Incompetent or simply unfortunate? Do you believe all crimes are solveable within a limited timeframe? That all key suspects in any given crime are obviously innocent if no charges are ever brought after a lengthy investigation? Explain your thought processes on that.
As for the parents ?who know what evidence might have been missed? well that?s a complete cop out isn?t it? Like what? You think Madeleine fell off a balcony and was whisked away by her Dad (who somehow managed to be in two places at once) and thrown in a bin, which (lucky for him) was emptied that night ensuring her body will never be recovered, so short of subjecting the parents and all their friends to torture what forensic or circumstantial evidence do you think the McCanns left in PdL or took home with them that no policeman nor member of the public has uncovered about them in 18 years? Perhaps, to use your words and your logic ?the evidence was never there to be found??
Do I believe that all crimes are solvable within a limited timeframe. Of course not. Do I believe that a suspect will evade justice if they are not investigated thoroughly, absolutely.
As to the parents. Gerry was not at two places at the one time. By his own witness statement there was time for him to be seen by the Smiths and be back in the tapas bar by the time of the alarm. He was seen by the Smiths at around 10pm and the alarm raised around 10.15 ( by Gerry?s statement ). PDL is a very small village and the distance Gerry would have to have covered is absolutely feasible.
The parent?s attitude to the Smith sighting and their lack of interest in it is also very telling.
Of course incompetence on the part of the Portuguese police played a part if the body was deposited in a bin. Gerry didn?t know that the bins were emptied at a certain time every morning but the police did?and yes there was an element of luck on Gerry?s part but that does not rule it out as happening.
Further if the body had been found and they had found drugs in Madeleine?s system the abductor of course could have been blamed. Gerry needed distance from the body not for the body not to be found.
The body might never have been recovered as the landfill site where it would have been deposited was never searched. You can?t find what you are not looking for.
You mused that charges being brought after a lengthy investigation does not make the suspect innocent?absolutely. Neither does a short investigation.