door a few feet away and decide to take the much longer route to go in by the front door - I will continue to believe that a misunderstanding occurred during that very first interview - and that he and the PJ officer were at cross purposes over which door was which  - and that the misunderstanding was sorted out at the 2nd interview. 

Why would he ... about it ?  What did he have to gain?

[pathfinder73]

Well I'm afraid until someone can come up with a credible reason why Gerry would inexplicably walk past a door a few feet away and decide to take the much longer route to go in by the front door - I will continue to believe that a misunderstanding occurred during that very first interview - and that he and the PJ officer were at cross purposes over which door was which  - and that the misunderstanding was sorted out at the 2nd interview. 

Why would he ... about it ?  What did he have to gain?

Are you for real? There's two possibilities I can think of:

1. The apartment was locked including the patio door when he entered using the key.

2. He was coming back from the ............ and that was now the nearest entrance.

[Benice]

Sorry, I meant to say he reconstructs the event and enters via the locked front door using a KEY (not a key card)


See from 7.00

He's not reconstructing his 9.05 check.  He's entering 5A for the first time since they left Portugal.   It's only when he is inside that he shows us a part of what he did during that check - which was the last time he saw his beloved daughter.

[Benice]

Are you for real? There's two possibilities I can think of:

1. The apartment was locked including the patio door when he entered using the key.

2. He was coming back from the ............. and that was now the nearest entrance.

Ahh I see it all now.  This is an alternative theory to the abduction one?    Sorry but I've never seen a shred of evidence to believe that Madeleine was not abducted.    And I certainly don't believe that her parents or any of their friends are the insane raving psychopaths which IMO they would all have to be -  to be capable of disposing of a dead little girl's body - as if it was really nothing too serious and so they didn't have to think twice about doing it.      Not a chance IMO.