The use of the term 'abductor' should be qualified by caveat.

[Miss Taken Identity]

I believe the dogs will follow the strongest scent given to them ... could there have been a stronger scent than Madeleine's on the object they were given to sniff?

That is an excellent point Brietta. Who supplied this item and who else used it/came into contact with it?

[John]

I believe the dogs will follow the strongest scent given to them ... could there have been a stronger scent than Madeleine's on the object they were given to sniff?

From memory I believe it was the blanket which covered her in bed so perfect for scent dogs to follow.

[jassi]

It puzzles me why clothing she wore that day -the pink sunsuit featured in the 'last photo' - was not the item of choice.

[Mr Gray]

Thank you for that MTI.

Just to clarify, here is the exact exchange:

Rowley's response to the direct question, "Did you formally interview the McCann’s under
caution, ever consider them as suspects?"



Q: One of the biggest criticisms of the Portuguese investigation, which they acknowledge as well, is
that they did not interrogate the parents from the start, if only to eliminate them. When you started
your investigation, you appear to have done the same. Did you formally interview the McCann’s under
caution, ever consider them as suspects?
MR: So when we started, we started five or so years into this and there is already a lot of ground
been covered, we don’t cover the same ground, what we do is pull all the material we had at the start,
all the Portuguese material, private detective material, with all the work that had been done, what that
evidence supports, what rules these lines of enquiry out, what keeps them open and you progress
forward. It would be no different if there were a cold case in London, a missing person from 1990, we
would go back to square one look at all the material and if the material was convincing it ruled out that
line of enquiry we would look somewhere else. So you reflect on the original material, you challenge
it, don’t take it at face value. You don’t restart an investigation pretending it doesn’t exist and do all
the same enquiries again that is not constructive.

Q: The first detective in charge of the case said he was going right back to the start of the case and
accepting nothing. It seems very much he was suggesting that it was going to be a brand new
investigation.
MR: It’s a brand new investigation, you are going in with an open mind. You are not ignoring the
evidence in front of you. That would be a bizarre conclusion. You would look at that material, what
does it prove, what it doesn’t. What hypothesis does it open what does it close down and you work
your way through the case.

Q: Just to be clear you did not interview the McCanns as potential suspects?
MR: No

http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=8138.msg400450#msg400450

That's why I have said that imo the McCanns would have been interviewed as witnesses
If anything had come to light to suspect them they would then have been interviewed as suspects

[John]

It puzzles me why clothing she wore that day -the pink sunsuit featured in the 'last photo' - was not the item of choice.

If I recall on holiday abroad we would stick children's clothes in the wash immediately if there were facilities available.  Maybe the McCanns did the same especially as there were three kids to keep clean daily.

Evidence is certainly as scarce as hens teeth in this enquiry but that provided by the two dogs (both independently followed the exact same route) has to be the most positive available to us.

[Miss Taken Identity]

From memory I believe it was the blanket which covered her in bed so perfect for scent dogs to follow.

Well, the parents would have had contact with this as well, as they would be tucking Maddie up at night. or sitting on the bed to tell bed time stories ?

Her pillow would surely have been better? Re: day time clothes. I agree John clothes are usualy whipped off and chucked into washer, especially if you have three mucky pups having a great day!:) I should know!

Kate didn't mention she did a washing did she?

[John]

Well, the parents would have had contact with this as well, as they would be tucking Maddie up at night. or sitting on the bed to tell bed time stories ?

Her pillow would surely have been better? Re: day time clothes. I agree John clothes are usualy whipped off and chucked into washer, especially if you have three mucky pups having a great day!:) I should know!

Kate didn't mention she did a washing did she?

I don't think she did mention doing a wash, just another little detail which would have been identified in a proper reconstruction.

The interesting thing with the scent dogs is that the scent abruptly stops at the lamp post immediately opposite mini reception.  Its as if she was hit and flung to that point before being lifted and carried away. Alternatively, maybe she stopped at the lamp post to take her bearings and was hit or lifted on recrossing to mini reception.  Its such a riddle!

[Miss Taken Identity]

I don't think she did mention doing a wash, just another little detail which would have been identified in a proper reconstruction.

The interesting thing with the scent dogs is that the scent abruptly stops at the lamp post immediately opposite mini reception.  Its as if she was hit and flung to that point before being lifted and carried away. Alternatively, maybe she stopped at the lamp post to take her bearings and was hit or lifted on recrossing to mini reception.  Its such a riddle!

Is it at all possible that Maddie was hit and flung and picked up by car...and the person/s tried to get help by going towards the first aid/doctor/clinic in the vacinity, and same person would be 'smithman'.

Please note this is just a question, not an opinion, or fact.

[Miss Taken Identity]

Open apology to Davel.  Sowwies!

I was pointing out Your statement was fanciful and innacurate. I corrected my part which was missing the word 'Suspect'.

[Robittybob1]

Is it at all possible that Maddie was hit and flung and picked up by car...and the person/s tried to get help by going towards the first aid/doctor/clinic in the vacinity, and same person would be 'smithman'.

Please note this is just a question, not an opinion, or fact.

I think closer to reality would be "It is possible that Maddie was hit and flung up by car...and another person/s tried to get help by going towards the first aid/doctor/clinic in the vicinity, and that same person would be 'Smithman'."

[jassi]

And what happened next?  In your opinion.

[Robittybob1]

And what happened next?  In your opinion.

That is the tricky bit but I have a feeling it has something to do with those charity collectors.  They were hanging around PDL and people make out they were fraudsters but maybe they were legit and Smithman knew where they were staying and he sort their help.  He goes somewhere else once he finds LuzDoc closed.
I think there are enough caveats in that.

[John]

I fear that at the moment we are in danger of becoming too OTT in the 'Politically Correct' department.  IMO it is going to interfere with and stifle debate if folk are going to be spending so much more of their time pointing out rule breaks by others and having to watch every word they type themselves to make sure they haven't slipped up.

We have excellent mods and in my experience because both sides are represented -  no-one from either side is allowed to get away with downright libel or blatently posting opinion as fact.

I really appreciate this forum - I would hate to see it strangled to death by rules that are too rigorously applied.

Just my opinion -no-one is obliged to agree with it.

Sorry for the late reply Benice, I agree with you on the need not to strangle debate.  The problem lies with the many readers we have who just watch from the sidelines.  This forum prides itself on being factually correct in as much as we can be, we don't want to give new readers the impression already served up by the British Press that Madeleine WAS abducted.

[Alfie]

Sorry for the late reply Benice, I agree with you on the need not to strangle debate.  The problem lies with the many readers we have who just watch from the sidelines.  This forum prides itself on being factually correct in as much as we can be, we don't want to give new readers the impression already served up by the British Press that Madeleine WAS abducted.

IMO this forum is far more likely to give the impression that the McCanns have got something to hide, or are "despicable" in some way.

[Miss Taken Identity]

IMO this forum is far more likely to give the impression that the McCanns have got something to hide, or are "despicable" in some way.

I would disagree with that Alfie. I know people who read the forum but do not comment or are even members.

People are entitled to comment on the behaviour of the parents and opine some of their behaviour is despicable, as for hiding anything, They failed to convince me, and many others, of their 'abductor' story from window and that is about the size of it. There is nothing wrong with commenting on these issues.

People will make up their own minds.