POLICE‘S FINAL VERDICT ON MADELEINE: ‘MURDERED BY A PAEDOPHILE WHO
PANICKED‘
The Daily Mail, 26/11/2007
Detectives are on the verge of concluding Madeleine McCann was
killed by a paedophile intruder who panicked and suffocated her when she
screamed.
Portuguese police are thought to be considering absolving her parents of
any blame and pinning her death on a mystery man seen running from their
holiday flat with a child in a blanket.
The U–turn is being mooted after a massive review of the case under a
new police team led by senior detective Paulo Rebelo.
Scroll down for more Madeleine: Detectives now apparently believe she
was murdered on the night she vanished
Read more...
Team McCann smearing Murat, say friends Madeleine: ‘There‘ll be presents
for her this Christmas‘ Producer quits ‘dishonest‘ BBC programme about
Madeleine McCann Respected Portuguese daily Publico, in a chilling
recreation of what police are now said to believe may have been
Madeleine‘s final few seconds of life, claimed today: "It was a moment.
An unexpected event thwarted the prospect of desire. Madeleine cries as
she wakes from her sleep. Her fear makes itself heard.
"She has to be silenced. Violence, suffocation probably. And unexpected
death.
"All over in minutes. Now he had to get her out of there. Close the
door. Flee as fast as he could. "The theory this is the explanation
behind Madeleine‘s McCann‘s disappearance, the night of May 3, was
practically ruled out previously by police investigators.
"Now though, it‘s gaining strength in the centre of the investigation."
Police are said to believe an intruder would have stalked the McCann
family during their Algarve holiday. And he would have known from
building up a picture of their daily routine that the best time to
strike was when they put Madeleine, now four, and twins Sean and Amelie,
two, to bed and went to eat tapas at a nearby restaurant with friends.
Jane Tanner, one of the so–called Tapas Nine, helped police produce an
e–fit of a man she says she saw running from the Ocean Club complex with
a child in a blanket around the time Madeleine disappeared.
Publico, one of Portugal‘s most respected newspapers, reported today:
"Paulo Rebelo and a group of police with experience in several areas of
criminal investigation are now analysing a number of theories about what
could have happened to Madeleine the night she disappeared from the room
she was sleeping in with her twin siblings.
Scroll down for more Cleared: Gerry and Kate McCann could finally be
exonerated "The probability her disappearance was the work of an
intruder is being seriously considered again, although none of the other
hypotheses has been excluded.
"The testimony of one of the McCanns‘ friends helped to reinforce this
theory." The paper claimed detectives were not holding out much hope
full DNA tests would help advance the investigation when they are
finally sent back from a Birmingham lab to Portugal.
Police are also said to have their doubts that English police dogs could
have picked up a "scent of death" from Kate McCann‘s clothes – bringing
her fresh hope she will eventually be ruled out as a suspect along with
husband Gerry.
Reports detectives believe an intruder may now have taken Madeleine,
will give the couple fresh drive to persuade Portuguese authorities to
make the judicial process public.
An investigating judge has to decide early next year whether to end the
secrecy surrounding the Madeleine McCann case – and decide whether to
let her parents and third suspect Robert Murat see the police evidence
against them.
In charge: Paulo Rebelo‘s team are said to favour a theory which was
originally discounted Heart surgeon Gerry and GP Kate, both 3', have
always protested their innocence and claimed an intruder took their
daughter.
The McCanns have rubbished the suggestion – thought to have been top of
the police list of theories until now – that Madeleine died by accident
in their apartment and they disposed of her body as part of a
"cover–up." Claims emerged last night that Portuguese police had
initially considered whether the couple could have sold their daughter
to paedophiles.
Detectives reportedly believed the couple might have sold Madeleine to a
criminal network to ease money worries, According to sources, they spent
"several days" investigating but the wild theory fell apart when they
realised the couple were wealthy.
A police source told the Portuguese newspaper 24 Horas: "The police team
in charge of the case investigated the possibility that the child had
been sold by her own parents because of financial difficulties."
Detectives tried to inspect bank statements but were forced to conclude
that the couple did not have money problems.
The McCanns, who are both doctors, live in a 500,000 house in Rothley,
Leicestershire.
Police were said to be suspicious about reports that Mrs McCann
screamed: "They‘ve taken her" when she realised Madeleine was missing.
She insists she shouted: "She‘s gone." Detectives have been unable to
seize the couple‘s bank statements, phone records covering this May or
their medical records.
The public prosecutor in the case has refused to authorise such moves
unless he sees stronger evidence against them. |