Mark Harrison and the searches he recommended and took part in.

[G-Unit]

On Friday 20.07.2007 a request was made by the Portuguese Judicial Police to the NPIA for search advisory assistance. As a result of this the following terms of reference were produced.

1. Assist the Judicial Police and GNR in assessing new or previous areas searched and give opinion on the best methods and assets to provide assurance as to the absence or presence of M McCann's concealed remains.
2. Act as a "critical friend" to the officer in charge of search planning and management and offer immediate and enduring peer review until case resolution or search suspension.
3. Assist in the development of framework models such as scenario based searching to aid homicide disposal searching.
4. Consider further opportunities or areas for search in order to locate M McCann as applicable to the latest intelligence and inform tion provided.
5. Where appropriate, provide independent and impartial advice on the enabling and disabling factors of specialist resources available either within Portugal or elsewhere in body detection.
6. To assist in decision support where requested by testing and challenging claims made by persons offering unorthodox search methods or devices to aid locating M McCann.
7. Where appropriate and requested, assist in advising on procedures to procure any non Portuguese specialist assets that are deemed to be relevant and useful.

After assessing what had gone before and examining the area this document was produced;

  “Madeleine McCann Search Decision Support Document”  and it was submitted to the PJ with copies supplied to Leicestershire Police and NPIA on 23-07-07.

It recommended considering re searching:

All accommodation occupied by the McCann family and their friends as well as any hired vehicles.
- The villa and garden occupied by Robert Murat and any vehicles he had access to.
- Areas of wasteland adjacent to Murat’s and the McCann’s apartment.
- Areas of the beach in Praia da Luz.
- A portion of the coastline east of Praia da Luz.

This document was discussed on 23-07-07 with the PJ Director, myself and the Leicestershire Police liaison officer DI Neil Holden who made relevant notes.
 
On 25-07-07 the PJ Director decided his officers would re-search some of the areas suggested within the report. He also decided the order of their priority. These were the accommodation the McCann’s and their friends have occupied in Praia da Luz, the villa and the grounds occupied by Robert Murat, wasteland that surrounds these locations and any known vehicles the suspect, the McCanns and their friends had access to when Madeleine disappeared.

The search process was then initiated and continued over the following eight days. Throughout and at all locations I acted as an observer and search adviser. The PJ appointed a Chief Inspector as a search manager who was present throughout. Additionally, separate PJ officers were appointed to record and map each search location and provide a contemporaneous video commentary of all search activity undertaken. This system of management and recording was based on my reports recommendation to ensure record accuracy, transparency and facilitate any future clarification of any search activity undertaken. It was also essential that the official management and recording of the search was conducted by the Portuguese Police themselves rather than by British officers without any powers and not conversant with Portuguese law and judicial processes.

On 31-07-07 the PJ conducted canine searches with a search warrant at apartments in Praia da Luz that had been previously occupied by the McCanns and their friends.
 
On 01-08-07 the PJ and GNR assisted by a canine, conducted searches on the eastern beach and wasteland in Praia da Luz.
 
On 02-08-07 the PJ conducted a search warrant at a villa in Praia da Luz currently occupied by the McCann family.
 
Later the same day PJ officers conducted a screening procedure involving items removed from the McCann’s villa.
 
On 03-08-07 PJ and GNR officers were given instruction based on translated extracts from NPIA doctrine on search management and procedures. This focused on search procedures relating to buildings and vehicles.
 
On 04-08-07 and 05-08-07 a search warrant was executed at the villa and gardens belonging to the PJ suspect Robert Murat. This search involved both PJ and GNR personnel supported by civil defence, geophysical equipment operators and a canine handler.
 
On 06-08-07 ten vehicles were searched associated to the enquiry.
 
On 07-08-07 the western beach and remaining wasteland areas were searched using canine and GNR personnel.
 
On 08-08-07 the drains around the apartment block where Madeleine McCann disappeared from were subject to a visual inspection by PJ officers.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARK_HARRISON.htm

Harrison makes quite clear what he recommended.
He makes clear who decided which recommendations were chosen.
He makes clear that he was present at each search undertaken over 8 days.
He makes clear that the Portuguese should be in charge.


493

[Robittybob1]

These recommendations only make sense if the perpetrators of the crime were the McCanns or Robert Murat.  Once they were eliminated the searches are helpful but there would be vast areas on unsearched territory to consider thereafter.

[ferryman]

From Harrison's report, his recommendation for searches:

McCann's Apartment.

The apartment in which the McCann's had stayed may present further
opportunities to search. The use of a specialist EVRD (Enhanced Victim
Recovery Dog) and CSI dog (human blood detecting dog) could potentially indicate on whether Madeline's blood is in the property or the scent of a dead body is present. In relation to the dead body scent if such a scent is indicated by the EVRD and no body is located it may suggest that a body has been in the property but removed. This search process could be repeated in all the apartments that were occupied by the friends holidaying with the McCann's.
Murat's House and Garden.

The property has been forensically examined to recover any surface trace evidence however the house and gardens may benefit from a fully invasive specialist search to preclude the presence of Madeleine McCann.
A method previously employed on similar cases has been to use the below assets.
Deploy the EVRD to search the house and garden to ensure Madeleine McCann's remains are not present. The dog may also indicate if a body has been stored in the recent past and then moved off the property, though this is not evidential merely intelligence.
Deploy the CSI dog to search the house to locate any human blood.
This will act in support of the forensic examination already completed.
An inhibiting factor will be on areas where Luminol has been used.

Murat's Vehicles.

All vehicles Murat has had access to have been forensically examined to recover any surface trace evidence however they may all benefit from a full search by the EVRD and CSI dogs. They may be able to detect whether a dead body has been transported in one of the vehicles for intelligence purposes or detect human blood deposits that can be recovered and
examined in a laboratory for Madeleine McCann's blood.

Open Area to East of Praia Da Luz.

This open area between the village urban limits and the Boavista golf club to the east and includes a plateau on which sits a trig point and mobile phone mast.
This area has been previously searched by officers and dogs walking through the area to check for Madeleine McCann's visible remains. However considering the new scenario of Homicide and concealed deposition this area affords many opportunities to dispose of a body. Within this area there are old empty properties, wells, thick vegetation, pockets of soft sand and natural fissures in the cliffs. Whilst there is no intelligence she is buried or concealed in this land it would be a natural place an offender may choose dose to the Village using the least effort principle. A proportionate response may therefore be considered to conduct a search of this area using a team of Victim Recovery Dogs (VRD) that are specifically trained to located concealed human remains.
Prior to undertaking this task it would be beneficial to consult with a Forensic Anthropologist with knowledge of this region of Portugal to give opinion as to the likely state of any remains to be found. Further research could also be conducted with regards to the natural scavenging predators in the area.

An inhibiting factor is that since the disappearance of the child an old empty house adjacent to the Trig Point on the Rocha Negra has been demolished and all rubble removed, If she was concealed within this property the search would be unlikely to detect her now.

Harrison's time-line of searches:

The timeline of these searches was as follows:
 
On 31-07-07 the PJ conducted canine searches with a search warrant at apartments in Praia da Luz that had been previously occupied by the McCanns and their friends.
 
On 01-08-07 the PJ and GNR assisted by a canine, conducted searches on the eastern beach and wasteland in Praia da Luz. (My addition: Harrison's recommendation)

 
On 02-08-07 the PJ conducted a search warrant at a villa in Praia da Luz currently occupied by the McCann family. (My addition; no reference to Grime, or his dogs.)
 
Later the same day PJ officers conducted a screening procedure involving items removed from the McCann’s villa.
(The inspection in the gym; no reference to Grime, or his dogs.)
 
On 03-08-07 PJ and GNR officers were given instruction based on translated extracts from NPIA doctrine on search management and procedures. This focused on search procedures relating to buildings and vehicles. (Retrospectively, after both inspections at villa and gym; but before the inspection of vehicles.)
 
On 04-08-07 and 05-08-07 a search warrant was executed at the villa and gardens belonging to the PJ suspect Robert Murat. This search involved both PJ and GNR personnel supported by civil defence, geophysical equipment operators and a canine handler. (Harrison recommended inspection of the Murat property)
 
On 06-08-07 ten vehicles were searched associated to the enquiry. (No reference to the involvement of Grime and his dogs).
 
On 07-08-07 the western beach and remaining wasteland areas were searched using canine and GNR personnel. (Harrison's recommendation)
 
On 08-08-07 the drains around the apartment block where Madeleine McCann disappeared from were subject to a visual inspection by PJ officers.

Note that Harrison acknowledges the input of Grime and his dogs only in those searches Harrison recommended.

Official record of searches at the gym

1. Between 23h20 and 23h30 the two dogs were allowed to reconoitre the entire area to guarantee that there were no existing odours - and none were detected by them.

2. Between 23h30 and 23h40 items from the box labelled 'common room' were inspected by the blood dog without result.
- At 23h41 the cadaver dog began its inspection and 'marked' some clothing on the edge of the area. The inspection ended at 23h52 with the clothing having been collected for later direct examination and photographic report.

Either the clothes were laid out in lightning-fast time between completion of the reconnoitre and commencement of the search, or the PJ cribbed off instructions Harrison gave them on how to conduct searches in buildings and vehicles (see quote above)

[John]

On Friday 20.07.2007 a request was made by the Portuguese Judicial Police to the NPIA for search advisory assistance. As a result of this the following terms of reference were produced.

It should be noted that the English police were party to and fully supportive of this request.  This was not merely a PJ strategy/ploy to implicate the parents.

[ferryman]

It should be noted that the English police were party to and fully supportive of this request.  This was not merely a PJ strategy/ploy to implicate the parents.

Of course.

Why should the British have objected in principle to the involvement of dogs in the searches?

No reason at all.

The question is over why a free-lance handler should have been recruited.

[John]

Of course.

Why should the British have objected in principle to the involvement of dogs in the searches?

No reason at all.

The question is over why a free-lance handler should have been recruited.

He wasn't free lance, he was a serving police officer.  He himself has confirmed this to us in an e-mail some time ago so let's have no more of this nonsense.

You started a thread to discuss Mark Harrison and the searches he recommended and took part in, Mr Grime's status has no relevance to your opening post.

[G-Unit]

From Harrison's report, his recommendation for searches:

Harrison's time-line of searches:


Note that Harrison acknowledges the input of Grime and his dogs only in those searches Harrison recommended.

Official record of searches at the gym


Either the clothes were laid out in lightning-fast time between completion of the reconnoitre and commencement of the search, or the PJ cribbed off instructions Harrison gave them on how to conduct searches in buildings and vehicles (see quote above)

All the searches undertaken were recommended by Harrison with the exception of the clothing screening and at least one car he wouldn't have known about. Please list searches which are not covered below.

All accommodation occupied by the McCann family and their friends as well as any hired vehicles.
- The villa and garden occupied by Robert Murat and any vehicles he had access to.
- Areas of wasteland adjacent to Murat’s and the McCann’s apartment.
- Areas of the beach in Praia da Luz.
- A portion of the coastline east of Praia da Luz.

[ferryman]

All the searches undertaken were recommended by Harrison with the exception of the clothing screening and at least one car he wouldn't have known about. Please list searches which are not covered below.

All accommodation occupied by the McCann family and their friends as well as any hired vehicles.
- The villa and garden occupied by Robert Murat and any vehicles he had access to.
- Areas of wasteland adjacent to Murat’s and the McCann’s apartment.
- Areas of the beach in Praia da Luz.
- A portion of the coastline east of Praia da Luz.

Harrison recommended that all cars owned or driven by Murat should be inspected.

There were 3.  One (hired by Murat) was crashed by the PJ driving it to the inspection-site.

8 (that Harrison never said anything about) made the line-up.

Why?

And Harrison did make a (prior) reference to inspections at the villa and of vehicles (other than owned or driven by Murat). 

This is it:

In complying with these terms I undertook a series of briefings and site visits. These were with GNR and PJ personnel who had been involved in the previous searches conducted the week following Madeleine McCann’s disappearance in Praia da Luz.
 
The output of this process of reconnaissance and review was a written document entitled “Madeleine McCann Search Decision Support Document” (see appendix 2) and submitted to the PJ with copies supplied to Leicestershire Police and NPIA on 23-07-07.
It recommended considering re searching:
 
- All accommodation occupied by the McCann family and their friends as well as any hired vehicles.
- The villa and garden occupied by Robert Murat and any vehicles he had access to.
- Areas of wasteland adjacent to Murat’s and the McCann’s apartment.
- Areas of the beach in Praia da Luz.
- A portion of the coastline east of Praia da Luz.
 
These recommendations were based on the fact that these areas had not been previously searched with the specific intent to locate Madeleine McCann’s concealed and deceased body and that the areas recommended afforded likely and obvious places to consider for concealment in such an investigation.
 

Harrison makes plain, I think, that these recommendations were nothing, directly, to do with him (although he is less explicit about how they came about) .....

[G-Unit]

Harrison recommended that all cars owned or driven by Murat should be inspected.

There were 3.  One (hired by Murat) was crashed by the PJ driving it to the inspection-site.

8 (that Harrison never said anything about) made the line-up.

Why?

And Harrison did make a (prior) reference to inspections at the villa and of vehicles (other than owned or driven by Murat). 

This is it:

Harrison makes plain, I think, that these recommendations were nothing, directly, to do with him (although he is less explicit about how they came about) .....

The recommendations were made by Harrison in his   “Madeleine McCann Search Decision Support Document”. It is included with his other reports.


After assessing what had gone before and examining the area this document was produced;

  “Madeleine McCann Search Decision Support Document”  and it was submitted to the PJ with copies supplied to Leicestershire Police and NPIA on 23-07-07.

It recommended considering re searching:

All accommodation occupied by the McCann family and their friends as well as any hired vehicles.
- The villa and garden occupied by Robert Murat and any vehicles he had access to.
- Areas of wasteland adjacent to Murat’s and the McCann’s apartment.
- Areas of the beach in Praia da Luz.
- A portion of the coastline east of Praia da Luz.

NATIONAL SEARCH INVESTIGATOR
2224 to 2234  Madeleine McCann Search Decision Support Document (in English) by Mark Harrison 2007.07.23
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARK_HARRISON.htm#mh2224

[ferryman]

The recommendations were made by Harrison in his   “Madeleine McCann Search Decision Support Document”. It is included with his other reports.


After assessing what had gone before and examining the area this document was produced;

  “Madeleine McCann Search Decision Support Document”  and it was submitted to the PJ with copies supplied to Leicestershire Police and NPIA on 23-07-07.

It recommended considering re searching:

All accommodation occupied by the McCann family and their friends as well as any hired vehicles.
- The villa and garden occupied by Robert Murat and any vehicles he had access to.
- Areas of wasteland adjacent to Murat’s and the McCann’s apartment.
- Areas of the beach in Praia da Luz.
- A portion of the coastline east of Praia da Luz.

NATIONAL SEARCH INVESTIGATOR
2224 to 2234  Madeleine McCann Search Decision Support Document (in English) by Mark Harrison 2007.07.23
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARK_HARRISON.htm#mh2224

It recommended.

Not Harrison recommended.

It recommended.

I've already cited what Harrison recommended; all cars owned or driven by Murat (which had been subjected to some sort of prior inspection).

Murat's Vehicles.

All vehicles Murat has had access to have been forensically examined to recover any surface trace evidence however they may all benefit from a full search by the EVRD and CSI dogs. They may be able to detect whether a dead body has been transported in one of the vehicles for intelligence purposes or detect human blood deposits that can be recovered and
examined in a laboratory for Madeleine McCann's blood.

(Mark Harrison)

[John]

So what was Harrison attempting to prove with the dog deployments?

[ferryman]

And the inspection at the gym gets no prior mention whatever.

First reference to it is just as it is about to happen:

Following the search effected at Rua das Flores, 27, during which certain items were seized, this present inspection was performed, in a place appropriated for its purpose, [the gym!] attempting to identify particular pieces of clothing possibly indicated by the dogs, namely Eddy [that] indicates cadaver odours and Kila [that] indicates blood odours.

To be clear, there was no justification for inspecting clothing at all, let alone (the same clothing!) twice (in two different spots).

This was not clothing kept in some special storage pending inspection; this was clothing in common circulation as clothing is: worn, washed, packed in suitcases, folded away in wardrobe shelves (etc,)

What possibile information (of worth to the enquiry) might have arisen from inspecting, then re-inspecting, the same clothing (twice) in two different spots?

Even if minute traces of (Madeleine's blood) had been found (it would have to be minute, because blood visible to the naked human eye wouldn't require a dog to find) so what?

Madeleine sat on Mummy's knee, or Daddy's knee, has a nose bleed or other minor abrasion, blood transfers to clothing.

So what?

Scarcely incriminating, is it?

[stephen25000]

And the inspection at the gym gets no prior mention whatever.

First reference to it is just as it is about to happen:

To be clear, there was no justification for inspecting clothing at all, let alone (the same clothing!) twice (in two different spots).

This was not clothing kept in some special storage pending inspection; this was clothing in common circulation as clothing is: worn, washed, packed in suitcases, folded away in wardrobe shelves (etc,)

What possibile information (of worth to the enquiry) might have arisen from inspecting, then re-inspecting, the same clothing (twice) in two different spots?

Even if minute traces of (Madeleine's blood) had been found (it would have to be minute, because blood visible to the naked human eye wouldn't require a dog to find) so what?

Madeleine sat on Mummy's knee, or Daddy's knee, has a nose bleed or other minor abrasion, blood transfers to clothing.

So what?

Scarcely incriminating, is it?

Since when have you become an expert in forensic examinations or analysis, let alone police procedure ?

[ferryman]

Since when have you become an expert in forensic examinations or analysis, let alone police procedure ?

What inspection of clothing was there in the Adrian Prout investigation?

[pathfinder73]

Mark Harrison was employed to search for the scenario of Madeleine's deceased body being somewhere in PDL. Enter the  specialist dog team of Eddie and Keela to find evidence.

"These recommendations were based on the fact that these areas had not been previously searched with the specific intent to locate Madeleine McCann’s concealed and deceased body and that the areas recommended afforded likely and obvious places to consider for concealment in such an investigation."

http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARK_HARRISON.htm

p.s. If blood were on the clothes Keela would have alerted.