Was Madeleine McCann run over by accident and then carried off?

[jassi]

But not at the time of the sighting, so any family concern was not related to that sighting, but to the fact that a child had disappeared.

[Brietta]

But not at the time of the sighting, so any family concern was not related to that sighting, but to the fact that a child had disappeared.

According to Mr Smith ... his daughter phoned on the morning of the fourth to tell him a blonde haired child had gone missing in his near vicinity.
According to Mr Smith ... it was thirteen days later that his son phoned to ask if he was dreaming that they had passed a man carrying a blonde child ... after discussion, they decided they had.

Thank goodness Mr Smith was able to confirm that the man was not Mr Murat, who had been made an arguido a couple of days before.

[faithlilly]

According to Mr Smith ... his daughter phoned on the morning of the fourth to tell him a blonde haired child had gone missing in his near vicinity.
According to Mr Smith ... it was thirteen days later that his son phoned to ask if he was dreaming that they had passed a man carrying a blonde child ... after discussion, they decided they had.

Thank goodness Mr Smith was able to confirm that the man was not Mr Murat, who had been made an arguido a couple of days before.

Thank goodness indeed.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/irish-couple-may-hold-key-evidence-in-madeleine-mccann-case-29397648.html

[pathfinder73]

Thank goodness indeed.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/irish-couple-may-hold-key-evidence-in-madeleine-mccann-case-29397648.html

Very good.

Evidence provided at the time by members of the Smith family, from Maple Drive, Drogheda, Co Louth, was considered credible by the review officers.

The Smith family told police how they had left Kelly's Bar in the resort at around 10pm

They then passed a man walking down the middle of the street who was carrying a girl aged about three to four years old.

It was claimed that the child's head was lying against the man's left shoulder and her arms were hanging down alongside her body.

[faithlilly]

Very good.

Evidence provided at the time by members of the Smith family, from Maple Drive, Drogheda, Co Louth, was considered credible by the review officers.

The Smith family told police how they had left Kelly's Bar in the resort at around 10pm

They then passed a man walking down the middle of the street who was carrying a girl aged about three to four years old.

It was claimed that the child's head was lying against the man's left shoulder and her arms were hanging down alongside her body.

This is the quote that interests me most :

"Martin Smith and his wife Mary revealed to investigators how they saw a man carrying a young child through the streets of Praia da Luz in Portugal on the night Madeleine went missing."

Of course it was Mr Smith and his wife who agreed that the man they saw could have been Gerry.

[ferryman]

This is the quote that interests me most :

"Martin Smith and his wife Mary revealed to investigators how they saw a man carrying a young child through the streets of Praia da Luz in Portugal on the night Madeleine went missing."

Of course it was Mr Smith and his wife who agreed that the man they saw could have been Gerry.

Emphasis on past tense.

The inference that (after initial refusal!) Smith (eventually!) agreed to produce an e-fit of the man he saw because he had changed his mind about the man being Gerry.

And, of course, from the outset, none of Mr Smith's children agreed with their father that the man might have been Gerry.

[faithlilly]

Emphasis on past tense.

The inference that (after initial refusal!) Smith (eventually!) agreed to produce an e-fit of the man he saw because he had changed his mind about the man being Gerry.

And, of course, from the outset, none of Mr Smith's children agreed with their father that the man might have been Gerry.

Nope. The part before the quote I have just posted :

"Evidence provided at the time by members of the Smith family, from Maple Drive, Drogheda, Co Louth, was considered credible by the review officers."

So very much in the present.

[ferryman]

Nope. The part before the quote I have just posted :

"Evidence provided at the time by members of the Smith family, from Maple Drive, Drogheda, Co Louth, was considered credible by the review officers."

So very much in the present.

Credible that the Smiths had seen a man.

No one disputes that.

[faithlilly]

Credible that the Smiths had seen a man.

No one disputes that.

Indeed but we both know what else Mr Smith and his wife believed and have no reason to think that they had changed their minds before talking to OG.

[ferryman]

Indeed but we both know what else Mr Smith and his wife believed and have no reason to think that they had changed their minds before talking to OG.

It stands out a mile that Martin Smith would not have produced an e-fit of a man he considered was Gerry McCann.

[slartibartfast]

And, of course, from the outset, none of Mr Smith's children agreed with their father that the man might have been Gerry.

...though of course they didn't disagree with him either.

[ferryman]

...though of course they didn't disagree with him either.

Yes they did.

None of Martin Smith's children thought the same as their father.

At the end of January 2008 Mr Smith said this to the Irish Gardia police:

He [Martin Smith] has been contacted by numerous tabloid press looking for stories. He has been contacted by Mr Brian Kennedy who is supporting the McCann family to take part in a photo fit exercise. He has given no stories or helped in any photo fits.

Why did Martin Smith (later) change his mind and agree to produce an e-fit?

Because release of the files persuaded him he was wrong to suppose he had seen Gerry?

[faithlilly]

It stands out a mile that Martin Smith would not have produced an e-fit of a man he considered was Gerry McCann.

Why not ?

[ferryman]

Why not ?

Because Gerry McCann is not a man in need of identification.

[faithlilly]

Because Gerry McCann is not a man in need of identification.

Mr Smith would have been asked to describe the man he saw, not whether it was Gerry McCann.

Obviously SY have found his and his wife's evidence so credible that they based their whole Crimewatch slot around it.