Daily Mirror, paper edition, front page: 'FACE OF MADDIE SUSPECT', 04 November 2013

Judiciary investigate dead suspect's lead, 30 October 2013

Judiciary investigate dead suspect's lead Correio da Manhã Former Ocean Club worker is the main suspect of the little girl's abduction. By: Eduardo Dâmaso/ Tânia Laranjo/ Ana Isabel Fonseca 30 October 2013 01h00 With thanks to Astro for translation Judiciary investigate dead suspect's lead Correio da Manhã (paper edition) Suspect who took Maddie is already dead PJ following lead that the crime was committed by a former employee of the Ocean Club. The family has been questioned and the authorities are now looking for the girl's body. Eduardo Dâmaso/Tânia Laranjo/Ana Isabel Fonseca 30.10.2013 With thanks to Colonel Fabien for translation The suspect in the abduction of Madeleine McCann is dead. The PJ has strong evidence to believe that the abductor was a former employee of the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz who died in 2009 in a tractor accident. The PJ have already questioned the suspect's widow and they are trying to find out where the man could have hidden the body. Police suspicions about the former Ocean Club employee, from where the girl disappeared, arose during the review of the case carried out by a PJ team from Porto. This was the strongest new lead presented to state prosecutors which led to the investigation being reopened. The man, who died aged 40 was not on the list of employees handed over to police during the initial investigation by the Ocean Club because at the time of Madeleine's disappearance he was not working there. The PJ did the triangulation of the mobile pings which were activated on the night of 3 May 2007 in the area of the resort and they understood that the suspect was in the area. He had no reason to be there since he lived in Lagos and had left the resort on bad terms. The motives that could have caused the former employee to kidnap the youngster, who was 3 at the time, are still being investigated. The suspect could have taken the child to commit a sex crime before killing her. But he could also have committed the kidnap as a form of retaliation against the Ocean Club, but something went wrong and the youngster disappeared. The man knew the resort well and had easy access to the rooms. DETAILS: OTHER THEORIES The PJ has found other lines of investigation during the reanalysis of the case, but this lead is the strongest. SATISFIED The parents of Maddie are very satisfied with the reopening of the investigation by the PJ. SHELVED IN 2008 The case into the disappearance was shelved by the MP on 21 July 2008. THE ABDUCTOR'S PROFILE GIVES STRENGTH TO THE LEADS The elaboration of the suspect's profile has lead the PJ to be even more convinced that this man abducted Madeleine. The former employee's personality traits and life show the inspectors he would be capable of abducting and murdering the child. He already had a police record. The man lived in Lagos at the time of the disappearance with his wife. He died at the age of 40 and the circumstances of the accident which killed him are not very clear. The fact that he is dead has led the inspectors to believe that the chances of finding Maddie's body - if she had been murdered after the abduction - are very small. INSPECTORS CARRY OUT LAST STEPS The inspectors were in Lagos at the end of last week, questioning the suspect's widow. This diligence could only have been done with the reopening of the case. The PJ tried to find out from the widow how the suspect acted during the days following the disappearance, where he was and where he could have hidden the child's body. At the time of the disappearance, in the area of OC, where searches were carried out, there was work going on. This could have been the place where the man hid the body."

Madeleine McCann 'kidnapper' was 'hotel worker who snatched her after being sacked then DIED in tractor accident', 30 October 2013

Madeleine McCann 'kidnapper' was 'hotel worker who snatched her after being sacked then DIED in tractor accident' Daily Mirror By Gerard Couzens | 30 Oct 2013 11:25 Portuguese police are believed to have identified the 40-year-old former Ocean Club employee following tests on his mobile phone, local media reported Madeleine McCann's suspected kidnapper was a worker at the hotel where she vanished who snatched her after being sacked - and later DIED in a tractor accident, it was sensationally claimed today. Police are believed to have identified the man as their main suspect after tests on his mobile phone showed he was around the McCann's holiday apartment on the day Maddie disappeared, Portuguese daily Correio da Manha reported. The 40-year-old is understood to have been a former employee at the Ocean Club complex in Praia da Luz who detectives fear may have snatched the little girl out of revenge after he was fired. The unnamed suspect was also living in a flat in the town of Lagos, around a 15-minute drive from the McCann's resort. Officers have already quizzed his widow about their suspicions and are thought to be searching for Madeleine's body in the belief he may have killed her, the newspaper reported. Portugal's Attorney General gave the go-ahead for the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance to be reopened last week at the request of the country's Policia Judiciaria police force - more than five years after the probe had been shelved. Correio da Manha claimed: "Police suspicions about the former Ocean Club employee arose during the review of the case carried out by a PJ team from Porto. "This was the strongest new lead presented to state prosecutors which led to the investigation being reopened. "The man, who died aged 40 in a tractor accident in 2009, was not on the list of employees handed over to police during the initial investigation by the Ocean Club because at the time of Madeleine's disappearance he was not working there." The newspaper described his departure from the Ocean Club as "fractious" and added: "The motives that could have caused the ex-employee to kidnap the youngster are still being investigated. "The suspect could have taken the child to commit a sex crime before killing her. "But he could also have committed the kidnap as a form of retaliation against the Ocean Club. "His aim could have been to call into question the security of the holiday club but something went wrong and the youngster disappeared." Correio da Manha reported earlier this week that Portuguese police were looking for Madeleine's body after reaching the conclusion she was probably dead. The McCanns' lawyer Rogerio Alves said last week the couple were still motivated by the belief she was alive. Portuguese police declined to comment on the Correio da Manha report today. It was written by three journalists, including a senior reporter who recently gave evidence at the ongoing libel trial the McCanns brought against Goncalo Amaral over a controversial July 2008 book he wrote falsely accusing them of faking their daughter's abduction to cover up her death. A spokesman for the Policia Judiciaria said: "A secrecy order placed on the reopened case, and our professional secrecy, prevents us from making any comment on Correio da Manha's reports." It emerged over the weekend police were planning to reinterview several Ocean Club employees. More than 130 workers were questioned during the initial inquiry, including two maintenance men who fixed a blind in Gerry and Kate McCann's apartment two days before Madeleine disappeared and showed her mum how to use the washing machine. One of the men blamed gypsies for a string of robberies in the area and told police he had seen travellers stealing firewood from an Ocean Club warehouse around four months before Madeleine disappeared. Portuguese police are thought to have returned to the Praia da Luz area around a month ago to do mobile phone tracking work. It is not clear if the officers were from the Porto-based review team - or were detectives based in the Algarve acting on behalf of Met Police who are carrying out their own separate investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. Note: The same article, by the same journalist, also appears in the Daily Express, Daily Star, Daily Mail and London Evening Standard

McCanns aware of inquiry into Madeleine hotel suspect, 30 October 2013

McCanns aware of inquiry into Madeleine hotel suspect ITV News 1:57pm, Wed 30 Oct 2013 A source close to Madeleine McCann's parents has told ITV News that they are "aware" Portuguese police are investigating the possibility a former employee at the hotel in Praia de Luz where the family were staying may have kidnapped her. Gerry and Kate McCann are aware of the inquiry into the former hotel employee. Credit: PA It is understood the 40-year-old man died in a tractor accident in 2009 - two years after Madeleine disappeared.

Madeleine McCann suspect 'may have died in tractor accident', 30 October 2013

Madeleine McCann suspect 'may have died in tractor accident' The Telegraph Former employee of Ocean Club, where Madeleine McCann disappeared, who died in tractor accident, reportedly identified as suspect By Fiona Govan, Madrid 5:31PM GMT 30 Oct 2013 Portuguese police are said to be investigating a new lead in the Madeleine McCann case, suspecting a man who died in a tractor accident four years ago of being her kidnapper. The new line of investigation reportedly focuses on a former employee of the Ocean Club, the complex where the McCann family were staying in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared on May 3, 2007. The unnamed man, who died aged 40 in a tractor accident in 2009, may have been motivated by revenge after being sacked by the hotel complex, Portugal's Correio da Manha newspaper said, citing police sources. Officers from the Policia Judiciaria (PJ) reportedly identified him as a main suspect after phone company records showed he had been in the vicinity of the holiday apartment at the time Madeleine went missing. But it seems he was not on a list of current or former employees handed over to police during the initial investigation and had not therefore been questioned at the time. Officers have questioned his widow about their suspicions and are now said to be conducting searches for Madeleine's body based on the new evidence. Portugal Police announced last week that they had reopened the case – five years after it was shelved – after uncovering potential new lines of inquiry following a cold case review. "Police suspicions about the former Ocean Club employee arose during the review of the case carried out by a PJ team from Porto," Correio da Manha claimed. "This was the strongest new lead presented to state prosecutors which led to the investigation being reopened." Scotland Yard began its own review of the case in May 2011 and opened a formal investigation in July this year. Both Scotland Yard and the PJ declined to comment on the report.

Kate and Gerry McCann say reports that hotel worker kidnapped Madeleine are "pure speculation", 30 October 2013

Kate and Gerry McCann say reports that hotel worker kidnapped Madeleine are "pure speculation" Daily Mirror By Anthony Bond | 30 Oct 2013 19:19 It was reported today that detectives in Portugal have interviewed the widow of a man who used to work at the Ocean Club holiday complex Kate and Gerry McCann have tonight described new reports that a former hotel worker allegedly kidnapped their daughter as  "pure speculation". It was reported today that detectives in Portugal have interviewed the widow of a 40-year-old man who used to work at the Ocean Club holiday complex in Praia de Luz. This is the hotel where the McCanns were staying when their daughter disappeared on May 3, 2007. The Portuguese daily Correio da Manha said he had been fired from the hotel and may have been seeking revenge. He died in a tractor accident in 2009 but police have interviewed his widow as part of their new investigation, according to the newspaper. Clarence Mitchell, who represents Kate and Gerry McCann, said tonight: "We are aware of reports in the Portuguese press. "They are pure speculation and the McCanns are not going to give a running commentary on every new report." It is claimed that suspicions surrounding the former Ocean Club employee arose during a review by a judicial police team in Porto and led Portuguese authorities to reopen the case last week. The man is reported to have been living in Lagos, just 15 minutes away from the holiday complex, at the time of the then three-year-old's disappearance. Correio da Manha claimed that he had left the Ocean Club on bad terms and said that his possible motives for snatching Madeleine are under investigation. It also reported that he was not on the list of employees given to police during the initial investigation because he was not working at the resort when the toddler disappeared. Earlier this week, the newspaper reported that Portuguese investigators believe Madeleine is probably dead and are searching for her body. Portuguese police have declined to comment on any of the claims due to a secrecy order relating to the investigation. The latest reports come while a libel trial bought by the McCanns against a former Portuguese police officer who accused them of covering up their daughter's death is still ongoing. Scotland Yard has issued fresh appeals to the public in recent weeks, releasing two e-fit images of a man who was seen carrying a child towards the beach the night Madeleine went missing.

Maddie's snatcher killed by a tractor, 31 October 2013

Maddie's snatcher killed by a tractor Daily Star (paper edition) EXCLUSIVE THE prime suspect in Madeleine McCann's disappearance is dead, it was claimed last night. He was killed in a tractor accident in 2009, two years after snatching Maddie in a twisted act of revenge. Full story: Page 5 Page 5 Hols worker took Maddie in revenge after being sacked But 40-year-old died in a tractor accident by JERRY LAWTON Thursday, October 31, 2013 THE prime suspect in the kidnapping of Madeleine McCann died in a tractor accident four years ago, it was claimed yesterday. Portuguese police believe the 40-year-old may have snatched the youngster in a grudge attack after being sacked from the holiday resort where she was staying. Police have questioned his widow about their suspicions, according to a Portuguese newspaper, but their inquiries have not led them to Madeleine. Police identified the man as their No 1 suspect after mobile phone transmitter analysis placed him near the McCanns' apartment in the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz, Portugal, when the three-year-old vanished in 2007. The flat is a 15-minute drive from the town of Lagos where the man was living at the time after being axed as a restaurant worker at the holiday complex a year earlier. The line of inquiry was unearthed by a team of Portuguese detectives assigned two years ago to review the original shelved investigation. It is said to be what prompted Portugal's Attorney General to reopen the case last week. Madeleine's doctor parents Kate and Gerry, both 45, of Rothley, Leics, have been made aware of the theory but their spokesman Clarence Mitchell said last night that the couple "will not comment on speculation". A source close to the McCanns said: "Kate and Gerry have been told that, according to Portuguese media reports, a main suspect is dead. It may well be true and what the Policia Judiciaria think. But if this man is the kidnapper and is now dead where has he put Madeleine?" According to Portuguese daily Correio da Manha, which broke the news the case was being reopened, the suspect was the "strongest new lead presented to state prosecutors". The newspaper said: "The man, who died aged 40 in a tractor accident in 2009, was not on a list of employees handed over to police during the initial investigation by the Ocean Club because at the time of Madeleine's disappearance he was not working there." It described his departure from the resort as "fractious" and added: "The motives that could have caused the ex-employee to kidnap the youngster are still being investigated. "The suspect could have taken the child to commit a sex crime before killing her. "But he could also have committed the kidnap as a form of retaliation against the Ocean Club. "His aim could have been to call into question the security of the holiday club but something went wrong and the youngster disappeared." A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police, who are conducting their own probe into Madeleine's disappearance, and who issued an e-fit, above, during a special edition of BBC One's Crimewatch of a man they wanted to speak to in connection with Madeleine's possible kidnapping, did not wish to comment. Travel operator Mark Warner, which owns the Ocean Club, also declined to comment.

Daily Star, paper edition, page 5: 'HOLS WORKER TOOK MADDIE IN REVENGE AFTER BEING SACKED', 31 October 2013

'Maddie snatcher died in tractor accident four years ago' - shock new claims from Portugal, 31 October 2013

'Maddie snatcher died in tractor accident four years ago' - shock new claims from Portugal Daily Star A MAN suspected of snatching Madeleine McCann died in a tractor accident four years ago, according to shock new claims from Portugal today. By Gerard Couzens / Published 31st October 2013 The 40-year-old was a former employee at the Ocean Club holiday complex the McCanns stayed at who may have snatched Maddie out of revenge after being sacked, Portuguese daily Correio da Manha reported. Police have already quizzed his widow about their suspicions, the paper said. They identified him as their main suspect after they discovered from tests on his mobile phone that he was around the McCanns' holiday apartment in Praia da Luz when Madeleine disappeared on May 3 2007, Correio da Manha claimed. The flat is a 15-minute drive away from the town of Lagos where the unnamed suspect was living at the time after he stopped working at the Ocean Club. Portugal's Attorney General gave the go-ahead for the Madeleine Mccann investigation to be reopened last week at the request of the country's Policia Judiciaria police force - more than five years after the probe had been shelved. Correio da Manha claimed: "Police suspicions about the former Ocean Club employee arose during the review of the case carried out by a PJ team from Porto. "This was the strongest new lead presented to state prosecutors which led to the investigation being reopened. "The man, who died aged 40 in a tractor accident in 2009, was not on the list of employees handed over to police during the initial investigation by the Ocean Club because at the time of Madeleine's disappearance he was not working there." It described his departure from the Ocean Club as "frictious" and added: "The motives that could have caused the ex-employee to kidnap the youngster are still being investigated." The McCanns' lawyer Rogerio Alves said last week the couple were still motivated by the belief she was alive. Portuguese police declined to comment on the Correio da Manha report today. It was written by three journalists including a senior reporter who gave evidence recently at the ongoing libel trial the McCanns have brought against Goncalo Amaral over a controversial July 2008 book he wrote. A spokesman for the Policia Judiciaria said: "A secrecy order placed on the reopened case, and our professional secrecy, prevents us from making any comment on Correio da Manha's reports." It emerged over the weekend police were planning to reinterview several Ocean Club employees. More than 130 workers were questioned during the initial inquiry, including two maintenance men who fixed a blind in Gerry and Kate McCann's apartment two days before Madeleine disappeared and showed her mum how to use the washing machine. One of the men blamed gypsies for a string of robberies in the area and told police he had seen travellers stealing firewood from an Ocean Club warehouse around four months before Madeleine disappeared. Portuguese police are thought to have returned to the Praia da Luz area around a month ago to do mobile phone tracking work. It is not clear if the officers were from the Porto-based review team - or were detectives based in the Algarve acting on behalf of Met Police who are carrying out their own separate investigation into Madeleine's disappearance.

Maddie suspect dead, 31 October 2013

Maddie suspect dead The Sun (paper edition) COPS REVEAL NEW TWIST Resort worker killed in accident From GARY O'SHEA in Praia da Luz Thursday, October 31, 2013 Police in the Madeleine McCann hunt have identified a dead resort worker as their chief suspect. The man, 40, had been fired but phone records show he returned to Praia da Luz, Portugal, the night the three-year-old disappeared in 2007. He died in a 2009 accident. Full Story - Page Five Page 5 MADDIE POLICE SENSATION DID HE SNATCH HER AS REVENGE? Sacked worker taced to hols block From GARY O'SHEA in Praia da Luz, Portugal The dead ex-resort worker feared to have snatched Madeleine McCann may have taken her as a twisted revenge on bosses who sacked him, police fear. The man, 40, is said to have been bitter at his axe at the Ocean Club holiday complex. Portuguese cops think he returned to the site in Praia da Luz and took Madeleine to embarrass chiefs. He initially slipped through the net because he was not on the list of current staff that the Ocean Club gave to detectives. But a recent review of the case examined his mobile phone records and discovered he returned to the area on the night Madeleine, three, vanished in May 2007. Local newspapers reported that the  find led to Portuguese cops reopening their probe last week - more than five years after they shelved it - and make him No1 suspect. The an - who lived in Lagos, just 15 minutes' drive from the McCanns' holiday resort - died in a 2009 tractor crash. But cops have now quizzed his widow. 'This new lead was strongest' A Portuguese paper lifted the lid on the new probe - and also revealed detectives had not ruled out an alternative theory that he snatched her for a sex attack before murdering her. It reported yesterday: "Police suspicions about the former Ocean Club employee arose during a review of the case. "This was the strongest new lead presented to state prosecutors, which led to the investigation being reopened. "He could have committed the kidnap as a form of retaliation against the Ocean Club. "His aim could have been to call into question the security of the holiday club - but something went wrong and she disappeared. "However, the motives that could have caused the former employee to kidnap the youngster are still being investigated. "The suspect could have taken the child to commit a sex crime before killing her." Police who fear Madeleine was killed are now searching the area with sniffer dogs trained to hunt for the scent of death. Her parents Kate and Gerry have been kept updated on the latest developments in the inquiry. The couple, of Rothley, Leics, refused to comment last night. But a source close to them said: "Kate and Gerry have been told that according to Portuguese media reports, a main suspect is dead. "That may well be true and what the police there think. "But if this man is the kidnapper and is now dead, where has he put Madeleine? The couple's lawyer Rogerio Alves last week repeated the couple's belief that their daughter remained alive. Portuguese police declined to comment last night. A spokesman would only say: "A secrecy order placed on the reopened case and our professional secrecy prevent us from making comment on the media reports." The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell also refused to be drawn. He insisted: "We are not commenting on speculation in the media. "Any queries on operational details in the search for Madeleine have to be referred to Scotland Yard." In July the Met said it had opened a formal investigation and had identified "a number of persons of interest". Last week The Sun told how they were investigating two British killer paedophiles who were touring Europe as cleaners at the time Madeleine disappeared. The men, Charles O'Neill, 50, and William Lauchlan, 36, were jailed for life in 2010 for murdering a mum and abducting a 15-year-old British boy in Spain. The pair resembled e-fit images earlier released by Scotland Yard. Cops quiz staff again OCEAN Club staff are set to be quizzed by cops again. More than 130 workers were questioned in the initial inquiry, including two maintenance men who fixed a blind in Kate and Gerry's apartment. One of the men blamed gypsies for a string of robberies.

The Sun, paper edition, page 5: 'DID HE SNATCH HER AS REVENGE?', 31 October 2013

Maddie suspect 'died in crash 4 years ago', 31 October 2013

Maddie suspect 'died in crash 4 years ago' Daily Mirror (paper edition) POLICE in Portugal fear Madeleine McCann was snatched by a vengeful holiday resort worker, who was then killed in a tractor accident, it was claimed yesterday. FULL STORY: PAGE 19 Madeleine McCann's fate may never be revealed 'after chief suspect takes secret to his grave' Daily Mirror By Martin Fricker | 31 Oct 2013 08:11 Portuguese police are said to fear Madeleine was abducted and murdered by a holiday resort worker who then died in a tractor accident The truth about Madeleine McCann's fate may never be revealed - after a chief suspect took the secret of her disappearance to his grave, it has been claimed. Portuguese police are said to fear Madeleine, who was three when she went missing, was abducted and murdered by a holiday resort worker who then died in a tractor accident. They believe the suspect was out for revenge after he was fired by the Ocean Club, the complex where the McCanns were staying when Madeleine vanished in May, 2007. The claims were made in Portuguese newspaper Correio de Manha - which last week k revealed police in the country were reopening the case. It said the suspect, 40, died four years ago and his widow has been quizzed. Sources said his mobile proves he was near the McCanns' apartment in Praia da Luz when Maddie disappeared. But he was not on a list of staff given to cops by the Ocean Club as he had already been fired. The paper said cops are now hunting for Maddie's body. It added: "The suspect could have taken the child to commit a sex crime before killing her. But he could also have committed the kidnap as a form of retaliation against the Ocean Club." Portuguese police yesterday refused to speak about on the report. Maddie's parents, Kate and Gerry, both 45, of Rothley, Leics, also declined to comment. But a source close to the couple said: "It may be the Policia Judiciaria are putting a spin on things to show they are doing a good job. "But if this man is the kidnapper, where has he put Madeleine?"

Suspect of Maddie's abduction was pardoned, 31 October 2013

Suspect of Maddie's abduction was pardoned Correio da Manhã [President] Jorge Sampaio pardoned deportation to immigrant who may then have abducted Maddie. By Eduardo Dâmaso/Tânia Laranjo 31 October 2013 01h00 With thanks to Astro for translation The Cape Verdean immigrant who is suspected of having abducted Maddie was the beneficiary of a pardon from the Republic's President, Jorge Sampaio, and was not deported from the country in 1996, as justice had determined. The man, then aged 26, was indicted in a case of theft. The accessory penalty was deportation from our country, to his country of origin: Cape Verde. At around Christmas, and according to what was usual in the 90's, the Republic's President selected a series of citizens that benefitted from judicial pardons. CM was able to find out that the immigrant then went to Lagos, where he ended up building his life with his wife, a Portuguese citizen. In 2007, at around the time of Madeleine McCann's disappearance, the man had been fired from the Ocean Club resort's restaurant in Praia da Luz. He had a motive for the abduction and the means to carry it out. He knew that the little girl's parents and their friends dined out until late, he knew the routines of "surveillance" to the bedrooms. The police further believe that although the purpose was never to kill Maddie, the truth is that something may have evaded the suspect's control. Scared about the case's media exposure, he may have been forced to 'silence' the child. The Judiciary is trying to find out what he did with the corpse. The death of this man in a tractor accident, in 2009, now messes up the investigation. The lead was followed only recently, after his mobile phone was located in the vicinity of the apartment at the time of the abduction. The antennas show his location near the apartment. The PJ has already questioned the family, to understand the suspect's behavior on the days that followed. They also try to find out the locations where he was and where he may have hidden the child, then aged three.

Madeleine McCann kidnapping suspect 'had received a presidential pardon after theft conviction', 31 October 2013

Madeleine McCann kidnapping suspect 'had received a presidential pardon after theft conviction' Daily Mirror By Gerard Couzens | 31 Oct 2013 16:24 The 40-year-old had been working at the Ocean Club holiday complex in Praia de Luz, where the McCanns were staying when Maddie disappeared A former hotel worker linked to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann received a presidential pardon after being convicted of theft, it was claimed today. Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha said the unnamed suspect was an immigrant from Cape Verde off the coast off Africa. The report claimed that the 40-year-old had been working at the Ocean Club holiday complex in Praia de Luz, where the McCanns were staying when Maddie disappeared on May 3, 2007. Detectives are probing the theory he kidnapped her in an act of revenge after being sacked, the newspaper claimed. It reported that a source claimed police believe he may have killed the youngster to "shut her up" when he saw the huge media response to the disappearance - and are now trying to find her body. However, the McCann's Portuguese lawyer said last week their fight for justice is fuelled by the dream they will one day see their daughter alive again. Correio da Manha said the former hotel worker should have been expelled from Portugal in 1996 - but was allowed to remain in the country after receiving a pardon from then-President Jorge Sampaio. It is claimed he died in a tractor crash in 2009 and detectives in Portugal are believed to have interviewed his widow and family. A relative, who is already said to have been questioned by Portuguese police, told the paper: "They are looking for a suspect that can't defend himself. "Peoples' lives can't be exposed this way." Clarence Mitchell, who represents Kate and Gerry McCann, said: "We are aware of reports in the Portuguese press. "They are pure speculation and the McCanns are not going to give a running commentary on every new report." It is claimed that suspicions surrounding the former Ocean Club employee arose during a review by a judicial police team in Porto and led Portuguese authorities to reopen the case last week. The man is reported to have been living in Lagos, just 15 minutes away from the holiday complex, at the time of the then three-year-old's disappearance. Correio da Manha claimed that he had left the Ocean Club on bad terms and said that his possible motives for snatching Madeleine are under investigation. It also reported that he was not on the list of employees given to police during the initial investigation because he was not working at the resort when the toddler disappeared. Earlier this week, the newspaper reported that Portuguese investigators believe Madeleine is probably dead and are searching for her body. Portuguese police have declined to comment on any of the claims due to a secrecy order relating to the investigation. The latest reports come while a libel trial bought by the McCanns against a former Portuguese police officer who falsely accused them of covering up their daughter's death is still ongoing. Scotland Yard has issued fresh appeals to the public in recent weeks, releasing two e-fit images of a man who was seen carrying a child towards the beach the night Madeleine went missing.

Maddie's snatcher revealed, 01 November 2013

Maddie's snatcher revealed Daily Star (paper edition) THE sacked holiday resort worker suspected of kidnapping Madeleine McCann was named last night, and it was revealed he had a criminal record. Full story: Page 9 Madeleine McCann suspect was a known criminal Daily Star THE sacked holiday complex worker suspected of kidnapping Madeleine McCann had a criminal record. By Jerry Lawton / Published 1st November 2013 He was named last night as immigrant Euclides Monteiro. But his family denied that he abducted Madeleine in a revenge against holiday resort bosses who sacked him. Monteiro, who was killed in a tractor accident four years ago aged 40, is said to be the new prime suspect for local police. He was fired from his job in a restaurant at the Ocean Club complex in Praia da Luz, Portugal, a year before Madeleine vanished. Mobile phone checks place him near the McCanns' apartment when she disappeared on May 3, 2007, aged three. Yesterday it emerged Monteiro, from Cape Verde off the west African coast, was convicted of theft in 1996. He was told he was being deported but received a presidential pardon. His shocked relatives said the claims had left them "devastated". Monteiro's Portuguese-born widow remained in hiding yesterday and was too upset to speak. But his brother-in-law defended him and insisted Portuguese police had not been in contact. Speaking outside his country home near Praia da Luz, he said: "I strongly believe that if the police do consider he is a suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, they are looking at the wrong man. "The idea he did it to get revenge on the Ocean Club makes no sense at all. "It wasn't as if what happened there with him losing his job destroyed his life. "He got work elsewhere soon after. He was working at the time he died. He is not around to defend his reputation so others have to do it for him. "My sister does not want to speak about it. She has a young child she is trying to protect. The police will do what they have to do but we don’t want to say any more about it."’ Madeleine's doctor parents Kate and Gerry, both 45, from Rothley, Leics, have been made aware of the theory but their spokesman Clarence Mitchell said they "will not comment on speculation".

Daily Star, paper edition, page 9: 'MADDIE SUSPECT A KNOWN CRIMINAL', 01 November 2013

Profile led PJ to the abductor of Maddie, 01 November 2013

Profile led PJ to the abductor of Maddie Correio da Manhã Investigation: Judiciary Police looking for the English girl's body Former employee of the Ocean Club has always showed aggressive traits. CM reveals all about the investigation. By Eduardo Dâmaso/Tânia Laranjo/Ana Isabel Fonseca 01 November 2013 01h00 Profile led PJ to the abductor of Maddie Correio da Manhã (paper edition) The immigrant also showed agressive traits and suspicious behaviour towards children. The suspect's family refuses to collaborate. By Eduardo Dâmaso/Tânia Laranjo/Ana Isabel Fonseca 01 November 2013 With thanks to Montclair for translation An aggressive and conflicting personality, and suspicious behaviour towards children, led the PJ investigation to the Cape Verde immigrant, suspected of the abduction and murder of Maddie. The PJ inspectors, who studied the case and led to it's recent reopening, elaborated a profile of the suspect - who died in 2009 at 40 - and concluded that the traits presented give more strength to the possibility that he was the author of the crime. The PJ, also, had done the same in 2007, when Robert Murat had been made "arguido". The profile had been made with the help of two British criminologists and indicated that the Portuguese-British man could be responsible for the disappearance. As for the Cape Verde immigrant now being investigated, he had a past marked by some violent episodes. He was also involved in an employment conflict, having left after a dispute. This is what happened in the Ocean Club resort, in Praia da Luz, in Lagos, where the suspect worked. He lost his job a short time before the girl disappeared, on 3 May 2007. The PJ has, during the last few days, attempted to reconstruct the last steps of the suspect and to try to find the places where he could have hidden Madeleine's body, who was 4 at the time of the disappearance. The suspect's family has not collaborated with the PJ, which has hindered the investigation. The wife has not offered any leads as to the last years of the life of her partner. The suspect had a record for theft. In 1996, he received a pardon from the President Jorge Sampaio and was not thrown out of the country. The Family admits suing for defamation The family of the man who is suspected of abducting Maddie, has already admitted suing the state, for offense against a deceased person. The wife, who refused to speak to CM, is supposed to have already contacted a lawyer in order to go ahead with a complaint for offenses to the memory of a deceased person. This complaint could come up against the fact that the PJ is only studying one line of investigation, which had already happened in the past. Robert Murat, for example, who had been made arguido, was never compensated for the damages suffered because of the investigation. It would be difficult in the Portuguese judicial system for the widow to prove this, although the closest relatives speak of an enormous "shame" felt by the widow and son. Murat was considered a suspect The name of Robert Murat was put on the table, days after the disappearance of Maddie. At the time, the PJ counted on the help of Joe Sullivan and the superintendent Graham Hill, two renowned British criminologists, to analyse Murat's personality. The evaluation made of the Portuguese-British man led the authorities to conclude that he had 70 to 85% possibility of fitting in the profile of Maddie's abductor. The criminologist also said, at the time, that Robert Murat "never gave credible explanations". DETAILS LIVED IN LAGOS The suspect of Madeleine McCann's abduction lived the last few years in Portelas, in the county of Lagos. "UNABLE TO DEFEND HIMSELF" The family of the suspect told CM that they are indignant that the PJ are investigating someone who has already died and is unable to defend themselves. HE WAS IN THE AREA The mobile pings reveal that the suspect was in the area of the resort the day of the crime

Maddie: Widow of suspect accuses PJ of searching for a scapegoat, 01 November 2013

Maddie: Widow of suspect accuses PJ of searching for a scapegoat SOL By Felícia Cabrita/with Sónia Graça 1 November, 2013 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation The former partner of the man that the PJ suspects of having abducted Maddie accuses the Police of searching for a "scapegoat". And guarantees that the Cape-Verdean, who died in 2009, was "incapable of touching in a child". "They have spoken about so many people already, it is disgusting that they are now trying to set up a dead man as a scapegoat", deplores the woman, who does not wish for her name to be divulged. The former partner of the suspect, in his forties, was surprised last week when she was notified to be heard by the PJ, in Lagos, in the scope of the inquest that has meanwhile been reopened. A female officer told her that they were investigating the man with whom she had lived with until 2009, the year in which the suspect died in a work accident, with a tractor in Bragança [North of Portugal]. "After four years have gone by since he died in a tragic way, they appear and they imply that he is being investigated for being referenced in the process relative to the girl's disappearance. He didn't even work at the Ocean Club when that happened. They asked me questions upon questions: when did he work there, when did he stopped working there... But so much time has passed that I had to make an effort to be precise." Read more in the print edition of SOL, on newsstands now Widow Contradicts the PJ SOL (paper edition, pages 18 and 19) The former partner of the man that the PJ suspects of having abducted Maddie accuses the Police of searching for a "scapegoat". And guarantees that the Cape-Verdean, who died in 2009, was "incapable of touching in a child". by Felícia Cabrita/with Sónia Graça 01 November 2013 With thanks to Joana Morais and Montclair for translation The widow of the suspect of Madeleine McCann's death that led the Judiciary Police (PJ) to reopen the process has guaranteed to SOL that she is going to "hire a good lawyer to defend the honour and memory of the father of her son". "They have spoken about so many people already, it is disgusting that they are now trying to set up a dead man as a scapegoat", deplores the woman, who does not wish for her name to be divulged. The former partner of the suspect, in his forties, was surprised last week when she was notified to be heard by the PJ, in Lagos, in the scope of the inquest that has meanwhile been reopened. A female officer told her that they were investigating the man with whom she had lived with until 2009, the year in which the suspect died in a work accident, with a tractor in Bragança [North of Portugal]. "After four years have gone by since he died in a tragic way, they appear and they imply that he is being investigated for being referenced in the process relative to the girl's disappearance. He didn't even work at the Ocean Club when that happened. They asked me questions upon questions: when did he work there, when did he stopped working there... But so much time has passed that I had to make an effort to be precise." To the woman it is a mystery - seven years after Maddie's disappearance and four years after the death of her son's father - the reasons behind the PJ's sudden U-turn: "It is very easy to make someone responsible who can no longer defend himself. They can't, in the absence of anything better, turn to the weakest link. He would never harm a child." Criminal record only for thefts The past of the man, who died when he was forty years old, is similar to many others, with the chaos that ensued in the former Portuguese colonies after the April Revolution, who left their country. A Cape-Verdean, he came to Portugal with his family, he settled in the north of the country. He moved from job to job, from building work to the catering trade until he took up residence in the Algarve, where he would meet a young high school student with whom he went to live. His dependency on drugs led him to commit some thefts and he was even arrested, but always for petty crimes linked to drug abuse. In 1996, he was pardoned by the then president Jorge Sampaio of a crime of theft committed in the area of Portimão, that pardon prevented him from being expelled from the country. It was his criminal record, where there is nothing about paedophilia, that would make him the ideal suspect for the PJ team from Oporto who reanalysed the Madeleine McCann process. He was never seen in the area of the apartments His criminal record didn't help in terms of jobs: he lived from odd jobs hand to mouth. In 2006, the couple and their son, a minor, survived with the help of his partner's father, a small local builder. In the summer of that year, the tourism in Luz was promising and he landed a job at the "Millennium" restaurant, one of the restaurants owned by the Ocean Club group, located about one kilometre from the apartments where Maddie's parents would be lodged. However, according to several sources from the tourist resort, Monteiro was never seen in that area, not while he worked there nor when, a little while after, and still in peak season, they invited him to leave. "He was caught taking five euros from the till and we invited him to leave. We were surprised because he was always a proper man, of good appearance who spoke very well. And since it was such a small amount we never made a complaint", a source from the tourist resort told SOL. A female colleague that worked with him at the "Millennium" stated: "It is one thing to steal five euros, it is another to murder a child. Specially when he spent all the time speaking about his son, whom he loved. And I very much doubt that he has ever gone to the apartment areas. Firstly, he worked in here for a very short period of time, then he started working at four in the afternoon and left at midnight". And she recalls: "It's farcical that the PJ now say that he could have abducted the girl in revenge for being fired, when he accepted that fact with humbleness." In his life path, Monteiro never knew any luck. In the Algarve, for those who work in the catering business, employment is seasonal and the man never had a stable job. Nevertheless, no outburst of resentment is known that could have led him to retaliate - namely, in the other tourist resorts where he worked after leaving the "Millennium", such as Quinta da Boavista in 2008 and Quinta da Atalaia in 2009. Triangulation would allow a reconstruction of the route In 2007, when Maddie disappeared, Monteiro worked for Sisaqua, a water and waste water treatment plant, headquartered in Lisbon. According to what has been reported, the Oporto PJ were led to this former employee through the triangulation of cell phone signals which were activated on the night of May 3, 2007 in the area of the tourist resort, and they would have realised that the suspect was in the area on the night that Maddie disappeared. However, according to police sources heard by SOL, in this manner the case would have been easily solved, since the triangulation of communications - which is done through the reading of three points (the transmitter, the receiver of the signal and the cell phone operator mast) in order to identify the precise location of the suspect's cell phone - would allow them to discover its direction and the route taken before, during and after the crime. Initially, in 2007, that cell phone, like many others, wasn't associated with any one person. However, analysts from the PJ in Oporto would have now identified its owner and, possibly due to his criminal records, they have researched and found that number in the mobile traffic listings from the tourist resort area. The former employee became a suspect, apparently only because he had a criminal record and because he had no reason to be in that area. On the other hand, Monteiro lived in Lagos, just five kilometres (in a straight line) to Praia da Luz, and has always worked in that area. The PJ, nevertheless, believe that he has abducted the child, who was at the time three years old, but they have not yet determined for which motive: if for committing a sex crime or to take revenge on the Ocean Club, to place in question the security of the tourist resort. Police sources contacted by SOL warned, however, that it is important to find other elements to enable the substantiation of his presence in that area, namely, the period of time in which the cell phone was identified in that area and by comparison of the police records with the evidence already gathered. Meanwhile, the former partner of the suspect is going to take legal action, an injunction, to keep journalists away from her house. "If the police told me that the case is in secrecy of Justice, how come journalists are at my door, bothering my family?" questions the woman, who until now has remained silent. "When so many children are abducted in Portugal, how come the police only care about the English child?" CASE REOPENED 5 YEARS LATER "New evidence" leads the MP to reopen the investigation. The McCanns' spokeman will not comment on "speculation" about the new PJ suspect. In July 2008, one year and two months after Madeleine's disappearance, the Public Prosecutor [Ministério Público] shelved the case for lack of evidence that the 3 arguidos - Robert Murat, a British man who lived in the Algarve and the parents of the child, suspected of hiding her body after an accident - had committed "any crime". Five years later, the investigation has been reopened after a request by the PJ, who presented to the Public Prosecutor "new indicative elements which justify pursuing the investigation" - announced the Attorney General [Procuradoria-geral da República] on 24 October. The PJ did not reveal their leads, but made it known that the McCanns were not suspects. The investigation is being carried out in Portimão and is led by a team of inspectors from Porto - who, on order from national headquarters, re-evaluated the investigation made at the time by their colleagues in Faro and the coordinator Gonçalo Amaral. The reopening came about after, in the middle of October, Scotland Yard - which has been investigating for at least a year with an exclusive team - put out, on the BBC Crimewatch programme, two e-fits of a man (described as white, short brown hair, no beard, medium height, between 20 and 40) based on the description of two witnesses who said they saw him on the night of 3 May 2007, going down a street near the resort towards the beach at Praia da Luz, carrying a blond child in pyjamas in his arms. "Although the man may or may not be the key to unblocking this investigation, it is vital for us to find and talk to him", stated Andy Redwood, admitting at the time that it was not the only line of inquiry: "There are more e-fits of other people seen in the area on the day of Madeleine's disappearance as well as the days prior to it": At this time, it has been made known that a team of 6 PJ inspectors from Faro have been named about a month ago to carry out diligences which are part of a rogatory letter sent to the Public Prosecutor by the English. Despite their collaboration, the PJ and SY are carrying out autonomous investigations. "We are not saying anything about the speculation made in the Portuguese press" answered Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns' spokesman, when asked by SOL about the new suspect of the PJ.

Cape-Verdeans in Portugal "repudiate accusations" against a member of their community and demand a "serious investigation", 01 November 2013

Cape-Verdeans in Portugal "repudiate accusations" against a member of their community and demand a "serious investigation" A Semana - Cape-Verdean newspaper 01 November 2013 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation The Cape-Verdean community in Portugal is "shocked" and "repudiates" the news divulged today in the Portuguese press, containing a Judiciary Police source, stating that a Cape-Verdean man was the author of Maddie McCann's abduction. More: They demand "serious and evidenced" investigations. "This news sullies all the Cape-Verdeans" and "is not credible", even because of the sophistication of the crime whose authorship was blamed on a Cape-Verdean immigrant. This, in a process that took place "under the investigations of two police forces of sovereign states and with an active media component". In a statement in name of the Federation of the Organizations of Cape Verde, of the Congress of the Cape-Verdeans in the Diaspora and of the Cape-Verdean Association of Lisbon, the community deplores "that a citizen who has died is being set up as a scapegoat". They appeal to the whole community to "be vigilant", because this "serious accusation", in a process that is being investigated also by the English police "maybe be an alibi to excuse the incompetence of the investigations or to cover up lobbies whose purposes are unclear". The press statement undersigned by the associations that represent the Cape-Verdeans in Portugal also states that they were all taken by surprise by the news published in Correio da Manhã, quoting a source of the Portuguese Judiciary Police, that stated that the suspect of the high profile disappearance case, of Madeleine (Maddie) McCann from Aldeia da Luz, in the Algarve, was a Cape-Verdean immigrant, who died in an accident in 2009. The name of a community sullied The Cape-Verdean "in and outside the country" are being "sullied" with this affirmation for which there is no consistent evidence, they are of an "atrocious opportunism" of someone who can "no longer defend himself", protest the associations that represent the Cape-Verdeans in Portugal. The statement also recalls that the whole community also suffered an identical "denigration" two decades ago, when it was also published in Portugal a story "stating that a Cape-Verdean had assassinated a child in Odivelas so he could eat the child's liver", a story that was dismissed in "a small note in an interior page of the same newspaper that had given it the first cover exposure". The representatives of the associations that represent the Cape-Verdeans in Portugal added that they "have always defended the natural course of Justice" and that they strive that illegal behaviours always have an adequate and corresponding legal punishment. However, they do not conform with an "accusation, that is not proven", involving an immigrant that "cannot defend himself of the accusations, which in the Maddie case, may, opportunely, excuse and rest some consciences". They verify, that, "once again history repeats itself: there is a Cape-Verdean suspect (until when?) and a community that feels sullied, again".

PJ from Porto has 'new suspect' in the Maddie case, 01 November 2013

PJ from Porto has 'new suspect' in the Maddie case TVI 24 Man died four years ago and worked in the Ocean Club complex 01.11.2013 14:02 The Judiciary Police [the PJ team from Porto lead by Helena Monteiro], appear to have a 'new suspect' in the case of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. The man, in his forties, died in 2009, in an accident with a tractor.  On the day of Maddie's disappearance, there is a record of his cell phone being used close to the tourist resort, but the motives for him being there are unknown. The man had worked at the Ocean Club [a year before Madeleine's disappearance] and was dismissed due to suspicions of stealing five euros. The PJ was at the widow's house asking questions as to the motives of the Cape-Verdean man's presence in Praia da Luz, on the night the girl disappeared. The woman is outraged with this situation. She has already made it clear that she will not speak with journalists and wishes to protect her son, who is a minor. The PJ is now attempting to reconstitute the man's steps on that fateful night. Even though the man has a criminal record, the 'new suspect' was never connected to serious crimes, such as paedophilia. Video Transcript With thanks to Joana Morais for transcript/translation Marisa Rodrigues (report/Voice over) - It's a loose end that needs to be tied up - a man that has used his cell phone at the time of the disappearance on May 3, 2007. The Judiciary Police had the cell phone number but only now, after the reanalysis of all the investigation, were they able to look more attentively to the owner and outlined the profile of what could be another "suspect". A Cape-Verdean immigrant, former employee of the Ocean Club tourist resort, who died in 2009 when he was 40 years old, in an accident at work with a tractor. The PJ now went knocking on the widow's door in Lagos. The inspectors wanted to know what this man was doing in Praia da Luz when Madeleine disappeared, they asked questions related to his work in the Ocean Club and they would also have implied that the man is a "suspect" of the child's abduction without giving further explanations regarding his motives. A procedural step made in the framework of the Portuguese investigation and headed by an inspector of the PJ from Porto, where the process was examined in close detail over two years. The reconstitution of the deceased man steps could be the motive that led to the reopening [the reopening of the case is the only way the PJ has to formally question witnesses] last week; about this the PJ only state what they said at the time: "There are new elements that justify the reopening of the investigation". This man would have been betrayed by his criminal record, he had been arrested for petty theft associated to drug abuse. 17 years ago a pardon by Jorge Sampaio has prevented his deportation for a crime of theft, but in his criminal record nothing exists that connects him to serious or violent crimes, such as paedophilia. It also didn't help that he was fired from the Ocean Club for suspicions of stealing five euros. The widow is outraged at the Judiciary Police as they knocked on her door four years after her husband had died. She has already made it clear that she will not to speak with journalists as a measure to safeguard her son who is a minor. Image by Frederico Gomes da Costa, Marisa Rodrigues, TVI.

Police profile revealed Maddie suspect's 'suspicious behaviour with kids' - report, 01 November 2013

Police profile revealed Maddie suspect's 'suspicious behaviour with kids' - report Daily Star A POLICE profile drawn up of a new Madeleine McCann suspect has exposed his violent past and "suspicious behaviour with children", it was claimed today. By Greg Heffer / Published 1st November 2013 Leading Portuguese daily Correio da Manha said the profile had heightened police suspicions about a dead immigrant thief said to have been put in the frame over the youngster's disappearance. The Portuguese paper has identified an ex worker at the Ocean Club, the Algarve holiday club where Madeleine disappeared from, as the man police believe may have kidnapped her in an act of revenge against his former employees. Detectives are investigating the possibility he killed her after seeing the huge backlash the crime generated, reports say. The dad-of-one, who emigrated to Portugal from his native Cape Verde off west Africa, was convicted of theft in 1996 and told he was being sent home as punishment. Portugal's then President Jorge Sampaio let him stay after granting him a pardon but he died aged 40 in a tractor accident in 2009. He is reported to have been sacked from the Ocean Club before Madeleine disappeared on May 3 2007. Portuguese detectives are investigating Madeleine McCann's disappearance again following a decision last month by the country's Attorney General to reopen the case, more than five years after it was shelved. Correio da Manha claimed today: "Portuguese police inspectors, who studied the case and asked for its recent reopening, put together a profile of the suspect who died aged 40 in 2009, and concluded the character traits they identified strengthened the possibility he could have been the author of the crime." The paper said the man, who it has not named, had a past "marked by some episodes of violence" and had "suspicious behaviour with children" but offered no more details of their claims. The family of the latest suspect are threatening to sue the Portuguese state over the leaks and are insisting he is innocent. His brother-in-law spoke out to defend him and insisted Portuguese police had not been in contact. Speaking outside his country home at the end of a dirt track a short drive from Praia da Luz where Madeleine disappeared, he said: "We do not know what the police think because they haven't been in touch. "He has a mother and father and a brother and detectives may have contacted them but I do not know if that is the case. "It was a shock to us all when we read the police suspected my late brother-in-law of kidnapping and killing Madeleine. "He wasn't named in the newspaper reports but we knew immediately who they were talking about. "My sister does not want to speak about it. She has a young child she is trying to protect and she is obviously worried about the effect on him if it gets talked about at school. "My brother-in-law was sacked from the Ocean Club and I can understand why the police would want to have a look at him, especially if they then discover he has a criminal conviction. "But I strongly believe that if the police do consider he is a suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, they are looking at the wrong man. "The idea he did it to get revenge on the Ocean Club makes no sense at all. "It wasn't as if what happened there with him losing his job destroyed his life. "He got work elsewhere soon after. He was working at the time he died. "He is not around to defend his reputation so others have to do it for him. "Our concern is making sure this doesn't get any bigger. "The police will do what they have to do but we don't want to say any more about it." A police source told weekly Portuguese newspaper 'O Crime' today the theory of the ex Ocean-Club worker's involvement in Madeleine's disappearance was "worthy of note." But insisting nothing had been discounted, he added: "All leads, including those the British least like, are being considered." The McCanns' Portuguese lawyer Rogerio Alves insisted last month Gerry and Kate McCann had been told the new lines of inquiry being probed by Portuguese police discounted them as suspects. Portuguese police have made no official comment. The couple, from Rothley, Leics, were made suspects after Madeleine disappeared but had their status as arguidos removed before the case was shelved. They are now expected to apply to become assistantes - or private prosecutors - in the case so they can assist state prosecutors coordinating the reopened investigation.

Maddie stolen for 5 euros, 02 November 2013

Maddie stolen for 5 euros Daily Star (paper edition) EXCLUSIVE LITTLE Madeleine McCann may have been snatched by an angry waiter in revenge. He had been fired for nicking just €5, it was claimed last night. Full story: Page 11 Beast snatched Maddie in revenge for five euro theft Daily Star MADELEINE McCann may have been kid-napped in a grudge attack over just five euros By Jerry Lawton / Published 2nd November 2013 That is how much the new suspect in the case stole from a till which led to his firing and subsequent actions. Waiter Euclides Monteiro was said to have taken money from the till in the restaurant at the Portuguese holiday resort from where Maddie vanished in 2007. Police are probing if he returned to the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz. He may then have snatched then three-year-old Madeleine from her parents' apartment in a twisted revenge bid to embarrass bosses over security. An unnamed ex-colleague told Portuguese newspaper Sol: "He was caught taking €5 and we invited him to leave. "We were very surprised with that because he was always a straight guy, looked good and was a good speaker. And as it was such a small amount we didn't even lodge a complaint to the police. "Stealing €5 is one thing, killing a child is another. "Moreover, he was always talking about his son who he loved. "It is funny police coming now saying that he may have kidnapped the girl as a revenge for being sacked because he humbly accepted the fact." Monteiro, then 40, died four years ago in a works accident involving a tractor. His widow insisted he was being made a "scapegoat" by police, who she plans to sue. It's claimed the new line of inquiry prompted the country's Attorney General to reopen the case last week. A Portugal police spokesman said: "A secrecy order placed on the reopened case, and our professional secrecy, prevents us from making any comment."

Madeleine McCann suspect 'a violent thug who was a threat to children', 02 November 2013

Madeleine McCann suspect 'a violent thug who was a threat to children' Daily Express THE new suspect in the disappearance of Madeliene McCann suspect 'a violent thug who was a threat to children' had a violent past and a track record of "suspicious behaviour with children", according to a Portuguese police profile revealed yesterday. By: Mark Reynolds Published: Sat, November 2, 2013 Further revelations have heightened police fears about the man, an immigrant thief killed in a tractor accident two years after Madeleine vanished. Leading Portuguese daily paper Correio da Manha said the police profile identified the suspect as a worker who had been sacked by the Ocean Club, the Algarve holiday complex in Praia da Luz where Madeleine disappeared on May 3, 2007. Portuguese officers are examining the possibility that the man, who has not been named by the authorities, may have kidnapped the three-year-old in an act of revenge against his former employers. The suspect was a father-of-one who emigrated to Portugal from his native Cape Verde off west Africa and was convicted of theft in 1996. The newspaper Correio da Manha claimed yesterday: "Portuguese police inspectors who studied the case and asked for its recent re-opening put together a profile of the suspect, who died aged 40 in 2009, and concluded the character traits they identified strengthened the possibility he could have been the author of the crime." The paper claimed the man had a past "marked by some episodes of violence" and had "suspicious behaviour with children" – but offered no more details. It also claimed the man's family had refused to help police. Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, from Rothley, Leics, are aware of the reports but continue to believe their daughter is alive and a separate exhaustive investigation by Scotland Yard detectives, codenamed Operation Grange, continues. Portuguese detectives re-opened their investigation into Madeleine's disappearance following a decision last month by the country's Attorney General, more than five years after it was shelved. The suspect's family ­yesterday threatened to sue the Portuguese state over leaks to the media, insisting he was ­innocent. His brother-in-law, speaking outside his country home at the end of a dirt track a short drive from Praia da Luz, said: "It was a shock to us all when we read the police suspected my late brother-in-law of kidnapping and killing Madeleine. "He wasn't named in the newspaper reports but we knew immediately who they were talking about. "My brother-in-law was sacked from the Ocean Club and I can understand why the police would want to have a look at him, especially if they then discover he has a criminal conviction. But I strongly believe that if the police do consider he is a suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, they are looking at the wrong man. "The idea he did it to get revenge on the Ocean Club makes no sense at all. It wasn't as if what happened there with him losing his job destroyed his life. He got work elsewhere soon afterwards. He was working at the time he died. "He is not around to defend his reputation so others have to do it for him."

Madeleine McCann key suspect was heroin addict who burgled holiday flats to get fix, 02 November 2013

Madeleine McCann key suspect was heroin addict who burgled holiday flats to get fix Daily Mirror By David Collins | 2 Nov 2013 00:00 Euclides Monteiro, who died aged 40 in a tractor accident four years ago, was a restaurant worker at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz A key suspect in the Madeleine McCann investigation was a heroin addict who used to rob holiday apartments to fund his habit, it was claimed last night. Euclides Monteiro, who died aged 40 in a tractor accident four years ago, was a restaurant worker at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz where Madeleine was snatched just before her fourth birthday in May 2007. It is believed he may have been raiding rooms on the complex for drug money before he was finally sacked in 2006 for stealing from the tills. Police are investigating the possibility that 6ft 2ins Monterio, known as Toni, may have been responsible in an act of revenge for losing his job. Another theory is that Madeleine was kidnapped and killed after disturbing a burglar. Monteiro's widow Luisa confirmed she had been quizzed by police but insisted her husband was innocent. She said: "It is disgusting they are now looking for a dead man as a scapegoat. "It's very easy to blame someone who can't defend themselves any more. My husband would never be capable of committing such a crime." Monteiro's close friend Sergio Paulo, 44, a builder from Lagos, told how his pal's drug habit made him to turn to crime – although he too doubted if he had taken Madeleine. He said: "Toni was a good guy but had some serious drug problems. He would smoke heroin and became a slave to it. "I know he would sometimes break into apartments and rob them. He was taking valuables from rooms at Ocean Club and selling them for drugs." Sergio said he remembered Monterio – an immigrant from the ex Portuguese colony of Cape Verde, off West Africa – mentioning Madeleine's case when he saw a report in a local newspaper. Sergio said: "He held up the paper and said, 'I wonder who took her?' He never said much else about it." In the three months up to Madeleine's disappearance police said there was a four-fold increase in low-level burglaries around the holiday complex. Monteiro's home in Lagos was a just a 15 minute drive from the resort. Mobile phone records placed him near the McCanns' apartment around the time Madeleine vanished. Monteiro had several convictions for theft but was saved from being deported in 1996 after a presidential pardon. Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry, both 45, from Rothley, Leics, declined to comment yesterday on what they described as "speculation".

Sister investigated in Maddie case speaks for 1st time, 03 November 2013

Sister investigated in Maddie case speaks for 1st time SIC Notícias 03.11.2013 20:49 A week after the rumours started about the existence of a new suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the sister of the former employee of the Ocean Club, who is now being investigated, speaks for the first time. Paula Batista wants to defend the honour of her brother who died four years ago and asks for the investigation to clarify everything.

New McCann revelations: Face of Maddie suspect, 04 November 2013

New McCann revelations: Face of Maddie suspect Daily Mirror (paper edition) » Junkie worked at family's holiday club » Police told staff: 'You can't trust him' EXCLUSIVE BY DAVID COLLINS Monday, November 4, 2013 THIS is the first picture of the heroin addict detectives believe may have abducted Madeleine McCann. Ex-jailbird Euclides Monteiro was sacked from the Portuguese holiday complex where Madeleine was snatched after police warned staff about him. FULL STORY: PAGE 5 Madeleine McCann prime suspect pictured: Heroin addict who worked at hotel club Daily Mirror By David Collins | 4 Nov 2013 06:03 Police are investigating the possibility that he kidnapped Maddie after being disturbed as he broke into her family's apartment A key suspect in the abduction of Madeleine McCann was fired from the holiday complex where she vanished after police warned staff: "You can't trust this man." Junkie and ex-jailbird Euclides Monteiro was sacked by the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz, Portugal, the year before the blonde three-year-old ­disappeared on May 3, 2007. Yesterday, as the first picture of the 6ft 2in ex-waiter emerged, detectives were investigating the possibility that he kidnapped Madeleine after being disturbed as he broke into her ­family's ­apartment. Menteiro, known as Toni, died aged 40 in a tractor accident four years ago. But phone records have placed him near the flats at the time she vanished. It is believed he may have been raiding guests' rooms to feed his heroin habit. His picture looks nothing like two e-fit images issued by Scotland Yard – but police stress they are still exploring every line of inquiry. Nelson Rodrigues, 32, a barman and waiter at the Ocean Club for two years, worked alongside Monteiro in 2006. He said yesterday: "On the surface he was a nice guy but there was something not right with him. "He would turn up to work with bleary eyes, sometimes he didn't seem like he was all there. "And things were going missing about that time – laptops, jewellery, mobile phones, anything that was lying around." Mr Rodrigues said police were called after Monteiro was accused of stealing tips. He was searched, but nothing was found and he protested his innocence. Later an officer for Portugal's national guard took the staff to one side and warned them about Monteiro. Mr Rodrigues recalled: "The officer told us, 'We know him, you can't trust that man'. They said he'd been in trouble in the past for drug offences. "That's the last time he worked at the Ocean Club. I never saw him again." Monteiro's close friend Sergio Paulo, 44, a builder from Lagos, said: "Toni was a good guy but he became a slave to heroin. I know he would sometimes break into apartments and rob them." Monteiro, originally from Cape Verde islands off West Africa, was convicted of theft in 1996 but escaped deportation after a presidential pardon. He was living in Lagos, a 15-minute drive from Praia da Luz, when Madeleine ­disappeared. British expat, George Burke, from Liverpool, reported a possible sighting in Lagos. He said he saw a girl "remarkably like Madeleine" being dragged along a road to Lagos marina at 6am the day after she went missing. But Monteiro's relatives claim police are just looking for a "scapegoat". His sister Paula said: "It's ridiculous – the e-fit they released is a white man and my brother was black. He loved kids. He had a son and daughter and would never have harmed a young girl." Last week it was revealed Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry, are to apply under Portuguese law to become private "prosecutors". It may help them influence the course of the investigation and any future prosecution.

Daily Mirror, paper edition, front page and page 5: 'MADDIE PICTURE SENSATION - THE SNATCHER?', 04 November 2013

Maddie suspect 'was not at the resort that night', 04 November 2013

Maddie suspect 'was not at the resort that night' Daily Star THE family of a drug addict thief police are investigating over Madeleine Mccann's disappearance say they want to help detectives get to the truth. By Gerard Couzens / Published 4th November 2013 Euclides Monteiro's relatives insist they are ready to work with police so they can clear his name. The 6ft 2in dad-of-two, who emigrated to Portugal as a child from Cape Verde off west Africa, died aged 40 in a tractor accident in 2009. Detectives in Portugal are probing if Euclides snatched Madeleine out of revenge after being sacked for stealing by the Algarve holiday club where she was staying. He was pinpointed to the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz the night of Madeleine's May 3 2007 disappearance through his mobile phone signal, despite the fact he had been sacked almost a year earlier and lived 15 minutes away. Monteiro's sister Paula claimed last night he may have sold the phone to someone else before Madeleine disappeared. Speaking from her home in Argozelo, northern Portugal, she said: "Because of his mobile phone use, he was always swapping or selling his phones around that time. "I can consider myself lucky not to have been arrested because at the time I even lent him a mobile which was still in my name. "The phone isn't proof he was near Madeleine Mccann's apartment. I know he wasn't there." She added: "I want this to be clarified so my brother's name can be cleared. "We might be poor but things have got to be cleared up once and for all because he's dead now and can't defend himself." Monteiro left Argozelo, an eight hour drive north of Praia da Luz, for the Algarve after he left school. His mum, sister and stepdad still live in the town on Portugal's north east border with Spain. It is believed he may have been raiding guests' rooms at the Ocean Club to feed his heroin habit. His close friend Sergio Paulok 44, a builder from Lagos, has described how he became a slave to heroin. Monteiro's was convicted of theft in 1996 and did time in prison but escaped deportation after receiving a presidential pardon. His widow Luisa, who still lives in Lagos with their ten-year-old son, has already been quizzed by police. She told at the weekend how she had been asked "question after question" but insisted: "It's disgusting. They are trying to make a dead man their scapegoat." Monteiro's sister added: "He made mistakes in the past. Everyone makes mistakes. "But they shouldn't look now for a person who has died to cover up something they couldn't discover at the time." Portuguese police have refused to make any official comment about Monteiro. A spokesman said: "Judicial secrecy and professional secrecy makes it impossible for us to comment." Portuguese authorities announced last month they were reopening their inquiry into Madeleine McCann's disappearance, shelved more than five years ago after a botched investigation by disgraced former police chief Goncalo Amaral. Mr Amaral, 56, is due to return to a court in Lisbon tomorrow/later today (TUE) for the restart of his ongoing libel trial. Kate and Gerry McCann, both 45, from Rothley, Leics, are suing him for £1million over his claims in his July 2008 book 'The Truth of the Lie' that they faked their daughter's abduction to cover up her death in their holiday apartment. It was also revealed at the weekend Scotland Yard, leading a separate criminal probe into Madeleine's disappearance, have quizzed a British drifter who lived near the spot where she vanished. Paul Robinson, 53, who lived in Portugal until last December, was questioned after phone records put him near where Madeleine, then three, went missing. Detectives made him go through every call he made shortly after Madeleine vanished when they visited him at his UK home in June. Mr Robinson insisted he had "nothing to do with her disappearance" and has "nothing to hide."

Madeleine McCann suspect's family vow to work with Portuguese police to clear his name, 04 November 2013

Madeleine McCann suspect's family vow to work with Portuguese police to clear his name Daily Mirror By Gerard Couzens | 4 Nov 2013 15:04 Relatives of Euclides Monteiro have hit back after it emerged police believe the 40-year-old, who died in a tractor accident in 2009, may have abducted Madeleine The family of a drug addict thief that Portuguese police believe may have abducted Madeleine McCann have vowed to clear his name. Euclides Monteiro's relatives insist they will work with detectives to get to the truth after the ex-jailbird emerged as a key suspect in the girl's disappearance. The 6ft 2in dad-of-two, who emigrated to Portugal as a child from Cape Verde off west Africa, died aged 40 in a tractor accident in 2009. Detectives in Portugal are probing the theory that Monteiro may have snatched Madeleine out of revenge after being sacked for stealing by the Algarve holiday club where the McCanns were staying. Police traced his mobile phone to the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz on the night Madeleine vanished on May 3 2007, despite the fact he had been sacked almost a year earlier and lived a 15-minute drive away from the complex. Sister investigated in Maddie case speaks for 1st time Sister investigated in Maddie case speaks for 1st time, holds up a pic Monteiro's sister Paula claims he may have sold the phone to someone else before Madeleine disappeared. Speaking from her home in Argozelo, northern Portugal, she said: "Because of his mobile phone use, he was always swapping or selling his phones around that time. "I can consider myself lucky not to have been arrested because at the time I even lent him a mobile which was still in my name. "The phone isn't proof he was near Madeleine McCann's apartment. I know he wasn't there." She added: "I want this to be clarified so my brother's name can be cleared. "We might be poor but things have got to be cleared up once and for all because he's dead now and can't defend himself." Monteiro left Argozelo, an eight hour drive north of Praia da Luz, for the Algarve after he left school. His mum, sister and stepfather still live in the town on Portugal's north east border with Spain. His close friend Sergio Paulok 44, a builder from Lagos, has described how he became a slave to heroin. Monteiro's was convicted of theft in 1996 and did time in prison but escaped deportation after receiving a presidential pardon. His widow Luisa, who still lives in Lagos with their ten-year-old son, has already spoken to police. She told at the weekend how she had been asked "question after question" but insisted: "It's disgusting. They are trying to make a dead man their scapegoat." Monteiro's sister added: "He made mistakes in the past. Everyone makes mistakes. "But they shouldn't look now for a person who has died to cover up something they couldn't discover at the time." Portuguese police have refused to make any official comment about Monteiro. A spokesman said: "Judicial secrecy and professional secrecy makes it impossible for us to comment." Portuguese authorities announced last month they were reopening their inquiry into Madeleine McCann's disappearance, shelved more than five years ago after a botched investigation by disgraced former police chief Goncalo Amaral. Mr Amaral, 56, is due to return to a court in Lisbon today for the restart of his ongoing libel trial. Kate and Gerry McCann, both 45, from Rothley, Leics, are suing him over his claims in his July 2008 book 'The Truth of the Lie' that they faked their daughter's abduction to cover up her death in their holiday apartment.

McCann case: Anger over new suspect, 04 November 2013

McCann case: Anger over new suspect Algarve Newswatch Posted by Len Port Monday, November 4, 2013 at 9:17 PM When Scotland Yard launched its Madeleine McCann investigation, it called for 'restraint' from the British media. Also, a Portuguese law forbids police here from divulging inside information about criminal investigations. So how come newspapers in both Britain and Portugal have identified and published sensational stories about another implausible 'prime suspect' in this case? The stories are causing outrage, especially among relatives of the now deceased 'suspect,' but also in the much wider community in Portugal. Hard on the heels of reports in the UK that police were looking variously for a paedophile gang, foreign perverts, gypsy robbers, English cleaners and some fair-haired individuals possibly from Germany or Holland, the Portuguese tabloid Correio da Manhã last week began publishing a series of articles claiming police were investigating an African man. The 'new suspect' was a former employee of the resort where the McCanns stayed in 2007. Phone records placed him near Praia da Luz at the time. As an immigrant from the former Portuguese colony of Cape Verde, he was living with his partner and their son in the nearest town, Lagos. He was arrested in 1996 for petty theft, but had no record of any serious offence. The Correio da Manhã stories were copied and in some cases embellished in many British and other foreign newspapers. The Daily Express, for example, claimed the suspect was "a violent thug who was a threat to children." It gave a Portuguese 'police profile' as the source of this information. In many of the regurgitated reports, Portuguese detectives were said to be examining the possibility that the 'suspect' had kidnapped Madeleine in an act of revenge against his former employers for his dismissal a year earlier. This idea made no sense at all, said the brother of the Cape Verdean's Portuguese partner. "It wasn't as if what happened there with him losing his job destroyed his life. He got work elsewhere soon afterwards." A Portuguese TV reporter calmly and sensibly described the recently discovered information about the man's cell phone use as "a loose end that needs to be tied up." But the British tabloids went overboard. More personal details about the man emerged, including his name. The Daily Mirror published a close-up photograph - but of course he looked nothing like either of the five-year-old e-fit images released by Scotland Yard three weeks ago. The 'new suspect' died in a tractor accident in the north of Portugal in 2009, two years after Madeleine disappeared. There is that old saying, "you can't defame the dead," but what about the torment and humiliation these stories have inflicted upon those left behind? This again raises serious questions about the workings and integrity of both the press and the police. How and why did details of this individual and the Polícia Judiciária’s interest in him become available? Has this man really become 'key' to the investigation, or is this just part of some cunning tactic? The 'suspect's widow told the Portuguese weekly newspaper, Sol: "It is disgusting that they are now trying to set up a dead man as a scapegoat." The Federation of the Organisations of Cape Verde based in Lisbon also believes the dead man is being used as a scapegoat. It described the allegations against him as "shocking" and "not credible." The truth about this matter needs to be told. Sadly, the truth about most aspects of this extraordinary six and a half year old mystery is as cloudy as ever.

Madeleine: New evidence puts suspect at scene of crime, 05 November 2013

Madeleine: New evidence puts suspect at scene of crime Daily Express (paper edition) SEE PAGE NINE Phone records show suspect was nearby when Madeleine McCann vanished Daily Express A DRUG addict being investigated over the disappearance of Madeleine McCann was "in the vicinity" of her holiday complex on the night she vanished, mobile phone records reveal. By: Mark Reynolds Published: Tue, November 5, 2013 Detectives in Portugal say the data shows that Euclides ­Monteiro, a convicted thief and heroin user, was close to or at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz on the night Madeleine was snatched in May 2007. Officers are probing whether Monteiro may have taken her out of revenge after being sacked for stealing by the Algarve holiday club. The 6ft 2in father-of-two died aged 40 in a tractor accident in 2009. Relatives insist he was innocent and say they will work with police to clear his name. Records of mobile phone signals obtained by Portuguese police are understood to show that he was in the vicinity of the Ocean Club on the night the three-year-old went missing. Officers are trying to determine why this might be, as it was a year since he had been sacked and at that time he was living 15 minutes away. But Monteiro's sister Paula last night claimed he may have sold the phone before Madeleine disappeared. Speaking from her home in Argozelo, northern Portugal, she said: "He was always swapping or selling his phones around that time. "I consider myself lucky not to have been arrested because at the time I lent him a mobile which was still in my name. The phone isn't proof that he was near Madeleine McCann's apartment. I know he was not there." She added: "I want this to be clarified so my brother's name can be cleared. We might be poor but things have got to be cleared up because he is dead now and can’t defend himself." Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann have been made aware of the claims surrounding Monteiro but refused to comment on "the speculation". They remain confident their daughter is still alive and are fully backing a separate Scotland Yard investigation into her disappearance. Meanwhile, Portuguese police continue to examine Monteiro, who emigrated to Portugal as a child from Cape Verde, off west Africa. They are investigating whether he may have been stealing from guests' rooms at the Ocean Club to feed a heroin habit. Monteiro was convicted of theft in 1996 and served a jail sentence. Portuguese police announced last month they were reopening their inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance. Former police chief Goncalo Amaral is due back in court in Lisbon today for the restart of his libel trial. He is being sued by the McCanns, both 45, of Rothley, Leicestershire.

Our boy did not snatch Madeleine McCann: Family of junkie suspect speak out, 05 November 2013

Our boy did not snatch Madeleine McCann: Family of junkie suspect speak out Daily Star THE family of a suspect in the Madeleine McCann case yesterday said they know that he is innocent. By Jerry Lawton / Published 5th November 2013 Detectives in Portugal are convinced junkie Euclides Montiero was involved. Police say signals from his phone show he was near the McCanns' holiday flat when the three-year-old vanished in 2007. But his family said the waiter swapped and sold mobiles to escape detection as he mixed with drug dealers. His sister Paula said he must have passed the phone to someone else before Madeleine disappeared as she "knows" he was nowhere near at the time. Police are probing if the 6ft 2in dad of two, who died in a tractor accident four years ago aged 40, snatched the youngster from the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz in a twisted act of revenge. He had been sacked as a waiter there after stealing €5 from a till, and was suspected of raiding rooms to pay for drugs. But the immigrant from west Africa does not resemble any police e-fits of suspects. Paula said: "He was always swapping or selling his phones around that time. "The phone isn't proof he was near Madeleine McCann's apartment. I know he wasn't there." Monteiro's widow Luisa, who lives in Lagos with their 10-year-old son, was asked "question after question" about her late partner's movements. She said: "They are trying to make a dead man a scapegoat." Madeleine's doctor parents Kate and Gerry, both 45, from Rothley, Leics, have declined to comment.

Daily Star, paper edition, page 24: 'OUR BOY DID NOT SNATCH MADDIE', 05 November 2013