jueves, marzo 16, 2023

MADELEINE MCCANN'S DNA

Madeleine McCann's DNA is known. Her STR profile is as follows:


Julia Faustyna, a Polish teenager, claims to be Madeleine McCann. Very simply, if Julia undergoes an STR-type DNA test that uses the same loci markers, and whose cost will not be very high, she could find out in a short time. The question is: are Julia Faustyna, and her mentor Fia Johansson, interested in finding out the truth?

martes, mayo 10, 2022

MADELEINE MCCANN: ANTENNAS (2)

I have found that antenna (h) was built after june 2007, so we have to discard it.

Considering the 19:32 (Vodafone to Vodafone) call on May 3, 2007, the important antennas are now (b), (f), and (g).

(b) VODAFONE. Probably Rua 1º de Maio, 2, Luz, Lagos.

260 meters from 5A.

268-01-24-1704: azimuth 40º.

268-01-24-14424: azimuth 40º.

268-01-24-1709: azimuth 280º.

268-01-24-1707: azimuth 40º.

268-01-24-32023: azimuth 280º.

268-01-24-14426: azimuth 280º.

268-01-24-32021: azimuth 40º.

268-01-24-1706: azimuth 280º.

(f) VODAFONE.

3000 meters from 5A.

268-01-24-11452: azimuth 145º.

268-01-24-41486: azimuth 270º.

268-01-24-11453: azimuth 270º.

268-01-24-41488: azimuth 145º.

268-01-24-41485: azimuth 145º.

268-01-24-41489: azimuth 270º.

268-01-24-35414: azimuth 145º.

268-01-24-35415: azimuth 270º.

(g) VODAFONE.

2900 meters from 5A.

268-01-24-12811: azimuth 355º.

268-01-24-42347: azimuth 355º.

268-01-24-37574: azimuth 355º.

268-01-24-42345: azimuth 90º.

268-01-24-42349: azimuth 250º.

268-01-24-42344: azimuth 355º.

268-01-24-12813: azimuth 250º.

268-01-24-37575: azimuth 90º.

268-01-24-12812: azimuth 90º.

268-01-24-42346: azimuth 250º.

268-01-24-37576: azimuth 250º.

268-01-24-42348: azimuth 90º.

That three Vodafone BTS let us draw an approximate area. The question is: Were inside that zone additional Vodafone BTS?




MADELEINE MCCANN: ANTENNAS


BTS
Note: Considering the 19:32 call on May 3, 2007, the important antennas are (b), (f), (g) and (h).

(a) TMN. Latitude (N) 37.086388889, Longitude (W) -8.730822222. Rua 1º de Maio, 2, Luz, Lagos. 
260 meters from 5A.

268-06-8100-4344: azimuth 55º.
268-06-8100-4345: azimuth 295º.
268-06-903-37696: azimuth 55º.
268-06-903-37697: azimuth 295º.
268-06-903-52696: azimuth 55º.
268-06-903-52697: azimuth 295º.
268-06-57348-63243: azimuth 55º.
268-06-57348-63244: azimuth 295º.

(b) VODAFONE. Probably same place that antenna (a).  
260 meters from 5A.

268-01-24-1704: azimuth 40º.
268-01-24-14424: azimuth 40º.
268-01-24-1709: azimuth 280º.
268-01-24-1707: azimuth 40º.
268-01-24-32023: azimuth 280º.
268-01-24-14426: azimuth 280º.
268-01-24-32021: azimuth 40º.
268-01-24-1706: azimuth 280º.


(c) OPTIMUS. Latitude (N) 37.090395,  Longitude (W) -8.742667. Water Tower, Monte Lemos, Luz, Lagos. 
1100 meters from 5A.

268-03-9010-14931: azimuth 15º.
268-03-9010-14932: azimuth 120º.
268-03-9010-14933: azimuth 240º.
268-03-43000-14931: azimuth 15º.
268-03-43000-14932: azimuth 120º.
268-03-43000-14933: azimuth 240º. 

Antennas (a) and (b)

Antenna (c)

(d) Discarded. It did not exist in 2007. 

(e) TMN
1600 meters from 5A.

268-06-8100-4193: azimuth 75º.
268-06-8100-4194: azimuth 210º.
268-06-8100-4195: azimuth 290º.
268-06-8100-10407: azimuth 355º.
268-06-903-36900: azimuth 75º.
268-06-903-36901: azimuth 210º.
268-06-903-36902: azimuth 290º.
268-06-903-36903: azimuth 355º.
268-06-903-48176: azimuth 75º.
268-06-903-48177: azimuth 210º.
268-06-903-48178: azimuth 290º.
268-06-903-48179: azimuth 355º.


Antenna (e)

(f) VODAFONE. 
3000 meters from 5A.

268-01-24-11452: azimuth 145º.
268-01-24-41486: azimuth 270º.
268-01-24-11453: azimuth 270º.
268-01-24-41488: azimuth 145º.
268-01-24-41485: azimuth 145º.
268-01-24-41489: azimuth 270º.
268-01-24-35414: azimuth 145º.
268-01-24-35415: azimuth 270º.


Antenna (f)

(g) VODAFONE. 
2900 meters from 5A.

268-01-24-12811: azimuth 355º.
268-01-24-42347: azimuth 355º.
268-01-24-37574: azimuth 355º.
268-01-24-42345: azimuth 90º.
268-01-24-42349: azimuth 250º.
268-01-24-42344: azimuth 355º.
268-01-24-12813: azimuth 250º.
268-01-24-37575: azimuth 90º.
268-01-24-12812: azimuth 90º.
268-01-24-42346: azimuth 250º.
268-01-24-37576: azimuth 250º.
268-01-24-42348: azimuth 90º.


Antenna (g)

(h) VODAFONE. 
1800 meters from 5A.

268-01-24-57441: azimuth 30º.
268-01-24-13816: azimuth 200º.
268-01-24-57442: azimuth 110º.
268-01-24-13814: azimuth 30º.
268-01-24-13819: azimuth 200º.
268-01-24-15496: azimuth 200º.
268-01-24-57443: azimuth 200º.
268-01-24-15494: azimuth 30º.
268-01-24-15495: azimuth 110º.
268-01-24-13817: azimuth 30º.
268-01-24-13818: azimuth 110º.
268-01-24-13815: azimuth 110º.


Antenna (h)

(i) TMN. Not found. 
Possible coordinates: 37.076586111, -8.752541667

268-06-8100-10600: azimuth 165º.
268-06-903-38032: azimuth 165º.

(j) TMN. 
2900 meters from 5A.

268-06-8100-4302: azimuth 90º.   
268-06-8100-4303: azimuth 265º. 
268-06-903-37691: azimuth 90º.   
268-06-903-37692: azimuth 265º.  
268-06-903-52691: azimuth 90º.   
268-06-903-52692: azimuth 265º.


Antenna (j)

(k) TMN. Not found.
Possible coordinates: 37.087178-8.686388

268-06-8100-1052: azimuth 0º.
268-06-903-30506: azimuth 0º.
268-06-903-48053: azimuth 0º.


lunes, mayo 09, 2022

WHEN AND WHERE WAS MADELEINE MCCANN KILLED?

We know the hour Madeleine McCann was abducted: May 3, 2007, between 21:00 and 22:00 local time.

The German police, BKA, and the German prosecutor, H.Christian Wolters, seem to set aside, for now, the abduction stage. Maybe for lack of evidence against Christian B.

Now they are centered in the killing stage. Wolters said they have evidence that Christian B. killed her. Was the VW Westfalia the crime scene?

When and where was she killed?


lunes, mayo 02, 2022

CHRISTIAN BRÜCKNER'S TRAILER FOR HIS JAGUAR AND HIS VAN? AND MAYBE THE RENAULT VAN?

Is this satelite photo depicting Christian Brückner's trailer for his Jaguar and his van?

June 2007 image (c) Aerodata International Surveys.

I had been told by a reliable source (MB) that police investigating the Madeleine McCann abduction have found that the van which appears in the image is a Renault which belonged to a neighbour's friend and was there until August 2007 ... but I have got evidence that the van was at the same place on April 2011, and maybe also the trailer.

April 2011 image (c) Maxar Technologies.

In May 2015, however, a van which seemed to be a Renault, appeared in that place ...



Maybe the witness is referencing a 2015 event in 2020, and not a 2007 event.

And maybe Christian Brückner was using the land near the farm house as a parking lot for some of his many vehicles.
 

viernes, abril 22, 2022

CHRISTIAN B. ARGUIDO

The statement by the Portuguese authorities of Christian B. (the suspect of having committed the crime against Madeleine McCann), as "arguido", would have the purpose of trying to suspend the statute of limitations of the crime (15 years), which expires in a few days, on 3 May 2022.

If it occurs, the German, Portuguese and English authorities will have more time to try to get evidence or proof against him.

See also this and this.


domingo, abril 17, 2022

THERE IS NO PROOF THAT CHRISTIAN B. WAS IN PRAIA DA LUZ THE NIGHT MADELEINE MCCANN WAS KIDNAPPED

There is no proof that Christian B. was in Praia da Luz the night Madeleine McCann was kidnapped.



The German investigators have no way of determining whether the mobile phone 912 730 680 (which was in Praia da Luz when it received a call from the mobile phone 916 510 683 between 7:32 p.m. and 8:02 p.m. on May 3 2007) was being used by Christian B.

domingo, enero 30, 2022

MADELEINE MCCANN AND PREDICTIVE POLICING

Christian Brueckner, suspect of Madeleine McCann's crime, has the psychological and criminological profile of persons who are able to commit these kind of offences.


I wonder if Hans Christian Wolters, the prosecutor from the German investigation on Madeleine's case, has only a call, which allegedly situates Brueckner in Praia da Luz (but not necessarily close to Madeleine's apartment) about the time of the abduction, and a profile.

Criminal profiling can be considered part of predictive policing. And predictive policing, though very popular now, many times failed, because it is based on likelihoods, and is not 100% accurate.  

domingo, enero 23, 2022

An error by the Portuguese investigators would make Christian Brueckner's conviction for the crime of Madeleine McCann very unlikely

The main problem that German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters has in linking Christian Brueckner to Madeleine McCann's crime is locating him at the time and place of the crime.

The record of the half-hour call, supposedly received by the suspect, is not enough to locate him at the crime scene. At most, it only locates him somewhere in Praia da Luz between 7:32 p.m. and 8:02 p.m. on May 3, 2007, but not the exact place where he was. In addition, it would be necessary to prove that the suspect was the one who received the call.

Brueckner's psychological and criminological profiles fit very well the type of person who committed Madeleine's crime: an apartment burglar with a history of commiting sexual assaults. It may be suggestive, but a profile proves nothing.

The only witness to a phase of the crime was Jane Tanner, but her account was quite poor, since she did not give importance to the facts at the time, and that reduced her attention. This won't be enough to tie Brueckner to the Madeleine case.

Now we know that the Portuguese investigators did not collect all the possible sources of nuclear DNA at the scene of the crime, hours after it happened. The traces were there, and it is not understood why they were not collected. We are referring to an unknown number of cigarette butts that were found outside, but very close to, apartment 5A.





miércoles, agosto 12, 2020

The murder of Madeleine McCann: why the German prosecutor and BKA are sure the alleged call to Christian B. on May 3 did not come from Praia da Luz

The Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) and the German prosecutor H. Christian Wolters said that Christian B, the main suspect of the murder of Madeleine McCann, almost sure received a phone call on May 3 2007 at 19:32 from the Portuguese phone number +315 916 510 683.



The Portuguese phone number +351 912 730 680, the alleged mobile phone of Christian B, was located in Praia da Luz, and the mobile phone of the person who made the call was not located in Praia da Luz. Both numbers correspond to Vodafone pre-paid cards.
The information comes from the Excel file Vodafone had sent to Portuguese Polícia Judiciária in 2007 with details of the calls and SMS that activate antennas in Praia da Luz on May 3 2007. The file has four sheets: "Chamadas efectuadas" (calls sent), "Chamadas receb." (calls received), "SMS enviado" (SMS sent), and "SMS recebido" (SMS received).
In the "Chamadas receb." sheet the call received by +351 912 730 680 was registered:

"Data e Hora da Chamada" (Date and time of the call):
2007-05-03 19:32 (7:32 pm)
"Nº de Telefone Chamador" (Number of phone which made the call):
351000916510683
"Nº Telefone Chamado" (Number of phone which received the call):
351000912730680
"Localização da Chamada" (Localization of the call):
Vodafone
"Duração da Chamada" (Duration of the call):
00:29 (hours:minutes)
"Localização da BTS" (Localization of the base transceiver station):
PRAIA DA LUZ CENTRO
 
So, the mobile phone number +351 912 730 680 was in Praia da Luz between 19:32 and 20:02.
But, in the "Chamadas efectuadas" sheet, the number +315 916 510 683 does not appear as making a call at 19:32, so the phone was not located at Praia da Luz at that moment. It is not possible to determine how close or how far the caller was from Praia da Luz, according to Vodafone data in the Excel file.

martes, julio 28, 2020

The murder of Madeleine McCann: searches near Hanover

The German police have been searching an allotment between Hanover-Ahlem and Seelze-Letter since the early hours of the morning. According to the public prosecutor's office in Braunschweig, the action is linked to Madeleine McCann, who disappeared 13 years ago. The site was cleared, and an excavator is also in use. 


The police have been searching the area directly on the Linden branch channel since this morning (July 28, 2020) with a large-scale operation . According to HAZ information, the area between Klöcknerstraße, Kanal and B441 was completely cleared, and a mini excavator is also in use. The investigators are silent about exactly what is suspected there.
 
A spokeswoman for the Braunschweig public prosecutor's office only confirmed that it was a joint action with the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). According to HAZ the searches are related to Madeleine McCann murder. 
 
Source: HAZ

viernes, julio 24, 2020

The murder of Madeleine McCann: no news

No news. If the person who called from mobile phone number +351 916510683 to mobile phone number +351 912730680, on may 3, 2007, at 19:32, does not appear, the murder of Madeleine could go unpunished.
 
Maybe Bernhard P. or Michael T. could provide more data given their closeness to Christian B. at that time. The evidence of the death of Madeleine comes from material recovered by German police at Neuwegersleben since February, 2016. See this Bild news.
   
 
The VW Westfalia where Christian B. and Michael T. lived and which was bought by Bernhard P., who was considered "best friend" of Christian in 2007

martes, julio 21, 2020

The murder of Madeleine McCann: Nicole F. was not involved in the crime

Despite the news, there is not evidence Nicole F. was involved in the crime of Madeleine McCann. It is true that Nicole was in contact with Christian B. by the time Madeleine was abducted and killed, but their relationship did not include being "partners in crime".
 
 
Photo: Nicole F. (Express Digest)
 
There is also no evidence at all that Nicole was involved in the strange robbery of € 100,000 on November 4, 2007. I say "strange" because of the amount of money in cash the two women had in their house, according to the Portuguese TV programme "Sexta as 9". 
 
The priority by now, in the case of Madeleine, is to locate the user of the mobile phone +351 916510683, who made the call to the mobile phone number assigned to Christian B. on May 3, 2007.
 

jueves, julio 16, 2020

The abduction of Madeleine McCann: What do I think about the last developments?

Many readers asked me what do I think about the last two months developments on Madeleine McCann crime. This post will not be only based on objective facts, but also on subjective interpretations of the official statements and the news.

 
Since 2013 it was my thought that Madeleine McCann was abducted by a burglar, and killed soon afterwards. I think that the German authorities now have proof that Madeleine is sadly dead, and that that proof could be imagery (pictures or videos) found in Christian B. belongings. But also that that alleged imagery would not be enough to link Christian B. directly with the crime.

So, the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) and the German prosecutor, H. Christian Wolters, need to link Christian B. with the crime scene. A first step is the call received by Portuguese mobile phone number +351 912 730 680, from 19:32 to 20:02, on May 3, 2007. The call demonstrates that the user who received the call was in the zone of Praia da Luz at the time, and that it was possible for this person to walk to Apartment 5A, the primary crime scene, reaching it between 21:10 and 22:00. But BKA and Wolters need to prove that the person who was using the mobile phone and received the call was Christian B.

In a recent email Wolters was very kind to tell me that "we are currently restricting ourselves to the assumption that the mobile phone number that we assign to our suspect was between 7:32 p.m. and 8:02 p.m. in the phone cell that also covers the McCann family's apartment on May 3, 2007" and that it is "currently unclear whether and when we will file charges against the suspect for the murder of Madeleine McCann". 

Clearly they need to find a solid link between Christian B. and the crime. A great step would be finding the person who made the above mentioned call from the mobile phone +351 916 510 683. But there are other possibilities, for example finding pictures, videos, or witnesses who could demonstrate that link, or maybe DNA evidence collected in Apartment 5A the day after the abduction could match Christian B's similar DNA profiles.
 
I think the German BKA and Wolters are in the right path, they solved the crime, but need more evidence to file charges against their suspect.


domingo, julio 12, 2020

The abduction of Madeleine McCann: Persons of interest

Professional journalists (as well as amateur journalists like myself) do not have all the information about the crime of Madeleine McCann to draw a clear picture.
 
 
Photo: Christian B's VW Westafalia van.
 
For example, there are three persons of great interest for the investigation, related to Christian B. that could not be contacted by journalists til now. I am referring to Bernhard, Nicole, and Roman.
 
By the time Madeleine was abducted Nicole was living in a house at Foral, and her boyfriend was Roman. She was running a rehabilitation programme for troubled teenagers from Germany. But according to Nicole neighbours, Christian B was living there too, and using the VW Westfalia van published by the German pólice. But the same neighbours said that Nicole had left Roman, and became Christian's girlfriend, and surpisingly, Roman continued at the house.
 
On the other hand, Bernhard was considered the best friend of Christian B by the time. He was the owner of a breaker's yard, a few km from Foral, the same yard where police recovered the VW Westfalia van used by Christian.
 
I knew Nicole and Bernhard were quizzed by German police, and maybe Roman was quizzed too, but we do not know what they said. Now the Olive Press informed that "Nicole was [Christian B's] partner in crime". And Bernhard? And Roman?
 
Vital information is also contained in the five files with mobile phone records, from the three Praia da Luz antennas, for the days 2, 3 and 4, May 2007. I now know that the call between the mobile phone numbers 912730680 and 916510683 on May 3, given by the police, is recorded in one of these files.
 
But maybe not only the journalists do not know relevant information from the case: the three main police forces involved, Polícia Judiciária (PJ), Scotland Yard (SY) and Bundeskriminalamt (BKA), seems to be investigating independently, not sharing all the data between them. There is not a Joint Investigation Team. Were PJ searching wells in Boca do Rio beach, Vila do Bispo,  in conjunction with BKA or SY, or were they searching by themselves?

jueves, julio 09, 2020

The abduction of Madeleine McCann: what will the German prosecutor and the BKA do from now?

I will try to guess the following steps that the German prosecutor of the Braunschweig public prosecutor's office, Hans Christian Wolters,  and the Bundeskriminalamt, will do from now, regarding the case of Madeleine McCann and his main suspect, Christian B.

 
 

1. They will try to find matches between the forensic material collected in apartment 5A, the scene of the crime, the day after the abduction, and Christian B's nuclear and mitochondrial DNA profiles and fingerprints. The material collected in apartmente 5A consisted basically in hair and fingerprints.

2.  They will try to find the user of Portuguese mobile phone number 916 510 683 who called Portuguese mobile phone number 912 730 680. The call was on May 3, 2007, from 19:32 to 20:02.
 
3.  They will try to confirm that the user of Portuguese mobile phone number 912 730 680 was Christian B. The mobile was somewhere in Luz, no more than 2 or 3 km from apartment 5A, and the abduction took place on May 3, 2007, between 21:10 and 22:00.
 
4. They will try to find evidence (for example DNA, clothes, or a body) that Madeleine was in one of the places where Christian B lived. Mainly in Foral, but also in Monte Judeu.
 
5. They will try to find witnesses, people who may know what happened that night, and that should be encouraged to talk now that the main suspect will be in prison for a while. The people may be persons who were close to Christian B by the time, like Nicole from Foral, or his "British girlfriend" (María?), or other people who may circunstantially know what happened.
 
I do not know more of the "concrete evidence" Wolters and the BKA have against Christian B. Even the Scotland Yard Operation Grange team and the Portuguese Policía Judiciária do not know. So my list is almost surely not complete.

The Daily Star have just published that "[d]etectives are now checking with banks in Portugal to see if the pay-as-you-go [mobile phone] number [916 510 683] was topped up at an ATM, according to reports." See item 2. above.

 
 
 
 
 
 

viernes, julio 03, 2020

The abduction of Madeleine McCann: this is the antenna activated by the alleged mobile phone of Christian B.

The German prosecutor of the Braunschweig public prosecutor's office and the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) said that the mobile phone number + 351 912 730 680 activated an antenna of Praia da Luz, on May 3, 2007, from 19:32 to 20:02. The user of this mobile phone number was, allegedly, Christian B, the main suspect in Madeleine McCann abduction. The number of the mobile phone that made the call was + 351 916 510 683, and activated an antenna outside Praia da Luz.
 
This is part of the technical specifications of the antenna activated in Praia da Luz, it had 8 elements:
 
Element 268-01-24-1704: azimuth 40º.
Element 268-01-24-14424: azimuth 40º.
Element 268-01-24-1709: azimuth 280º.
Element 268-01-24-1707: azimuth 40º.
Element 268-01-24-32023: azimuth 280º.
Element 268-01-24-14426: azimuth 280º.
Element 268-01-24-32021: azimuth 40º.
Element 268-01-24-1706: azimuth 280º.
 
Located to the South of apartment 5A, this antenna covered much of Praia da Luz and surroundings. So, was the mobile phone + 351 912 730 680 close to the Ocean Club? Considering that the Ocean Club had a lot of apartments throughout Praia da Luz, probably yes. And close to Madeleine's apartment 5A?  We do not know how close, it could be meters, hundreds of meters, or more than a kilometer.
 
 
Part of the zone covered by the antenna. Circled in yellow, Madeleine McCann's block of apartments.
 
We could get more info if the record of the call indicates the element(s) activated. The location of the mobile phone would be in the East of Praia da Luz when the element activated had an azimuth of 40º, or in the West when the element activated had an azimuth of 280º. If besides the element(s) activated we have the "tilt" of the same, we could know if the mobile phone was in the South part, or in the North part, of Praia da Luz.
 
In any case, the position of the mobile phone at 20:02 would permit to its user to be in apartment 5A, simply walking, from 21:10 and 22:00.
 
 

martes, junio 30, 2020

The abduction of Madeleine McCann: photos of apartment 5A and the surroundings

Between 2012 and 2017 I traveled six times to the location of the abduction of Madeleine McCann. My pictures, taken in 2012 and 2013, of apartment 5A and the surrounding area, were published here, minimized. They show a different perspective than StreetView from Google Maps.
 

As an example, the camper van parking to the West of Praia da Luz. 

 
Another example, details of the apartment 5A front door.
 

sábado, junio 27, 2020

The abduction of Madeleine McCann: Why can't Martin Smith, the star witness, recognize Chistian B?

That Martin Smith does not recognize Christian B does not imply that it was not him. Let me explain.
 
Martin Smith made the following statement in 2007 to the Portuguese Policía Judiciária: "[H]e was Caucasian, around 175 to 180m in height. He appeared to be about 35/40 years old. He had an average build, a bit on the thin side. His hair was short, in a basic male cut, brown in colour. He cannot state if it was dark or lighter in tone. He did not wear glasses and had no beard or moustache. He did not notice any other relevant details partly due to the fact that the lighting was not very good."
 
The description does not rule out Christian B, at first.
 
By the way, the theme of lighting is important. On one of my trips to Praia da Luz, I obtained these two photos a few meters from the place where Martin Smith saw the individual with a girl in his arms. One was taken at daylight, the another at night. The lighting was produced by Low Pressure Sodium (LPS) lights.
 
 
The Low Pressure Sodium (LPS) lights like those in Praia da Luz streets do no emit in the same frequencies as the Sun or the incandescent lights. The Sun and the incandescent lights emit in all the frequencies of the visible spectrum, being the color we perceive the reflected light frequencies by the reflecting body, ie the frequencies that are not absorbed.
 
What we call “white” in sunlight is the reflection of all frequencies that the “white” body receives. Conversely what we call “black” in sunlight is the absorption of all frequencies that the “black” body receives.
     
The LPS lights mainly emit in two wavelengths:  589.0 and 589.6 nanometers (the wavelength is the constant speed of light divided by the frequency). So what we call “white” in sunlight or under incendescent lights mainly reflects these two frequencies under LPS street lights (see LPS spectrum below).
 
 
So it is no surprise that Martin Smith was unable to see "any other relevant details partly due to the fact that the lighting was not very good".
 
On the other hand, also the statements by Peter and Aoife, from Martin Smith's familiy, do not permit to discard Christian B.
 
According to the testimony of Peter Smith the individual was Caucasian, from 1.75 to 1.80 meters tall, about 35 years old. He had dark skin due to Sun exposure. Normal complexion, in good physical condition. Short hair, brown color.
 
The statement made by Aoife Smith shows that the man would be Caucasian, fair skin, and appeared to be about 30 years old. Normal complexion, 1.70 to 1.75 meters tall. Thick hair, light brown, short to the back, and slightly longer on top.
 
But the most important statement by Martin Smith to my understanding, made in 2007 before the Portuguese Policía Judiciária, is the following. He states that it is not possible for him to recognise the individual in person or by photograph.
 
However, Martin helped to create an efit in 2008, which for me is totally invalid, given his 2007 statements.
 
 
 

jueves, junio 25, 2020

The abduction of Madeleine McCann: was Christian B. living in a house in May 3, 2007?

According to The Mirror, Portuguese police went to Christian B.'s home shortly after Madeleine McCann's disappearance in Praia da Luz, Portugal, however he was not in when they visited, ex-chief Gonçalo Amaral said.

 
Amaral said: “I have been told by colleagues, who are retired like me, that they had come knocking on the door. That person was not at home.”
 
So, was Christian B. living in a house or apartment by the time Madeleine was abducted? Or was he living in a vehicle, like a VW Westfalia van, or a Tiffin Allegro van? If living in a house or apartment, was it properly searched? Maybe Amaral or one of his colleages could give details about the suspect's "home".
 
 

miércoles, junio 24, 2020

The abduction of Madeleine McCann: the shutter's fingerprints

The Portuguese authorities found, in the crime scene, the day after the abduction of Madeleine McCann, at least two fingerprints in the outside part of the shutters of the girl's room.
 
 
 
Those fingerprints, however, could not be valid to search for matches in police databases. But today, 13 years after, the technology of image processing has evolved. Maybe a reprocessing of the originals may result in valid images.
 
 
 
It should be of great importance to evaluate again, with new techniques, the evidence collected at the crime scene, on May 4, 2007.
 
 
 

jueves, junio 18, 2020

Madeleine McCann: single-nucleotide polymorphism, the key to solve the crime?

The German prosecutor working on the abduction of Madeleine McCann said the girl was killed by the main suspect by now, known as Christian B. Taking into consideration that he also said that they do not have the body, or even forensic evidence about the killing, I guess that the "non-forensic evidence" they have are testimonies of people very close to Christian B, especially in April and May, 2007. Protected witnesses? Anyway, it is not enough to charge the suspect.
 

 
Maybe the German prosecutor is considering the following: the day after the abduction, the Portuguese police collected samples from Madeleine's apartment, mainly hair. Here I list the human hair evidence (between brackets those which were used to obtain DNA profiles).
 
Zone 1. Madeleine's bedroom entrance, 32 hair (23).
Zone 2. Floor of Madeleine's bedside, 28 hair (10).
Zone 3. On Madeleine's bed, 4 hair (1).
Zone 4. Floor beside the bed next to the window, 15 hair (14).
Zone 6. Floor of the living room, 31 hair (22).
Zone 7. Entrance hallway to apartment, 58 hair (42).
 
From the 112 profiles, only 1 was nuclear DNA (nuDNA) and corresponded to Madeleine's father. The rest 111 profiles were mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Unlike the nuDNA, the mtDNA has almost a null value by itself to identify a person.
 
The reason why there are 111 of mtDNA profiles, and only one nuDNA profile is that, in 2007, was not posible to extract nuDNA form hair shaft without follicle. But in 2020, it is posible to obtain single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) nuDNA profiles from hair shaft without follicle.

Besides, another type of DNA analysis, the Short Tandem Repeat (STR) nuDNA one is not suitable because it uses repetitions of nucleotides for each marker, and nuDNA are fragmented, degraded, in hair shafts (while SNP uses only one nucleotide for each marker).
 
DNA databases are implemented using STR analysis profiles, but if there is a suspect, it is posible to apply SNP analysis to both the evidence and the suspect. The question is: have the police some of those 167 hair (or part of them) available, or all were destroyed while performing the first analysis? 

The saliva found in one of the beds in Madeleine McCann's room underwent DNA testing and a person was identified

The Portuguese authorities applied a DNA test to the saliva sample found on the cover of one of the beds in Madeleine McCann's room. The sample had been collected the day after the girl's kidnapping, which occurred on May 3, 2007.
 

The profile obtained consists of 17 autosomal STR markers plus a sex marker (amelogenin). The latter, XY, indicates that the DNA belonged to a man.
 
Finally, with that DNA profile, a person, C.G., has been identified, unrelated to the crime.

martes, junio 16, 2020

The abduction of Madeleine McCann: strange communication

On June 16, 2020 the press reported that German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters confirmed Madeleine McCann is dead.
  
 
But The Mirror reported that Wolters said: "All I can say is there is no forensic evidence but there is other evidence which indicates she is dead" (the enphasis is mine).
 
How can they prove a person is dead if they do not have the body or any other related forensic evidence to present to a Judge?
 
In the same vein, German prosecutor Wolters seems to be unable to prove, at this point, that Christian B., the main suspect of the abduction, was at the crime scene on May 3, 2007, between 21:10 and 22:00.
 
They have a call between two Portuguese Vodafone prepaid card mobile phones, numbers 912.730.680 and 916.510.683. The first activated one antenna in Praia da Luz,  between 19:32 and 20:02, on May 3, 2007. But not necessarily the mobile was at the crime scene. The second activated one antenna outside Praia da Luz.
 
Having the mobiles prepaid cards, the name of the owners are unknown. That is why German authorities launched an appeal to the public, to see if the person using the second mobile was speaking with Christian B. on that evening.
 
It is good for the police to try to confirm the presence of the suspect at the crime scene. But it is also good police practice to try to rule out his presence there.
 
I also want to mention the big mess that can be done in Christian B. timeline, by asking the public to testimony of his presence at different places 13 years ago. In 13 years memories loss easily the notion of time, unless helped by pictures, videos, diaries or documented logs.
 
Criminal profile of Christian B. is impressive, but it can not be used as proof of commiting another crime, even if the similarities are overwhelming. The Judges do not decide considering "probabilities", only considering facts. If, for example, according to his or her criminal profile, there is 99% "probability" that a person commited an horrible crime, he or she is not 99% guilty, but 100% guilty or 0% guilty, after analyzing the facts.