Could Smithman be the key to Madeleine's disappearance?

[Miss Taken Identity]

Don't you think it's a tad coincidental that two *almost* identical fathers were both carrying their *almost* identical daughters in such an exposed manner ( no covering, socks, slippers etc ) on, what we were told, was a night cold enough for Tanner to wear a thick fleece ?

Yeah, What are the chances?  I mean IF parents are taking children to creche early evening, they must surly be aware it will be cold in the evening? taking kids to creché with no shoes , socks, cardigan?  weird kinda creché.

Maybe if we found out which creché it was, and ask if this is normal for parents to bring children without shoes n socks etc?....oh and the child was not shaking from the cold?

[pegasus]

There's a lot of opinion there. He is a normal Dad? He is not an English speaker? He is most likely a Portuguese speaker?

People did phone in to Crimewatch with names so he isn't necessarily Portuguese.

That he is a non-english speaker comes from: 1 this was in Portugal where the native people speak portuguese. 2 even many of the tourists visiting PDL are portuguese. 3 a press report one of the irish group greeted the man in the foreign language english and he did not reply.

[ShiningInLuz]

There's a lot of opinion there. He is a normal Dad? He is not an English speaker? He is most likely a Portuguese speaker?

People did phone in to Crimewatch with names so he isn't necessarily Portuguese.

If the media got it right, one man was named twice, and one of those two calls came from Portugal.

That got me pondering who in Portugal could have come up with a suggested name.

The following is speculation, so bear in mind that my supporting 'evidence' is thin.

It was possible to view Crimewatch in Portugal.  At least this matches up with a name coming from Portugal.

Since the programme was broadcast in English, it had to come from someone who was fluent or fairly capable in English.  The normal language in Luz is English.  The Dutch, Germans and English use, and local Portuguese folks use it.

However, local Portuguese people are geared up for Portuguese TV, not English TV.

So the person calling from Portugal is most likely to be an ex-pat, or someone working out here.

Then the person has to have an interest in the case.  Most of the folks who were here at the time have an interest, even if opinion is strongly anti-McCann.

So, someone who is an English-speaker, gets English TV, has an interest in the case, and recognises the e-fit, without naming Gerry McCann.

The e-fit and the sole photo (AFAIK) of Tiago da Silva are attached.  Tiago was one of the 11 witnesses interviewed in Dec 2013.  He was a maintenance worker in the OC when Madeleine disappeared. 

Tiago got touted in the press as having lost the entire set of keys to block 5 shortly before Madeleine disappeared.  IMO, this is simply a fabrication.

The other potential reason for interviewing him was if he was named as a match to the e-fit.  IF that was what happened, we need an English speaker, with access to English TV, in Portugal, interested in the Madeleine case, who knew Tiago.

The list of 11 witnesses contains at least two such people - John Hill and Donna Hill.

It gets a layer more complex, as we also need a person who was not in Portugal to come up with the same name.

Make up your own mind as to whether he is a Smithman e-fit candidate.

[Miss Taken Identity]

That he is a non-english speaker comes from: 1 this was in Portugal where the native people speak portuguese. 2 even many of the tourists visiting PDL are portuguese. 3 a press report one of the irish group greeted the man in the foreign language english and he did not reply.

eh?   1. foreigners also speak Portuguese in Portugal...
        2. yup
        3. if he was deaf or was anti social, an ignorant so and so, or was an abductor.... why would he reply?

These do not make him a Portuguese person.. lol

[pegasus]

So if, as SY seem to believe, Smithman is not the Tannerman is it really conceivable that there were two fathers wondering around PDL on the night of the 3rd with children almost identically clothed and with, oddly, bare feet and no covering on a cold night ?

Really ?

The child JT saw did have a blanket on its upper body. She did not recognise it as a blanket because it was mostly obscured by child's legs and the innocent brit tourist's arms and body. Proof is the SY clothing photo of 3 items. What is that third item? Is it a sheet of A4 paper? Is it a folder? Oh it's a blanket.

The child the irish group saw had no blanket on - which indicates that this IMO innocent father was walking only a short distance - I already suggested he may have been walking from his parked car to his home.

[pathfinder73]

The child JT saw had a blanket on its upper body. She did not recognise it as a blanket because it was mostly obscured by legs. Proof is the SY clothing photo of 3 items. What is that third item? It's not a sheet of A4 paper, it's not a folder, it's a blanket.

The child the irish group saw had no blanket on - which indicates that this IMO innocent father was walking only a short distance - I already suggested he may have been walking from his parked car to his home.

He didn't want to talk or be easily recognised.

It was the way GM turned his head down which was similar to what the individual did on 3rd May 2007 when we met him. (MS)

[pegasus]

He didn't want to talk or be easily recognised.
...(snip)

A foreign woman greeted him in a foreign language he did not understand, the man probably thought she was talking to her husband.
People in Portugal speak portuguese.

His face was visible. Sure he sometimes looks downward - he is carrying a child and its dark. I recently completed a  "how to not trip over in the dark" course and can tell you there is nothing suspicious about looking at the pavement/kerbs in front of you.

[Miss Taken Identity]

The child JT saw did have a blanket on its upper body. She did not recognise it as a blanket because it was mostly obscured by child's legs and the innocent brit tourist's arms and body. Proof is the SY clothing photo of 3 items. What is that third item? Is it a sheet of A4 paper? Is it a folder? Oh it's a blanket.

The child the irish group saw had no blanket on - which indicates that this IMO innocent father was walking only a short distance - I already suggested he may have been walking from his parked car to his home.

JT could NOT identify a blanket or anything else the child was wearing as she only saw the childs feet.  The childs feet were not up on the childs upper body covering a blanket????

It was on the Oprah show that Kate n Gerry announced that JT identified Maddie being abducted, by the pyjamas she was wearing that night.(Kate held up similar pyjamas for the cameras) Same JT who could not describe to  both police forces what the child was wearing as she could only see bare feet.  Funny that eh?

[ShiningInLuz]

Which night creche takes you past the wasteland to the Smith sighting? Is that a normal route from the creche?

It is a route FROM the OC night crèche at 24hr reception that MAY make sense due to the roadworks on Rua Direita at that time.

I don't have enough detail on this to test this, but fortunately it is not important.

There is no part of the Ocean Club in the direction Smithman was heading TO, so he would have to have been non-resident in the OC but using the OC crèche facilities.

As SY appears to have a list of the families using the crèche, his child's name would need to be not on that list.

Of course, an unlikely combo remains.  He was a worker in the OC who had to take his child in with him to the crèche, did not register the child (?), carried the child home, and took that route to avoid roadworks.  I think I'll run with simpler solutions before I contemplate this one.

[Alfred R Jones]

Don't you think it's a tad coincidental that two *almost* identical fathers were both carrying their *almost* identical daughters in such an exposed manner ( no covering, socks, slippers etc ) on, what we were told, was a night cold enough for Tanner to wear a thick fleece ?

How many children were left in the creche that night?  How many were young girls? How would you expect them to get from the creche to their holiday accomodation?  How do we even know that the child in Smithman's arms had been in the creche at all?  just because JT wore a thick fleece does that mean everyone was?  What actually WAS the temperature that evening.?  There should be records,,,

[pegasus]

JT could NOT identify a blanket or anything else the child was wearing as she only saw the childs feet.  The childs feet were not up on the childs upper body covering a blanket????

It was on the Oprah show that Kate n Gerry announced that JT identified Maddie being abducted, by the pyjamas she was wearing that night.(Kate held up similar pyjamas for the cameras) Same JT who could not describe to  both police forces what the child was wearing as she could only see bare feet.  Funny that eh?

I'm not interested in third-hand interpretations from when the parents and their PR man went to Chicago.
Look at the SY photo of innocent crecheman clothing - do you agree that is a blanket?

[ShiningInLuz]

SY have investigated the night creche - who left? time? carried home? age? route? etc. That's how they discovered crecheman. But they wouldn't have discovered anyone from the night creche being Smithman to make him number 1 suspect. Simple detective work Alfie.

DCI Redwood said: 'Our focus in terms of understanding what happened on the night of May 3 has now given us a shift of emphasis. We are almost certain that the man seen by Jane Tanner is not Madeleine's abductor.

'It takes us through to a position at 10pm when we see another man who is walking towards the ocean, close by to the apartment, with a young child in his arms.'

There are 2 problems with Tannerman = Crècheman.

The first is where he is coming FROM, because he is definitely coming from the wrong direction.

The second is where he is going TO, because there is nothing in the OC that is a good fit to where he is heading.  He was not seen going in the entrance to block 6, which might have made sense.  That means something like block 1, or other parts that are getting ridiculously close to the OC night crèche.

I am not convinced Tannerman = Crècheman.

[pegasus]

There are 2 problems with Tannerman = Crècheman.

The first is where he is coming FROM, because he is definitely coming from the wrong direction.

The second is where he is going TO, because there is nothing in the OC that is a good fit to where he is heading.  He was not seen going in the entrance to block 6, which might have made sense.  That means something like block 1, or other parts that are getting ridiculously close to the OC night crèche.

I am not convinced Tannerman = Crècheman.

First, you are correct that he was not walking directly away from MW creche. I suggest maybe he had walked back from creche with another parent as far as that other parent's building, then headed to his own building.

Second - are there any MW buildings in the direction JT saw him walking, beyond block 6? The answer is yes - if you want I will list them.

[stephen25000]

And pathfinder continues to shamelessly churn out unabashed libel against Gerry McCann.

What libel ferryman ?

[ShiningInLuz]

Yeah, What are the chances?  I mean IF parents are taking children to creche early evening, they must surly be aware it will be cold in the evening? taking kids to creché with no shoes , socks, cardigan?  weird kinda creché.

Maybe if we found out which creché it was, and ask if this is normal for parents to bring children without shoes n socks etc?....oh and the child was not shaking from the cold?

I am aware of only one night crèche in Luz, though this does not constitute proof that there is only one.

IIRC the way it worked was you took your child there and then were expected to stay until the child fell asleep, hence no shoes.  One would then, presumably, carry the clothes back on the first return journey, the one without the child.  At pick-up time, this would avoid waking the child to dress it, and trying to carry child plus an assemblage of clothing.

I believe the crèche offered blankets if parents thought it was too chilly.