Post by Admin on Oct 22, 2013 17:03:14 GMT
How Mr and Mrs Smith may have met the man carrying Maddie [YOUTUBE & PA]
The Smiths said they saw a man carrying a blond child in his arms - the man was between 5'5" and 5'9" with light colored hair; the child had very white skin. The sighting was about 9:55 p.m. and 400 yards southwest of the McCanns' vacation apartment. Though the police-artist renderings were made in 2008, and Portuguese police took statements from the Smiths, The Express, in England, reported today that British police did not learn about the drawings of a suspect until two years ago.
British police are launching a new appeal on television by releasing two composite sketches of a man who was seen the night of Madeleine McCann's disappearance six years ago.
Mr Smith’s statement, written out by a Portuguese detective, says:
“After leaving the bar he (Mr Smith) travelled in the opposite direction and reached a set of stairs which gave access to Rua 25 de Abril (25th of April Street), parallel to Rua 1 de Maio (1st of May street). As he reached this artery, he crossed an individual holding a child. He is not aware where this person was headed. He assumed it was a father and daughter and thought nothing more of it. When he passed this individual, it must have been around 22.00. He did not know at the time that a child had disappeared. He only became aware of the disappearance...the next morning. Regarding the individual, he states that he was Caucasian, 175-180cm in height. He appeared to be 35/40 years old. He had a normal complexion, a bit on the thin side. His hair was short, brown in colour. He states that the child was female, about four years of age. The child has blonde...without being very light. Her skin was very white, typical of a Brit. She was asleep. She was wearing light-coloured pyjamas. The individual did not appear to be a tourist. He cannot explain this further. It was simply his perception. He states that the individual carried the child in his arms. Having already seen various photographs of Madeleine...he states that she may have been the child he saw. He cannot state this as fact but is convinced that it could have been Madeleine.”
Ian Horrocks, a former detective in Britain, believes the world-wide broadcast of the artist renderings of a new suspect could be an important breakthrough, but he also advises caution. Horrocks told Crimesider that the location of the Smiths' sighting - 400 yards from where the McCanns were staying - is also troubling. Horrocks estimates, "It could take 5 to 10 minutes for a person to walk that distance, carrying a child who has just been abducted." That, according to Horrocks is "too long a time, someone could raise an alarm," suggesting the abductor probably would have been more careful. He speculates that if the Smiths' sighting is of Madeleine's kidnapper, then the chances are the suspect lived near the area where the they saw the person carrying the child.