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Date Posted：09/06/2023 1:54 PMCopy HTML
Another work in progress.
Originally I was only adding photos for comparison but realised the basic timeline was helpful within the same format.
Many photos and researched dates courtesy of
www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk By Pamalam
& http://www.mccannfiles.com
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/PHONE_TEXTS.htm
The trips continue to the area of the triangle referred to above. (July)
| Tues July 31 | 31 July 2007 Eddie and Keela start work at Apartment 5A
In the evening, Portuguese and UK investigators begin their search of apartment 5A with Eddie and Keela.
Cadaver odour is indicated in the McCanns bedroom by the wardrobe, in the living room behind a sofa and a light scent indicated outside on the veranda and in a flowerbed. A blood indication is made behind the sofa
"...At around 10pm, police officers see Gerry McCann, going past the apartment at the wheel of his hire car, a Renault Megane Scenic, an impenetrable look on his face ..."- Truth of the Lie (Goncalo Amaral)
Kate McCann's diary
with many thanks to Joana Morais blog
TUESDAY, JULY 31: I got up early after another late and very disturbed night.
I dropped by the church. I feel better after these short conversations.
I cooked my first meal (since they took Madeleine!!) for dinner tonight.
Please God—make me right. Please God—protect her. Please God—bring her back to us soon!
Night, night Madeleine, by dearest little angel. My sweetheart, my darling, my love, my companion. I love you more than anything. Lots of hugs my darling. I'm going to dream that I'm lying by your side—moments I'll always cherish and I long to have again.
Sweet dreams my little one. Be strong. Mummy XXXXX.
KATES LAST ENTRY | Gerry's blog: Relatively quiet day apart from phone calls and campaign related e-mails. We have Busy couple of days coming up so off to bed relatively early (before midnight)! | | 31st... A few early hour pings, two at 01:02 and one at 03:03. Next ping at Faro airport at 08:48. Back in Luz at 10:44. No mention of this airport run in his blog. |
| 31st - Only Gerry travels to Faro airport this morning |
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Between 1 and 31 August the McCanns did not receive any visit from friends with whom they had come to spend holidays. However, they continue to move between different locations in the Algarve.
Wed Aug 1
Jon Corner
Kates Parents
 | TRIANGLE
1st August - possibly separate trips because Kate pings at 19:20 in Budens when Gerry is still in PdL
~19:20 - ~22:00
Jon Corner and Kate's parents arrive
Jon Corner arrives to film promotional material for the official 'Find Madeleine' site. Kate's parents also arrive.
August 1st... Morning trip to Faro airport. Soon after returning there is a large gap followed by a couple of pings in 'Lagos (Santa Maria)' and then 3 in Lagos, as follows (consecutive pings)...
12:39 PdL Centro
{ 4 hour gap }
16:36 Lagos (Santa Maria)
17:08 Lagos (Santa Maria)
17:14 Lagos Centro
17:15 Lagos Norte
17:23 Lagos Centro
18:27 PdL Centro
There is also a late night Budens ping with possibility of travel because of large gap:
20:04 PdL Centro
22:29 Budens
22:32 PdL
23:01 PdL Centro
| 1/8 Busy day. Starts with three activations in Luz (at what appears to be 3 different masts, Luz Centro 1 & 2 and Luz 2) between 09:14 and 09:30. Those are Kate’s only pings in Luz until 17:48
After the half nine morning ping she heads to Faro airport, where she activates at 10:33. Next ping comes at Porches (Just East of Portimao) at 11:40. Then comes several pings at Lagos between 12:39 and 17:36 (with a large gap : 14:07 - 16:35)
Back in Luz at 17:48 and another at 18:51.
Then a trip of around 10 miles West of Luz. Pinging Budens & Raposeira between 19:20 & 20:04 followed by a ping at Burgau @ 21:06 and then back in Luz Centro 2 at 22:14 | 1st - Although both G & K ping Lagos this afternoon, Kate is first there. She starts activating in Lagos at 12:39 while Gerry also has an activation at 12:39 (sending a text) in Praia da Luz. Although both travelled to F airport this morning, only Kate has no pings in Luz from that trip until 17:48 that evening. G, meanwhile, does have some Luz pings after returning from the airport, before travelling to Lagos.
Simultaneous period of inactivity; 14:07 - 16:35
Both take a trip to the West of Luz (Budens/Burgau/Raposeira) this evening. However, yet again, Kate is first of the mark...
She first pings Budens at 19:20 while Gerry has a 20:04 Luz ping. G only has one ping in the Budens area at 22:29 which comes after a 2.5 hour gap but has a Luz activation only 3 minutes later, so it may be an erroneous activation which would mean only K travelled West this evening. Kate meanwhile Pings Budens & Raposeira between 19:20 & 20:04 followed by a ping at Burgau @ 21:06 and then back in Luz Centro 2 at 22:14 |
| Gerry's blog: Another trip to the airport this morning to pick up our campaign manager. Kate did a series of interviews for womens magazines and the Sunday newspapers which took most of the afternoon. Kates parents, who we visit regularly at home, also arrived and the twins were very happy to see them. They will be staying with us for a week. We have had some new posters designed of Madeleine, in Portuguese and Spanish, which I have been printing out to distribute locally. I also did some filming to camera which we might use on the website and for future events. |
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| Thurs Aug 2
Jon Corner
Kates Parents
| TRIANGLE
2nd August Pings- Gerry on his own
~18:30 - ~20:30
Trip to Huelva cancelled Gerry McCann cancels trip to Huelva due to 'viral illness'. PJ arrive at the McCanns' villa with Eddie and Keela Around 18:00pm, the Inspectors knock on the door of the McCanns villa. Jon Corner states in the Panorama documentary that the McCanns were forewarned of this forensic visit and that there were clothes in the washing machine when the Inspectors arrived. Cadaver odour is indicated on two pieces of Kate's clothing (trousers and blouse), on a red T-shirt believed to belong to Madeleine and on the soft toy known as 'Cuddle Cat'.
Search of McCanns villa - summary from 'The Truth of the Lie' - When preparing to go to the McCann's villa with the dogs, everyone knew this was the moment to either take up a technical and legal instrument which could assign responsiblity, or fully remove from suspicion, Madeleine's parents in her disappearance.
- We knew, then, that we had failed when we decided to not wiretap and follow the friends and McCanns from the beginning of the investigation.
- The Public Ministry (MP) created the proper search documents. At the same time, they asked for authorisation to wiretap the villa and car at that time. The MP agreed, as it's been used in other cases. 24 anxious hours later the sitting Judge, covering for someone on holiday, denied the MP's agreement. No time to re-request, the last chance to know what the McCanns said away from the press microphones was gone, just as the couple prepared to leave the country.
- The search was planned in great detail.
- The villa is on Rua das Flores, 27, rented at the beginning of the summer with money donated to the Find Madeleine Fund.
- At 6pm-ish, the inspectors knocked on the door. Kate and Gerry were giving the twins a bath in the exterior pool. Surprisingly, they both reacted well to the search warrant and in a forthright and open way gave unlimited access to the investigators.
- Eddie started, going directly to the living room where on top of a chair was cuddlecat, which now had a little green ribbon and rosary around its neck. Again, Eddie showed his 7 years of experience dedicated to forensic crime scene work and, with a determined and affirmative bark, indicated that CuddleCat had been in contact with a cadaver.
- Using cardboard boxes, all the clothes in the house were taken to a specially prepared area to be placed on the ground for the dogs.
- At 23h20 all the clothes are spread out. Again, Eddie marks a strong cadaver odor on Kate's clothes: slacks in black/white check and a sleeveless white blouse. He barks frenetically.
- Keela finds no blood vestiges.. |
Gerry's blog: Today was a bit of a write off for me as I was laid low with a probable viral illness which meant I could not stray too far from the house! I did manage to get through some e-mails, telephone calls and some paperwork. Feeling a bit better tonight so hopefully be back to normal tomorrow.
Kate did manage to put up some of the new Madeleine posters in shops around Praia da Luz.. It is noticably busier, now that we are in August, with lots of tourists many of whom are from Portugal. The figures from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children show that one in six kids are recovered after being recognised from a poster. Such statistics do encourage us that relatively simple measures may be effective in helping us find Madeleine.
| 2nd... Another Budens trip this evening. Ping at Luz Centro at 18:11 then Budens at 18:32 followed by an activation in Luz at 18:43. Then 5 more Budens pings between 19:16 and 19:18 followed by a ping back in PdL Centro at 20:37 |
| 2nd - Only Gerry has Budens pings this evening. Six in total |
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| Fri Aug 3
Huelva
Jon Corner
Kates Parents
| 09:00 Leave Praia da Luz
11.20 - Seen by witness in centre of Huelva at stoplights with Jon Corner in back
12:15 Arrive Huelva (expected at 11:00am)
13:00 Distribute leaflets and posters at train station
13:30 Distribute leaflets and posters at cathedral
14:00 Distribute leaflets and posters at bus station
14:20 Leave to return to Praia da Luz
Trip to Huelva
Trip to Huelva The Huelva trip goes ahead, despite all public places being closed. The timeline, according to The Sun, is as follows: 09:00 Leave Praia da Luz12:15 Arrive Huelva (expected at 11:00am)13:00 Distribute leaflets and posters at train station13:30 Distribute leaflets and posters at cathedral14:00 Distribute leaflets and posters at bus station14:20 Leave to return to Praia da Luz A '100% sure' Maddie sighting is reported In Belgium, details emerge of a possible sighting of Madeleine. A child therapist says she is '100% sure' she saw Madeleine at a restaurant in the town of Tongeren, not far from the Dutch border. A bottle is taken for DNA testing but turns out to be that of a man. The 'sighting' actually took place on 28 July 2007. Covered here | Gerry's blog: It is exactly 3 months since Madeleine was abducted. Kate and I had an early start as we drove to Huelva, 50Km over the border from Portugal in Southern Spain. We were meant to go yesterday but had to cancel because I was ill. Unfortunately it was a public holiday in Huelva and the large shopping centre we planned to visit was closed. We did distribute posters in several garages, taxi ranks and the bus and train stations and gave out some Madeleine wristbands. This was definitely a worthwhile exercise, as many people did not seemingly recognise Madeleine but we did get a very warm response from the Spanish people we met. We would encourage everyone to continue taking posters on holiday but please ask permission before putting them up in public places. When we arrived back in Praia da Luz we did a couple of media interviews to building up to August 11th, which will mark 100 days if Madeleine is still missing. There will be a lot of media activity next week reviewing Madeleine's abduction, the investigation and of course the campaign to help find her. It is an opportunity to highlight that we have not given up hope and are still optimistic of being reunited with Madeleine. Tonight we prayed for Madeleine at a vigil in the church. This has happened every Friday since Madeleines abduction and was very well attended tonight, probably due to the greater number of tourists in the resort. 3rd... Two pings at 01:18 in the early hours and another at 03:18. Morning's activity starts at 06:45. Last ping of the morning comes at 07:22 in PdL Centro, which is then followed by a very large gap (trip to Huelva). The next ping back in Luz comes at 16:28. The only activation in those 9 hours comes at 13:38 in Vila Real de Santo Antonio, which is located right at the far Eastern end of the Algarve right next to the Spanish border. (No Spanish records available.) Given the time, this must have been on his way back. Last ping of the day at 20:34 (early night?)
| 3/8 Reported trip to Huelva in Spain. Records only account for activations within Portugal.
First activation of the day comes at 08:49 in ‘Assumadas 2’ (just North of Loule, around 10 miles N/NW of Faro). Then nothing until 13:45 in Tavira (just over 10 miles from the Spanish border). Pings then consistent with travel back to Luz, arriving at 14:38. However, then follows 5 pings at Lagos (Santa Maria) between 14:49 & 15:22 then back in Luz at 16:13.
Gap : 19:48 - 21:51
| 3rd - Only G has a few pings in the small hours of this morning (at 01:18 & 03:18). Both travel to Huelva. But where as Kate has several activations on the Portuguese side of the journey (Spanish records not available), Gerry only has one, being one at 13:38 at the Spanish border. Because of this, only K has pings in Lagos (Santa Maria) following a single ping back in Luz after returning from Huelva, but it may be a rogue activation. |
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| Sat Aug 4
Jon Corner leaves
Kates Parents
| Saturday August 4 • Police launch a second search of Robert Murat's house. Mrs McCann speaks for the first time of her regret at leaving her daughter on the night she disappeared. She also discloses that as she tucked Madeleine into bed that night, the little girl said: "Mummy, I've had the best day ever. I'm having lots and lots of fun."
Search of Casa Liliana, summary from 'The Truth of the Lie' - 4 and 5 August. Ground "aired" and opened. Over two days of thorough searching, no signs from Eddie at Murat's home. Jon Corner returns home
4th... First ping of the day at 08:49 at the 'Sobral IC4' antenna. Then activations at Silves, Arge IC4, Ladeira do Vau and Chinicato. Back in Luz at 09:07 & 09:08 but then a gap until 10:58 at Luz Centro.
| 4/8 Gap: 16:00 - 18:00 | 4th - Only Gerry pings Silves and Chinicato this morning (probable airport trip) |
| Day 93 - 04/08/2007 1st version old website
Gerry's blog: Another early start to the day as I dropped the crew who did some filming for the website and other forthcoming events. Kate and I did a short interview reviewing the last 3 months and the search for Madeleine. We spent the rest of the day with the kids and Kate's family. We were all glad it clouded over in the afternoon to give us some respite from the intense heat.
The most recent searches by the police have attracted a lot of renewed media interest with satellite trucks arriving back in Praia da Luz. It is likely that some of the British Broadcasters will also come back out.
We werre all very tired and we managed to get off to bed at 10.30pm, which is very early for us by recent standards
2nd version new website
Another early start to the day as I dropped the crew who did some filming for the website and other forthcoming events. Kate and I did a short interview reviewing the last 3 months and the search for Madeleine. We spent the rest of the day with the kids and Kate’s family. We were all glad it clouded over in the afternoon to give us some respite from the intense heat. The most recent searches by the police have attracted a lot of renewed media interest with satellite trucks arriving back in Praia da Luz. It is likely that some of the British Broadcasters will also come back out.
We were all very tired and we managed to get off to bed at 10.30pm, which is very early for us by recent standards |
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| Sun Aug 5
Kates Parents
| Sunday August 5 • The search of Mr Murat's home is completed, with reports suggesting that no new evidence was found.
| 5th.. One gap: 17:16 - 19:16 | 5/8 Gap: 13:07 - 16:03
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Day 94 - 05/08/20071st version old website
We attended church this morning as usual. The local priest father Manuel is on holiday so the mass was all in Portuguese and although quicker than normal we did not understand too much of the sermon.
I note there was a lot of coverage of Kates interview in the Sunday newspapers today. I managed to read one of them and certainly seemd to sum up very well how we are feeling and coping without Madeleine. The key message is that we are doing everything we can to help find Madeleine.
After lunch we had a metting with our campaign manager and Kates family to run through a few things which will be happening rhis week. There was going to be a lot of media here leading up to the 100 days although we still hope we will not get to that marker, even before this latest search by the Portuguese police. Kate and I popped back down to the church later on tonight to say a few quiet prayers for Madeleine. The town is much busier at tnight than when we first came here on holiday and ieven compared to a few weeks ago.
Computer glitches now sorted out thanks to Calum at infohost.
2nd version new website
We attended church this morning as usual. The local priest father Manuel is on holiday so the mass was all in Portuguese and although quicker than normal we did not understand too much of the sermon.
I note there was a lot of coverage of Kates interview in the Sunday newspapers today. I managed to read one of them and certainly seemd to sum up very well how we are feeling and coping without Madeleine. The key message is that we are doing everything we can to help find Madeleine.
After lunch we had a meeting with our campaign manager and Kates family to run through a few things which will be happening this week. There was going to be a lot of media here leading up to the 100 days although we still hope we will not get to that marker, even before this latest search by the Portuguese police.
Kate and I popped back down to the church later on tonight to say a few quiet prayers for Madeleine. The town is much busier at night than when we first came here on holiday and ieven compared to a few weeks ago.
Computer glitches now sorted out thanks to Calum at infohost. |
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| W/B Aug 6 |
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| Mon Aug 6
Kates Parents
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Monday August 6• A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the apartment where Madeleine went missing. Detectives now believe it is most likely Madeleine is dead, having been killed accidentally, the Jornal de Noticias claimed.
A police officer enters a car parking in Praca 1 de Maio in Central Portimao, 06 August 2007. Portuguese criminal police reserved three out of four floors of the public car parking near the police headquarters, to process 10 cars in relation with the disappearance of four-year-old |
Day 95 - 06/08/2007 - Monday
Today was again very busy. Lots of e-mails and telephone calls to family and friends who have been involved in the campaign to find Madeleine. I went to a large office store in Portimao to buy a new printer and ink, both of which were badly needed after all the posters we produced this last week.There has been lots of media attention on the latest police searches. We are pleased that the investigation remains so active and we are cooperating fully with the Portuguese and British police, as we have done since day 1. We continue to hope and pray daily for that vital breakthrough or sighting that will lets us be reunited as a family. | | 6th.. Trip to Portimao. Left Luz around 09:45 and returned to Luz between around 13:30 and 14:18. A gap: 19:08 - 21:14 | 6/8 Gap: 16:09 - 18:25 | 6th - Only G travels to Portimao for most of this morning and early afternoon |
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| Tues Aug 7
Kates Parents
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 | Day 96 - 07/08/2007 - Tuesday
Kate and I managed an early morning run today. It was pleasantly cooler, with a refreshing breeze, which made a nice change. The media presence in Praia da Luz is at its greatest since the first couple of weeks, as is the amount of speculation and rumour regarding the investigation.
This morning we agreed to do a short, pooled interview that was made available to all broadcasters worldwide. We wanted to make it clear, that as far as we know, there is still absolutely no evidence that Madeleine has been seriously harmed and Kate and I have to believe she is still alive. The Portuguese police have assured us on numerous occasions that they are looking for Madeleine and not a corpse. Of course all possibilities are being considered and the police have to be certain before eliminating any of the scenarios. It is absolutely right that we are subject to the same high standards of investigation as anyone else. Kate and I have, and will continue to assist the police in every possible way.
We hope there is a breakthrough in the investigation very soon.
In the meantime the campaign to keep the public involved in the search for Madeleine continues. We are always trying to think of ideas that will reach people who may not have heard of Madeleines disappearance.
I spent a couple of hours this afternoon working on forthcoming events but did manage to squeeze in a much-needed haircut! | 7th... Early hour pings at 00:14 and 00:15
| 8/8 Trip to Lagos. Pinging there between 09:40 & 11:32. Then back in Luz at 12:23
In Portimao between 15:00 & 17:15 |
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| Wed Aug 8
Healys left PdL
Kates Parents
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Wednesday August 8
• DNA tests on a milkshake bottle used by the girl seen in Tongeren prove inconclusive. But Belgian police say the findings do not rule out that Madeleine was present and say they are still hunting the couple's black Volvo car. A friend of the McCanns says she is disgusted at an apparent smear campaign against them. Rachael Oldfield, who ate with the McCanns on the night Madeleine disappeared, said: "I think there are some leaks coming from the police because a lot of what I have read recently has been completely untrue."
McCann, drives away from his villa in Praia da Luz 08 August 2007
Gerry McCann (L), father of missing four-year-old Briton Madeleine McCann, drives away from his villa in Praia da Luz 08 August 2007. Belgian authorities said Wednesday that DNA taken from a bottle at a Belgian cafe, following a reported sighting of missing British toddler Madeleine McCann, was that of a man, but the investigation continues. AFP PHOTO / FRANCISCO LEONG (Photo credit should read FRANCISCO LEONG/AFP/Getty Images)
Algarve Resident
Family routine or time gap?
Updated: 10-Aug-2007
THURSDAY AUGUST 9, 2007
By: CEC�?LIA PIRES
GERRY AND Kate McCann are keeping in regular contact with the Polícia Judiciária to find out about any developments from the latest investigations, although some newspapers have been reporting this week that the couple were called in by the PJ for new inquiries.
Some Portuguese newspapers reported this morning (Thursday) that the couple was questioned again yesterday (Wed) afternoon “as police wanted to confirm what had happened between 6pm and 9pm of May 3�?, the day Madeleine McCann disappeared from her room in a holiday apartment at Praia da Luz
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Day 97 - Aug 8th 2007 -Wednesday
Kates parents left early this morning. We did a short interview on how our faith has helped us during the last 3 months since Madeleines abduction. Given the events of the last few days we need to draw even greater strength from our faith and everyone who has supported us.
With the huge amount of media attention on us again it is very difficult to do anything with the kids without them being filmed and it is unfair on them. There is a huge amount of speculation in the media that Madeleine is dead, particularly with the obvious change in strategy of the investigation recently. At our meeting with the Portuguese police today we reaffirmed that we have to believe Madeleine is alive until there is concrete evidence to the contrary.
It is this belief that has driven everything we have done in relation to publicising Madeleines disappearance over the last 3 months. | | Gerry 8th... Early start (06:40). Last morning ping in Luz at 09:07 followed by a gap then pings Lagos Centro at 10:24 which is then followed by several activations at the antenna 'Lagos Hotel' from 10:30 until 11:22. Next at 11:56 is back in Luz Centro. Late afternoon trip to Portimao, pinging Lagos at 14:37 and Portimao between 15:03 and 17:14. Back in Luz at 17:48. |
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| | Thurs Aug 9 | Thursday August 9 • The McCanns end their daily routine of taking their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie to the creche at the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz. The move follows concerns about photographers taking pictures of their children and disturbing holidaymakers using the child-minding facility. Mr Murat's lawyer criticises the McCanns' "strange" behaviour in leaving Madeleine alone on the night she vanished. Francisco Pagarete also claims people in Praia da Luz want "these bloody McCanns" to return home. The McCanns insist they will not be "bullied" into leaving Portugal by the growing backlash against them.
Reports Of Blood Found In Madeleine McCann Apartment
Kate and Gerry McCann, leave the Praia da Luz apartment by car on August 9, 2007
arrive in their rented villa in Praia da Luz 09 August 2007. Portuguese and British newspapers report that during a review of evidence sniffer dogs from the British police found traces of blood and the odor of a corpse inside the room from witch Maddie went missing 3rd May. A British laboratory is currently analysing the blood samples, a source in the investigation told the Portuguese news agency.
People sunbathe and swim at the beach a few minutes walk from the apartment where Madeleine McCann went missing
 
Reports Of Blood Found In Madeleine McCann ApartmentLAGOS, PORTUGAL - AUGUST 09: Kate and Gerry McCann, parents of missing Madeleine McCann, leave a hotel on route to an interview with television crews on August 9, 2007 in Praia da Luz, Algarve, Portugal. The lawyer of the only suspect for the disappearance of Madeleine McCann today criticised her parents' 'strange' behavior in leaving her alone on the night she vanished. Kate and Gerry McCann have come under increasing pressure from the Portuguese media in recent days. This week Portuguese newspapers repeatedly reported that detectives now believe it is possible that Madeleine was not abducted but died in their holiday apartment on the night she disappeared. (Photo by Steve Parsons/Pool/Getty Images) |
Day 98 - 09/08/2007 - Thursday
We did a series of pooled interviews for TV and the press. The focus was to discuss the launch of the YouTube channel Don’t you forget about me which we have devised in conjunction with Google and the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children. YouTube is used by tens of millions of people mainly in the 16-24 age group. We think this is an incredibly exciting innovation to raise awareness of missing children. The channel is launched at lunchtime today and will have other videos of missing children. Families and other agencies will be able to upload videos of children that will help to raise awareness of their disappearance.
The rest of the interviews focussed on the events of the last week. We again emphasised that we do not know of any evidence that Madeleine has been seriously harmed and everything we have done is in the belief it is likely to increase the chances of finding her. Unfortunately the media attention has been very intrusive and we have taken the children out of kids club due to the disruption caused. We hope this settles down and the kids can get back into their routine which has kept them very settled in the last 98 days. It is a shame that the media attention has also impacted on other holidaymakers which we certainly dont want.
We did manage to have a quiet dinner with our family and the kids.
Algarve Resident
Family routine or time gap?
Updated: 10-Aug-2007
THURSDAY AUGUST 9, 2007
By: CEC�?LIA PIRES
GERRY AND Kate McCann are keeping in regular contact with the Polícia Judiciária to find out about any developments from the latest investigations, although some newspapers have been reporting this week that the couple were called in by the PJ for new inquiries.
Some Portuguese newspapers reported this morning (Thursday) that the couple was questioned again yesterday afternoon “as police wanted to confirm what had happened between 6pm and 9pm of May 3�?, the day Madeleine McCann disappeared from her room in a holiday apartment at Praia da Luz. | 9th... 5 pings between 00:03 and 00:54. Next at 06:50. Pinging Chinicato (Just North of Lagos) several times between 14:01 and 16:51 (with one rogue Penina ping in the middle - no possibility of travel) followed by an activation in Lagos Centro at 17:00 and then a ping back in Luz Centro over an hour later, at 18:05.
| 9/8 Spent a couple of hours pinging the Odiaxere & Mexilhoeira area. 14:52 - 16:57. Includes a one hour gap between Odiaxere activations (15:57 - 16:57).
Then Lagos on way back to Luz. |
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| Fri Aug 10 | Friday August 10
• The McCanns launch a new section of the internet video-sharing website YouTube. Called Don't You Forget About Me, it will be devoted to helping to find missing youngsters such as Madeleine.
Mr McCann says the police investigation could now be "starting with a new slate". He tells the BBC: "There has been a shift in the investigation and the way it was proceeding previously. "Now if that means we're starting with a new slate, we've always said all scenarios are possible, and we have always done everything to co-operate." Jornal de Noticias reports that Portuguese police want to question a British man who was on holiday in Praia da Luz at the same time as the McCanns and helped in the search for Madeleine. The man arrived in Portugal on April 28, the same day as the McCanns, and left on May 6, the day they should have flown home, the newspaper says.
 Reports Of Blood Found In Madeleine McCann Apartment
Gerry McCann and his wife Kate (in the background), the parents of missing four-year-old Briton Madeleine McCann, arrive to give a joint press conference for several foreign TV stations at a villa in Lagos 10 August 2007. The parents of Madeleine McCann, the young British girl who went missing from a Portuguese hotel room in May, spoke Friday of their pain at new suspicions over her disappearance. On the eve of the 100th day since their daughter vanished, Gerry and Kate McCann have had to confront Portuguese media reports that she may have died. British experts are reportedly analysing traces of blood found in the room.
| Day 99 10/08/2007 - Friday
Today Kate and I did a series of TV interviews for Portuguese and foreign TV. It has always been very important to us that we speak to the Portuguese people directly since we are in their country and have received such tremendous support, particularly from the local community. We again talked about the YouTube channel Don’t You Forget Me which was launched yesterday. Naturally we were also asked about the events of this week, which has been incredibly difficult for us with wild speculation in the media. We have always been told that the police had an open mind about Madeleines abduction and that all scenarios were possible.
In the first few days after Madeleines disappearance it was so difficult for us not to imagine the worst case scenario: that she had been taken and murdered, particularly in light of the statistics on child abduction. However as the massive investigation and extensive search did not find any evidence of serious harm to Madeleine, we started to hope that she would be found alive. This belief has been encouraged by the police and reinforced by the experts at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on my recent visit to Washington. There have been a number of children recovered, even after years of abduction, and whom the authorities had thought must be dead.
Everything we have done in the last 99 days in the campaign to help find Madeleine has been driven by fact that all our family and friends feel that there is a reasonable chance Madeleine is still alive. Kate and I, like all parents of missing children will always have that hope unless we see concrete evidence to the contrary. It is this hope that has sustained us along with the overwhelming support we have received from family, friends and well-wishers. As parents, we have always said we need to know what has happened to our daughter who has been such a massive part of our life. If the current police activity does uncover new evidence that Madeleine has been seriously harmed we should be the first to know.
We have always felt that the best chance of finding Madeleine is through the police investigation. We have done our best to get relevant information in to the enquiry, particularly from tourists who were in the Algarve around the time of her abduction. The fact that Madeleine could have been moved out of Portugal easily in the first few hours has been the reason the campaign has had to have an international dimension. One in six missing children in North America are found as a direct result of high awareness through distribution of posters and media exposure.
Tonight we attended the weekly vigil to pray for Madeleine and other missing children. These services have a calm serenity, which allow us to contemplate quietly. There was also a vigil in Rothley attended by family and friends. Tomorrow we will be marking the 100 day very quietly with a prayer service in Praia da Luz. Other family will be at the world pipe band chamionships in Glasgow and on the streets in Liverpool. A number of sporting events will also be marking the day. | | 10th August Gerry is in Lagos at 10:40 and back at Lagos Hotel at 10:54 then back in the Chinicato area between 11:19 and 12:54. Next ping back at Luz Central 13:33 | 10/8 Pinging Odiaxere & Mexilhoeira area again between 11:24 & 13:00 (includes an hour gap at the beginning, in Odiaxere).
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| | Sat Aug 11 |
Saturday August 11• 100 days since Madeleine disappeared. The McCanns attend a poignant service of prayers for Madeleine at a church in Praia da Luz. Portuguese police acknowledge for the first time that Madeleine could be dead. Chief Inspector Olegario Sousa tells the BBC new evidence had given "intensity" to the possibility she was killed. He says the parents are not being considered as suspects. A McCann family friend says it is "extraordinary" the police had "not had the decency" to tell the couple they now believed Madeleine could be dead before stating it in an on-the-record interview.
UNITED KINGDOM - AUGUST 11: Grandparents of Madeleine McCann, Brian & Sue Healy, mark the 100th day since she was abducted, in Liverpool, U.K., on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2007. | Day 100 - 11/08/2007 - Saturday
Just another day but a significant milestone that we prayed we would never have to face without Madeleine. The prayer service here in Praia da Luz had a huge media presence, but in no way being intrusive, all aligned outside. The service itself was fantastically well attended with a huge turnout from the local community, which was very important to us.
The service was very comforting. There were contributions from Kate and myself, our family, the Anglican and Portuguese communities. Haynes, the Anglican minister, said a few poignant words about the events of this week, which were very touching. We said prayers for Madeleine and other children who are suffering. Everyone in the congregation lit candles, which were placed on the altar. The message from the service was that although 100 days have passed we have not given up hope of finding Madeleine.
In the afternoon we went to a local swimming pool and play area with the kids and their cousins. They had a great time swimming, playing with tennis balls and generally messing around. Needless to say they also managed an ice cream! It has been really good for the twins having other children here, especially since they have not been to the kids club for a few days.
We spoke to our family about the events in Glasgow and Liverpool. There was warm response at both venues and clearly many people are very happy to show support. Unfortunately we did not see any of the coverage on television. We did see highlights of the English premier league last night and note many of the clubs chose to wear Madeleine t-shirts and wristbands as well as playing the Don’t You Forget About Me video. There was also events at the rugby internationals and Ascot racecourse with 12 international jockeys wearing Madeleine t-shirts. The fact that so many people are prepared to show solidarity with us in our search for our daughter does help restore our faith in humanity.
There was a statement from the Portuguese police today regarding the recentactivity in the investigation and media speculation. They confirmed that there are new leads and that we are not suspects in Madeleines disappearance.
Other tests are outstanding and Kate and I do hope that these take us forward in finding out who took Madeleine and where she is. Unfortunately we have to add patience to our other characteristics. | |
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| | Sun Aug 12 | 
Sunday August 12• Mrs McCann tells Woman's Own magazine that she would rather know her daughter was dead than live in limbo forever. She says: "Gerry and I have spoken about this and in our heart of hearts we'd both rather know - even if knowing means we have to face the terrible truth that Madeleine might be dead. We both need to know."
Attend church service
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| | 12th... Gap: 12:05 - 14:29 | 12/8 Gaps: 09:29 - 11:50 , 15:08 - 17:05 |
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| W/B Aug 13 |
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| | Mon Aug 13 |
Monday August 13• A British family caught up in the investigation say detectives have cleared them of any link to the case. Solicitor James Gorrod, from Exeter, and his family happened to be in the resort at the same time, but never met the McCanns. |
| | 13th... First activation of the day comes at Santa Barabara De Nexe (just outside Faro) at 08:11. Next in Lagos at 8:50. Next back in Luz at 9:23. Probable trip to the airport, but note that lack of activity before leaving or on the journey out. One gap: 14:50 - 16:50. Last ping of the day comes at 21:00. |
| 13th - Only G travels to Faro this morning |
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| | Tues Aug 14 |
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| 14th... One gap: 19:03 - 21:18
| 14/8 Gaps and single ping in Lagos. Consecutive;
09:44 Luz Centro 2
10:06 Lagos Centro 3
< 3h 14m gap >
13:20 Luz Centro 2
< 1h 50m gap >
15:10 Luz Centro 2
Another gap: 17:22 - 19:30 | 14th - Only K has a single ping in Lagos this morning (travel possible) |
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| | Wed Aug 15 | Wednesday August 15 • Blood traces found in the bedroom where Madeleine was sleeping the night the was snatched were not hers, The Times reports. Forensic results show the blood came from a man, it adds.
Sousa added that new evidence had given "intensity" to the possibility Madeleine had been killed. Sousa confirmed on 15 August that the sniffer dogs, which could only pick up the scent of a body which had been in situ for more than two hours, had detected the scent of a dead body
LAGOS, PORTUGAL - AUGUST 15: Kate and Gerry McCann arrive at church to attend service on August 15, 2007 in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
 
Walks on beach with 2 unidentified friends
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| 15th... Gaps: 12:53 - 15:07. A trip to Budens/West of Luz late afternoon. Includes gap.
Consecutive pings as follows;
16:14 PdL Central
16:36 Budens
16:36 Budens
16:43 PdL
16:46 Budens
16:58 'Luz'
{ 1 hour 46 minute gap }
18:44 PdL Central | 15/8 Single Burgau ping at 16:41, with possibility of travel, between Luz pings at 16:04 & 17:11
Gap: 19:42 - 21:43
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| | Thurs Aug 16 | Thursday August 16 • One of the most senior police officers in Portugal says it is a "strong theory" that Madeleine is dead. Alipio Ribeiro, national director of the Portuguese judicial police, tells El Mundo that forensic test results on blood traces from the holiday flat are due "imminently". But the quality of the traces found was "not very good" and it was possible they would be inconclusive.
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| Gerry16 Aug... One single Lagos ping at 10:51 stuck in the middle of numerous PdL central activations. Possibility of travel.
Consecutive pings...
09:52 : PDL Centro
{ 59 minute gap }
10:51 : Lagos
{ 17 minutes gap }
11:08 : PDL Centro
Plus a gap between 14:24 and 16:47 |
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| | Fri Aug 17 | Kates book 'madeleine'
17 August
Finding it hard to talk to anyone at the moment as I’m full of so many negative emotions – anger, bitterness, frustration, desperation . . . It doesn’t make you a very nice person.
Gerry had been talking for some while now about us going home. He reasoned that we could achieve just as much there in terms of the campaign, probably more. He also felt that if we were back in Rothley the media attention would quieten down a bit, certainly in the Portuguese press, where the worst smears were originating. |
| 17 Aug... Early hour ping at 00:13 (Previous ping at 21:54 last night). Trip to Burgau/Almadena area West of Luz, again, in the afternoon, with gaps. GM Mobile Consecutive Pings...
14:40 : Luz Centro
{ 45 minute gap }
15:25 : Burgau
{ 2 hour, 6 minute gap }
17:31 : Almadena
{ 3 hour, 8 minute gap }
20:39 : Luz Centro
Last ping of the day at 20:47. Very early night?. | 17/8 A gap of over 2 hours (between 13:00 - 15:17) followed by Pinging in Budens (x2) then Burgau (x8) between 15:17 - 16:41 followed by a one hour gap before activating Luz again.
Another Gap: 20:44 - 22:49 |
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| | Sat Aug 18 |
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| | Gerry18 Aug... Couple of pings at 00:34 interrupting an early night. Gaps: 10:18 - 12:43 , 12:52 - 16:35. Last ping of the day at 21:17. |
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| | Sun Aug19 |
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| 19th Aug... Morning trip to airport. Left Luz sometime after an 8:07 ping. Next in Loule Central at 9:52. Pinged the airport once at 10:03 and was back in Luz at 11:13 and Luz Central at 11:28.
| 19/8 Gaps: 11:30 - 13:50 , 16:20 - 20:13 | 19th - Only G has airport run this morning |
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| W/B Aug 20 |
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| | Mon Aug 20 | Monday August 20 • Reports suggest the police inquiry has entered a "decisive phase" with detectives poised to carry out a series of new searches. They are also looking again at claims a pensioner disturbed an intruder in her apartment directly above the McCanns' holiday flat just two weeks before Madeleine vanished.
20 August
The news today suggests that they’re going to arrest a ‘new suspect’ in the UK. It’s likely to be more tabloid fabrication. There’s so much shit that’s been written, much of it outrageous. And coupled with the void of information from the police, who knows what’s going on!
By this time, we felt as if we had been completely cut adrift. The police ignored us, we were up against a convoluted system neither of us really understood and the media juggernaut was now well and truly out of control. If we were going to have any chance of protecting ourselves, we needed somebody familiar with the system, a Portuguese lawyer, to represent our interests. Later that day, Gerry contacted Carlos Pinto de Abreu, a human-rights lawyer in Lisbon, who’d been recommended to us, and arranged for us to go and see him the following afternoon.
We left for Lisbon at lunchtime, with our kind and trustworthy taxi-driver. At his office Carlos was joined by three colleagues and his wife, a doctor, who helped with interpretation where needed.
We took them through as much as we could: the night of 3 May, our relationship with the police, the leaks to the media and the scandalous headlines. We felt better knowing that Carlos and his team would be able to advise us.
A bit upset on the way back . . . I had ‘flashes’ of Madeleine in my head being hurt, abused and screaming for us – but we weren’t there. So awful.
We arrived in Praia da Luz late in the evening and discovered Sean and Amelie in our bed
(21st? See below phone pings) |
| Gerry20th Aug : A morning trip to Lagos. Couple of morning pings in Lagos at 10:04 & 10:06 which came after a PdL Central ping at 09:23. After Lagos came a 10:18 PdL ping then a PdL Central activation at 10:34. One gap between 13:10 and 15:40. Last ping of the day came at 21:03.
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| | Tues Aug 21 | Tuesday August 21 • A friend of the McCanns hits back at smears about him printed in Portuguese newspapers. Dr Russell O'Brien, 36, was among the group the couple were dining with on the night Madeleine went missing. Portuguese newspapers have printed allegations about him. In a statement, Dr O'Brien and his wife Jane Tanner said: "These reports in the Portuguese press are completely untrue and extremely hurtful. "We have spoken to the police today, and have been assured that our status as witnesses has not changed."
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| 21st Aug... Trip to Lisbon. Left Luz around 13:30. Arrived at destination around 16:00. Stayed in this area for just under 3 hours (includes a 2 hour gap between pings). Followed by one ping nearby and then one at Lisbon Airport. The next one was around 2.5 hours later, back in Luz. Mobile may have been switched off on the way back.
One other gap today, which came early in the morning, before the trip to Lisbon: 07:02 - 09:31. | 21/8 Trip to Lisbon. Last Luz ping at 13:32. In destination between 15:45 - 18:29. Back in Luz at 21:41
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on 21st and 28th they travelled to Lisbon. It is not known what could have done in Lisbon, on those two times. (See Aug 20th kates book..compared to phone pings)
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| Wed Aug 22
Michael Wright Arrives | Wednesday August 22 • Madeleine may be alive and in Spain, her parents say. The McCanns give interviews to Spain's three top-selling newspapers in which they insist there is a "very real possibility" their daughter has not been killed. |
| | 22nd Aug... Day starts with 5 quick, consecutive, early morning pings from Guia Zoomarine to Arge IC4 (travelling between just West of Albuifera and Portimao) from 08:29 to 08:37. Next ping is back in Luz at 09:30. Probable journey to Faro airport (mentioned in blog). Note the lack of activity in Luz before the trip or on the journey to the airport. First activation on way back. | 22/8 Gap: 18:25 - 20:47 , couple of pings at 0:05 and 0:10 late that night | 22nd - Only G pings between Albufeira and Portimao this morning (probable airport run) |
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| Thurs Aug 23
Michael Wright | Gerald, in this month is the only one of two who travels by plane. He leaves on 23rd and returns on 25th.
Telecino Interview 23rd
Kate and Gerry record an interview for Spanish television inside their villa in Praia da Luz. Gerry storms out when questioned about a report that traces of blood had been found in their holiday apartment. He later apologises and returns to finish the interview. Interview recorded: Thursday, 23 August 2007 Interview aired: Saturday, 25 August 2007
Kates Book
On 23 August we did an interview with Telecinco, a Spanish TV news programme, in Justine’s flat. We had a pre-interview chat with the team about the topics we would be unable to talk about, such as the investigation, and areas we felt it was important to highlight to help our search.
The main reason why we couldn’t discuss the investigation, obviously, was that we could say very little without breaking the judicial secrecy law. In any case, as we were now being kept in the dark, we didn’t know much about it ourselves by this stage. Making public any details we had been told could jeopardize the investigation, not least by alerting the abductor. We were not prepared, either, to get into a debate about the continuing speculation and lies in the media.
It was stifling in the small flat. It was a hot August day, hotter still under the TV arc lights, and we were pretty uncomfortable before we even started. We readied ourselves for the interviewer’s first question. It was about the investigation. And his second question? About the investigation. As was the third. Blood and dogs were mentioned again. It was as if the conversation we’d had a few minutes earlier had never taken place. After five or so of these unanswerable prompts, Gerry, who was suffering badly from the heat, removed his mike and left, visibly exasperated and upset. Giving the interviewer the benefit of the doubt – he was bound to push us for something new, I reasoned – I carried on, attempting patiently and politely to explain why my husband had reacted as he had.
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| 23rd Aug… Mobile becomes active at 06:58. One Lagos ping at 09:36 with possibility of travel… Consecutive pings;
07:59 Luz Central
08:05 Luz
09:36 Lagos
09:38 Luz
09:55 Luz Central
Another ping from the Lagos mast at 12:00 but no time for travel. Leaves Luz around 15:30 for Faro Airport. Last ping from airport at 17:31 (flying to the UK). |
| 23rd - Only G travels to Faro airport late afternoon, for his flight to the UK |
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| Fri Aug 24
Michael Wright | Friday August 24 • Mr McCann attacks a series of police leaks which have fuelled "preposterous" speculation about what happened to his daughter. He says he is disappointed so much information has made its way into the public domain despite Portugal's strict "secrecy of justice" laws.
António Cluny, president of Portugal's public prosecutor's service, said on 24 September that "Without the little girl's body everything is extremely complicated". He went on to stress that all options from abduction to Madeleine's death were still open
Gerald, in this month is the only one of two who travels by plane. He leaves on 23rd and returns on 25th.
Kates Book
Meanwhile, Gerry had flown to Scotland to appear at the Edinburgh TV Festival. This had been arranged back in early June, when he had reasoned that if Madeleine was still missing by the time the date came round, press coverage would have died down and the event would present us with a good opportunity to remind people of the campaign. The fact that his interviewer would be Kirsty Wark, the highly respected Newsnightpresenter, who had grown up a few miles down the road from him in Kilmarnock, had certainly influenced his decision to accept the invitation.
Kates Book
On the Friday, he was giving a telephone interview from Edinburgh to the Daily Telegraph when he was asked to comment on an article that had appeared that day on the front page of the Portuguese newspaper Tal e Qual under the headline: ‘PJ BELIEVE PARENTS KILLED MADDIE’. I think this was probably the last straw for Gerry, and he completely lost it. I was equally gobsmacked. Initially my fury was directed not at the police but at the paper, for running such ridiculous, disgusting nonsense.
The basis of the Edinburgh Festival interview was the international impact of the Find Madeleine campaign and how it had been brought about. Now, of course, this serious discussion would be taking place amid a media firestorm. Gerry gave several additional interviews in Scotland, in which he appealed to journalists to report responsibly. For the most part, his pleas were ignored.
When I heard that my mum had got wind of the Tal e Qual story and the rumours it had prompted, I phoned her. She was so distraught she could hardly get a word out. I texted DCS Bob Small, saying how disappointed I was that the police were claiming Madeleine was dead, without anyevidence, and how unsupported we had felt recently.
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| Kate24/8 Gap: 14:05 - 16:29 , 18:52 - 20:59 |
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Source 1: The Secretary General received an email from the committee “Troviamos Bambini�?. This organisation has a website with articles relating to missing children. In the sequence of checking the persons who have visited their website, the committee discovered that one person who was in Rabat (Morocco) regularly accesses the website, especially when articles about the disappearance of little Maddie are published.
The website was accesses namely on 24th, 25th and 27th August 2007 when articles were published entitled “Maddie and Ylenia�? and on 14th September 2007 when the article “The Mother Killed Maddie�? was published.
The Secretary General transmitted this information to IP Rome and IP Rabat.
IP Rome has informed us today that this information has been sent to the police force specialised in computer crime and that the result will be communicated to us. |
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| Sat Aug 25
Michael Wright | Saturday August 25 • Mr McCann signals a new scaled-down media campaign to find his missing four-year-old. He says he will be returning to work but insists his daughter may still be alive.
24 Aug 2007
EDINBURGH, UNITED KINGDOM - AUGUST 25: Gerry McCann, father of missing child Madeline McCann, arrives at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival on 25th August at the Edinburgh Interational Conference Centre
Kate and Gerry record an interview for Spanish television inside their villa in Praia da Luz. Gerry storms out when questioned about a report that traces of blood had been found in their holiday apartment. He later apologises and returns to finish the interview. Interview recorded: Thursday, 23 August 2007 Interview aired: Saturday, 25 August 2007
Gerald, in this month is the only one of two who travels by plane. He leaves on 23rd and returns on 25th.
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| | 25th Aug... Gerry's first ping since leaving Portugal two days ago comes at 21:15 at Faro Airport. Next ping at 21:21 and nothing until 00:13 in Luz Centro. | 25/8 Couple of early hour pings at 01:23 in the morning.
Pinging Lagos between 08:53 & 09:12, followed by a Luz activation at 09:49 | 25th - Only K pinging Lagos this morning because G is still in the UK. G arrives back at Faro airport this evening from the UK. No K pings though |
Source 1: The Secretary General received an email from the committee “Troviamos Bambini�?. This organisation has a website with articles relating to missing children. In the sequence of checking the persons who have visited their website, the committee discovered that one person who was in Rabat (Morocco) regularly accesses the website, especially when articles about the disappearance of little Maddie are published.
The website was accesses namely on 24th, 25th and 27th August 2007 when articles were published entitled “Maddie and Ylenia�? and on 14th September 2007 when the article “The Mother Killed Maddie�? was published.
The Secretary General transmitted this information to IP Rome and IP Rabat.
IP Rome has informed us today that this information has been sent to the police force specialised in computer crime and that the result will be communicated to us. |
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| Sun Aug 26
Michael Wright | ? day Kates book
As our main liaison with the British police, Bob was not privy to the investigation details. This was for our protection, he told us, as sharing knowledge we would otherwise not have had could potentially compromise us. In the light of the volume of information being released into the public domain by police sources via the media, this seems farcical now. It did emerge, however, that Bob had concerns of his own. He explained that the British police regarded the use of sniffer dogs as intelligence rather than evidence, and he was perplexed at the apparent fixation of the PJ on the idea that Madeleine had died in the apartment. He told Gerry he thought they’d get a shock when the forensic results came back.
The next day Gerry rang Ken Jones, head of ACPO, the Association of Chief Police Officers. He, too, was beginning to despair of the investigation and the way it was being handled. It was good to know we weren’t alone, and that we weren’t going totally mad, but why wouldn’t anyone speak out about this? Many people in top positions were saying the right things to us privately but it seemed nobody could – or would – do anything about it. If someone had stood up and said, ‘Stop! This is all wrong!’ things could have been very different.
Carlos Pinto de Abreu advised us to sue Tal e Qual. (We did begin proceedings, but shortly afterwards the paper went bust, we found ourselves with bigger problems and we decided not to pursue the matter through the Portuguese courts.) Sadly, although the paper’s article was certainly ridiculous and disgusting, it was not, incredibly, nonsense. I’m not saying the police did believe we had killed Madeleine. I have never for one second thought that. What became clear to us, however, was that some faction within the PJ was indeed the source of the story. We can only assume that their objective was to make everyone else believe it, in order to ‘solve’ a case they were under immense pressure to conclude. What better way was there to achieve that than to harness the power of the media? So much for the law of judicial secrecy.
I hasten to add that I do not mean to tar all of the Portuguese police with the same brush. There were many officers who worked very hard on the case, certainly early on, and their efforts to get to the truth were being undermined by these disgraceful actions just as surely as ours were.
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| | 26th... Large gap between 11:38 in 'PdL Central' and 15:00 in 'PdL'. This gives us an inactive period of 3 hours 22 minutes. Next two pings are also on the 'PdL' mast at 16:13 and 16:55. Next ping is back at 'PdL Central' at 18:15 which also happens to be the last activation of the day. | 26/8 Gaps: 12:53 - 15:00 , 18:21 - 22:19 | 26th - Overlap in periods of mobile silence: 12:53 - 15:00 |
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W/B Aug 27
Michael Wright |
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| Source 1: The Secretary General received an email from the committee “Troviamos Bambini�?. This organisation has a website with articles relating to missing children. In the sequence of checking the persons who have visited their website, the committee discovered that one person who was in Rabat (Morocco) regularly accesses the website, especially when articles about the disappearance of little Maddie are published.
The website was accesses namely on 24th, 25th and 27th August 2007 when articles were published entitled “Maddie and Ylenia�? and on 14th September 2007 when the article “The Mother Killed Maddie�? was published.
The Secretary General transmitted this information to IP Rome and IP Rabat.
IP Rome has informed us today that this information has been sent to the police force specialised in computer crime and that the result will be communicated to us. |
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| Mon Aug 27
Michael Wright | Kates book
On Monday 27 August I had a call from Esther McVey, a Liverpool friend from my late teens, by then a television presenter and Conservative parliamentary candidate. Esther was on the board of Madeleine’s Fund. She said she was scared by our current situation and uncomfortable with what she felt was a ‘political shift’. For our own safety, and ‘to protect Madeleine’s good name’ (I wasn’t quite sure what she meant by that), she thought we ought to come home. It seemed I was being pressurized from all quarters and I didn’t like it.
As it happened, however, the very same day we learned that we would need to vacate our villa by 11 September – news that put a different complexion on matters and forced Gerry and me to tackle this difficult and emotionally charged issue. We could have rented somewhere else in Praia da Luz, of course, but it would have been a lot of hassle for not much gain if we were intending to leave before long anyway. We had waited in vain for the police to call us back for interview. Finally, and very reluctantly, I agreed to set a date for our departure. Monday 10 September it would have to be. It was one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to take.
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| 27th... A ping at 00:24 in the morning, the first for 6 hours and 9 minutes (18:15 the previous evening). A little similar to the previous evening which gave us a gap of 21:21 to 00:13.
Gap: 13:34 - 15:50.
| 27/8 Little bit of lie in, with the first ping just after 10am.
Gap : 12:44 - 15:46 & 15:46 - 17:59 (Giving just one ping, at 15:46, between 12:44 & 17:59)
Gap : 18:00 - 20:37 | 27th - Overlap in periods of mobile silence: 13:34 - 15:46 |
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| Tues Aug 28
Michael Wright |
Telecino Interview 21st or 23rd?
on 21st and 28th they travelled to Lisbon. It is not known what could have done in Lisbon, on those two times.
Little Madeleine McCann's mother, Kate McCann, summed up the feelings of her and her husband, Gerry McCann, Madeleine's father, in an interview in late August. It was done in Lisbon, Portugal, with reporter Mirna Schindler of Chile's Television Nacional, for "Informe Especial" -- their 60 Minutes.
Kate wearing 'CADAVER' trousers
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id16.htmlInforme Especial interview CTN interview (full article below) Kate said: "It really isn't easy," coping. "Some days are better than others. ... There's days when you think, 'I can't do this anymore,' and you just want to press a button, and we're all gone, and it's all finished, and we're all together and gone. Wherever. But you can't, you know. Just occasionally you'll have a -- if you're having a really bad day, which we do. And you can't help but think that." * This is an extremely disturbing quote. What is Kate saying when she says that she sometimes wants to "press a button", the result of which would be that they were "all gone, and it's all finished"? It would appear to imply the families communal death through the quick and painless means of pressing an imaginary 'suicide' button. If that is what she means, then there must be serious concern for the safety and welfare of the twins should the McCanns eventually face charges over Madeleine's disappearance. She continues by saying that they will be "all together and gone". The only way they could be "all together", in such a scenario as she describes, is if she knows that Madeleine is already dead. |
| 28th... Another trip to Lisbon, exactly a week after his last. Gerry has one ping on the exact same street/mast in Lisbon as the week before during his trip on the 21st. He spent less time there this second time round. Was earlier in the day too. Early afternoon.
Left Luz sometime after the last ping there at 09:21. Next ping comes at Penina at 10:33 (en-route to Lisbon). Arrive in Lisbon sometime between 12:02 (Marateca ping) and 14:06 (ping at same street/mast as before, Avenida Das Nacoes). Note the gap in activations of over 2 hours. Next ping at 15:06 in Northern Grandola (around 40 miles South of Lisbon) which suggests they were already on their way back to Luz at this point. Back in PdL Central at 16:35.
It is estimated by the data available, that they arrived at their destination in Lisbon around 12.30pm and stayed there until approximately 1.45pm.
| 28/8 Another trip to Lisbon. Left Luz roughly between 09:00 (last ping in Luz) and 09:45 (next ping in Azilheira, 1 hour 16 mins drive from Luz approx, at 11:00). Arrived in Lisbon around 12:20. Left around 14:15 and back in Luz by 17:28.
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| Wed Aug 29
Michael Wright | Wednesday August 29 • Mr McCann urges Madeleine's abductor to end the family's 118-day nightmare - if only to assuage "torment" in his or her own soul.
Kates book
That Wednesday I began to sort out some of our belongings ahead of our return to Rothley, packing clothes we wouldn’t need before we left and putting surplus toys into big bags for local orphanages. The villa was heaving with toys, teddies and games sent by kindhearted members of the public, not only for Madeleine, but for the twins, too. We were so touched, and they had provided lots of entertainment, but we couldn’t possibly keep them all.
The very idea of leaving Portugal without Madeleine made me feel sick. Who’d have thought, when the five of us had landed here in April, full of excitement, that only four of us would be going home? The reality of what we were doing was killing me.
A couple of days later I was going through the children’s DVDs when I came across Madeleine’s favourite: Barbie: The Princess and the Pauper. She loved that film, and she loved the two main characters, the princess and the poor village girl. If it was an Erika day, she’d say, ‘Mummy, you pretend to be Anneliese and I’ll be Erika.’ The next day our roles would be swapped. I could see Madeleine now, with her pink princess blanket over her head, the corners pulled together under her chin like a headscarf, singing ‘If I was a girl like you . . .’
Sean and Amelie were talking about Madeleine quite a lot by now. I wore a locket with a picture of Madeleine inside, and Amelie had taken to opening it. ‘See Madeleine,’ she’d say, or ‘Night night, Madeleine!’ And then she would give her a kiss.
Started to feel a bit ‘funny’ again. My fear for Madeleine is creeping back. It’s so hard to block it. Sometimes I wonder if I should try and pretend that she never existed to make it easier, but I just can’t.
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| 29th Aug... Lunchtime visit to Lagos. A clutch of Lagos pings around noon. Consecutive pings;
11:20 PdL Centro
11:35 Lagos
11:54 Lagos Centro
12:04 Lagos Hotel
12:29 Lagos Centro
12:34 Lagos Hotel
13:11 Lagos Centro
13:51 PdL Centro | 29/8 Couple of Lagos pings at 13:08 (Norte 3) and 13:11 (Centro DCS 3)
Gap: 16:34 - 19:25 |
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| Thurs Aug 30
Michael Wright | Thursday August 30 • Madeleine's would-be classmates say a poignant prayer for the missing girl on what should have been her first day at school. The four-year-old was due to start at Bishop Ellis Catholic Primary School in Thurmaston, Leicestershire
Kates book
Thursday 30 August was another milestone we could hardly bear to think about. It should have been Madeleine’s big moment: her first day at school. She’d been so looking forward to this. She had talked about it excitedly, while in my mind’s eye I had pictured her in class, having fun and making lots of new mates. Now all her friends would be starting without her.
It was an awful day. Every hour, I’d see her standing there in her new uniform, smiling at me. I cried, I prayed and I held my husband and children tightly. We could make things right for her. If only we could get her back we would work through anything and everything she’d endured. We would make sure that her life was as full and as happy as it should always have been.
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| 30th Aug... Another possible Lagos trip... Consecutive;
11:03 Luz
11:04 Lagos
13:16 Luz Centro
Gaps: 16:42 - 19:06 , 19:23 - 21:31 | 30/8 A single Budens ping at 16:45 in between Luz pings at 16:06 and 16:56
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| Fri Aug 31
Michael Wright | Friday August 31 • It emerges that the McCanns are to launch a libel action against a Portuguese newspaper which said police believe they killed their daughter. The action will be against the Tal & Qual paper, based in Oporto
Kates book
Clement Freud returned to Praia da Luz on 31 August and called Gerry that day. ‘Is it true, Gerry?’ he said, without preamble.
‘What’s that, Clement?’
‘That you’re close to a breakdown and needing medication?’
Very funny.
‘I have a lot of empathy with the Express though, you know,’ he went on.
For a split second Gerry thought he was serious. ‘Why’s that?’
‘Well, you see, we both suffer from poor circulation.’
Thank God for people like Clement who kept us smiling.
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| 31st Aug... Possible trip to Almadena/West of Luz area... Consecutive;
09:52 Luz Centro
10:59 Almadena (2 miles NW of Luz)
11:13 Luz Centro
Gaps: 11:35 - 14:13 , 15:08 - 17:57 , 20:54 - 22:59 (last ping of the day). | 31/8 First ping of the day at 06:41 followed by an interval until 09:04
Couple of Budens pins, with reasonable gaps on either side. Consecutive activations;
09:12 Luz
10:34 Budens
10:43 Budens
11:59 Luz
Also on this day, pinging Lagos between 15:38 & 17:11. Next back in Luz at 18:28 | 31st - Only Kate pinging Lagos this afternoon |
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| Sat Sept 1
Michael Wright
returns home |
This is a section (chapter 15) from Kate McCanns book 'Madeleine'
The dream
On the night of 1 September I dreamed about Madeleine for the first time in four months. I was astonished that this hadn’t happened before. The workings of the mind are impossible to fathom. It was a good thing it hadn’t, because it was such a dreadful experience – far more painful than anything that had occurred in real life since the night she was taken – I’m not sure I could have survived it in the early weeks.
We had a call from one of the girls at the children’s nursery school. ‘Guess what?’ she said. ‘Madeleine’s here! She’s been here for a couple of days. She’s fine.’ We rushed to the nursery immediately. And sure enough, there was our Madeleine. She looked beautiful, just as I remembered her. I ran over to her, my face split by the widest smile, the tears running down my cheeks, and just held her and held her and held her. Although I was dreaming, I could feel her. It was as if parts of my body that had been hibernating for four months suddenly began to stir. I could sense the cold, dark days lifting as I luxuriated in warmth and light. And Madeleine was holding me, her little arms wrapped tightly round me, and it felt so good. I could smell her. I could feel her with every one of my senses as I soaked up this heavenly moment.
My Madeleine. I wanted to stay like this for ever. And then I woke up.
Ice began to course through my body, driving out every endorphin and remnant of warmth. I didn’t understand. What was happening? How could this be? I could still feel her! A heavy boot connected with my stomach and the ache in my chest was worse than I’d ever known it. I was struggling for breath, almost as if I were being strangled. Please God, don’t let her go! Stay with me, Madeleine. Please stay with me. Don’t go – stay with Mummy. Please, sweetheart, hold on. I love you so much.
I started to cry. The crying built into seismic sobs. An unearthly sound, like the howl of a wounded animal, was coming out of my mouth. The crushing pain in my chest intensified to the point where I thought I was going to die.
I’d been with her. And then she was gone. Again.
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| Sep 1... Very few pings. 08:10 to 10:28 in Luz then... Consecutive;
10:28 Luz Centro
10:39 Almadena
11:40 Lagos
22:22 Luz Centro
22:31 Luz Centro
No more for this day. Large gap between Almadena/Lagos at 10:39/11:40 and back in Luz at 22:22.
Trip to Lagos Zoo reported.
Why no activity beforehand? Why no afternoon/early evening pings? | 1/9 Trip East… Ping at Bensafrim at 11:09 followed by a gap until 14:17 back in Luz. Early night? Last ping of the day at 21:46 | 1st - Overlap in mobile silences: 11:40 - 14:17 |
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| Sun Sept 2
sister (Jaqueline?)
Eileen
arrive |
| Another relatively quiet family day.My mum and sister arrived this morning after we had been to church. This afternoon we took the kids to a friend’s house with a pool. Kate and I went for a short run and then we all had a swim and a couple of treats brought all the way from Glasgow!.
Several people have been asking about whether they should still be putting up posters of Madeleine since I have said the campaign will be having a lower media profile- especially of Kate and I. The advice of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is that high visibility of the missing child through posters, car stickers etc increases the chances of finding that child. Kate and I therefore would encourage you to continue taking posters on holiday and ask permission to have them displayed in supermarkets, post offices and shops. | | 2nd... Few pings again today. Gap: 17:17 - 22:37 (last ping of the day). | 2/9 Lie in? First ping of the day comes at 11:09
Gap: 14:51 - 17:30. Next ping comes at Raposeira (10 miles West of Luz) at 18:45 followed by a gap until 20:10 back in Luz. | 2nd - Another overlap: 18:45 - 20:10 |
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| W/B Sept 3 |
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| Mon Sept 3
Sister (Jaqueline?)
Eileen | Phone call to the villa of Philip Wright, Casa Colina by Gerry
| 3rd... Gaps: 11:21 - 13:25 , 13:25 - 15:38 | 3/9 Gaps: 12:13 - 15:44 , 17:30 - 20:00
Last ping of the day at 21:31 |
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Date: 2007/09/03
For : Goncalo Amaral
From Ricardo Paiva, Inspector
Subject: Disappearance of Madeleine McCann
During the course of the ongoing investigation, various personal contacts were made by the undersigned with Kate and Gerald McCann, within my task of serving as communication element between the police and the McCann couple.
Within this context, the undersigned was present during various “strange“ behaviours by the couple, who gradually began to react in a very negative manner to the increased investigative activity carried out by this police force, especially during the use of the English sniffer dogs for detecting cadaver odour, when more evidence arose in the investigation for the hypothesis of the death of Madeleine McCann.
Several times, the McCann couple said that the attention of the police should be maintained focussing on the abduction hypothesis, which, in the couple’s opinion, was the only scenario that occurred and that the police should not forget to continue to investigate the suspect Robert Murat.
Strangely, Kate also made several requests, three months after the disappearance of Madeleine, that the police should take blood, hair and nail tests of Madeleine’s twin siblings, because, as she said, she remembered that on the day of Madeleine’s disappearance, in spite of all the commotion and noise made by the authorities and other persons who were looking for Madeleine in apartment 5ª of the OC, the twins never woke up, having been transported to another apartment, they remained asleep, due to which she now presumes that they were under the effect of some sedative drug that a presumed abductor had administered to the three children in order to be able to abduct Madeleine, a situation which Kate refers to being possible according to what she read in a criminal investigation manual given to her by the British authorities, that would have been the procedure of the abductor in the real case involving abduction, rape and murder of the girl.
Today, when the undersigned went to the McCann’s temporary residence to notify them of the need to present themselves at the police station to make statements, being able to take their lawyer with them, Kate McCann immediately reacted in a negative manner, making comments such as “what are my parents going to think�? and “what is the press going to say when they find out�? and that “the Portuguese police is under pressure from the government to finish the investigation quickly�?.
With regard to Gerald McCann, he constantly insisted in giving the undersigned letters and emails that he was receiving, mostly from psychics and mediums, whom he had selected and which mainly contained information without much credibility about the possible whereabouts of Madeleine and her presumed abductor.
More recently, and even before Kate’s interrogation, during a telephone call between Gerald McCann and the undersigned, he made a reference regarding the investigation, that he was certain that the police did not have any proof that could incriminate them with regard to the death of Madeleine McCann and he said that the police were wasting their time in directing the investigation around the parents.
I bring this to your knowledge.
Inspector
Ricardo Paiva
Kates book
The day after the dream had been a difficult one. That night I’d gone to bed with puffy eyes. I woke on the morning of Monday 3 September with puffier ones.
There was a phone call from Ricardo. He would be coming over later as he needed Gerry to sign some release forms so that the emails relating to the Dutch extortion attempt could be used as evidence in court.
Alan Pike was back in Praia da Luz today to see how we were coping with recent events and our preparations for returning to the UK the following Monday. We spent several hours talking about my recent low episodes and the support we were going to need at home. He reassured us that he would be keeping in touch with us and that we would continue to see him regularly. Gerry and I spoke of the craziness going on around us: the media speculation, the lies, and the change in the attitude and the behaviour of the police. At one point I remarked sardonically, ‘They’ll be hauling us in as suspects next!’
‘Now you’re wandering into fantasy land,’ replied Alan.
At 4.30pm Ricardo arrived with a female colleague and the forms Gerry needed to complete. After his colleague left with the paperwork, Ricardo asked if we had any queries he could answer. ‘Do you have any information for us?’ I inquired.
He clarified with us the date of our planned departure back to the UK and told us that the PJ wanted to ‘interrogate’ me on Wednesday and Gerry on Thursday. We’d waited almost four weeks for these interviews and it was obvious they had been hastily arranged once Bob Small notified the PJ that we would be leaving the country. Otherwise, why now? As far as we knew, they didn’t have the forensic results back yet.
We should bring our lawyer with us to the police station, Ricardo went on. Gerry smelled a rat. The law has changed now, but back then witnesses were not normally entitled to legal representation. ‘Isn’t it unusual for witnesses to be questioned with their lawyer present?’ he asked. It was like pulling teeth, but these were teeth that would have been falling out very soon anyway. We were not going to be questioned as witnesses, Ricardo finally admitted. ‘So what will our status be, then?’ Gerry pressed him.
‘It’s called arguido.’
As if we’d never heard the word.
I dropped my head in my hands in utter disbelief. I began to shake and cry. I shouted at Ricardo, ‘What are you doing? Why are you doing this? I can’t believe what’s going on! This is ridiculous. It’s despicable.’ I shook my head over and over again. ‘This can’t be happening. This just cannotbe true!’
What kind of country was this? And while the PJ were going down this track, leading the media and public to believe we were responsible for our daughter’s disappearance, who was looking for Madeleine?
I remember crying out in despair, ‘What will our parents think? How will they cope with this? What are you trying to do? Destroy our family completely?’ These were of course rhetorical questions, but they would subsequently be thrown back at me as some kind of proof of a guilty conscience. My remark about our parents in particular was perceived as strange and suspicious. To me it was a completely understandable reaction. We love our parents and were greatly concerned about their health and emotional state. They had lost their granddaughter. They had seen their own son and daughter in extreme pain and distress and every aspect of our characters ripped to shreds in the newspapers. They’d been through so much already, and now this.
Trisha and Eileen were staying with us for what was intended to be our final week in Luz. Hearing the commotion from the next room, where they were playing with Sean and Amelie, they came running in demanding to know what was happening. Within seconds there were more tears and more shouts of dismay and disbelief. Once again things were going from bad to worse. Much worse.
Ricardo left, looking every inch the sheepish messenger boy he was. We were left with our minds whirling. My immediate worry was Amelie and Sean. If this farce continued in the same vein, and we ended up being formally accused of doing something to Madeleine, people were going to start calling for the twins to be taken away from us. I could feel the panic building up inside me. Between sobs I blurted out my fears to Trisha and Eileen.
It’s hard to describe their response, but if you picture two lionesses whose young are under threat for their lives it will give you the general idea. Remembering it now actually brings a little smile to my face. Hell hath no fury like two women from Glasgow.
‘That won’t happen! We won’t allow it to happen! Nobody will get near them. They wouldn’t stand a chance. Don’t even think like that, Kate!’ they growled, their eyes flashing with conviction. But I was still worried.
Our plans for the evening went out of the window. We cancelled an interview we were scheduled to give Paris Match and dinner with Clement Freud. Gerry rang DCS Bob Small, who was astounded by this latest development. He promised to make some phone calls. Bob was finally able to get hold of Luís Neves, who was reportedly out of the country. Luís claimed not to know anything about it.
We made several more frantic phone calls ourselves – including one to Alan Pike, to let him know that we were now entering fantasy land. After dinner with the family, Gerry and I got Sean and Amelie ready for bed together. We would do whatever it took to protect our precious family and make it whole again.
Sean was so gentle as I was lying with them tonight. He gave me two kisses on the lips and put his arms around me while Amelie was chat, chat chatting!
At 9.50pm, I rang Clement. ‘Come on round,’ he said. ‘It’ll be nice to see you. But you’ll have to forgive my night-time attire.’
We found Clement watching a cookery programme, dressed, as promised, in his nightshirt. It was so ordinary and comforting, a bit like going to see your grandad after a horrible day at school. He gave me one of his looks and a giant glass of brandy, and managed to get a smile out of me with his greeting: ‘So, Kate, which of the devout Catholic, alcoholic, depressed, nymphomaniac parts is correct?’
His response to our catalogue of horrors was merely to raise an eyebrow. Clement had this way of making everything seem a little less terrible. When he heard about the dogs, he remarked laconically, ‘So what are they going to do? Put them on the stand? One bark for yes, two for no?’ He was right, of course; it was ridiculous.
A couple of hours later, fortified by our brandies (it was my first-ever taste of the stuff), some useful snippets of advice and several amusing anecdotes, we left our friend feeling quite a bit better than we had when we’d arrived. The shock of that day, and of what we were now facing, on top of the trauma of Madeleine’s absence, never left us for a second, but it was interludes like this that gave us just enough strength to carry on.
| After dropping the twins off Kate and I popped into church for 10 minutes to pray for Madeleine. Spent most of the day going through mail, e-mails and I had a number of calls to make. It was good to spend some time with my family and Sean and Amelie certainly enjoyed their auntie’s dinner- sometimes it is hard to beat mince and ‘tatties’! |
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| Tues Sept 4
Sister (Jaqueline?)
Eileen | Phone call to the villa of Philip Wright, Casa Colina by Gerry
 
4th... Couple of Lagos pings in the evening, not much time for travel but a quick trip is possible. 20:39 and 20:40 in Lagos. In PdL Central before (at 20:27) and after (at 20:53).
In the evening they are reportedly invited to a friend’s house for dinner. | 4/9 Gap: 13:08 - 15:34
Couple of consecutive pings at a mast labelled as “N/E�? ?? at 17:47 & 18:04. Before this was a 16:35 and after a 18:16 both at Luz Centro 1
| 4th - Only Kate activates the mast labelled "N/E". Error? |
Kates book
By the next morning photographers were appearing sporadically outside our villa. There were press hanging around outside the church and film crews prepared to chase us through the streets either on foot or in the car. It was irritating and wearying. Occasionally Justine would ask us to ‘give’ something to the photographers to appease them (‘They’re under a lot of pressure too’) and we ended up reluctantly allowing them to snap us going into the church and sitting on the rocks. We could hardly have stopped them anyway, short of refusing to leave the villa, but we were not happy about it. This was all about us, not Madeleine, which was precisely what we’d been striving to avoid for two months or more.
Later we were invited to Susan and Haynes Hubbard’s house. It was as relaxing and enjoyable an afternoon as was possible right then. Sean and Amelie splashed about in the paddling pool, built train tracks and played ‘babies’ with dolls. Susan prepared a delicious meal, initiating the twins into the delights of king prawns, which they’ve loved ever since (thanks, Susan!), and the children, including our two, made the pudding: a banana split for everyone. Boy, were Sean and Amelie proud of themselves.
Susan and Haynes were, and remain, such a great source of strength. Sometimes you wonder whether particular people are brought into your life at a particular time for a reason. It certainly seemed to me that the Hubbards were a gift from God. This afternoon was so ordinary, but that’s precisely why it was so valuable to us. We longed for our life to be ordinary again. In the meantime, these fleeting intervals of normality, precious time among friends with Sean and Amelie, were the closest we could get to it. Perhaps they always would be.
These days are so painful and everything is tinged. How long can we go on living like this? There are days when I just want to ‘fast forward’ all of our lives so that they’ll be over, with no more pain, and we’ll all be together again.
| Kate and I did our first interview for a French Publication today. Any interviews we do now, of which we only accept a small percentage of bids, focus on the issues that we have faced since Madeleine’s abduction. The French have recently adopted a child alert system with some early success stories. With increasing travel and movement of workers in the European Union, it is also important we standardise the way serious crimes are tackled.
This evening we were invited to a friend’s house with the children for dinner.
The twins had a good time with the other kids in the paddling pool and especially enjoyed the banana splits with extra child friendly toppings! |
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| | Wed Sept 5 | 5th Sep... Trip to Salema. Consecutive;
12:33 Luz Central
15:08 Budens
16:39 Salema
16:40 Salema
16:41 Salema
18:20 Salema
18:27 Salema
18:38 Salema
18:38 Salema
19:00 Luz
19:23 PdL Central
Salema is only a 20 minute drive from Luz
2.5 hour gap from Luz to Budens pings
1.5 hour gap from Budens to first Salema ping
1 hour 40 minute gap between pings in Salema
Nearly 6 hours worth of gaps in total.
Reported : In the afternoon they go to visit a friend of Kate’s who is on holiday in a nearby village with her family. | 5/9 Trip to the West this afternoon. Consecutive;
14:18 Luz Centro 2
15:12 Salema
16:52 Salema
18:40 Budens 2
18:42 Budens 2
19:14 Luz Centro 2
(Left Luz between 14:18 & 15:00 and arrived back between 18:42 & 19:00) |
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Kates book
Wednesday 5 September. Our ‘interviews’ with the PJ had been put back by a day because our lawyer, Carlos, was in court and unable to be present. Instead we filled the day with emails, phone calls and packing. We met up with Justine to discuss what steps needed to be taken to ensure that our return to Britain would be as quiet as possible. When Gerry and I went out for a run later we saw Justine again, hurriedly approaching us from the top of the hill. The Evening Standard’s front-page headline tonight, she informed us, was to be ‘RESULTS BACK: ARRESTS IMMINENT’. That would certainly set the cat among the pigeons on the eve of our ‘interrogation’. I might sound flippant now, but at the time this was no joke, believe me. Since the police had not deigned to inform us, we had no idea whether the results of the forensic tests in the UK really were back, let alone what, if anything, they revealed.
Gerry and I talked at some length about the PJ’s strategy, or our perception of it: namely, to put us under such extreme pressure, with the help of leaks to their contacts in the media, that if we were guilty (or even if we weren’t) we’d crack. And the pressure on us was indeed immense. We were both used to working under high stress – with critically ill patients, for example – but this was different. This was a situation over which we had no control whatsoever.
We still harboured a faint hope that in the end the PJ would not declare us arguidos. Maybe our readiness to stay in Portugal to address any questions that remained would have thwarted their attempts to cast us in a bad light in the court of public opinion? Maybe the interview on 8 August, when they’d clearly tried to get me to confess, had been their best shot at getting us to crack and, since that hadn’t worked, they would now change tack? There again, they hadn’t eased up on the pressure, and fresh lies were appearing in the media every day. As I say, it was a faint hope.
I got myself ready for the following day – clothes out, shower, hair wash, even a DIY leg wax. It sounds daft now but I knew that it would help if I felt confident and good about myself. And how exactly are you supposed to prepare for being interrogated in a foreign language about the abduction of your child? All I could do was to tell the police the truth – again – and hope that was what they were actually interested in | We were surprised to find increased media presence in Praia da Luz again today. We were followed down to church, then to the shops and back to our accommodation which is very unusual, apart from the build up to the 100 days. All the excitement seems to be over the results of the recent forensic tests that again have created a huge amount of speculation. There has been no official conformation that the report has been received, or what the tests suggest if anything!
Kate and I went for a run along the coast at lunchtime. It was pretty windy but still warm enough. Later in the afternoon we went to visit a friend of Kate’s who is on holiday in a nearby village with her family. They brought lots of cards from well-wishers at home and we talked a lot about the search for Madeleine. The twins had a great time splashing around in a little inflatable paddle pool, singing songs and being doted on by the older kids. |
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| | Thurs Sept 6 | Thursday September 6 • Mrs McCann arrives at a Portuguese police station to undergo further questioning by detectives. Mr McCann will be re-interviewed separately by police the next day. They are being interviewed as witnesses. A family friend says the McCanns fear Portuguese detectives are about to name them as suspects in their daughter's disappearance
Gerry McCann and wife Kate, parents of missing four-year-old Briton Madeleine McCann, kiss before she enters the headquarters of Policia Judiciaria, Portuguese criminal police, in the southern Portuguese town of Portimao 06 September 2007. Portuguese police again questioned the mother of the missing British toddler after they received forensic results from a British laboratory. As she went into the police station in, McCann made a new appeal for her daughter's return or information about her whereabouts.
6th Sep... In Lagos for a couple of hours, mid afternoon, between 1.30 & 3.30pm approximately, pinging Lagos, Lagos South and Lagos Central. In Portimao late evening (collecting Kate from the cop shop). Left Luz around 22:50.
| 6/9 Pinging Portimao between 13:45 & 00:58 into the early hours of the following morning |
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| Everyone will know that Kate attended for interview as a witness with the Portuguese police today. This is only the second time Kate has been interviewed and although it was a long day, going on past midnight, this was shorter than my second interview which lasted 13 hours! The suggestion that Kate is involved in Madeleines disappearance is ludicrous. Anyone who knows anything about the 3rd May knows that Kate is completely innocent. We will fight this all the way and we will not stop looking for Madeleine |
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| | Fri Sept 7 |  
Gerry McCann arrives at a police station in Portimao on September 7, 2007
7th Sep... Back to Luz at 00:54. Few pings in the middle of the night. Gerry arrives in Portimao around 4.30pm. However, there is over a one hour gap between pings, remembering that it only takes just over half an hour to drive from Luz to Portimao.
15:00 Luz Centro
15:10 Lagos
15:10 Lagos Centro
15:15 Monte Alto IC4 (?)
16:28 Portimao Centro
Leaves Portimao cop shop at midnight. | 7/9 Pinging throughout the early hours, after returning from the cop shop. Only one large gap, between 01:22 (first back in Luz) and 03:47
Pinging Portimao again between 11:13 & 16:07
Two more activations at the “N/E�? mast ?? This evening. Not much time for travel. |
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| Day 127 - 07/09/2007Friday No entry |
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| | Sat Sept 8 | 
| Gerry 8th... Back in PdL by 01:11 |
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| | Sun Sept 9 | 
 Journalists line the road as a car carrying Gerry McCann (passenger seat) and his family pull into the entrance of their family home in the village of Rothley, Leicestershire, 09 September 2007. The parents of missing toddler Madeleine McCann, who went missing on a family holiday in Portugal, faced a media siege Monday 10 September 2007, on their first full day back in Britain after being named suspects in the case. Gerry and Kate McCann returned with their two-year-old twins -- but without four-year-old Madeleine -- to their home in Rothley, Leicestershire, central England Sunday, insisting that they were not giving up on their search.
Gerry McCann welcomes unidentified guests into the McCann family home 09 September 2007 following their return from Portugal that day.
SEPTEMBER 09: Kate McCann's uncle Brian Kennedy talks to reporters and television crews outside Gerry and Kate McCann's house on September 9, 2007 in Rothley, England.
| 9th Sep... Left Luz for the last time around 7am. Last ping in Portugal, from Faro airport, at 09:40 | 9/9 Left Luz around 7am and arrived at Faro airport just after 8. Last ever activation in Portugal comes at 09:11 at the airport. |
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(Message edited by TinLizzyOn12/09/2012 8:47 PM) |
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