One of the suspects, shown in a reconstruction scene from 'Madeleine Was Here'

'Madeleine Was Here' - The 3 witness accounts, 10 May 2009

'Madeleine Was Here' - The 3 witness accounts   "It's got to be the same person." - David Edgar, one the McCanns' new detectives, talking about the 3 witness accounts found 'hidden' in the PJ files.   By Nigel Moore 10 May 2009   WITNESS ONE A young mum, on holiday in the resort, twice saw a pock-marked man acting suspiciously. The first time was around 8am on April 29 2007, the second time was on May 2 2007.   She said: "I was walking along the road with my daughter. I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards me because for some reason the man unnerved me.   "He was standing on the opposite side of the road to the apartment. I would describe him as very ugly, pitted skin with a large nose."   Verdict: It has not been possible to locate this witness statement in the PJ files which were issued to journalists. It may be contained in files that the McCanns' lawyers have gained access to, which are still under judicial secrecy, or possibly from information they have received direct from the public or through Método 3.   Update: The Sun's article of 11 May 2009, 'Scarface' witness, 'police ignored me', states that this witness reported the sighting to her local police in Wiltshire, two years ago, who then forwarded it to the McCanns' local force in Leicestershire; from whom she heard nothing. Was it ever forwarded to the PJ? If not, in which files did the McCanns' new detectives find it 'hidden'?   WITNESS TWO e-fit created by the 12-year-old girl The second witness was a 12-year-old girl who lives in Praia da Luz. She first saw the suspect on April 30 at 8.15am as she walked to a bus stop. She spotted him doing the same again at 12.25pm on May 2.   She said: "The man seemed to be looking at the balcony of the ground floor apartment. He was wearing a black jacket and leaning against the wall."   Verdict: This 'suspect' had already been found, named as MICHAEL ANTHONY GREEN and eliminated from the inquiry, with all details presented in the PJ files.   Below is a copy of the PowerPoint presentation Gerry McCann sent to Stuart Prior, Leicestershire Police, in support of Gail Cooper's sighting. It proves that the McCanns knew about the 12-year-old girl's sighting by 16 January 2008 and it has not, therefore, suddenly been found 'hidden' in the PJ files by the McCanns' new detectives. McCanns' action plan, 16 January 2008 WITNESS THREE e-fit of suspect created by Derek Flack The final witnesses, a holidaying couple from Cheshire, saw the suspect either on May 2 or May 3 at around 11.30am.   The woman said: "I paid particular attention to him because he appeared to be focused on watching the apartment block."   The Sun, 07 May 2009, stated: 'The McCanns believe Portuguese cops made no effort to find him.'   Verdict: This 'suspect' had already been found, named as BARRINGTON GODFREY NORTON and eliminated from the inquiry, with all details presented in the PJ files.   The e-fit produced by Derek Flack was published online by Sky News on 05 August 2008, so could hardly be described as being 'hidden' in the PJ files.

The McCanns' Manipulation - Part 1, 09 May 2009

The McCanns' Manipulation - Part 1 Duarte Levy Wordpress Duarte Levy May 9, 2009 • 11:00 pm Thanks to Astro for translation   Derek Flack, one of the witnesses that the Channel 4 documentary was based upon, told the Polícia Judiciária that on Wednesday, the 2nd of May, or on Thursday, the 3rd of May, "during the day (can't remember but says that possibly in the afternoon), in the company of his wife, and while walking to the 'Baptista Supermarket', he observed an individual (approximately 1,70 tall, dark skinned appearing to be of Portuguese nationality, with a one-day stubble, with short thick hair that stretched down to collar level at the back, and wearing a solid yellow t-shirt) who was standing on a corner of the walkway looking (that being the reason to suspect said person) into the direction of the apartment where Madeline would later disappear from. He added that in a straight line from where the individual was standing, looking, on the other side of the street, a vehicle was parked, of a van type, white colour, with a person (can't remember whether the person was inside or outside the van). He can't describe said person."   Derek Flack’s testimony is equally consigned in the process on pages 145 to 153 and 200 to 205, where the photofit (nr. 18) that was created according to the couple's instructions is also included. Barrington Norton's white van The same process includes the identity of an English citizen who was identified as being the man who Derek Flack saw, which was equally corroborated by other witnesses: it is BARRINGTON GODFREY NORTON, who, like Flack had mentioned, drives a white van, namely when he goes to the Baptista supermarket to shop, which happened on that date.

Deposition of 12-year-old girl according to case files, 08 May 2009

Deposition of 12-year-old girl according to case files e-fit created by 12-year-old girl 08 May 2009 Thanks to Astro for translation   Deposition of T. M. S., aged 12, a resident in Luz, on the 9th of May 2007, 4 p.m.   Page 800-804, volume III of process 201/07.0GALGS   Comes to the process as a witness. Understands the Portuguese Language, as she has been living in Portugal since the age of two months (approximately eleven years ago). Still, an interpreter is present [name withheld].   Her parents are separated, she initially resided in Monchique, and now in Praia da Luz, since 2005, at the address that is stated above, with her Mother.   She also mentions that she lived in the apartment where the missing child was staying, that belonged to her Grandmother, who is already deceased. That she didn't actually reside there, but spent extensive and repeated periods of time there, with her Grandmother and her Mother. The apartment was bought in 1994 and sold in 2002 and therefore she knows it perfectly, both from the inside and from the outside.   She wishes to clarify. On the 30th of April, Monday, at around 8 a.m. and when she was walking to the bus stop for the school bus that leaves at 8.15, a path that she walks every day when there is school, she noticed the presence of a male individual, at the back of Madeleine's house, on a little pathway to the apartments that exists there, looking in an ostensive manner at the house's balcony. This happened when she was walking down the street, on the left side, which was right in front of the balcony, and the distance between them was the width of the road. That when she was walking down she decided to look at the pathway, because as she lived there, she likes to watch the house and the neighbouring garden. She walked with her mother, that she is certain she didn't see the man, and she was walking two dogs on a leash, which forced them to cross the road, a bit further down. At that moment she saw the man more closely, as they crossed the road, and then lost visual angle when they finished crossing.   Says that the man didn't see the deponent, because he was staring at the balcony.   She presumes that nobody was on Madeleine's house's balcony, but she cannot state it beyond doubt.   After crossing, she caught the bus and went to school and her mother went on the beach to walk the dogs.   When she returned from school, at around 5.30/5.40 p.m., after leaving the bus, she walked a different path, because the bus has a stop on the street where she lives, and therefore she doesn't need to walk down to the 'Ocean Club'. She didn't see the man again at that time, nor did she see him again until the 2nd of May, Wednesday, after the bank holiday.   That on that day she didn't go to school because she was sick with an infection in her right ear. Still, and feeling somewhat better, at around noon she left on her own, as her mother was at work, with the dogs, and went to the 'Alisuper' supermarket which is located on a perpendicular to Rua Direita, where she bought chocolates for €3,63. Then she walked to the pharmacy, which is located below the 'Baptista' supermarket, on a lateral perspective, where she bought a box of earplugs, to prevent water from getting in, and spent €4,55. Then she went to 'Baptista' supermarket to buy cereal bread, because they don't sell it at 'Alisuper'. She left the dogs tied at the back entrance of 'Baptista' and went in to buy the bread. She paid, left 'Baptista', collected the dogs, and walked across the supermarket's hall to the main entrance, approximately four/five metres, which exits to the street where she had seen the man. She started walking up the street on the left side going up, and saw the man, this time in front of the 'Ocean Club's' reception, once more looking at Madeleine's house in an ostensive manner, where he stood he could observe, she thinks, the house's two side windows and part of the balcony. She thinks that he could also be looking at the other residences that are located in the same direction.   That as she was walking up she walked right in front of the man, and observed him directly, an action that he did not retaliate, because he never looked at the deponent. The distance that she observed him from was the width of the road.   After walking by the individual, she walked towards her house, through the road to the right, and never looked back to the man, or turned around to observe him better.   After that day she never saw him again.   As she said before, she left home at 12 p.m. and returned at 12.35 p.m., which means she crossed with the man at around 12.25/12.28 (the rest of the walk takes about seven minutes).   On the next day, Thursday (0.305.2007) she walked the same path as on the 30th, at the same time, but didn't see the man, and never saw him again, as she said before.   Concerning the individual, she describes him as being: Caucasian race, light skin, so he wasn't Portuguese, but could be British, according to her criteria. Approximately 180 cm tall, thin complexion, 30/35 years of age. Short hair, like shaved with 1 cm of length and fair, but she isn't sure if it was blonde because the sun was reflecting, and made perception more difficult. She didn't see the eyes because he wore dark glasses of black colour, with a structure of mass, a thick frame. He had a large forehead. Nose of normal size, a bit pointy and sharp. Large ears, close against the head. Mouth with thin lips, she didn't see his teeth. Chin pointing up, which stood out on a face that she describes as sharp. No beard, no moustache, a clean shave. No other special signs, apart from some small pimples on the face as a result of shaving. He looked ugly, even 'disgusting'.   The first time that she saw him he was wearing a sports style jacket of thin black leather, with a zipper and several pockets also with similar zippers, in silver. She saw no label or inscription. The jacket was open, therefore she saw a white t-shirt, with a dark blue label near the waist, which she cannot identify very well.   Trousers, she thinks, of blue jeans, worn out. Sports shoes (trainers) in black and grey, with a wave, maybe 'Nike' in a colour that she can't remember.   The second time, he wore the same jacket, this time zipped up, because the day was colder than the first one, windy. She didn't notice the rest of the clothing. She says that on that day he had a pen with a string attached to one of his pockets.   The first time, he was leaning against the wall against his hands, and the second time, he had his hands in his pockets.   She never saw him with any photo camera, or any mobile phone, although the second time, he might have a device in his pocket, which she detected by the shape.   When asked, she says that she saw no vehicle near the man, only a few vehicles, but near the 'Baptista'.   When asked she says that she saw Madeleine once, on a day that she cannot indicate, on the balcony where the man was staring at, the first time. She even waved at her because it was a small child, in a caring gesture. A map of the area is added, where A is the spot of the first sighting and B the spot for the second one. The 'Baptista' supermarket and Madeleine's apartment.   She said that she can recognise the man both personally and photographically, and create a photofit.   Therefore I interrupt the present deposition and show the deponent photographs of individuals with similar characteristics.   I resume the deposition where it is consigned that the diligence resulted negatively, according to a report that is annexed.   She didn't say anything further. The deposition is read and approved, ratified and signed together with the interpreter that assisted.   The present deposition is written and signed.   *   Extract from PJ's final 57-page report   On page 800, the interview with T. M. S. is presented, who saw on two occasions and on several other days, an individual observing the apartment from which MADELEINE disappeared. A photo-fit was created based on the witness' indications . . . diligences were performed which led to the identification of MICHAEL ANTHONY GREEN, who was the target of diverse diligences without incriminatory results, pages 632 to 726 of Volume III, Appendix VI. Beyond this individual, there were other diligences performed at this level, also without useful results for the investigation, as is explained throughout Appendix VI.   *   Information witheld   Further details about MICHAEL ANTHONY GREEN are in the files witheld at the request of the British police:   Appendix VI 1 – Information/Lists of Suspects of Sexual Crimes – where you will find a detailed reviews, from the perspective of the possibility of encountering correlations with suspects with sexual motives;   Appendix VI 2 – Diligences and Exploration of Information related to the aforementioned – in which, in conformity with that already expressed and in order to provide a better consultation, were gathered the information collected about residents in the surrounding areas – temporary and permanent – as well as a listing of local crime (break-ins and others) and crimes of a sexual nature. The information provided came to this Police by individual knowledge, through British authorities or by other sources; '...100 pages of notes relating to this part of the investigation were withdrawn from 17 volumes of police case files released to the public after a request from British police.'   Daily Star, 27 May 2009

Witness statement of Barrington Norton, 08 May 2007

Witness statement Processos Vol III Pages 704 – 708 Barrington Godfrey Norton Date: 2007.05.08 Nationality: British Residence: Uncertain location in Praia da Luz, in a Ford vehicle, model Escort Van, licence plate Nº S677 YWP Profession: Music teacher He comes to the process as a witness, as a result of his very frequent presence in the immediate vicinity to the place Madeleine disappeared from had been referred to, since the date of her disappearance. When asked, he says that he does not speak Portuguese and is assisted by the interpreter, Natália de Almeida. The witness says that he arrived in this part of Portugal about 5 years ago, adding that since then he had gone to live in the immediate vicinity of Praia da Luz. He has always worked in professions associated with music and he is currently dedicated to teaching as well as performing in the streets of Praia da Luz. Since the beginning of April 2007, he has been living inside his vehicle, a white Ford Escort van, licence plate nº S677 YWP, as he is currently looking for a place to establish his residence as well as a music school. When confronted with the fact that his presence has been frequently noticed during the past days in the immediate vicinity of the OC, the witness admits that since the disappearance of Madeleine which was reported on the night of 3rd May, he had often gone to the place in order to find out from the British journalists whether there was any news about the girl’s whereabouts. When asked, he said that the reason for his special preoccupation with this fact was because of the circumstance of the victim being a British girl and the fact that she was “of a very tender age”. When asked to reconstruct his movements between 1st and 4th May of this year, the witness mentions that he cannot be precise, but as a general rule, he had the following daily routine: 09.00 – 10.30 Guitar practice on the beach. 11.30 Lunch in the Jardim Restaurant, situated in Rua Direita, in P da L, where he would remain until 12.15 – 12.30. The he would go to a friend’s house, in order to get his guitar amplifier, before going to Avenida dos Pescadores, where he would play his guitar until 15.00 – 15.30. As a general rule, he would then go for music classes, if he did not have any, he would go to Praia da Luz. At about 20.00 he would have dinner in the Penini Restaurant or another international restaurant nearby, both in Praia da Luz, or go to the Baptista supermarket in the OC. Then he would eat his food in a Praia da Luz parking area. At 21.00 – 21.30 he would go to a camping site in his vehicle and spend the night there. When asked to provide more precise detail about 3 rd May, the day on which Madeleine disappeared, he clarifies that the day was absolutely similar to the others, he has difficulty in providing more detail. When asked if he had music classes that day, he replied that he did, from 16.45 to 17.45 with the son of ***** ***** resident in **** ****, Vila da Luz, and that the lesson took place at her house. From 18.15 – 19.15 he gave a lesson to his dentist’s son. When asked to try to remember where he had gone after the music classes, he says that at about 19.15 he went to drink a beer at the Jardim restaurant and after this, at about 20.00 he went to fetch his dinner from a place he cannot remember, being certain that he had his meal at the usual place (parking area near to the beach). At about 21.00 he went to sleep in the usual place. When asked whether he had been seen by anyone whilst he was eating or when he went to the place where he slept, he replied that it might well be possible but that he frankly does not remember. When asked how he found out about the disappearance, he mentioned that at about 01.00 of 4th May when he was asleep at the usual place (camping site near the beach), he noticed flashing blue lights, immediately presuming that they came from a police car. At about 01.30 he was approached by OC staff, telling him that at about 22.00 the girl in question had disappeared from the resort. He remembers that at about 07.30 on 4th May he was approached at the same site by GNR officers who carried out a search of his vehicle, but did not find anything unusual. When asked whether he knew Madeleine or her parents, he replied that he did not. When asked if he would regularly to the OC resort, he replied that he did, adding that he often went to the Baptista supermarket in the resort. He mentioned that, during the previous week, he cannot remember the exact days or times, he went to the resort another three times, for different reasons than those mentioned previously, once to hand in his CV and the other two times, to be with friends who were on holiday there. When asked to provide more details about the individuals in question, he said they were a Canadian couple, the man was called L*** V****** and his wife was called S******. When asked if he knows on which date the couple arrived, he says he does not, presuming that they had been on holiday at the resort for about 15 days, knowing that they had already returned to their country. When asked if his friends worked he said that he only knows they were retired. When asked if he had gone to the OC to see them, he said that he had gone once, not being able to state exactly the location of their room. When asked about his displacements to the resort and whether these always took place using his vehicle, he replied affirmatively. When asked where he would park, he said he would generally park near the Baptista supermarket.   When asked if he had ever parked in the street next to the apartment Madeleine had disappeared from, he replied that he had once, as far as he remembers, after her disappearance, that apartment being near to the Baptista supermarket. When asked whether his hair is always cut short as it is now, he replies no, adding that he used to have much longer hair, especially longer in the neck, but that it had been cut about a month ago and that on the current day he had just had a small hair cut to tidy up the points. When asked where his hair cuts took place, he replied at a friends house, whom he knew as T**** in Rua Direita. When asked again whether on 3rd May between 20.00 and 22.00 he had been at the OC resort, he replied negatively. When asked if he remembers having gone at the beginning/middle of the afternoon to the resort on 2nd and 3rd May, he replies that he does not remember, thinking it possible that he could have gone to the Baptista supermarket, remaining there for while, because he often buys food there and consumes it in the streets of the resort. When asked if he ever went to the Tapas Bar at the OC resort, he replies negatively. When asked if he can provide any elements leading to the whereabouts of Madeleine or the identification of the person responsible, he replies no, guaranteeing that he would contact the police immediately if he knew anything pertinent. No more is said. Reads, ratifies, signs.   Processos Vol III Page 711 Note from PJ National Directorate On this date, I state that in the current process, that from information provided by the OC resort, it was possible to establish that, in accordance with the statements by Barrington Godfrey Norton, a Canadian couple had stayed at the resort during the period between 23-04-2007 and 06-05-2007. With relation to their identities, they were L**** E*** V***** and S*** P*** V****. It should be mentioned that during that period, both of them stayed in apartment 1 of Vila King Palm in P da L. 8th May 2007 Signed Inspector Varanda

Algarve resident hounded by Madeleine McCann case, 04 June 2009

Algarve resident hounded by Madeleine McCann case Algarve Resident   by DAISY SAMPSON Updated: 04-Jun-2009   A guitar teacher who lives in the Algarve has hit out at British Sunday tabloid the News of the World after it named him as someone, it believes, private investigators should speak with in relation to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.   Barrington Norton, who teaches classical guitar to children in the Lagos and Luz areas, believes the report in Sunday's edition could "threaten his current way of life".   The article, Maddie cops: 5 to quiz, claimed that investigators working for the McCanns are looking for five new witnesses who were all living near Praia da Luz at the time Madeleine disappeared and says "Our own investigation uncovered Barrington Norton, 58, who lives in a van, but was quizzed at the time."   Barrington Norton, who contacted the Algarve Resident this week, says a reporter approached him while he was busking in Lagos.   "He knew things about me that he shouldn't, including details about my wife and my bank account and he has since told me not to worry about what has been written about me in the paper. Before all of this happened to me, I used to be a happy-go-lucky person but the papers keep on digging up bullshit about me that doesn't even exist and I am fed up with it all. I just want this all to end," he told the Algarve Resident.   "I love kids and I am so proud of all my students.  Parents trust me with their children because their kids enjoy their lessons and see me as someone they can relate to."   Barrington Norton lives in his white van in the Luz and Lagos areas and was questioned by Portuguese police in relation to the case of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann at the time of the initial investigation.   "I have never hidden the fact that I was interviewed, but so were several other drivers of white vans. I cooperated fully with investigators and dogs searched my van but police found nothing to connect me to the case and I have not been contacted since.   "My van was parked near the McCanns' apartment but that is because I was shopping at the Baptista supermarket. I do not have an alibi for the night because I was asleep in my van alone but the police know all of this," he said.   "After I spoke to the reporter from the News of the World, I contacted the Find Madeleine Fund because I was under the impression that they wanted to interview me.   "However, the investigators got back to me and told me that they were not looking to speak with me and if they had wanted an interview they would have requested one much earlier than now."   Barrington Norton told the Algarve Resident that he hoped he could now finally move on from any connection with the McCann case. "I am not hiding from anyone. I just want to get on with my life."   The Algarve Resident contacted both the News of the World and the Find Madeleine Fund but at the time of going to press, both had failed to make a comment.

The Press Reports

New suspect in the hunt for Madeleine, 06 May 2009

New suspect in the hunt for Madeleine Metro   By FRED ATTEWILL Wednesday, May 6, 2009   An artist's impression has been released of a new suspect in the continuing hunt for missing Madeleine McCann. 'Fresh lead': An artist's impression of the suspect It shows a 'very ugly' man with pitted skin who was spotted watching the McCanns' holiday flat in the days before the young girl vanished two years ago. The sketch is based on the account of a unnamed British tourist whose testimony was found buried in police files by private investigators. 'These are vital areas that have been just sitting in the files and we need to release them,' said Clarence Mitchell, spokesman for the McCanns. The new image coincides with a Channel 4 documentary tonight, which follows the McCanns, from Rothley in Leicestershire, and the work of two retired British police officers hired by them to continue the search. Madeleine, who would turn six on Tuesday, disappeared from the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007. But four days earlier, the unnamed tourist was out with her daughter when she saw the suspect 'acting suspiciously'. She saw the man again outside the flat the day before Madeleine went missing. She told police he was about 1.77m (5ft 10in), slim and was wearing casual clothes, probably jeans. Another two witnesses - a 12-year-old girl and a man from Cheshire - also reported seeing a man watching the flat in the days before Madeleine vanished. Tonight's programme features reconstructions of these sightings, as well as those of Jane Tanner, one of the 'Tapas Seven', and Irish tourist Martin Smith. They both saw a man carrying a young child near the flat around the time of the disappearance.

Maddie: Hunt for scarface, 07 May 2009

Maddie: Hunt for scarface The Sun By ANTONELLA LAZZERI Published: Today (07 May 2009)   THREE witnesses saw a scary weirdo who may have masterminded the abduction of Madeleine McCann, it was revealed last night.   The ugly suspect, who has a big nose and thin pock-marked face, was seen watching the holiday apartment from which Maddie was snatched.   The chilling artist's impressions were pieced together from statements made by the three to Portuguese police.   The sightings, said by one witness to be "unnerving," were never linked by the cops.   But Maddie's parents Kate and Gerry realised the significance of them as they ploughed through the 30,000 pages of police files about their daughter's disappearance.   They told their private investigation team, who re-interviewed the witnesses and came up with the image.   Last night the McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "This man needs to be traced urgently.   "The witnesses did talk to the Portuguese police but it appears that nothing was done to find him. He is a vital part of the jigsaw.   "Kate and Gerry believe the testimony is critically important but has not had the attention it deserves."   The existence of the witnesses and the gawping weirdo will be highlighted in a Channel 4 documentary tonight entitled Cutting Edge: Madeleine Was Here.   It will also show for the first time a reconstruction of the night Maddie was taken from the apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007 — just before her fourth birthday.   And it features the moment when Jane Tanner — one of the Tapas Seven who dined with Kate and Gerry on the night Maddie vanished — saw a man hurrying away from the Ocean Club flat with a little girl in his arms.   He is NOT the same man as the one in the artist's impression, suggesting a team of kidnappers may have been at work.   WITNESS ONE was a young mum on holiday in the resort, who twice saw the pock-marked suspect acting suspiciously.   The first time was around 8am on April 29 2007.   She said: "I was walking along the road with my daughter. I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards me because for some reason the man unnerved me."   She next saw him the day before Maddie was snatched.   She said: "He was standing on the opposite side of the road to the apartment. I would describe him as very ugly, pitted skin with a large nose."   WITNESS TWO was a 12-year-old girl who lives in Praia da Luz. She first saw the suspect on April 30 at 8.15am as she walked to a bus stop.   She said: "The man seemed to be looking at the balcony of the ground floor apartment. He was wearing a black jacket and leaning against the wall."   She spotted him doing the same again at 12.25pm on May 2.   WITNESS THREE, a tourist from Cheshire, saw the suspect either on May 2 or May 3 at around 11.30am.   The woman, who was on holiday with her husband, said: "I paid particular attention to him because he appeared to be focused on watching the apartment block."   The McCanns believe Portuguese cops made no effort to find him.   In the documentary former detective inspector David Edgar, the private investigation chief, tells Kate he believes tracing the suspect is vital.   He talks about the sightings and says: "It's got to be the same person." He adds he is convinced the family was being watched.   The programme also reveals a family group from Ireland may have seen the man carrying a girl 40 minutes after he was spotted by Jane Tanner.   Mr Edgar says: "When the man saw the family he appeared furtive, veered off to one side and carried on walking. We need to find out who this person was."   A statement made to Portuguese cops by the head of the family, Martin Smith, said: "The girl was about four. She looked like my granddaughter — blonde hair, pale white skin, typically British.   "The man didn't look like a tourist. I can't explain why. It was probably from his clothes."   The documentary opens with a tearful Kate, 41, explaining publicly for the first time how she found her daughter gone.   Poignant   There is a poignant shot of Maddie's bed, with her Cuddle Cat toy and pink "blankie" still on it.   Kate says: "I knew straight away that she'd been taken."   The mum also tells how she could not bear to go back to Portugal with Gerry to film the reconstruction. She says: "I think it's actually going through the scenario of that night, seeing Gerry that distraught really and sobbing and on the floor."   Towards the end of the programme Kate and Gerry, 40, are shown in America at the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.   They are studying the recently-released image of how Maddie would look now aged six.   As they drive away from the centre Kate sobs and says: "It's a very emotional thing really to see my daughter in a different way to how I can remember."   Mr Mitchell last night revealed there had been 30 new possible sightings of Maddie since the McCanns appeared on Oprah Winfrey's TV show in America on Monday.   The FindMadeleine hotline has been swamped by hundreds of calls and thousands have visited the Findmadeleine.com website.

Madeleine McCann: Did this man snatch Maddy?, 07 May 2009

Madeleine McCann: Did this man snatch Maddy? Daily Mirror By Rod Chaytor 7/05/2009   This is the sinister pock-marked stranger who investigators believe may have snatched Madeleine McCann from her parents' flat.   Two retired British detectives working for Kate and Gerry McCann have uncovered three witnesses who saw the man spying on the holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the days before Madeleine vanished.   One British tourist said: "The man unnerved me. He was very ugly with a pitted face."   The McCanns hope someone will recognise the man – and provide a breakthrough in the two-year hunt for Madeleine.   A sketch of the ugly-looking man has been made in the hope that someone can identify him.   One British tourist said she saw him twice. She first noticed him four days before the three-year-old was snatched and then saw him again on May 2 – the day before the disappearance.   She said: "I saw a man acting suspiciously on two occasions. The first time I saw him I was walking along the road with my daughter.   "I grabbed my daughter's hand and pulled her towards me because for some reason the man unnerved me.   "The next time I saw him he was standing on the opposite side to the apartment. He was watching it. I would describe him as very ugly, with pitted skin with a large nose."   The second witness is a 12-year-old girl who said she saw a man outside the balcony of the McCanns’ flat at about 8.15am on April 30.   She said: "I was walking to the school bus stop. I go this way to school every day. I saw a man on the small path behind the block. He seemed to be looking at the balcony of the ground-floor apartment. My grandparents used to live in that apartment so I always look at it as I pass by."   The girl saw the man staring at the flat again at lunchtime on May 2.   The third witness is a Cheshire man who was walking with his partner at about 11.30am on May 2 or 3.   He said: "I saw a man standing next to a wall. On the opposite side of the road was a white van.   "I paid particular attention to him because he appeared to be focused on watching the apartment block.   "As I walked past him, I looked at him and for a split second we had eye contact. But then he just carried on staring at the apartment."   The findings by experienced ex-police officers Dave Edgar and Arthur Cowley are revealed in a Channel 4 Cutting Edge documentary tonight.   The programme links the mystery stalker to a man seen carrying a child on the night Madeleine vanished. Ex detective inspector Edgar, 52, and former detective sergeant Cowley, 57, believe the evidence suggests someone was deliberately staking out the McCann's apartment. Their theory is bolstered by previous reports of a man hanging around near the flat.   E-fits of a suspect with a similarly prominent nose and chin were produced last August after British holidaymaker Derek Flack, 61, and expat Lance Purser, 66, told police of a man they had seen in the weeks leading up to Madeleine's disappearance.   Mr Flack said the man was near a white van. The retired police officers have scrutinised thousands of pages from the Portuguese investigation, which were made public last July.   Mr Edgar, who has 30 years experience, said it was most likely Madeleine was taken by one person.   But he does not believe Madeleine was taken at random. He added: "In my experience random doesn't happen. A passer-by doesn't go in and pick up a child and take it. These things are planned. This offence happened in Praia da Luz. And that's where I think the answer is."   Witnesses Jane Tanner and Martin Smith also feature in the documentary.   Jane was one of the Tapas Seven who were on holiday with Kate and Gerry McCann and were dining with them when Madeleine disappeared.   She saw a man carrying a child across the road behind the McCanns flat at the time when the little girl is thought to have gone missing. The scene is reconstructed by the show.   Jane told the Cutting Edge team she blames herself for not doing something. She said: "You're probably the one person that could have stopped it and you think 'What if'."   Irish tourist Martin and his family were walking up a road half a mile from the McCanns' apartment when he saw a man carrying a blonde girl.   Kate and Gerry, from Rothley, Leics, are shown in the documentary visiting the National Center for Missing Children in Washington DC where an image of Madeleine as she would look now was created. A photo of Madeleine at three is morphed into the image to show how she might have aged. It is her sixth birthday on Tuesday.   WITNESS 1   British tourist 'saw a man acting suspiciously on two occasions.. he was very ugly with pitted skin'.   WITNESS 2   Schoolgirl saw mystery man 'on small path behind the block' of the McCanns' apartment day before Maddy vanished.   WITNESS 3   Man from Cheshire and his partner told police they saw 'a man who seemed focused on the apartment block' on day before or the day Maddy went missin.

McCanns show new 'suspect', 07 May 2009

McCanns show new 'suspect' Correio da Manhã   Maddie: The documentary is to be broadcast in England   by João Mira Godinho 07 May 2009 - 00h30 Thanks to Astro for translation   The sketch of a new suspect in Madeleine McCann's abdction will be presented in the girl's parents' documentary, which is broadcast in England today. Kate and Gerry say that the drawing was based on a testimony of an English woman who saw the man near the apartment where Maddie disappeared from, on the 3rd of May 2007.   "The drawing was created based on a witness statement that our detectives discovered in the Polícia Judiciária's files," Clarence Mitchell told CM. According to the McCann couple's spokesman, the same detectives "discovered three other witness statements in the PJ's files, of persons who saw a suspicious man near the apartment". Nevertheless, these three persons (a 12-year-old girl and a British couple) have not seen the sketch yet.   "That's a lie," Gonçalo Amaral told CM. "Unless those witness statements were collected after I left the PJ," the former coordinator of the investigation added, advancing that "there is in fact the witness statement from someone who saw a person near the apartment, but the description matched David Payne [friend of the McCanns]".   The documentary also contains the reconstruction of what happened on the night of the 3rd of May, according to Madeleine's parents' version.   Details   Portugal: "The broadcast in Portugal is being negotiated with SIC, possibly for Monday," says Mitchell.   Witnesses: The film mentions 12 persons who say that they saw a man carrying a child on the evening of the 3rd of May.   Filming: In April, Gerry McCann came to Portugal to take part in the making of the documentary.

Did this man take Maddie? New prime suspect is prowler seen outside the McCanns' apartment, 07 May 2009

Did this man take Maddie? New prime suspect is prowler seen outside the McCanns' apartment  Daily Mail   By VANESSA ALLEN Last updated at 7:57 AM on 07th May 2009   A prowler spotted outside Madeleine McCann's holiday apartment was yesterday revealed as a new prime suspect in the hunt for the missing girl.   The heavily scarred stranger was seen five times in the four days before the three-year-old disappeared, prompting fears he could have been watching the McCann family.   Although he was seen by four witnesses, each of whom gave statements to Portuguese police, astonishingly it has taken almost two years for their accounts to be linked. Suspect: An artist's impression of the man seen outside the McCanns' flat   The suspect is one of a series of developments which have given Kate and Gerry McCann fresh hope that they could finally be closer to finding their daughter.   The couple's detectives have spoken to dozens of witnesses who believe they saw Madeleine being carried through the streets of Praia da Luz on the night of May 3, 2007.   And they have taken more than 30 calls from those who believe they have recognised Madeleine from an age-progressed picture, which shows her as she might look aged six.   The potential sightings have taken place across the U.S., South America and Europe.   Last week, the couple also released an image showing how Madeleine might look today. Produced using 'age-progression' technology, the picture reveals a smiling six-year-old wearing a pink band in her shoulder-length hair and a blue dress with frilly white collar.   The latest developments were revealed as Channel 4 prepares to screen a Cutting Edge documentary about the McCanns' hunt for their daughter.   In the programme, to be screened tonight, Mrs McCann, 41, says: 'I actually feel the chance of us finding Madeleine is higher now.'   Mr McCann, 40, also makes a direct appeal to his daughter's abductor, saying: 'It's not too late to do the right thing; they can give her up, tell us where she is, hand her over to a priest or someone in authority. Do the right thing.'   The couple have carried out their own six-month trawl of the 30,000-page Portuguese police files, which were released last year when the investigation was shelved.   This uncovered the four witness statements about the prowler buried in the dossier.   The sinister-looking man was first spotted by a British tourist who was walking with her young daughter near the Ocean Club on April 29, 2007 - the day after the McCanns arrived in Portugal.   She said she felt 'unnerved' by the man, who was staring at the McCanns' rented holiday apartment. She then saw him again at about 3pm on May 2 - the day before Madeleine disappeared. 'He appeared to be watching it,' the woman said.   'He was about 5ft 10in, slim build and wearing casual clothes. I would describe him as very ugly, (with) pitted skin with a large nose.'   The man was also seen on April 30 at about 8.15am by a British schoolgirl, who noticed him staring at the balcony of the apartment.   Madeleine's abductor is thought to have entered the flat through unlocked patio doors on the balcony, while her parents ate dinner with friends nearby.   A couple from Cheshire then saw the man on either May 2 or 3 staring at apartment 5A, and standing near a parked white van. An artist's impression of the man, commissioned by the Find Madeleine fund, shows a dark-haired, heavily scarred man.   Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns' spokesman, said: 'This man needs to be traced urgently and eliminated. These witnesses did talk to Portuguese police but it appears that nothing was done to find him. He is a vital part of the jigsaw.'   Mr Mitchell said detectives also wanted to find the man seen carrying a child away from the McCanns' apartment at about 9pm on May 3 - the time Madeleine is believed to have vanished.   Cutting Edge - Madeleine Was Here is on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight.

Did this man take Maddie? New prime suspect is prowler seen outside the McCanns' apartment, 07 May 2009

Did this man take Maddie? New prime suspect is prowler seen outside the McCanns' apartment  Daily Mail   By VANESSA ALLEN and PETER ALLEN Last updated at 9:42 AM on 07th May 2009   A prowler spotted outside Madeleine McCann's holiday apartment was yesterday revealed as a new prime suspect in the hunt for the missing girl.   The heavily scarred stranger was seen five times in the four days before the three-year-old disappeared, prompting fears he could have been watching the McCann family.   Although he was seen by four witnesses, each of whom gave statements to Portuguese police, astonishingly it has taken almost two years for their accounts to be linked.   The suspect is one of a series of developments which have given Kate and Gerry McCann fresh hope that they could finally be closer to finding their daughter.   But their hopes will be tempered today as they came under attack yet again by the former Portuguese police detective in charge of the investigation.   Gonçalo Amaral accused Kate and Gerry McCann of a sinister cover-up as he plugged his book on the investigation in Paris today.   He said the couple's statements all contradicted each other, and that Kate McCann’s fingerprints had been found on the open window through which her daughter had allegedly been taken.   Amaral, who is now retired, said justice was never done because the case became a 'political rather than a police one' in Britain. In an interview with Le Parisien newspaper published in the French capital, Amaral said: 'We constantly noted the contradictions in the statements of the McCanns and their friends.'   Asked directly why the McCanns would have lied, Amaral said: 'Because they had been negligent with their children. They went for dinner and left them alone. Such behaviour was condemned. They therefore made up the kidnapping story.'   The McCanns have maintained their innocence since the night their daughter was taken. Though they were declared 'arguidos', or suspects, in the case by Portuguese police, they were later cleared.   The couple's detectives have spoken to dozens of witnesses who believe they saw Madeleine being carried through the streets of Praia da Luz on the night of May 3, 2007.   And they have taken more than 30 calls from those who believe they have recognised Madeleine from an age-progressed picture, which shows her as she might look aged six.   The potential sightings have taken place across the U.S., South America and Europe.   Last week, the couple also released an image showing how Madeleine might look today. Produced using 'age-progression' technology, the picture reveals a smiling six-year-old wearing a pink band in her shoulder-length hair and a blue dress with frilly white collar.   The latest developments were revealed as Channel 4 prepares to screen a Cutting Edge documentary about the McCanns' hunt for their daughter.   In the programme, to be screened tonight, Mrs McCann, 41, says: 'I actually feel the chance of us finding Madeleine is higher now.'   Mr McCann, 40, also makes a direct appeal to his daughter's abductor, saying: 'It's not too late to do the right thing; they can give her up, tell us where she is, hand her over to a priest or someone in authority. Do the right thing.'   The couple have carried out their own six-month trawl of the 30,000-page Portuguese police files, which were released last year when the investigation was shelved.   This uncovered the four witness statements about the prowler buried in the dossier.   The sinister-looking man was first spotted by a British tourist who was walking with her young daughter near the Ocean Club on April 29, 2007 - the day after the McCanns arrived in Portugal.   She said she felt 'unnerved' by the man, who was staring at the McCanns' rented holiday apartment. She then saw him again at about 3pm on May 2 - the day before Madeleine disappeared. 'He appeared to be watching it,' the woman said.   'He was about 5ft 10in, slim build and wearing casual clothes. I would describe him as very ugly, (with) pitted skin with a large nose.'   The man was also seen on April 30 at about 8.15am by a British schoolgirl, who noticed him staring at the balcony of the apartment.   Madeleine's abductor is thought to have entered the flat through unlocked patio doors on the balcony, while her parents ate dinner with friends nearby.   A couple from Cheshire then saw the man on either May 2 or 3 staring at apartment 5A, and standing near a parked white van. An artist's impression of the man, commissioned by the Find Madeleine fund, shows a dark-haired, heavily scarred man.   Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns' spokesman, said: 'This man needs to be traced urgently and eliminated. These witnesses did talk to Portuguese police but it appears that nothing was done to find him. He is a vital part of the jigsaw.'   Mr Mitchell said detectives also wanted to find the man seen carrying a child away from the McCanns' apartment at about 9pm on May 3 - the time Madeleine is believed to have vanished.   In his Le Parisien interview, Amaral admitted the Portuguese police had botched the investigation.   'It's true,' he said. 'At the time there was no set procedure in the case of a missing child. The crime scene was not well looked after. Since then such things have improved.'

Madeleine: 'Stranger' Sightings Could Be Clue, 07 May 2009

Madeleine: 'Stranger' Sightings Could Be Clue Sky News   Laura Bundock 8:59am UK, Thursday May 07, 2009   Five separate sightings of a "strange man" could help piece together what happened to Madeleine McCann, private detectives believe.   Three of the witnesses reported seeing a man watching the family's holiday apartment in Portugal days before Madeleine went missing.   Retired British detectives are linking these sightings with accounts from two other witnesses who saw a man carrying a child away from the flat the night she disappeared.   A documentary on Channel 4 tonight will screen a reconstruction of Madeleine's disappearance two years ago. It is the first such reconstruction and has the backing of Kate and Gerry McCann.   In the programme, Mr McCann returns for the first time to the holiday flat in Praia da Luz.   He says: "I had one of those really proud father moments when I just thought 'you're beautiful and I love you'.   "And I paused for a minute and then I just pulled the door closed again."   One of the witness statements, from a female tourist who reportedly saw a man outside the flat in Praia da Luz, said: "I grabbed my daughter's hand and pulled her towards me. For some reason the man unnerved me."   Jane Tanner's Sighting She described the man as "very ugly" with pitted skin and a large nose.   The second witness was a 12-year-old girl who says she saw a man twice looking towards the McCanns' balcony. Her description helped the police create an image of the man.   The third witness was a holidaymaker who remembers seeing a man outside the flats behaving oddly.   Their statements have emerged after Portuguese police released 30,000 files on the case.   The two private detectives now employed by the McCanns believe the sightings could be significant.   Eyewitness Spots Mystery Man She was with Kate and Gerry in the tapas restaurant the night Madeleine vanished.   Kate McCann, who has given up work as a doctor, is filmed in the documentary looking through the thousands of police files.   She remains optimistic that new evidence may come out. She said: "I think we've achieved a lot in the last few weeks, so we're really hoping that somebody who's been sitting there knowing something will suddenly feel the courage and compassion to come forward."   The programme, Cutting Edge: Madeleine Was Here, is on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight.

Girl, 12: I saw ugly man stalk Maddie, 08 May 2009

Girl, 12: I saw ugly man stalk Maddie The Sun   By ANTONELLA LAZZERI Published: Today (08 May 2009)   A SCHOOLGIRL fears she saw the kidnapper of Madeleine McCann watching the terrace where the youngster used to play.   The Brit-born 12-year-old, interviewed days after Maddie's disappearance, noticed a "scarily ugly" man twice apparently stalking the holiday flat in Praia da Luz.   The girl, who has lived in Portugal since she was two, always looked at the apartment because it had belonged to her grandad.   Maddie was playing on a terrace and a man was "staring" as he loitered.   Scared   She also told cops: "He had a big forehead and a pointy nose.   "Big ears but flat against his head. He had acne and was really, really ugly, repugnant."   The unnamed girl appeared in last night's Channel 4 Cutting Edge documentary.   A source said: "She is still very scared that the man could be Maddie's abductor and is free."   Cops got an artist to make a drawing of her description, supported by other witnesses — but it was never circulated publicly. SHAMED Portuguese cop Goncalo Amaral, once in charge of the case, claimed yesterday the girl died in the flat and "we discovered Kate McCann's fingerprints on the window of Madeleine's room".

"We investigated all the 'strange people'", 08 May 2009

"We investigated all the 'strange people'" Diário de Notícias   CARLOS RODRIGUES LIMA 08 May 2009 Thanks to Astro for translation   In a statement to DN, Gonçalo Amaral, a former Polícia Judiciária inspector who coordinated the investigation of the Madeleine McCann case, has devalued the appearance of a new photofit concerning a possible suspect of the abduction. "During the investigation, we collected numerous testimonies of people who mentioned others with strange behaviours, and we identified everyone," he stated to DN.   Yesterday, some English newspapers revealed the photofit of a new suspect who is pointed out by the McCann couple, Kate and Gerry. A drawing that is part of a documentary that was made by English television channel Channel 4. "We had information about strange people in the area of the McCanns' apartment. And we identified them: one was an English musician, another one was a man who slept in a van, and there was also a gardener," said Gonçalo Amaral.   Hence the devaluation that Gonçalo Amaral does of the appearance of a supposed piece of data, stressing the coincidence between the re-launch of the media campaign and the appearance of "new data".   The sketch of the new suspect was created based on elements that are part of the Portuguese investigation, which were worked upon by two retired English policemen, Dave Edgar and Arthur Cowley, both aged 52. The new suspect is described as "very ugly", thin and with holes in his skin. "Locally, there is someone living in the area who has the answer to this and it's not further than 10 or 15 kilometres from Praia da Luz," Dave Edgar says in the documentary, cited in a text that was publicised by Channel 4, to promote the documentary. Cowley, who was a police detective for 30 years, agrees that "the answer lies in Praia da Luz".   Madeleine McCann disappeared on the 3rd of May 2007 from the Ocean Club, a tourist resort in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve. During the first few weeks, the Portuguese authorities mobilised a never before seen amount of means on location, to search for the child. PJ, GNR, Civil Protection, Firemen and PSP sent dozens of officers into the area, searching for the child's trail.   The possibility of an abduction was the first theory that was explored by the PJ in Portimão, that investigated the case since the beginning. But according to the process, after every lead that could sustain the abduction theory was explored, the investigation decided to focus on the activity of the group of English citizens that accompanied the McCann couple on their holidays in the Algarve, in 2007.   The turning point happened with the action of English dogs Eddie and Keela, that smelled blood and cadaver odour in the McCanns' apartment in Praia da Luz and in a van that was rented by them fifteen days after their daughter's disappearance. Gerry and Kate were later made arguidos in the process. In 2008, the Public Ministry decided to archive the case. If "new facts" emerge, the investigation may be reopened.

Market gipsy is Maddie suspect, 09 May 2009

Market gipsy is Maddie suspect The Sun   By SIMON HUGHES and ANTONELLA LAZZERI Published: Today (09 May 2009)   A MARKET trader was a key suspect in the Madeleine McCann kidnap, The Sun can reveal.   The Portuguese man was traced by British private detectives and placed under surveillance.   Investigators said he was "of gipsy appearance", fitting the description of a man seen loitering just before Maddie disappeared from an apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal.   The detectives, hired by the McCann family, flew to Portugal after initial information suggested the man might have Maddie with him.   A marathon surveillance operation began almost a year ago and continued on-and-off until recently.   But it failed to find any trace of Maddie, who was three when she vanished two years ago.   The 'tecs even obtained a sample of the suspect's DNA and had it analysed in the UK. He was also secretly photographed and the snaps shown to potential witnesses.   Last night a source said: "This man's existence was pinpointed originally as a result of local intelligence.   Mystery   "The British team identified him and a surveillance operation was mounted.   "One hope was obviously that this would lead to the discovery of Madeleine — but that did not happen.   "A man of his description — of a gipsy-like appearance — had been seen hanging around even before the McCann family arrived."   The suspect is NOT thought to be a mystery man with a pockmarked face and pointy nose, revealed in a Channel 4 documentary on Thursday.   Three witnesses said they saw him loitering near the McCann's apartment. One unresolved theory is that a gang of child traffickers may have abducted Maddie.   The Find Madeleine hotline received more than 50 calls after the show.   The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Some of them contained good new information which our investigation team are looking at. The response is encouraging."

Maddie: 50 leads in hunt for Mr Spotty, 09 May 2009

Maddie: 50 leads in hunt for Mr Spotty Daily Star   By Jerry Lawton 9th May 2009   INVESTIGATORS hunting for missing Madeleine McCann are following up 50 new leads.   A flood of "sightings" across Europe followed the release of an image of a spotty man seen watching the holiday apartment in Portugal from which the tot vanished two years ago.   Clarence Mitchell, spokesman for the McCann family, said yesterday: "The leads are extremely encouraging and are being checked out right away.   "Some of the calls came from Portugal. They are particularly encouraging because that is where our detectives believe the answer to this still lies.   "The response has given Madeleine's mother and father fresh hope."   Parents Kate, 41, and Gerry, 40, are hoping desperately that "Mr Spotty" holds the key to the mystery of Maddie, who vanished from the family's Praia da Luz apartment on May 3, 2007, nine days before her fourth birthday.   Four witnesses saw him five times in the days immediately beforehand but the sightings were not taken seriously by Portuguese police.   Two Brit detectives employed by the McCanns discovered them tucked away in 17 volumes of police files. The link between the sightings was highlighted for the first time in the Channel 4 documentary, Madeleine Was Here, watched by 2.6 million viewers on Thursday night.   After the programme, the McCanns' information hotline was blitzed with calls.   Spokesman Mr Mitchell added: "The McCanns' investigators believe Madeleine was snatched by a two-man team in a carefully planned operation."   He said it was believed that – after the spotty suspect had "cased" the apartment – an abduction was carried out by an accomplice who was seen by one of the McCanns' dinner pals, Jane Tanner, 42, carrying Madeleine away.   The investigators think this man was seen again 40 minutes later and half a mile away by 12 members of an Irish family walking near the beach.   Both they and Jane thought it was an innocent dad carrying his sleeping child.   Gerry said in the documentary that he is convinced Madeleine is still alive. The film will be shown in Portugal on Monday.

We have names of Maddie suspects, 10 May 2009

We have names of Maddie suspects News of the World   Brit detective team hunting missing youngster reveal new leads   EXCLUSIVE   By Dominic Herbert 10/05/2009 (appeared online 09/05/09 22:20 PM)   THE British team of cold case detectives investigating Maddie McCann's disappearance today reveal sensational NEW LEADS.   Senior ex-police officers hired by parents Kate and Gerry now have the names of at least FIVE new possible kidnappers after a flood of calls from the public last week.   And they have found vital evidence never properly investigated by blundering Portuguese cops.   It includes a list of 18 PERVERTS and a sinister series of SIX SEX ATTACKS on other British kids within an hour's drive of the Praia da Luz resort where Maddie was snatched.   The former detective inspector leading the squad, Dave Edgar, also believes the youngster-who would be six on Tuesday-is ALIVE and could still be hidden in peasant villages ten miles away. Police have never searched these.   Opening his case files exclusively to the News of the World, Edgar said: "Is it possible that Madeleine is alive and living in the Algarve despite all the publicity? The answer is yes.   Identify   "There is a very strong possibility that Madeleine is still within that area. We are following evidence with this."   Edgar, 52, revealed how his team has been sifting through responses following the release of an image of how Maddie would look today-plus a TV reconstruction and artist impressions of a man seen watching the McCann's holiday flat before the abduction.   "We have had between 200 and 300 good calls," said Edgar. "There are five or six really important ones we are focusing in on now. We have had names come in and information with which we can identify others."   They will also cross reference the names of new suspects with their database of British sex offenders living in Portugal at the time. As the cold case hots up, Edgar's team are virtually certain ONE MAN carried out the kidnapping that shook the world and NOT child traffickers. And Edgar says the Portuguese cops probably had him in their grasp but let him slip through their fingers.   "There is no evidence that there is more than one person involved," he said. "And I believe there is a real chance the police have spoken to him during their inquiry."   But hardened cop Edgar - used to leaving no stone unturned in UK investigations - says he was astonished to find vital evidence in Portuguese police files that was never made public during the search.   He said it seemed they had failed to run thorough checks on 18 sex offenders living within easy reach of the McCanns' apartment.   Edgar added: "I have had a look at the files and it is very difficult to assess them as the documents I have been given are not very satisfactory.   "All I can say is that so far we have eliminated only two of the offenders because they were in prison at the time. The remaining 18 weren't investigated to the standard I'm used to. But we will take this forward."   Former Northern Ireland and Cheshire cop Edgar, 52, Edgar and his hard-core squad of four hand-picked investigators -drafted in by the McCanns last November - are also looking at records of six sex attacks against youngsters in the Algarve leading up to Madeleine's kidnap. Again, these are poorly documented by the Portuguese.   "Most of attacks were overnight, in apartments and at least five involved British children," he said. "I am looking for links to the Madeleine abduction - geographical links, links with the descriptions."   The attacks are:   APRIL 14, 2004: Praia do Carvoeiro, Lagoa, 20 miles from Praia da Luz (PDA). Sex assault on 10-year-old girl.   JUNE 9 2005: Sao Rafael, near Sesmarias, 50 miles from PDA. Sex assault on nine-year-old girl.   JUNE 2 2006: Praia do Carvoeiro, Lagoa, 20 miles from PDA. Sex assault on seven-year-old girl and her 10-year-old sister in separate rooms.   OCTOBER 29 2006: Albufeira, 45 miles from PDA. Sex assault on eight-year-old girl   CHRISTMAS DAY, 2006: Silves, 35 miles from PDA. Attempted abduction of three-year-old girl.   MAY 28 2007: Albufeira. 45 miles from PDA. Intruder disturbed at the bottom of nine-year-old girl's bed.   Edgar told us: "Some of the attacks were in the files and some were in other documents that were not terribly obvious. Again I am subject to the frailties of the Portuguese authorities and have to work with what I have been given. I have tried to build bridges with them but have had no response. But we have access to other files that have not been released to the public and the media."   As well as sifting through case files, Edgar has pinpointed a wilderness just 10 miles north of the tourist strip where Maddie could be hidden in peasant communities live in isolation.   Memories   "Once you get beyond the tourist strip it is a different world. The geography is a really important factor," he said. "These are isolated areas, it is impoverished and villagers live the way they have done for years. Children change physically and a child's memory changes.   "Madeleine will have memories but at that age you develop very quickly and especially if you are living with people from different backgrounds.   "The other really important point is that no body has been found."   Edgar's belief that one man alone took the youngster was backed by revelations last week that a mystery man with a pockmarked face and pointed nose was spotted by two separate witnesses watching the McCanns flat in the days before the kidnap.   The ex-cop thinks it could be the man seen by Jane Tanner, one of the holidaymakers who had been with the McCanns in the tapas bar before Maddie was snatched.   Edgar said: "I think it could be the same person - some one with knowledge of the area. The descriptions given are very similar. And Jane is a very reliable witness."   He dismissed many of the established theories behind Maddie's disappearance - like the involvement of child traffickers. "From the evidence I just don't think this is the case," he said. He has also ruled out Maddie being carried aboard a yacht at a nearby marina after interviewing the key witness behind the theory.   And he said the Portuguese police were WRONG to focus on the McCanns and local Robert Murat as suspects.   "A closed mind gives you closed options. They had a theory that focused on, Kate and Gerry and Murat. There is not one shred of evidence against any of them."   The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell said last night: "Kate and Gerry are very pleased at the response from the publicity of the second anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance. And they are pleased with the good work Dave and his team are doing."

Help us trace Maddie suspect say McCanns, 10 May 2009

Help us trace Maddie suspect say McCanns Sunday Star   By Jonathan Corke 10th May 2009   THE parents of missing Madeleine McCann are praying that a suspect dubbed "Scarface" will be found within days.   Investigators working for doctors Kate and Gerry are believed to have been offered names for the pock-marked man.   And they hope that he will be tracked down once the British Channel 4 reconstruction of Maddie's disappearance is screened in Portugal tomorrow.   A source close to the McCanns said: "We need the people of Portugal to help. Someone in the country knows who this man is and where he might be found.   "And, if he is found, then finding Madeleine could be a distinct possibility.   "Let's hope the Cutting Edge documentary already screened in the UK will provide that vital clue."   An image of "Scarface" was released last week after the documentary highlighted evidence which had been buried in Portuguese police files.   Retired detectives Dave Edgar and Arthur Cowley believe the man had been watching the McCanns' holiday apartment at Praia da Luz for several days before Madeleine – then aged three – vanished in May 2007.   One theory is that he "cased" the apartment and an accomplice carried out Maddie's abduction.   The image is based on a description given to the local police by an unnamed British tourist.   She was walking with her daughter four days before Maddie vanished when she saw the pock-marked man acting suspiciously.   She saw him again outside the flat the day before Maddie went missing.   She told police he was about 5ft 10in tall, slim and wearing casual clothes, probably jeans.   Another two witnesses – a 12-year-old girl and a man from Cheshire – also reported seeing a man watching the apartment. Their testimony was dug out of the files by the McCanns' two detectives.   And, after the Cutting Edge documentary was aired in the UK on Thursday, they were given around 50 new leads to investigate, including possible sightings of Maddie.   Kate and Gerry, both 41, are now hoping the renewed publicity push will end their two years of suffering.   Their spokesman Clarence Mitchell said the response to the UK documentary screening had been "very encouraging".   He added: "When it goes out on Portuguese television for the first time we are obviously hoping that will generate even more new information."   There has also been a wave of "sightings" of the missing girl from across Europe after the issue of a computer-generated "age-progression" image showing how she might look now she is two years older.

Scarface witness: Police ignored me, 11 May 2009

Scarface witness: Police ignored me The Sun   By ANTONELLA LAZZERI Published: Today (11 May 2009)   A WITNESS who sparked the hunt for a scarfaced suspect in the Madeleine McCann abduction has NEVER been questioned by police.   The woman twice saw a man dubbed "Mr Ugly" loitering near the McCann holiday apartment before Maddie, three, vanished.   She reported the sightings to British cops when she returned home from Portugal, but they failed to follow up her lead. It was only when she received an emotional phone call from Maddie's mum Kate, 41, nearly two years later that a photo-fit based on her description was put together.   The angry mum-of-two, 36, who has asked not to be identified, was in an apartment three doors from the McCanns. She said yesterday: "I feel vital time has been lost. Every day I hope Madeleine is found safe.   "When Kate asked me to help, I agreed immediately. But the police should have asked two years ago."   It was only after Kate got in touch that the woman learnt two other witnesses saw an identical man in the resort of Praia da Luz in May 2007. She said: "I can't believe our three sightings weren't linked earlier. It took the McCanns to do that."   The weirdo so unnerved her that she pulled her three-year-old daughter away. Back in England, she told her local police in Wiltshire.   They passed her report to Kate and Gerry McCanns' local force in Leicestershire. She said: "I heard nothing from them."   The woman who featured in a TV documentary about Maddie last week, finally gave her description to the McCanns' own investigators.

Maddie cops snubbed me over Spotty, 12 May 2009

Maddie cops snubbed me over Spotty Daily Star   By Jerry Lawton 12th May 2009   THE key witness who saw the spotty man suspected of snatching Madeleine McCann says she was ignored by bungling police.   The creepy character was seen watching the McCanns' holiday apartment three days before the youngster was abducted.   The British tourist witness, 36, was so spooked by the sinister stranger she pulled her three-year-old daughter away from him.   She saw him watching the apartment again just 24 hours before Madeleine, now six, was kidnapped in Praia da Luz, Portugal.   But even though she was staying three doors from the McCanns she was never spoken to by police. Her apartment was never searched and her evidence was ignored for two years.   As soon as she returned to the UK she went to her local police in Wiltshire and reported the man – now believed by investigators to be part of a two-man abduction team.   But she was never interviewed. Then Madeleine's mum Kate, 41, spotted the witness's details hidden in 17 volumes of police files archived as "unsolved" and tracked her down. The woman helped compile an image of the suspect that featured in the Channel 4 documentary Madeleine Was Here.   Yesterday the witness said: "I'm angry that vital time looking for this man has been lost. I can't believe the police did nothing.   "My husband and I both helped look for Madeleine. When she disappeared we were horrified and wanted to do all we could to help find her.   "I expected police would come to search all the holiday apartments and question everyone – but they didn't. If they had done I would have told them about this man straight away.   "He'd stuck in my mind so much.   "He was very ugly with active acne, a scarred face, big nose, big ears, and dark skin. He looked as if he was just waiting there outside the McCanns' apartment with no purpose. I didn't like him."   *   Comment 1: This witness states, of Madeleine, that "When she disappeared we were horrified and wanted to do all we could do to find her". Yet the witness was only prepared to provide the information about this sighting to the Portuguese police if they actually came knocking on her apartment! "If they had done I would have told them about this man straight away," is her rather lame excuse.   She says that she is "angry that vital time looking for this man has been lost." Well, that is an unfortunate consequence of not actually providing the information to the police at the time.   She continues: "I can't believe the police did nothing." A rather ironic statement considering that she was quite prepared to do just that herself; only mentioning it to the police force in Wiltshire when she got back home.   Comment 2: This article claims the witness was staying 'three doors down' from the McCanns. However, that apartment, 5D, was occupied by Russell O'Brien and Jane Tanner, two of the Tapas 7!   STATEMENT FROM CLEANER OF 5A   Maria Julia S. da Silva.   'Upon being asked, she states that she is a cleaner and has been working as such for around 13 years with the company "THE OCEAN CLUB". Her two daughters, FM and DI work with her in the same department.   Regarding her job, she points out that she is the person who is responsible for cleaning Block 5, more specifically apartments A, B, C, D, H, I, K, L, M and P, and also states that when the child disappeared only apartments A, B, D, G, H and K were occupied.'   The apartments were allocated as follows: 5A - The McCanns; 5B - The Oldfields; 5C - empty; 5D - O'Brien/Tanner; 5E - empty; 5F - empty.   - Far from being 'three doors down', this particular witness was actually based in the adjoining Block 4.

Maddy is alive, 18 May 2009

Maddy is alive Daily Mirror   By Rod Chaytor 18/05/2009   Ex-cop leading hunt: She was snatched to be loved   Madeleine McCann is still alive and was snatched by someone who wanted a child to love, claims the former policeman hunting her.   David Edgar today reveals why he is convinced the youngster is not dead - while dismissing all other theories so far put forward about her disappearance.   The 52-year-old dad-of-two believes Madeleine was simply "in the wrong place at the wrong time" when she was kidnapped from her holiday flat at Praia da Luz on May 3 2007, shortly before her fourth birthday.   Mr Edgar spoke as her parents Kate and Gerry prepared to sue disgraced former Portuguese police chief Goncalo Amaral over his "deeply offensive" claims they were involved in her disappearance.   He said: "Everybody hopes she has been taken by someone who wanted a child to take care of. That's also my theory because it is supported by obvious facts."   He said other claims about what happened do not stand up.   Taken by child traffickers: Former RUC and Cheshire officer Mr Edgar, who has more than 30 years' experience investigating murders, kidnappings and sex crimes, said: "There has been a huge reward offered. One of the gang would have broken ranks by now and come forward for it."   Abducted by paedophile: "Most child abusers dump the body quickly and near the scene with little or no attempt to hide it. It's a statistical fact. No trace of Madeleine, or her clothing, was found in a search."   Wandered off and fell down a hole: "The Portuguese searched the drainage tunnels. They also brought in British advisors to search. Again, no body."   Stumbled into the clutches of a paedophile: "A three-year-old is out in the street and comes across an abductor who happens to be walking by? It doesn't happen. Most people who see a child wandering about in nightclothes are going to take that child and look for the parents."   Parents killed her and dumped the body: "There is not the slightest shred of evidence."   Mr Edgar added: "There are good grounds for believing Madeleine is alive. It's not wild speculation. I can justify it by the evidence."   Kate and Gerry will take legal action against Amaral over comments he made in his book The Truth Of The Lie.   The couple, of Rothley, Leics, said: "These are unfounded and grossly defamatory claims. We can no longer stand back and watch as Mr Amaral tries to convince the entire world that Madeleine is dead."   Kate and Gerry are today due to mark International Missing Children's Day on the South Bank in London by joining other families who have lost youngsters.

Madeleine McCann: detectives check alibis for 'prowler' suspects, 18 May 2009

Madeleine McCann: detectives check alibis for 'prowler' suspects Telegraph   Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann say they are following up "solid" new clues about the identity of a prowler now being treated as the prime suspect in the case.   By John Bingham Last Updated: 2:07PM BST 18 May 2009   Investigators working for Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, have been passed possible names for a man seen loitering around the apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in the days before the three-year-old went missing.   They are also investigating possible sightings of her in Portugal which were reported to police but apparently not followed up.   The new information emerged after the couple made a series of international media appearances to issue a fresh appeal for information over the second anniversary of their daughter's disappearance on May 3 2007.   Among the hundreds of calls from around the world, it is understood that "five or six" offered credible new information which is now being followed up by two retired British police detectives who have been conducting a cold case review of the files from the original Portuguese investigation.   Crucially, several calls came from Portugal, despite open resistance from some in Praia da Luz to the family's ongoing campaign to highlight Madeleine's case, because of the damaging effects on the local economy.   The two detectives – Dave Edgar, a former RUC and Cheshire Police officer, and Arthur Cowley, previously of Merseyside Police – disclosed recently that they are focusing on a man with a pockmarked face seen outside the flat five times in four days.   Following a series of tip-offs about his possible identity, they are now understood to be investigating alibis for suspects.   Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns' spokesman, said it would be premature to say that investigators were "close" to finding Madeleine.   But he said: "There has been an extremely encouraging response from people around the world, the investigators are particularly pleased that they have had a number of calls that contained new information."   In a recent appearance on the Oprah Winfrey chat show in America, the McCanns released a new "age progression" image of Madeleine as she would look at six, which has generated scores of possible sightings around the world.   "We have had lots of information coming in following that image but, of course, they all need to be filtered," said Mr McCann.   Appearing on ITV1's This Morning to mark International Missing Children's Day, the couple also spoke about their libel battle with Goncalo Amaral, the former lead detective in the case, over his book which puts forward the theory that Madeleine's parents were involved in her disappearance.   "We want to make it clear the reason we're taking that action is because we feel what he has been saying is very much detrimental to the search," said Mr McCann.   His wife added: "I appreciate now that families need to be investigated in these cases, and we've certainly had that, but it is vital that the family is listened to."

Maddie cop on trail of 'Mr Spotty', 21 May 2009

Maddie cop on trail of 'Mr Spotty' Daily Star   By Jerry Lawton 21st May 2009   A DETECTIVE hired to find Madeleine McCann flew out of Britain yesterday on the trail of the spotty suspect he believes masterminded her abduction.   Former RUC officer Dave Edgar is travelling across Europe tracking an "ugly" man seen casing out the McCanns' apartment in Portugal the four days before she vanished.   He is convinced Maddie is still alive and was snatched by someone who "wanted a child to love".   Mr Edgar is acting on information from the public.   This follows the broadcast of a C4 documentary featuring a reconstruction of the then three-year-old’s kidnapping in May 2007.   It included a computer-generated image of how Madeleine may look now aged six and a photofit of a pock-marked man seen by four witnesses acting suspiciously outside the apartment before the abduction.   One woman helped investigators compile the image of the suspect after they unearthed her witness testimony in 17 volumes of police files on the case which has been archived "unsolved".   The drawing prompted 300 phone calls and five or six possible names for the suspect.   Last night the McCann family's spokesman Clarence Mitchell said Mr Edgar was following a "potentially vital" new lead.   He said: "For operational purposes I cannot say where Mr Edgar and his team are exactly, but they are following up a very encouraging lead."   Mr Edgar, 52, believes Maddie could be hidden in peasant villages close to the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz where she was snatched.

It was at this point, 21 May 2009, that the Raymond Hewlett story exploded in the media and 'Scarface/Mr Spotty/Ugly Man' was almost instantly forgotten.

Maddie cops close in on second paedo Brit, 27 May 2009

Maddie cops close in on second paedo Brit Daily Star   By Jerry Lawton 27th May 2009 (first appeared online 23:00 PM, 26th May 2009)   Detectives hunting Madeleine McCann want to quiz a second Brit paedophile living near the apartment where she was snatched.   The cops believe the convicted sex offender could be the "spotty" mystery man seen casing the family's holiday flat in the days leading up to the abduction.   The man was investigated by Portuguese police shortly after Maddie disappeared from the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz on May 3 2007, days before her fourth birthday.   They cleared him after a 12-year-girl who had seen the prowler was shown the suspect's picture and said it was not the same man.   But 100 pages of notes relating to this part of the investigation were withdrawn from 17 volumes of police case files released to the public after a request from British police.   Now private eyes hired by Maddie's parents want to question him themselves. The drama came after another Brit paedophile, Raymond Hewlett, agreed to be interviewed in a bid to prove he did not snatch Maddie.   The ex-soldier emerged from a German hospital following throat cancer surgery saying: "I have nothing to hide. I'm willing to talk."   Hewlett, who was staying on a campsite an hour from the apartment when Madeleine vanished, served six years in jail for abducting and sexually assaulting a girl of 14 at knifepoint.   West Yorkshire Police also want to quiz him about an indecent assault on an eight-year-old in 1975.   Last night McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "We are pleased Mr Hewlett has agreed to speak to the investigators. If an interview eliminates him from their inquiry he has done the right thing." The private eyes think Maddie was taken by two men – a "spotter" who cased the apartment and "snatcher" who struck while her doctor parents Kate, 41, and Gerry, 40, were dining with pals in a nearby tapas bar.   Mr Mitchell said the detectives would quiz Hewlett before flying to Portugal to question the other man.   Police sources said he had been eliminated because his bank card was used in Lisbon – three hours from Praia da Luz – at the time Madeleine was abducted.   He was proved not to have made any mobile phone calls from the Algarve and his wife also gave him an alibi. But Mr Mitchell said: "This man is on our radar."