Madeleine's last movements tracked by the GNR sniffer dogs.

[pegasus]

Thankyou for that quote from the book, an honest witness IMO, so certainly GNR were handed the blanket.

For tracking using bathtowel, I was pointing out there might easily be another person's scent also on towel (and maybe stronger than the child's) via searcher(s) using toilet then washing/drying hands.

For tracking using blanket, the comfort object, I agree the strongest scent on that is likely to have been be the child's.

This trail seems impossible to solve, but maybe we will get there.

[pathfinder73]

The other route would be more believable because it connects to the Smithman sighting. From 5A to Baptista supermarket but that wouldn't explain why the child was in a deep sleep. I think the dogs explained that one which would eliminate any hypothesis of the child leaving the apartment on her own.

[Martina]

Thankyou for that quote from the book, an honest witness IMO, so certainly GNR were handed the blanket.

Becaust Kate cannot be wrong. Or confuse something in her memory. Two policemen must be wrong, because she cannot.

Rex and Zarus, who went to the carpark, were given the bath towel. The blanket was given to the Portimao dogs, Numi and Kit, who arrived with their handlers to the Ocean Club at 2:30 a.m. One of the handlers stated:

When they arrived at the scene, they entered the McCann's apartment by the front door, and entered the living room, where there were some PJ officers as well as the MCCann couple. The just talked to some colleagues from the PJ and asked for a piece of clothing that Madeleine had worn or used recently. They were given a pink/orange blanket that the child had been covered with in her bed.

They began searching with the dogs from the main entrance to the apartment, having given the blanket to his dog Numi to smell and begin to search.

The route initially taken was from the front entrance door to the passageway between Blocks 4 and 5, along the corridor and then along the passage that leads past the entrance to the small reception to the resort's swimming pool. After that the whole of the area surrounding the resort was searched.

So, basically, these two dogs covered the last known route of Maddie, from the Tapas area to the apartment. Interesting.

[pathfinder73]

Amaral said the pink blanket was returned and it hasn't been seen since.

[pegasus]

The other route would be much more believable because it connects to the Smithman sighting. From 5A to Baptista supermarket ......

The press report ages ago claiming GNR dogs tracked scent from 5A to supermarket carpark, was IMO a mistake by a journalist who misinterpreted the actual route tracked.

[pathfinder73]

The press report ages ago claiming GNR dogs tracked scent from 5A to supermarket carpark, was IMO a mistake by a journalist who misinterpreted the actual route tracked.

Madeleine had made that trip to the supermarket.

"On the following days, and because the bar was quite far away, they started buying food at the “BATISTA” supermarket, which is located on the same road as the apartment, and they had their first meal of the day at the apartment."

"They all left by the main door because of the buggies, went around to the right, down the street of the “BATISTA” supermarket and went to the beach along a road directly ahead."

So they must have missed the church. Asking for directions to it days later  >@@(*&)

[pegasus]

Becaust Kate cannot be wrong. Or confuse something in her memory. Two policemen must be wrong, because she cannot.

There is no contradiction. The witness, and the GNR, are both truthful.
KM's truthful statement in book, that she handed the comfort blanket to GNR, I see no reason to doubt.
Also IIRC at least one GNR handler states that a blanket was used as a scent source.
I will try to find a link for that - I will look silly if I am wrong, which is possible.

[pathfinder73]

There is no contradiction.
KM's truthful statement in book, that she handed the comfort blanket to GNR, I see no reason to doubt.
Also IIRC at least one GNR handler states that a blanket was used as a scent source.
I will try to find a link for that - I will look silly if I am wrong, which is possible.

So you don't think it was returned? Why would they keep the missing child's blanket? Amaral was looking for it.

[Martina]

There is no contradiction. The witness, and the GNR, are both truthful.
KM's truthful statement in book, that she handed the comfort blanket to GNR, I see no reason to doubt.
Also IIRC at least one GNR handler states that a blanket was used as a scent source.
I will try to find a link for that - I will look silly if I am wrong, which is possible.

I'll copy my previous post.

Rex and Zarus, who went to the carpark, were given the bath towel. The blanket was given to the Portimao dogs, Numi and Kit, who arrived with their handlers to the Ocean Club at 2:30 a.m. One of the handlers stated:

When they arrived at the scene, they entered the McCann's apartment by the front door, and entered the living room, where there were some PJ officers as well as the MCCann couple. The just talked to some colleagues from the PJ and asked for a piece of clothing that Madeleine had worn or used recently. They were given a pink/orange blanket that the child had been covered with in her bed.

They began searching with the dogs from the main entrance to the apartment, having given the blanket to his dog Numi to smell and begin to search.

The route initially taken was from the front entrance door to the passageway between Blocks 4 and 5, along the corridor and then along the passage that leads past the entrance to the small reception to the resort's swimming pool. After that the whole of the area surrounding the resort was searched.

So, basically, these two dogs covered the last known route of Maddie, from the Tapas area to the apartment. Interesting.

The handler in question is Carlos Manuel Carvalho Lacão. I repeat, Rex and Zarus who traced Maddie's route to the parking lot were given a towel. Not a blanket. The dogs that sniffed blanket went to the Tapas area.

[pathfinder73]

Excellent work. Yes they followed her last route from the tapas to 5A re pink blanket. Pink blanket not seen again  >@@(*&)

[pathfinder73]

IMO if your theory were correct, the GNR dogs would have tracked from 5A to your bins.
IMO those GNR dogs can track a person in any status being openly carried, just as easily as they can track a person walking.

That's not my theory. That's an alive child leaving 5A route theory which could connect with the Smithman sighting but I don't believe it. If they found that route it's not surprising as she'd used that route down to Baptista supermarket. If they found a route Madeleine hadn't used then it's a totally different ball game.

[Brietta]

Becaust Kate cannot be wrong. Or confuse something in her memory. Two policemen must be wrong, because she cannot.

Rex and Zarus, who went to the carpark, were given the bath towel. The blanket was given to the Portimao dogs, Numi and Kit, who arrived with their handlers to the Ocean Club at 2:30 a.m. One of the handlers stated:

When they arrived at the scene, they entered the McCann's apartment by the front door, and entered the living room, where there were some PJ officers as well as the MCCann couple. The just talked to some colleagues from the PJ and asked for a piece of clothing that Madeleine had worn or used recently. They were given a pink/orange blanket that the child had been covered with in her bed.

They began searching with the dogs from the main entrance to the apartment, having given the blanket to his dog Numi to smell and begin to search.

The route initially taken was from the front entrance door to the passageway between Blocks 4 and 5, along the corridor and then along the passage that leads past the entrance to the small reception to the resort's swimming pool. After that the whole of the area surrounding the resort was searched.

So, basically, these two dogs covered the last known route of Maddie, from the Tapas area to the apartment. Interesting.

Your attitude implies ‘if her lips are moving she must be lying’.  I tend to go with what has been written in Dr McCanns book.  A mother would remember handing her daughter’s clothes and comfort blanket over to be used by sniffer dogs. 

The files mention all three items so it is not outwith the bounds of probability all three were used in the numerous searches which took place over a period of days. 

Then I seem to remember there is a myth attached to the pink blanket so it doesn’t suit some there is provenance of what happened to it.

<<SNIP>> After the officers had been updated about facts relating to the disappearance, they tried to reconstruct the route the girl might have taken with the two tracker dogs. For this purpose the dogs were given a blanket to sniff, provided by the parents, which had been used by Madeleine.

<<SNIP>> In this concrete situation, the objective would be for the dogs to carry out a discontinuous search, in other words, to sniff the girl's clothes and immediately search near to the apartments, checking to see if there was any change in the behaviour of the dogs.
At about 23.00 accompanied by a PJ inspector, the searches were begun. After Rex was given the girl's clothing to sniff, he began to search on the ground floor of block 5 http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/GNR_SNIFFER.htm#p13p3517

<<SNIP>> - The GNR team performing the search had in its possession, packed in a plastic bag, a towel supposedly used to clean the missing youngster - Madeleine McCann - furnished by her parents.
 - After the conditions for the search are met, the two GNR officers - the leader and the dog handler - gave the scent towel to one of the dogs to smell and led it into Block 5. 
http://mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/INFORMATION-SERVICE.htm

[Martina]

Your attitude implies ‘if her lips are moving she must be lying’.  I tend to go with what has been written in Dr McCanns book.  A mother would remember handing her daughter’s clothes and comfort blanket over to be used by sniffer dogs. 

Have you even read my post? I pointed out the dogs that were given a blanket to sniff. Numi and Kit, the dogs from Portimao. They did not go to the parking lot, they went to the Tapas area. The dogs that went to the parking lot, and were given a towel to sniff, were Rex and Zarus.

[pegasus]

Martina is on the right track IMO.

First tracking was by Morais and Laçao and 2 dogs early hours 4th
Morais says they used clothing,  but Laçao says having requested clothing or other item used by child, a blanket was provided.
IMO it's clear both officers were using one single scent item, and it was the comfort blanket, not clothing. This is further confirmed by KM book.
Laçao states the track led around G5 then past tapas reception.
No crossing the road.
 
Next tracking was by Fernandes and Silva with 2 dogs late evening 4th
They used a towel.
Track led around G5 then over road and right then to lamppost at carpark.

Next tracking was Fernandes and Silva again, using towel again, predictably giving same track to lamppost at carpark.

SO we have two different tracks.
1. The earliest, using the comfort blanket, goes round G5 and past tapas reception.
2. The later one, using a towel, goes round G5, over road, right, to lamppost at carpark.

(Sources: http://www.mccannfiles.com/id258.html)

[pegasus]

I already pointed out the likelyhood that a towel would probably have other peoples' scents on it (searcher goes toilet, washes hands, and dries on any towel that happens to be there).

However, on the comfort blanket, IMO the strongest scent would be the child's.

Therefore if any of the the tracks by GNR dogs is of the missing child, it is likely to be the one which used the comfort blanket (Morais and Laçao, approx 2am) IMO.