With many thanks to Astro and Debk

Chapter 1 - Precipitation? Certainly not

- Alípio Ribeiro speaks of 'precipitation' in making the McCanns arguidos
- AR was aware of the decision to make them arguidos and took part in it
- Gonçalo Amaral sensed that the investigation was dead from the day that he was removed
- that feeling intensifies with the national director's statement
- PJ had a 'crisis room' for the Madeleine case, and a room next to it, for the British police officers
- the last British police officer left when the McCanns abandoned Portugal
- there is something disproportionate about this case which should have been a simple missing child's case and ended up questioning the Portuguese justice, the PJ and the police cooperation between two countries that share one of the oldest alliances in the world.

Chapter 2 - The holidays of Madeleine Beth McCann

- arrival at the Ocean Club on Saturday, April 28
- distribution of the families in the apartments:

apt 5A - Kate Healy (39) and Gerry McCann (39) with Madeleine (3), Sean and Amelie (both 2)

apt 5B (next to apt 5A) - Matthew Oldfield (38) and Rachael Maplly (37) with G***e (19m)

apt 5D (like 5A & 5B, also on ground floor) - Russell O'Brien (37) and Jane Tanner (36) with E**a (3) and E**e (1)

apt 5H (on first floor) - David (41) and Fiona Payne (35) with L***y (2) and S*****t (1), and Dianne Webster (63)

- the group dines at the 'Millennium' restaurant, which is far away and the children have to be carried, so the parents study an alternative
- daily routine for the McCann family:

at around 9 am - children go to creche
at around 12.30 - parents pick up the children for lunch
at around 2.30 pm - children back into creche
at around 5.30 pm - children picked up from creche
at around 8.30 pm - parents meet for dinner at Tapas, children stay alone in the apartments, sleeping

- Tuesday, May 1: Madeleine cries inside the apartment from 10.30 to 11.45 p.m., stopping only when the parents return home

- Wednesday, May 2: Madeleine asks her parents why they didn't come when she cried. Normal routine continues: kids in creche at 9am; from 15h30-16h30, Madeleine goes to the beach with the OC kids. Parents leave at 8-8h30 for dinner. [This summary paragraph was added by Debk because it mentions M's bfast comments to K&G on May 2, and not on May 3. ?]

- Thursday, May 3: Kate picks the three children up at the creche at 5.30 p.m. and heads for the apartment

DEBK adding another note here: page 30, "The Ocean Club . . . does not have video surveillance systems, nor private security."

Chapter 3 - News about a disappearance. The first 72 hours, pages 36 -74

- GA is informed about the case around midnight of the night of the 3rd. (Before he gets home he confirms that the police have already alerted the Faro Airport police authorities as well as those at the Guadiana River on the Spanish border.)

- the response team that is on duty is informed, goes to Luz to take care of the situation, photographs the scene, but fails to take pictures of what they really saw, for example there are no persons on the photos but the place was full of people

- the twins' cots are empty on the photos, without bedsheets or covers - nothing at all except for the bare cots - but the officers report that the twins were sleeping in the cots

- police procedures should be revised, as there are no guidelines

- the children were alone in the apt being checked every 30, or every 15, minutes depending on the different versions of the group

- Kate's mother gave the alarm, immediately assuming an abduction.

From page 39:

It is urgent to know who this couple is, as well as their friends, what do they do, what problems do they have in the UK, have they ever mistreated their children, has a neighbor, family, friend or anyone else noted any inappropriate behaviour? What is their profession? Full time? Has anyone suffered depression? Is the marriage relationship healthy? Are they involved in any serious litigation? Does anyone hold a grudge against them? Why?...

These questions were delivered to the UK-Portuguese police liaison [on 4 May] who GA has worked with for years, Glen Power, asking him to forward the request, which the team considered "essential to the investigation" and waited for the response.

====

4 May
=====
- at 9 a.m GA arrives at the CID in Portimão and meets with Chief Inspector Tavares de ALmeida (it's supposed to be the first day of his holidays) to check on what has already been done and what needs to be done next; interpol already contacted, all Portuguese police forces are alerted; initial searches by locals and GNR done that night, to be continued/enlarged

- apt to be fully inspected, even though the arriving officers said the apt was full of people when they arrived and most likely contaminated

- it must be considered if the contamination was conscious or an accident

- searches include garbage bins and sewers; parents/friends must be formally interviewed (these first are almost always the most important), employees, nannies, other tourists; must ask English authorities if any of those guests have any criminal background; CCTV collected from all hotels, farmacies, markets, banks, gas stations, etc.

- Spanish border police are asked to watch ports to Morocco, Tarifa, Algeciras, via their CCTV; maritime police to collect any Algarve port data and do coastline searches

- crisis room is set up

- fotos from the group and other tourists are necessary. the group deliver them but they have no fotos, unfortunately, of that night; at least, none were delivered by the McCanns nor their friends

- apartment has NO signs of a break in, as opposed to what the parents say and what "Sky News" reports

- still all breakins in the area are reviewed, as ridiculous as it would be for a robber to take a child with them

- report must be filed with the Public Ministry... but what to call it? decision is made to record as an "Abduction??" with two question marks to indicate that there are doubts about this theory. (you can see this first form with the "??" in the process files)

- GA reads the "first arrival" report. all hypotheses are open: woke and wandered, accident/eventual death/hidden cadaver, bodily injuries resulting in death, negligent or intentional homicide, vingenace, kidnap for eventual ransom, sexual pedator, robber who came to steal but was surprised by the child...

- the abduction theory permits the widest investigation and means otherwise unable to justify, including bringing in teams from outside the Algarve, and all possible means are important in the first 72 hours. in peace and silence, the team can advance with a efficient and effective investigation avoiding suspicions on the family/friends while still collecting all necessary evidence to determine what happened

- 10am, 12 hours after the disappearance, the British Consul from Portimão arrives. PJ tell him all that is going on. He is not satisfied and is heard talking on the phone saying the "PJ are doing nothing. " Strange!

- And the information about the friends/family requested so urgently from the UK still hasn't arrived...

- one urgent question is whether or not M was the biological child of the McCanns, if not, this could be an abduction by the biological parents

- the urgent request still has not received a response from the UK... but here comes the Ambassador, from Lisbon [debk-3 hr drive]. This is not normal. Who is this couple? Who are these friends? We don't need diplomats, we need detailed responses to our questions, given urgently to the English-Portuguese liaison, Glen Power

- the searches continue, a helicoptor arrives, time is of the essence, highlighted by the fact that most of these witnesses are tourists who will return home on Saturday/tomorrow

- also concerns arise about M's parents and friends and their plans to return home; there is no way to legally oblige them to stay

- mid-morning, the Sub-National PJ Director arrives from Faro; he and GA go to the Ocean Club... to find all the journalists.

- M's disappearance has been presented by the friends in a much more coherent fashion to the media than to the police. (why?)

- GA and team are horrified to see one of the technicians collecting evidence without appropriate gear

- still, no signs of a breakin, no vestiges of an abductor, no finger prints from anyone outside the group, not even glove prints (from a possible abductor). there was a print found from one of the police, again, an error on their part

- collecting witness statements, team learns of a British man suspected of child abuse who is connected to a pub approx 150M from the OClub. in 2005, he was investigated and fled Portugal. But the pub is closed and the suspect has not been seen in the area. (later, the British confirm rumours that this man is in Iraq.)

- road works: the night of 3May the open road works were searched by GNR and dogs; they were re-inspected during the daylight of 4 May; the supervisor was spoken to and nothing unusual was discovered

TAPAS STATEMENTS AND FIRST INCONSISTENCIES (4 May)

- best to separate everyone and take all statements at once, important to question everyone, in case M's abduction were a mistake and one of the other children were the true target

- logistically, all can't be heard at once; someone has to stay with the children (debk - why not use the creche?)

- the morning of 4 May, only Gerry, Jane Tanner and Matthew Oldfield are interviewed... and inconsistencies already arise (Jane sees possible abductor; Gerry doesn't see abductor though he's there at the same time with Jeremiah); the rest of the group is interviewed the afternoon of 4 May, giving too much time for the others to learn the questions/answers of the first.

- translation slows things down, giving too much time to think

- the parents insist upon abduction and force this, and only this, idea

- Gerry says he left the front door locked and the apt was secure; Kate says she entered via the back door. She confirms that the bedroom window was wide upon and the blinds up.

The checking was defined as follows:

21h05 - GM checks, all is fine with the children
21h10/21h15- JT sees alleged abductor carrying child
21h30 - MO, enters apt 5A but not the bedroom, sees only the twins
22h00 - Kate raises alarm, M missing

- BUT if the window was wide open when MO checked, how did he not notice?

- MO says the bedroom door was half open, Kate says it was wide open

- Unexpectedly, other inconsistencies arise: Kate, when she talks about the person who allegedly took M, she refers to info that Jane has provided. Yet Kate describes someone completely different that Jane's person. (Jane = light trousers and shoulder length hair; Kate = long hair and jeans)

- Jane makes herself completely available and testifies several times

- to the police, Gerry says Jane told him, about midnight 4 May, that she saw an unknown individual, 30-40 yo, light trousers, dark hair, going up the street

- the GNR affirms that the parents immediately raised the abduction theory because Jane saw this man carrying a child; the GNR statements have this description: man, light trousers, 1,78m, dark shirt and carrying a child that appeared to be wearing pyjamas. Nothing else about the child, the pyjamas nor the man.

- by 11:30, 4 May, Jane gives another description, more detailed: a dark skinned man, 35-40yo, thin, 1,7m, dark, thick shoulderlength hair, linen pants of beige or gold color, a "Duffy" type jacket though not as thick, with classic black shoes: walking quickly and carrying a child laying across his two arms in front of his chest; by his dress, he didn't look like a tourist and didn't seem like a tourist because he was so bundled up ("encasacado"?). the child appeared to be sleeping, though she only saw the legs, the feet were bare and the pyjamas looked like cotton, a light color, maybe white or pink, with a design, perhaps, though she wasn't sure, perhaps with flowers.

- Jane says she would recognize the man from the back and by the way he walked. (later we'll understand the importance of this statement!)

- Jane's testimony surprised everyone. she says she didn't know what M was wearing. how could she not? 14 hrs had passed since the disappearance and Jane's version had been heard by many. Gerald even mentioned her testimony. but Jane says she only talked the Gerald without giving details, and only after she had talked to the police.

- but Kate had immediately, on the night of 3 May, given a description of what M was wearing. how could Jane, the next day, not know this when she talked to the police? everyone that night, who helped in the searches, was looking for a 3-4yo girl, barefoot, dressed in PJs with a top and light-colored bottoms, with a pink animal design. it's very surprising that Jane says she didn't have this information when she spoke to the police the next day, especially as she was making herself the most important witness in this phase of the investigation

FIRST SIGHTING/KATE'S REACTION
- still 4 May, the parents are returning to Luz when a video is located at a gas station on the road from Lagos to Spain. A girl who looks like M is shown with two adults.. We ask the McCanns to return to Portimão, the afternoon is ending, we want to see if they can identify the girl in the video.

- Kate shows herself to be a bit irritated at being required to return to the police station and upset at the speed reached by the police car that was taking them back to Portimão. We were surprised that she showed no hope that her daughter might be recovered. (the video was not of M)

MORE POLICE
- more police arrive from Lisbon; though not requested by GA, they are a big help. management is raised up a level within the police department. the efficacy of this is questioned later, and no reason is given for this move.

FIRST MEDIA COMMUNICATION
- 4 May afternoon, authorization is requested to hold a press conference, in order to request information that might lead to M's recovery.

- 5 May, press release is done, M's foto released, along with contact info. Given the possibility of someone trying to alter her appearance, different hair lengths and styles are shown. Most responses are from psychics or people who dream about or have visions of Maddie. All are reviewed.

TANNER'S TESTIMONY WEAKENS
- 20h00-22h00, 4 May, GA/team in Praia da Luz. It is obvious that there is very poor visibility in the area where Jane saw this possible abductor, undoubtedly making her detailed description difficult.

- Other witnesses say that on 3 May, in that area, at 21h58, there was no one around.

- The investigative teams continue to review Jane's statement: something doesn't make sense. Why would someone walk towards the most open area, even though there was not enough lighting to allow Jane to see anything in detail? A planned abduction would mean studying the area, the people. A car would have been parked away from the streetlights, in the opposite direction that Jane saw her abductor walking. Did she see someone going the opposite direction? If the abductor was using a car, he would have had to have driven through the center of Luz, passing in front of the parent's restaurant.... all options are reviewed. It's decided that the beach is the easiest place to reach for anyone who didn't have a car and did not know the area well.

- in the few bars, restaurants and cafés open at that time, no one saw anything unusual on the night of 3 May. (most closed at 21h00)

CRISIS ROOM/GROUP STATEMENTS IN DOUBT
- all options remain open; opinions are divided, everything is open to discussion

- unanimous fact amongst the group: the back sliding door of 5A was closed but unlocked

- Gerry: says he entered by the front door with the key (why walk the long way around?), sees M for the last time. all the windows are closed. he says he could see the back door from the restaurant and that no one came in through it that night.

- Kate: enters at 22h00. See open window, raised blinds and curtains waving. (hard to believe, as the blinds don't open from the outside and Kate says the window was always closed).

- Both refuse to believe someone entered the back door because they could see it and no one could have entered without their detecting it. (it was then verified that they could NOT see the back door, given the hedge and the fact that they were sitting with their backs to their apartment)

- all of this -- everything closed, the children regularly checked, and this visual watching of the apartment's back door -- had the objective to proof the children were safe. nonetheless, it's obvious that M was not safe. If she had been, she wouldn't have disappeared.

- "too weird the idea to enter through a door and exit through the window with a four year old..." " knowing someone would arrive at any moment..." "these people are hiding something..." "some secret known and hidden by all... ?" "but these are doctors..." and so ends the first day

SATURDAY, 5 MAY (day 2)
- an apartment for the police is filled with officer napping on couches, on the floor, shared beds.
- in Luz, statements are still being collected from employees, nannies, residents and tourists
- in Sagres, a tourist was taking fotos of children, including a blond, blue-eyed 4yo whose father snapped a foto of this man, who tried to grab her, as well as his car. the father wore dark glasses but said the "fotographer" was not dressed like a tourist, had dark brown hair covering his neck, creme trousers, classic shoes, out of place on the beach... we are reminded of Jane's statement.

- the rental agency IDs the car in the foto and the driver, a Polish man, approx 40 yo, with his wife, arriving in Portugal on 28 April, via Berlin to Faro, stayed in a rented apt in Budens, near Praia da Luz. They left Portugal on the 7am flight, 5 May. Interpol and the German police act quickly. They talk to passengers on the flight but no one saw a child like Madeleine. The Polish man takes a train to Poland. No one checks his fotos. The lead dies here... though he certainly doesn't have anything to do with this case, the lead was incomplete.

- information comes in: white vans, strange people on the beach, a group of gypsies, etc. all are tracked, all lead to nothing. more than 400 homes are searched.

- McCanns and twins are in the Payne's apartment. we talk about going to the apt to collect M's clothes, especially those she was wearing the afternoon of 3 May when taken from the creche, to see if there is any sign of violence. The British Ambassador is already meeting with the investigators. The decision is to NOT request M's clothes, to avoid a media rush, it is "premature" to consider the parents suspects.

- Suddenly the parents and firends must be treated with diplomacy, we are not allowed to question their behaviour. The strategy is that all theories are open. Somehow Jane's statement gains weight such that the first press communication is that this is considered an abduction. The media demands were enormous, something had to be said.

HANDLING THE PRESS/ McCANN'S SPOKESPEOPLE
- PJ requested a spokesperson right away...

- We think the investigators should remove themselves from the media. However, the PJ should have people who analyze the news, in this case watching what the parents and friends were saying. But that didn't happen and we felt the lack of that resource.

- media explosion, never before had Portugal seen such a media preoccupation by the parent's of a missing child

- fact: there was an immediate and ever growing preoccupation by the McCanns with the management of media communicaionts. An analysis of the images of the couple, and in their many TV interviews, one sees that this image management is a priority

CELLPHONE USAGE
- all lines of investigation continue open, still locating known pedofiles in the Algarve, resident or tourists. Witness statements arrive and are analyzed, especially those of OClub employees and telefone records that were provided.

- very obvious that telefone records for 3 May are required. the 5A apt coordinates are defined and details of all calls received/sent from local antenas are requested. (movements can be tracked with cellfones)

- on 4 May, the parents authorized the police to look at their cellfones to check for calls made and received:

Kate's fone: no calls made from 27April to 4 May; she received no calls from 11h22 on 2 May until 23h17 on 3 May

Gerry's fone: nothing prior to 00h15 on 4 May

However, inside Kate's fone there is a record of a call received from Gerry at 11h17, 3 May. But no record of the call on Gerry's fone. It had been erased.

It was later verified that the first calls began about an hour after Kate raised the alarm, which could be very understandable given the searching that was being done.

23h00, 5 May - 3h00, 6 May
====================
- meeting of entire investigative team. some are upset with the PJ press release, others with the presence of the UK Ambassador (does he attend to all cases of British children? Why this one? Only the UK can respond to question)

- suggestion made to wiretap and follow the parents and friends: the statements don't work, the window story doesn't make sense and Jane's statement is ever weaker... they could be removed from suspicion this way and it should be done in case of a ransom request... but a judicial authorization is required

- mid-meeting GA receives notice, still unknown whether or not it was true, that the British secret service had begun wiretapping the McCanns and friends. If true, the results never were delivered to PJ.

SUNDAY, 6 MAY (day 3)
- The day begins poorly: Polish police misunderstood the request and merely questioned the "photographer" and ascertained he did not have Madeleine. they did not look at his fotos. (could be a lost lead for a pedo ring... ) nonetheless, CCTV images are found of the couple in a mall in Lisbon [3 hours north] and shown around Praia da Luz. Nothing. The rental car has already been re-rented but the litter removed from it is found and searched. Nothing. The apartment is thoroughly examined. Nothing connects to Madeleine.

- information about strange behaviours and strange people near OClub continue to flow into the crisis room...

Chapter 4 - The true victim is the missing child, pages 75-81

- in criminal investigation, it's critical to understand the personality of the victim

- the description provided of Madeleine included a description of her pijamas, but not the fact that she was barefoot, because there are some facts that should remain secret to assist in the ongoing investigation.

- in the creche, Madeleine was known as a fairly active and social child, with a great love for her twin siblings -- when she saw them she was excited and happy to be with them again. She was very attached to her father.

- others of the OC nannies said Madeleine was well behaved, happy and calm. she was very pretty but this wasn't what drew your attention, it was the fact she was more timid and easily embarrassed that the other children that made her stand out in the group.

- in July 2007, a British police officer visited Gerry McCann at his Rothley home. On the refrigerator he saw a chart where Madeleine's problems were outlined. She had trouble sleeping, getting up various times per night.

- M's paternal grandfather admitted that Kate gave the children Calpol to help them sleep

- Kate admitted that she brought some Calpol on vacation but said she didn't give any to the child that week

- The twins never woke up on May 3, even with Kate's cries and the many people in and out of their bedroom

- Medical records for Madeleine were requested, "with insistence", but never received

- in truth, the British judicial system does not like to give up medical records

- at one point in the investigation, the police were alerted (by doctors) that Madeleine's unusual eye could be indicative of "other illnesses", such as heart problems. however, it is impossible to diagnosis this with a foto.

- as soon as the detection of blood in the apartment was made known, Kate gave an interview where she revealed Madeleine had a nosebleed in the apartment

- nosebleeds can also be symptomatic of these types of "other illnesses" related to the unusual eye, described by some people as a colomboma

Chapter 5 - The following days, pages 82-93

- after the first 72 hours, the investigators are trying to remain optimistic that M could still be alive and could be found

- monday, 7 may, British police begin to arrive from Leicestershire, the McCann's home town

- when PJ requested assistance from the British, they did it the usual way: via the official English_Portuguese police liaison, who belongs to SOCA

- PJ thought that an abduction under the known circumstances would have been a Scotland Yard issue and not for the local Leicestershire police... but were told it was a local issue.

- However, as PJ originally thought should be the case from the beginning, Scotland Yard did eventually join the investigation

FOLLOWING INITIAL LEADS

- a 46yo British man has a bad relationship with his neighbors, who thinks he is too interested in children. he is investigated, but no records against him are found in the UK nor the Portugal, nor are there indications that he was seen in the villa nor beach at Luz

- breakins at the Ocean Club are investigated, including a visit to the Portimão prison. a youth is interviewed but he is not cooperative. it comes to the attention of the investigators that an attempted breakin in Madeleine's apartment block happened the week prior. this must be researched further.

- Tues, 8 May, 17hoo, Praia da Luz; a white van, which was seen near the Ocean Club on 3 May was found by investigators. the owner/driver is a 56yo British man, a musician, who plays guitar in the Luz streets and beach. This is the man Gerry saw when at the beach with Madeleine. It's also the same man that was seen in the vehicle, his residence, near Ocean Club. Research shows him not to be connected to M's disappearance.

- 8 May, 23h45, Blocks 4 & 5 Ocean Club; 2 GNR sniffer dogs arrive from Lisbon to try to trace M's scent. These dogs, however, are usually used in rural areas, not cities, and within 48 hours. A towel, which according to Kate was used by M after her bath, was given to the dogs. The dogs went around Block 5, and when they were headed to Block 4, they turned around, to the left, following a trail that went behind the back of the apartments, separating them from the leisure areas [the pool, etc], heading to the square at the front of the entrance of the leisure area. Both dogs did this, but the trainers weren't confident of the value of this indication, given the time that had passed. It just meant that Madeleine had made this route, which Gerry confirmed later, saying they had walked there a few days earlier.

THE SIGHTINGS BEGIN
- sightings begin the very day her disappearance is broadcast

- first, in Portugal; then in Spain, Morocco, every country in continental Europe, South America.

- rules were established: the local authorities confirmed the credibility, collected whatever proof they felt necessary; vidoes, fingerrpints, DNA sources, etc.

- 11 May, the first Morocco sighting. Norwegian lady, resident in southern Europe, sees M in gas station in Marraquexe. Henceforth, M is always sighted in Morocco in pyjamas, always barefoot. Very strange.

- jump to Sept sighting: late Sept, after McCanns made arguidos.
the McCann's "staff" are focusing on Morocco (who knows why?); and a young Spanish woman has fotos of a blond girl on a woman's back, and the girl can only be M. PJ calls Stuart Prior in England and the response "couldn't be more absurd nor surreal" given the investigative strategy [death/hidden corpse] that had been defined between the English and Portuguese police teams: they had received the foto and immediately shown it to the McCanns without first contacting PJ, even tho the parents are arguidos. According to Prior, when asked if it could be Madeleine, the parents gave an enigmatic "it could be." There is surprise in the PJ team that the parents, even after 6 months, might not recognize their own daughter. The mother/child are found. It is not M.

- 12 May, Saturday, Luz; 53yo British man, gardener, is identified as the man seen on Wed, 2 May, in the gardens near 5A. In the past, he had worked for a gardening company owned by Murat's family. His residence and car are searched. Nothing is found to tie him to the disappearance.

- during this time, we are learning that the McCanns are trying to increase political pressure. 23 May, they contacted Gordon Brown. From that point forward, we were certain this case was becoming a political problem, at least in the UK.

- 25 May, PJ requested that anyone who might have been carrying a child in Luz on 3 May (per Tanner's well publicized info) should identify themselves in case it had nothing to do with Madeline. No one came forward.

- [BAGMAN] after Murat was made arguido, PJ requested fotos/images from the days/hours before the disappearance, hoping to find fotos showing how Murat was dressed and who he was with. Found some from 4 May, where Murat is with GNR officers and two British men, one of Asian origin, both tourists at the Ocean Club. PJ had copies of the McCann's holiday fotos and decided to verify them. In one, Gerry is playing with M, Amelie and Sean and behind is the Aisan may seen on 4 May with Murat in an odd pose, as if he were guarding something. Information on this man, and two others also at the hotel, were requested from the British police. They contacted the men, collected info and decided they had nothing to do with the disappearance. The British say that, in the playground, the man was with his daughter and his posture was normal. His apparent relationship with Murat on May 4 was because of their work on the search. STRANGELY ENOUGH, days later, an English journal published the foto. PJ don't know how the foto got to the journal, nor why they published it.

- One of the tourists staying at the Ocean Club heard Gerry talking on his cellphone on 3 May saying that there are pedofile networks in Portugal and one of these networks was responsible for M's disappearance. Just a few hours after her disappearance and her father is practically convinced who was responsible.

RECONSTITUTION, OR NOT?

- mid-May, a second interviewing is done with the Tapas9 and the contradictions grow.

- a second inteview with Kate was important, but was held off because she was too upset

- it was deemed necessary to do a reconstitution of the night to clear up some things. This is a common process, espeically when there are lots of details and contradictions in a case. We had dozens of elements: McCanns and friends, demployes, nannies, witnesses. A reconstitution would have been immensely valuable. If there are contradictions, they are instantly explained by the participants. But it didn't happen. Why? Too many tourists at Ocean Club to shut it down, too many journalists, it might look like the friends and parents were being suspected... The possibility was discussed within the main investigative team, but it didn't happen, in spite of several discordant opinions.

- A reconstitution, even just with the parents, could have been helpful. Because of their direct responsibility (as parents), and for the level and value of their statements, teh parents are the main thread of that night. Without judging anyone, such a reconstitution would have been normal.

- GA believes a reconstitution, with the friends or only just the parents, would be useful even today. Doesn't understand why it hasn't happened.

EXTORTION ATTEMPT
- 14 June, McCanns contacted by unknown person claiming to have info which would lead to finding Madeleine. The couple was advised to maintain email contact, while evaluating credibility. The person asked for 2million euros for this information. He asked for €500 upfront to be delivered to someone in the Netherlands. The McCanns appeared anxious and engaged in the situation, responding promptly to all emails, which they were considering genuine. (It did seem genuine and the McCanns did live in the Netherlands before the twins were born.) Both McCanns seemed convinced that through this they were going to recover Madeleine. Until... The PJ didn't hesitate and worked with police in England and Netherlands to negotiate, via email, with this person, telling Gerald how to respond and get all info possible, and hopefully capture this person and rescue Madeleine. In one of the last negotiation rounds, in a room at PJ Portimão, are specialized negotiators from PJ, elements from Scotland Yard and Leicestershire along with Gerald, waiting to recevie word via MSN, to finalize the delivery of the money. Tension was high. Except for that the laid-back posture of Gerald, in contrasted with that of the anxious police, leaving everyone involved in the case intruiged, including the British. The air in the room was very heavy, but will the investigators waited for that greatly desired contact, Gerald sucked relaxedly on a chupa-chupa while he read inane news on the internet and discussed rugby and football with the British police. Talking on his cellhpone with one of his relatives, he laughted, maybe a bit nervously, but, still in contrast to the seriousness of the moment. His attitude did not go unnoticed and it was no surprise to hear, 2 days later, that the individual had been arrested and the info was invented merely for extorsion. Did Gerald already know this? Is that why he wasn't worried that day?

- A phrase used by one of the British police officers about Gerald's temperment and the coldness he always showed towards the case: "Don't forget that he is a cardiac surgeon [sic] and starts cutting people open directly after breakfast."

Chapter 6 - The arrival of the English police. In Portugal, it's still the dog that wags the tail...page 94-98

- The first British police officer to arrive in Portimão was Glen Power, the official British-Portguese liaison officer, on 5 May. HE works with the embassy, basically the UK's Police Representative, permanently in Portugal, one of the various roles which allows for international police cooperation.

- GA has known Glen for some time, as well as his predecessor, Martin Cox. They worked on violent and organized crime cases, and GA knows his great capacity for work, his sympathy and humility. They had more than just a mere police contact, so that GA was apprehensive when Glen explained he would not be around for the next few days as he had "a lot to do." But he made it clear that his Leicestershire colleagues would arrive and integrate into the team, as investigation is a "nearly universal language." (This is true, but people count, too.)

- 2 days later, the English began arriving [7 May]. They were to provide 2 people with experience in family support for abduction victims, serving as the link between the McCanns and the investigative team. The PJ National Directorship authorized this, in the spirit of police cooperation. Bob Small, responsible for the Leicestershire Police arrived, with another colleague. (GA gave clear orders to the Portuguese investigators: shadow your English colleagues. Know what they know, what they do and who they talk to. Collect all the info they have and be with them day and night.) The next moment, two more arrive to serve as a family link for psychologic support. Immediately, from two to four British officers. They are given a room, beside the crisis room. British officers continuing arrived from all the specialties, including, eventually Scotland Yard. Vigilance specialists, IT specialists, telecommunications, profilers, time analysts, people to complare/connect witness statements, making huge charts covering all the walls...

- 14 May, Kate is shocked and frustrated with the official family liaison officers, who asked her where her daughter was. The McCanns would not tolerate such boldness, nor this type of suspicion. These British investigators were specialists in kidnappings and abductions. They helped the McCanns daily with anything they needed, logistics, legal help, bring them uptodate on the investigation and coordinating between the couple and PJ. But they didn't last more than a week. On that day, the McCanns dismissed them, contradicting what you would expect of parents in distress in a strange country, receiving a supporting hand from compatriots, especially police specialists in abductions, people wanting to help you. No one could doubt that couple, much less the British police.

- Curiously, the British police didn't tell the Portuguese team about this and were never officially informed, having to learn of it by "intelligence." Two Portuguese officers who spoke fluent English were assigned [as a link to the couple].

- The information going to Leicestershire was enormous and, at one point, they couldn't handle it. On 15 May, Inspector Ricardo Paiva went to the UK to work with the local police. Most of what arrived in the UK were sightings, so many that their IT system ground to a halt.

- 12 June, Chris Eyre and Bob Small went to Faro to meet with Guilhermino Encarnação, Luís NEves and GA specifically to evaluate the police cooperation. Everything seemed to go well -- PJ already knew about the run-in between Kate and the family support officers, but nothing is said. We were left with the sense that the abduction thoery was politically correct, however, the others were left on the table. As the months passed, we understand the evolution of the investigation in Portugal was not fully known in Leicestershire. When British officers arrived, they did not know much about what was going on.

- In Sept, one British officer arrived with a green and yellow "Look for M" wristband. It was his first time in Portugal and his first work with PJ on Portuguese territory, one of over 2 dozen officer sent from the UK to work exclusively on the case. The PJ told him that in a few days he wouldn't be wearing the wristbnad. IN fact, that was truth once he can in direct contact with the information, coming to know, for the first time, the existing indications, which put the abduction theory to doubt.

Chapter 7 - Suspect behaviour and contradictions. The Murat case

- 2h00, 11 May. Crisis room meeting ends. GA receives a call from wife. Their nutszu was killed with a blow to the head. She's kept the kids away but GA needs to remove the body. She's frightened and asks GA to leave the investigation.

- GA has to decide what to do with the dog's corpse. The ground is too hard to dig, decides to put in the garbage and realizes: it's very easy to dispose of bodily remains, though difficult to bury them.

- 8h00 GA goes to Portimão, thinking... Jane's abductor is ghostlike. No signs. And why would he walk towards the center of town, the most open areas? If a car were there, he would have to drive in front of Tapas, etc, to get away. Who would do that? It makes more sense to walk the other direction, towards the darkened part of town... what was in the direction that the abductor was walking?

- GA arrives to Luz and walks the trail of the abductor. In front of a house, sees two vehicles and calls in the license numbers to be traced. Someone arrives, parks and enters the house. The face is familiar. Inside the car is a child's carseat. The driver exits with an older lady and they walk towards "Tapas." I call over an officer and ask for the identity of this man, who to GA's surprise, says hello to the officer.

- It's Murat, who arrived on the morning of 4 May to offer his help as a translator. He's British but speaks Portuguese well. There's nothing in his police records, but the officer hadn't noticed how close Murat's house is to 5A. The officer will stick close to Murat and GA goes to Portimão to do further background checks

- Murat, separated, 33 yo, British nationality. His wife and daughter, about M's age and looks a bit like M, both live in England. He lives with his mother in Luz, but spends time in the UK. He arrived from Exeter on May 1, with a ticket to return on 9 May. Return delayed so that he could help the police.

- He speaks of other similar disappearance cases in the UK and appears to know them in detail, he asks about the identities of possible suspects, the strategies in mind and diligences underway. He shows a knowledge of how Ocean Club works and well as the tourist's daily routines. He tried, in a furtive way, to consult the police records.

- On the other hand, his mother set up a stand near the "Tapas" bar either for philanthropic reasons or to collect info.

- He goes to online sex sites, unknown though whether these are of adults or children.

- The British agents from CEOP work on his profile and show a great interest. They put him under surveillance. From the UK arrives hi-tech equipment that detects the presence of humans inside buildings to see if M is in his house. But the equipment doesn't work on the construction materials of that house... human vigilance is required.

- A romance is uncovered with Michaela W, a Portuguese-German woman, 32, real-estate agent, married to Luís António, Portuguese, 33, pool maintenance manager, with whom she has a daughter, 8, who lives with them in Lagos. A strange relationship.

- 12 May, Murat rents a car to "help his mother" set up a shed to assist with the McCanns. He drives kilometers, mostly on unpaved roads. It is decided that Murat knows he's being followed. We move ahead with plans to search his residence and vehicles. On Sunday night, the Judge and Prosecutor go to Portimão Court and authorize the searches.

Before requesting search warrants, an informal test is done. Jane Tanner is placed in a surveillance car where she can see out, without being seen. It is parked where Jane says she was when she saw the abductor. Investigators walk Murat along the abductors trail. Jane has no doubts. By the way he walks, she knows it's him.

- The investigator who spends the most time with Murat, takes him to a bar until 2am to keep him occupied. The rest of the team prepares for searches to begin at 7am.

14 May, 7h20, police enter Murat's house; the journalists know nothing for hours. Everything is searched, wells, gardens, clothes, vehicles. Computers and cellphones are apprehended.

- a news clipping from a British newspaper, 23 Sept 2006, is found relating to a pedophile case

- 10h00, 14 May. interrogations begin, after Murat is made an arguido given the indications to date. Murat dispenses with the offer of an attorney, which gives him the right to remain silent. But he doesn't use this right and responds to all questions, nervously. His responses, however, are very clear. Why did he return to Portugal just before M disappeared? Who are his friends? Where does he go?

- Regarding M's disappearance, he only remembers hearing sirens about 22h30 on 3 May when he was in the kitchen with his mother. Only at 9h00 the next morning did he ask someone who was walking by his house what was happening. He decided to offer his assistance.

- All this is reviewed. PJ visits places that Murat goes with Michaela, looking for CCTV to see if he was dressed like Jane's abductor on 3 May.

- via triangulation of calls: at 23h3', Michaela fones Murat; Murat calls Malinka; then Murat calls Michaela. Michaela is in Lagos; Murat and Malinka in Luz. No plausible explanation is ever received for these calls. Response vary from "I don't remember" to "it had to do with our website."

- Malinka, 23 yo, Russian. IT specialist, lives with his parents in Luz, 300m from OClub. Mother works for cleaning company which manages some of the OClub apartments. Dates a Portuguese woman, 33 yo, who has an adolescent daughter. Once his name hits the papers, he doesn't want to be seen with this girl. The wife of an ex-business partner, British, says Malinka bragged in 2006 about having sex with a 14 yo, and was found out by the father. She also said that he was in a relationship with the older Portuguese woman and her daughter, though she later denied it. It could be vengance for a bad business deal...

- Murat and Michaela confirm they know Malinka because he created their business website. That is the reason for their meeting on 2 May near Ocean Club. (Luís is seen in the area, too, perhaps watching his wife?)

- 14 May. Searches done at Michaela and Murat's homes and vehicles.

14 May. That same afternoon, Michaela and Luís give police statements. Michaela appears to try to place the guilt for Madeleine's disappearance onto Luís. Immediate problem raised: Luís does pool cleaning and manages pools throughout Lagos and Luz. Some pools are closed most of the year. We are in May, high season for pool prep. All those pools must be located and searched... and are, but no sign of Madeleine is found.

- Suddenly a ray of hope: a key was found at Murat's house. He said it is Michaela's; she says it fell accidentally. But where was the key before it fell? In a purse or a pocket? How did it fall out at Murat's? This key is to a garage that Luís uses to store products for his pool cleaning.

- The garage is searched. No sign of Madeleine.

- The English profilers continue their work.

- a psuedo-friend of Murat, with a police record, gives a statement. He says that, as an adolescent, Murat tried to have sex with a dog and a cat, which both died with the trauma; also that when 16yo, Murat tried to rape a cousin. He described Murat as violent and disturbed, sexually deviant, sadist... PJ thought it all very strange.

- However, the British profilers decided there was a 90% chance that Murat had abducted Madeleine. PJ felt that was too easy, to evalute based in part upon the testimony of a known criminal.

- Suddenly, like a light had gone on, some friends of the McCanns remembered seeing Murat on 3 May near apartment 5A, both before and after GNR arrived.

- Murat had already appeared in the news and had already spoken personally with these friends... but only on 16 May did Rachael Mampilly, FIona Payne and Ressel O-Brien make police statements that they had seen Murat immediately after M disappeared, near the McCann's apartment. The GNR who arrived a bit after 23h00 did not see him, though they did on the following morning when he offered his services as a translator.

11 July, 10h00, Portimão. A direct meeting is held between Rachael, Fiona, Russel and Murat. The friends saw they saw him near the apartment on 3 May; Murat denied it and said the friends were lying. Nothing new came out of the confrontation. Each maintained their separate version of events.

- The friends confirmed that they would return to Portugal again at any time to help with the investigation... which was not true.

Chapter 8 - A man carrying a child on the way to the beach, page 111-114

- The Smith family, from Ireland, is in Luz for holidays, staying at their own holiday apartment; four adults and 5 children:
the father (retired, 58)
his wife
his son (23 yr old) and daughter-in-law (pregnant with 3rd child) and their two children 13 and 6yrs (ie, Mr Smith's grandchildren)
his daughter (12)
two additional grandchildren, 10 and 4, of another daughter back in Ireland.

- approx 21h55, they are returning from "Kelly's Bar", heading north, all spread out along the street

- they pass a man walking down the middle of the street, carrying a child, with the head against his left shoulder and the arms hanging down alongside the body, in light colored or pink pyjamas, bare feet, pale skin typical of British and blond, shoulder-length hair; the girl is about 3-4 years old, about 1 meter tall.

- The man is not dressed like a tourist; he's wearing cream or beige trousers, classic cut, of linen or cotton. He is white, 30-35 yrs, 1.70-1.80 meters tall, averagel build, physically fit, short, brown hair, with a face that looks tanned.

- Images of Robert Murat begin to circulate around the world

- Back in Ireland, the Smiths watch the news and learn of Jane's statement and the suspicions falling upon Murat.

- The father contacts the Irish police. He tells his story. The man he saw was NOT Murat. He knows Murat and it was not him.

- The father is almost certain that the girl he saw was Madeleine.

- The Smiths are secretly brought back to Portugal. On Saturday, 26 May, in Portimão, Smith and his two children are interviewed.

- Their testimony is credible, but given the lack of light in the area, they can't identify the man who was carrying the child.

- The described the way he walked and carried her; this image is strongly fixed in their memory.

- They take investigators to the precise location they saw the man carrying the child. [a foto in book shows the narrow street where they passed each other]

- The next day, they return home. Their presence and their testimony is kept in secrecy.

- The Smiths promise to watch developments in the case; they will contact the police if they remember anything else.

- The investigators now have a credible witness about the existence, on the night of 3 May, of a man carrying a child, on foot, through Luz.

[STORY CONTINUED IN CHAP 21]

Chapter 9 - Mallorca, September 2005, pages 115-117

- Sept 2005, Madeleine (2.5yrs), the twins (a few months old) and Kate/Gerry go to Mallorca for holidays. With them are David and Fiona PAYNE and daughter (Fiona is pregnant with 2nd child); also S&T with two boys, 1- and 3 yo; and SG & KG with their daughter, E (1.5 yrs). KG is also pregnant.

- the trip was organized by David Payne and the group stayed in one big rented house

- SG went to university with Kate and met Gerry around 1998, in Liverpool. After that, SG and KG became close friends with the McCanns, meeting regularly, spending weekends together and maintaining fone contact

- On the 3rd or 4th night in Mallorca, after dinner, eating and drinking, seated around a patio table, KG sees something that makes her concerned about her daughter and the welfare of the other children

- She is seated between Gerry and David, when she hears David ask if she, perhaps referring to Madeleine, does "this", then starts sucking one of his fingers, pulling it in and out of his mouth, insinuating a phallic object, while at the same time making circles around his nipple with the fingers of his other hand, in a provocative and sexual way

- when KG looks at Gerry and David, stupidified, there is a nervous silence. they then continued talking as if nothing had happened

- This provoked serious concerns in KG about Payne's relationship with children

- On another occasion, KG saw David again make the same gestures, this time talking about his own daughter

- on that holiday, it was the fathers who gave the children their baths, but KG never again let Payne near her daughter

- After these holidays, KG only saw the Paynes once, and hasn't talked to them since then

- In the last two years, the relationship between SG and KG and the McCanns cooled, reduced to social contacts, meeting only at birthday parties for the children

- the above was written from a deposition given by SG and KG to British police on 16 May 2007, just 13 days after M disappeared. This info was important and pertinent to the investigation but it was not given to the Portuguese police.

- In mid July, rumours started among the investigative team, that something like that had happened, but details and identities were unknown

- These rumours pointed to an identical situation that had happened in Greece. However, PJ have no knowledge of any witness proof of this.

- PJ requested clarification from the UK police, but nothing was confirmed at that time

- Only after GA's exit, perhaps in late Oct, was KG's deposition sent to PJ

- What reason did the K police have to hide that deposition for six months? Knowing that Payne organized the trip to Mallorca and that he had questionable behaviour assigned to him as regards children, that he was also the same to organize the Portugal trip, being part of the Ocean Club group, and the first family friend to be seen at Kate's side after the disappearance and, at the time of KG's deposition, he was STILL in Portugal, and could have been confronted with these statements?

- this deposition seems to indicate a certain strange behaviour and deserved further investigation. Is this a pertinent profile? Could this profile be related to what happened on the night of 3 May?

- The credibility of the two depositions of SG and KG can't be easily questioned, as both are doctors and members of the same circle of friends [as the Tapas9]

Chapter 10 - Rethinking the facts, pages 118-121

3 May, 18h30, Paraíso restaurante esplanade, 600m from OClub
=============================================

- The entire group, minus the five McCanns and Dianne Webster, are sitting at a table at the restaurant

- None of the children appear to be sick; those that can walk are running up and down the esplanade

- At 18h13, the men leave the table and head to the resort, leaving the women and children

- 15 minutes later, the women/kids follow

- A few minutes later, David Payne is with Gerry, who is playing tennis and David asks about Kate. She is in the apt with the kids.

- David Payne goes immediately to the apt. What did he do there? How long did he stay? Did he see the children? Play with them? How were they?

- The first version, according to Gerry, is that David stayed at the apt for 30 minutes.

- Kate, in a second version, says David was there 30 seconds.

- As for what he went there to do, there are several versions: we only know that Kate needed something or he was going to help take the kids to the play area.

- But even here the versions do not even minimally coincide: David says he saw Madeleine and the twins and defined the moment as a vision of three immaculate angels. David is, therefore, the last person, besides the parents, to see Madeleine, as far as we know.

- HOWEVER, according to Fiona Payne, Gerry was not playing tennis. He was at home with Kate. And David and Fiona went TOGETHER to 5A to see Kate and Gerry.

- What is the truth?

- According to the videos collected from Paraíso, Fiona left the restaurant 15 minutes after David did.

- What could, or would, be hidden in such easily contradictory stories?

4 MAY, 7h00, the village of Sargaçal, near Luz
=================================

- YM, 52 years old, British manager of Social Services, Protection of Minors, with 28 yrs of experience in the area of children at risk, is on holiday in the Algarve. Sees Luz/Madeleine news on the TV. Decides to go help.

- 9:30am-ish, with the help of police at the scene, she finds Madeleine's parents. They are with someone introduced as a "close friend" of the family.

- The parents are very upset, but only the mother is crying intensely.

- YM begins to ask questions; how often were they checking (response: once an hour), is Gerry the biological father of Madeleine (to eliminate the possibility of abduction by bio father).

- Kate becomes unnerved by the questions. They should come from the police. According to Kate, there should have been a lot more police there trying to find her daughter who had been taken "by a couple."

- YM, thinking the McCanns were doubting her qualifications, produced her official documents emitted by the police and the British government.

- Gerry shows the documents to the close friend, who says the docs are authentic. But this does not make them supportive of the help offered by YM.

- So YM tries a desperate move: she tries to separate Kate from the other two, inviting her to another place to clarify this story of the "couple" that according to Kate had taken her child.

- Kate reacts agressively and refuses to leave her two companions.

- YM is concerned about Kate's agitation, and verifies that Kate hasn't received any medical support, which she is needing.



- At 10am, Kate told YM that M had been missing for 13 hours. (That would mean the disappearance was at 9pm and not 10pm.)
This information is important, given that other differing versions of events would also be provided by the McCanns and their friends.

- YM, before the "close friend" rejoined them and told YM that the McCanns didn't want to talk to her anymore, took the time to alert the McCanns to the fact that they should be careful with the media, advising them to remain silent.

- YM, from the moment she met the McCanns and the friend, thought his face seemed familiar. She thought she knew him from work, perhaps having been involved in some case that passed through her hands, in the area of protection of minors.

- Later YM would identify this close friend as David Payne, the organizer of the holidays, and the one who was sldo independently pointed out to the British police (by SG and KG), for his questionable behaviour during the Mallorca holiday.

- With the English police, the Portuguese investigators tried to find out if David Payne had any judicial or police reports, but nothing was found in his records.

- The only information known is that David Payne is a close friend of Gerry McCann, since university.