Eloise HorsfieldSCOTLAND Yard has called for the investigation into missing Madeleine McCann to be reopened.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood is leading a team of 37 detectives who are following up 195 leads.
Almost five years after her disappearance, an age-enhanced photo has been released to show what the British child would look like now.
Redwood said he ‘genuinely’ believed she could be alive, adding he thinks she was abducted by a stranger.
The team is however following another equally strong line of inquiry that she might now be dead.
Last week Spanish police were hunting for the child in Nerja following a tip-off from Portuguese police that a child with a ‘strong physical resemblance’ had been seen there.
Meanwhile the Olive Press is investigating a possible sighting by an expat who claims she saw a blonde girl who could have been Maddie on Penoncillo Beach between Nerja and Torrox last summer.
Rose Johnson said she was ‘taken aback’ when the young girl, around eight years old, joined a party of Hispanic-looking adults – and later saw a people carrier with a Portuguese number plate parked nearby.
“It had quite an impact on us,” she said. “The girl definitely wasn’t Spanish.”
Next Thursday, May 3, will mark the fifth anniversary of Maddie’s disappearance from a holiday resort in the Algarve in 2007.
Her ninth birthday is May 12.
“Redwood said he ‘genuinely’ believed she could be alive, adding he thinks she was abducted by a stranger. – The team is however following another equally strong line of inquiry that she might now be dead.” ??? Nothing like covering your back ! I can’t think of a third possibility just at the moment. Even the Bible talks about the “quick and the dead”. Just the two options, and he is backing them both.
And when you do contact Rosalie Bray, on whom the “Sighting” had so much “impact” could you ask her why she has been quite happy to let Madeleine live for a further year in the hands of predatory Pae****, (as her parents insist) and did nothing about it till now. And then write an article exposing her negligence. Point out that if Madeleine had been killed in the intervening year some moral responsibility might just lie on her shoulders.
Any feedback from Billy Sousa (Hughes). Or has he been quietly consigned to history too ?
“The team is however following another equally strong line of inquiry that she might now be dead”. I have not heard this said in any interview today. Can anyone provide a link proving this was actually said by Andy Redwood. Thanks.
Madeleines age progressed photos are getting as numerous and different as are the efits for the scarlet pimpernel! A Redwood is being diplomatic IMO. He does ot look like a stupid guy to me.
@MS here is a link to another article where mr redwood is reported to have stated that
http://www.christianpost.com/news/madeleine-mccann-may-still-be-alive-uk-police-release-new-photo-73843/
June, I take it that if this was your child that was missing, then you would be just as active as the McCanns are?
why oh why do these people who make these sightings never seem to report them at the time.!!!
MS: I watched the Panorama programme last night and I don’t think they included that, even if he did say it to other journalists. It is however, sadly almost the first thing one would think of, whether she really was abducted by a Pae*** , in which case she would have been probably killed within hours, or whether you trust the two British dogs, who detected human cadaverine in the apartment and in the back of the hire car, indicating a death in the apartment. The idea that she is being looked after like a “Princess” (Kate’s words, not mine) is frankly ludicrous.
And in case you missed it — because no journalist is writing it and telling you — the reason for the Panorama programme being bought forward on some channels, and the sudden flurry of “sightings” from years ago is that Amaral’s books are being returned to the publisher today, 26th April, so they can start selling them again. For those of you who missed all that, TM spent thousands of your generously donated pounds on trying to prevent Amaral’s freedom of speech, and lost. The “Fund” will probably have to pay the court costs. Don’t watch this hand, look over here !
On the Daybreak programme 27 April, available on YouTube the exchange actually went like this –
“Do you believe she is still alive?
Redwood: Yes I do.
Dan Lobb: Why?
Redwood: I believe she’s still alive because, at the beginning of this case……it’s a huge privilege for us at the Metropolitan Police to be part of this investigation….er, investigation review. Is that we came with a completely open mind.
Kate Garraway: So what are the things that make you think that…because I think you know we’re all clinging to the hope, aren’t we?
Dan Lobb: Yeah. I mean it’s kind of hard evidence but there is still going to be hope – as long as she’s not found dead.
Redwood:
Yes, I mean, you know, we have conducted a forensic analysis of the timeline, and there is clearly opportunity there – for Madeleine McCann to have been removed from that apartment alive – and it is our belief, as experienced investigators – on the evidence, – that, – um – that you know, – that – that, – that is as a criminal act – and that has been, – you know, -undertaken by by a stranger, and so from that – she’s…………………and there are other cases around the world, as you know where, many years later, people have been taken and been found alive”
If you read that carefully you will see that Redwood is= unable to force himself to answer. On each occasion he has to change the subject before he is able to speak coherently again.
And a pre-emptive strike just in case you are tempted …. ThisisLondon is carrying a story about a taxi driver who “carried M and three adults, but no one followed it up, ” blah, blah. The story is two YEARS old, and this is what Mitchell had to say then -“Clarence Mitchell, spokesman for the McCanns, reacted yesterday with amazement at the declarations of the taxi-driver. “The declarations of Mr. Castela are FALSE. They are a perfect nonsense. He can only be mistaken when he says that at that time he transported Kate and Madeleine with three men”. What they say NOW is “Kate and Gerry McCann’s lawyer in Portugal, Isabel Duarte, said Mr Castela’s account is one of several important leads that the Portuguese police have failed to follow up.” We are being manipulated. They are hoping that everyone will forget. But we don’t. These things are in the archive, and lies like this will continue to be exposed.
(All links available on request)
The taxi driver story first surfaced in early 2008. Now it is being rehashed to support the theory that there are hundreds of new leads that were not investigated by the PJ. Complete b*ll*cks for starters. And why didn’t the Mccanns get Metodo or the two latest PIs to investigate? The knew about it from the start seeing as they had media monitoring and Clarence commented on the story. What a bl**dy scam. And why has the date of the sighting been changed from the 3rd of May to the 4th May? More of these ridiculous garden paths the public and others will be led up on to come, no doubt. All this rubbish simply confirms to me that it is all a sham, they know their daughter is dead, and they are just trying to stay out of jail.
Wish I could understand why some people are so fixated and absorbed by this poor childs fate. So much so that they will make such outrageous comments as June does.
June. Thank you. I was just going to correct my post. It was 2008 as you say, and Mitchell dismissed it out of hand. The date has now changed from 4th May to 3rd May, There has to be a reason why it is being re-hashed now, but for TM it is a dangerous strategy as it will show they are not telling the truth. Perhaps this will be the “killer fact”
@PM, they changed the original date of the 3rd to the 4th. They also ommitted to say that the taxi driver was adamant it was Kate Mccann and Robert Murat in the taxi as originally claimed four years ago. What a load of hogwash.
Who is Rosalie Bray, this was the ladys name on this article before it was changed to Rose Johnson