Is this REALLY the man who took Maddie - Daily Star

"It's the Maddie sighting that's supposed to hold the key to the case, but what do we really know about the mysterious man in the notorious e-fit" (from the Daily Star article)

ONE of the two e-fit pictures is included in the article.

Sorry, I can't "do" links.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/640497/madeleine-mccann-news-missing-found-parents-smith-sighting-2007

Is this REALLY the man who took Maddie?

There's a BIG problem with this sighting

IT’S the Maddie sighting that’s supposed to hold the key to the case, but what do we really know about the mysterious man in this notorious e-fit?

By Michael Havis / Published 13th September 2017

Within an hour of Madeleine McCann disappearing in 2007, a child matching her description was seen in the arms of an unknown man.

He was heading towards the coast just 500 yards from where Maddie vanished in the Portuguese resort town of Praia da Luz.

So intriguing was the sighting that likenesses of the man were pulled together and later broadcast on Crimewatch.

KEY TO THE CASE: The man pictured left has been thought of as vital to the investigation



OBSCURED: The man's face would have been hidden by shadow, like this model's face

“I happen to believe he is Portuguese and innocent, but that’s not how he's depicted”
Yet while the world thinks of the man as a key piece of the puzzle, some say the sighting is a dead end.

Daily Star Online visited Praia da Luz and recreated the sighting 10 years after Maddie vanished.

At the same time of night and with similar lighting, we discovered how hard it was to get a good look at a face.

CLOAKED IN SHADOW: The model's face was difficult to see from every angle

Photos of a model, which were taken at the scene and brightened afterwards to better simulate the view, show a face shrouded in shadow.

It’s also worth noting that e-fits are usually produced by an 'operator' under the direction of a witness, in accordance with strict police guidelines.

The e-fits created from this sighting were assembled in 2008, several months after Madeleine disappeared, when witnesses were likelier to misremember.

On the other hand, if they were made without the direction of witnesses – but rather from their statements – the 'operator' is likelier to have influenced the end result.

The street, Rua da Escola Primaria, is lit dimly lit by just a few street lamps, a sign from a nearby clinic and moonlight.

MYSTERY MAN: The person (not pictured) has never been identified by investigators

Given these factors, some have concluded that the man – who was spotted and described by the Smith family from Ireland – is just an innocent bystander.

One local man with knowledge of the case said that, whether the man is innocent or not, "the e-fits almost certainly look nothing like him"

He told Daily Star Online: "I happen to believe he is Portuguese and innocent, but that’s not how he's depicted in Portuguese media.

"They showed the e-fits, but called him Scotland Yard’s chief suspect. They did not include that he might be totally innocent."
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So, a 'pretendy' SUSPECT, for a pretendy SY/MET £15million 'investigation'........into... a pretendy 'abduction'!

GOT IT! ('finally'!)

seen efit before.
THOUGHT FOR A MOMENT IT REFERED TO STEPHEN CARPENTER