Police Probe Madeleine 'Grave' Theory

Police Probe Madeleine 'Grave' Theory
A self-styled investigator has sent radar scans to police that he says show a burial site in the resort where she disappeared.
11:31pm UK, Thursday 05 July 2012
Madeleine McCann

Madeleine McCann disappeared five years ago

Artist's photo impression of how Madeleine may look now, aged nine

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Computer-generated image released in November 2009 shows how Maddie might look in a hotter climate

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Image by the Child Exploitation And Online Protection Centre shows a likeness of Madeleine

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A poster released in May 2009 shows what Maddie might have looked like in recent years

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Gallery: How Madeleine McCann Might Look
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By Martin Brunt, crime correspondent

British detectives are examining an extraordinary claim that Madeleine McCann's body is buried near the holiday apartment from where she vanished.

A self-styled investigator has sent police ground radar scans he claims show a burial site.

Stephen Birch says he took the scans last week in Praia da Luz, the Portuguese holiday resort where Madeleine disappeared five years ago.

He passed them to Scotland Yard detectives who are carrying out an investigative review of the case.

They have asked him for more information to help them interpret the scan results and the "raw data" the machine collected.

He has also sent the material to Portuguese police who abandoned their search for Madeleine 15 months after she disappeared.
Kate And Gerry McCann Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann believe she is still alive

Mr Birch, a commercial property developer in South Africa, admits he is "obsessed" with the Madeleine mystery.

He claims to have spent £40,000 on buying the ground-penetrating scanner and being trained in its use.

He said: "All I want to do is solve the mystery and bring closure to Madeleine's family. I am convinced she lies where I have scanned.

"I've had the scans analysed and they show digging, a void and what could be human bones."

Scotland Yard said it would always consider any new potential evidence and pass it on to the Portuguese authorities.

Earlier this year the detective in charge of the review said he believed there was a chance Madeleine was still alive.

She was nearly four when she disappeared without trace from the apartment in May 2007.

Despite dozens of potential sightings around the world no credible evidence has emerged to indicate whether she is alive or dead.

Her parents Kate and Gerry McCann believe she is still alive and would not comment on Mr Birch's claims.

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Mr Birch, a commercial property developer in South Africa, admits he is "obsessed" with the Madeleine mystery.

He claims to have spent £40,000 on buying the ground-penetrating scanner and being trained in its use.

He said: "All I want to do is solve the mystery and bring closure to Madeleine's family.

Well, at least he has thought up more ways of searching than Kate and Gerry ever did. I am sure the fund could have found £40,000. I don't suppose they will thank him for his efforts though.

Scotland Yard said it would always consider any new potential evidence and pass it on to the Portuguese authorities.

Earlier this year the detective in charge of the review said he believed there was a chance Madeleine was still alive.


?

Of course there's a chance she's alive. One chance in a hundred. and 99 chances that she is not alive. I guess saying you believe there is a chance she is alive also means you aren't 100% convinced her parents killed her or 100% certain that she wasn't abducted... although this feels like damning them with faint praise.

It's been a year, hasn't SY said anything, found any new clues - or anything at all leading away from the T9 and PDL, and towards a swarthy abductor?

"Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann believe she is still alive maintain she is still alive"

Just a thought.

Would this constitute "new evidence" so the PJ will reopen the original shelved case?

In one of the stories I read it mentioned that the device would pick up animal bones as well as human.

I'm not surprised the Mc's are refusing to comment, that would put an end to their fund! But this is what I just cannot understand about the McCanns, and why I believe that they are involved because if I was in their position of having a child go missing, five years on, I would just be hoping for closure, alive or dead, at least that way I could bury the remains, hopefully find out who was responsible and whilst I would still be suffering from the loss of my child, I would be glad that the end had come. I remember when they found Holly and Jessica, and Milly Dowler's parents said that whilst it was so sad that the outcome was as feared, they hoped that if Milly was dead as they feared, that she could be found also as it was worse just not knowing, and of course Milly's remains were found not long after that.

But as for this "news" I'm not really sure what to make of it, but it's bizarre to say the least, and it hasn't changed my opinion that the Mc's are involved in Madeleine's disappearance just as I never thought Murat was involved.

susible looks like your thoughts are mine.

A certain couple already insisted on a SA national being hired to search for a body. What a coincidence this is - especially as I see that their PT lawyer is debating whether to request the reopening of the case.

All it would have took these last 3.5 years is an agreement by all to a reconstruction or Kate to answer those 48 questions - but that isn't on their terms.

I think it may be POSSIBLE that Maddie was buried in Murats garden for a while, apparently Malinka made a late night call to a cold storage facility in Lagos soon after the fact. He, Murat could be involved (played his part very well if its true) - sitting on the fence with Murat - but intuition tells me he was involved.

Karen wrote:I think it may be POSSIBLE that Maddie was buried in Murats garden for a while, apparently Malinka made a late night call to a cold storage facility in Lagos soon after the fact. He, Murat could be involved (played his part very well if its true) - sitting on the fence with Murat - but intuition tells me he was involved.

IE the cold storage facility had ice??????

Hi Gillyspot, yes I think the whole Danie krugel thing was just another McCann diversion and of course to prove that he didn't find a body, hence the McCann mantra (no evidence she is dead, therefore alive)

But this is all a bit baffling and I have to say I am intrigued as to what this guy has actuallly found and why even Sky news are running with the story? Mind you after over 5 years of constant McCann media manipulation I am always suspicious of any "leaked" news, though they don't seem to be endorsing this in anyway, not even to point the finger at Murat, which they've never missed an opportunity to do so in the past!

Strange, but interesting am looking forward to see what comes of this, or whether it will just disappear like so many other things connected to the McCanns!

Justiceforallkids wrote:

Karen wrote:I think it may be POSSIBLE that Maddie was buried in Murats garden for a while, apparently Malinka made a late night call to a cold storage facility in Lagos soon after the fact. He, Murat could be involved (played his part very well if its true) - sitting on the fence with Murat - but intuition tells me he was involved.

IE the cold storage facility had ice??????

I have been following Kikotarran (sp) on twitter - he has some extremely interesting theories backed up by facts, he is in possession of all the call records etc etc - he states exactly how the phone pings were related and also confirmed the late night phone call by Malinka to a cold storage facility, also he believes a FAKE Maddie was signed in (falsified creche records on twitter) all his information realted to the above has been sent by HIM to the Yard and the PJ.

Like I said I am sitting on the fence with Murat - BUT a niggly feeling tells me he is involved (cover-up) I could be wrong hun - hope I am but from the beginning I felt a bit iffy, I am a Christian so have I have asked the LORD to forgive me if I am wrong.

Justice for little Madeleine and a good reputation back for the PJ and the Portuguese and the McCanns in the slammer is all I am hoping for.

Nice day
Karen

Have a listen/watch to this video interview with Stephen Birch

It is most interesting particularly in who he is beleiving (& who not) as he has read the files. Also he is already lawyered up

http://expresso.sapo.pt/conheca-o-sul-africano-que-diz-ter-descoberto-restos-mortais-de-maddie=f737713

gillyspot wrote:Have a listen/watch to this video interview with Stephen Birch

It is most interesting particularly in who he is beleiving (& who not) as he has read the files. Also he is already lawyered up

http://expresso.sapo.pt/conheca-o-sul-africano-que-diz-ter-descoberto-restos-mortais-de-maddie=f737713

Wow...and not a single mention of the poor parents...it actually looks like this guy has done his homework, well I suppose we'll just have to wait and see if this is taken further or not

wasnt there a day where gerry didnt go with the group because he had a tummy bug ................

Hmmm. If this were any other case you would say there is a 50/50 chance - this guy is either just nuts or what he is saying is true, get your shovel out, go and look, end of story.

What bothers me though, is nothing ever hits the press with this case without a motive and I do not like that. Why is it Murats land in the frame again.

Gerry McCann from day one has been gung ho about them not being involved. Something about him I cannot put my finger on, but I have always had the impression from him he is smug in the knowledge that whatever happens he will not or cannot be implicated.

The fund cannot go on forever, indeed apart from anything else the publics interest has taken a nose dive, people will contribute less and less. They McCanns cannot just stop everything, they need to keep going, keep up appearances. With SY on the case now though, there is a possibility that things might come to a conclusion. What better way to hurry this along, than have Madeleine found, in the original prime suspects land.

If this turns out to be total rubbish, I am still wondering why it was Murat dragged back into this.

Justiceforallkids wrote:wasnt there a day where gerry didnt go with the group because he had a tummy bug ................

Yes, but I think this guy is implying that Madeleine died on the 3rd of May and was buried the same day, which would mean the scenic was never used to transport a body, but I always had difficulty with that anyway, and always thought they had transported items associated with her death in the car which led to the material found. though still not sure how Eddie could have missed the body if it was in Murat's garden...a puzzle, like everything about this case

I wonder if this story originated in the McCann camp, to be ridiculed and reinforce the "no proof that she's dead" theory? All seems most odd.

dazedandconfused wrote:I wonder if this story originated in the McCann camp, to be ridiculed and reinforce the "no proof that she's dead" theory? All seems most odd.

I did wonder about that, but watching the video, the guy has nothing but praise for Snr Amaral and also claims he doesn't believe Murat is involved but that Madeleine died and was buried on the 3rd May, so not so sure the McCanns would put that out, though with the McCanns you would never know!

Pj are still saying not enough evidence to do ground work

http://www.jn.pt/Dossies/dossie.aspx?content_id=2650774&dossier=O%20caso%20Maddie%20McCann

welshy wrote: Pj are still saying not enough evidence to do ground work

http://www.jn.pt/Dossies/dossie.aspx?content_id=2650774&dossier=O%20caso%20Maddie%20McCann

If my child was missing and I had a fund I would want that garden dug up asap, never mind what anyone else thought

Angelina wrote:

welshy wrote: Pj are still saying not enough evidence to do ground work

http://www.jn.pt/Dossies/dossie.aspx?content_id=2650774&dossier=O%20caso%20Maddie%20McCann

If my child was missing and I had a fund I would want that garden dug up asap, never mind what anyone else thought

Exacto! It will look very suspicious for the Murats and the McCanns not to follow this through.


I'm expecting the pink pimp to resurface from the seedy shadows imminently.

Its nearly 2pm pennylane.......why hasn't the pink one appeared????? surely this would be overtime for him

Too busy counting the money and telling people to stuff money into a brown envelope
and send to Kate and Gerry!!

Lillyofthevalley wrote:Its nearly 2pm pennylane.......why hasn't the pink one appeared????? surely this would be overtime for him

is unusal how quiet pinky and the mcanns are isnt it

Angelina wrote:

welshy wrote: Pj are still saying not enough evidence to do ground work

http://www.jn.pt/Dossies/dossie.aspx?content_id=2650774&dossier=O%20caso%20Maddie%20McCann

If my child was missing and I had a fund I would want that garden dug up asap, never mind what anyone else thought

Too right. If the McCanns don`t insist on a dig its going to look really suspicious.