Saint in Paradise Posted 22 September, 2012 Share Posted 22 September, 2012 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/20/madeleine-mccann-update_n_1898023.html The mystery of Madeleine McCann's disappearance may lie under a driveway just outside a holiday villa in Praia da Luz, the oceanside Portuguese resort town where the 3-year-old child was last seen in May 2007. The controversy began in June, when Birch first examined the driveway. The property is owned by the mother of a former suspect, Robert Murat. Three out of four GPR (ground-penetrating radar) specialists who were shown Birch's scan agree authorities should excavate the area in question. "There are anomalous features in the GPR data that may be due to [human] remains, but whether or not the data indicate the presence of remains cannot be determined solely from the GPR data. You must dig to find out," said Gary N. Young, senior vice president of operations and development for Underground Imaging Technologies, LLC. Michael Wolmarans, of Imbila Location Services CC, agreed. "After scrutinizing various scans emailed to me, there is a strong possibility of ground disturbance ... At the 3-meter mark, at a depth of 250-300mm, there is a distinct sign of a void. This suggests that the ground has been disturbed by digging. Below the void there is an object, though it is not possible to say what it is without excavating. If this were my own investigation, I would have little doubt that an excavation of the area would be required and this is what I would do," Wolmarans said. Ralph Baird, a geophysicist from Houston, also suggested a dig. "What is shown in one GPR profile and in a local area is just that there are objects in the box/dirt-filled area. The process needs to just dig and remove the dirt. The area is small enough for that to happen under professional or videoed supervision ... dig it up or probe it and see what is there; it's a small task -- the digging," Baird said. Bryan Bacheller, president of Digital Concrete Imaging in Tampa, Fla., had a slightly different opinion. "There isn't enough for me to compare typical soils to. However, there are minor disturbances that can be interpreted as human remains. With that said, I think the area is too shallow and 100 mm below the surface is a tar layer. Highly unlikely that a criminal would dig through such hard materials and in the open space of a driveway. My opinion is that this is not a crime scene," Bacheller said. Carter-Ruck, the law firm representing Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann, said they stand behind the decision of the authorities not to dig. "Mr. and Mrs. McCann are guided by the expertise of the British and Portuguese police, both of which have studied the information provided by Mr. Birch and both of which have concluded it is not credible," Isabel Martorell, a partner at the firm, told HuffPost. There is, as Birch points out, only one way to settle the controversy. "Dig. If you think I am wrong, then I am going to ask you one simple question, a question millions of people are asking: why haven't they dug or put probes down there?" Didn't the parents lose confidence in the Portugese Police a few years ago ? I can't remember. Anyway IF it was my child I would want a dig to take place. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu0x Posted 22 September, 2012 Share Posted 22 September, 2012 "Dig. If you think I am wrong, then I am going to ask you one simple question, a question millions of people are asking: why haven't they dug or put probes down there?" ...because they think he's wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 22 September, 2012 Share Posted 22 September, 2012 If it was my child and there was a 99.9% likelihood that he is wrong then I'd still want them to investigate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty Posted 22 September, 2012 Share Posted 22 September, 2012 Whats the worst that could happen? Robert Murat gets a sparkling new driveway and a wedge of compo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingbattigger Posted 22 September, 2012 Share Posted 22 September, 2012 If it was my child and there was a 99.9% likelihood that he is wrong then I'd still want them to investigate Very much this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suomi Saint Posted 22 September, 2012 Share Posted 22 September, 2012 Another guy with his nose in the trough. But it wouldn't do any harm to check would it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldNick Posted 22 September, 2012 Share Posted 22 September, 2012 3m down is a long way to dig. I woud have thought with all the furore going on at the time one of the chief suspects with a pick and shovel, digging his drive may have given a clue. There again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weston Super Saint Posted 22 September, 2012 Share Posted 22 September, 2012 If it was my child and there was a 99.9% likelihood that he is wrong then I'd still want them to investigate I guess since the McCanns know that Maddie isn't in there, they are not gonna bother wasting their time or money digging it up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfcuk fan Posted 22 September, 2012 Share Posted 22 September, 2012 I guess since the McCanns know that Maddie isn't in there, they are not gonna bother wasting their time or money digging it up Bit harsh methinks ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine_saint Posted 26 September, 2012 Share Posted 26 September, 2012 If it was my child and there was a 99.9% likelihood that he is wrong then I'd still want them to investigate I agree. But then I wouldnt have been so stupid so as to allow my children to be alone in bed in an alien environment whilst my wife and I got p*ssed up down the road. The authorities must be overloaded with all those much-stronger leads and possibilities they are chasing up.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bad Bob Posted 26 September, 2012 Share Posted 26 September, 2012 I guess since the McCanns know that Maddie isn't in there, they are not gonna bother wasting their time or money digging it up Bit harsh methinks ! Harsh but fair... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackFrost Posted 26 September, 2012 Share Posted 26 September, 2012 I agree. But then I wouldnt have been so stupid so as to allow my children to be alone in bed in an alien environment whilst my wife and I got p*ssed up down the road. The authorities must be overloaded with all those much-stronger leads and possibilities they are chasing up.......... Oh you'd be amazed by the sheer stupidity of people from all corners of society when it comes to a worrying amount of crime. After a while I suppose I just got used to it when I was in the force. Only the other day was I walking past my local shop when a bloke parks his almost-new BMW M5 in the parking space a few yards from a group of teenagers. He leaves his keys in the ignition, doesn't even turn the engine off and goes inside the store If the kids hadn't been there I'd have been tempted to get in and park it round the corner just to teach him a lesson. Anyway the McCanns left their kids unsupervised and from experience I suspect they'll have to live with the consequences for the rest of their lives. I'd be very surprised if she was ever found now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattio Posted 26 September, 2012 Share Posted 26 September, 2012 Oh you'd be amazed by the sheer stupidity of people from all corners of society when it comes to a worrying amount of crime. After a while I suppose I just got used to it when I was in the force. Only the other day was I walking past my local shop when a bloke parks his almost-new BMW M5 in the parking space a few yards from a group of teenagers. He leaves his keys in the ignition, doesn't even turn the engine off and goes inside the store If the kids hadn't been there I'd have been tempted to get in and park it round the corner just to teach him a lesson. Anyway the McCanns left their kids unsupervised and from experience I suspect they'll have to live with the consequences for the rest of their lives. I'd be very surprised if she was ever found now. Out of interest did the kids knick it?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Warrior Posted 26 September, 2012 Share Posted 26 September, 2012 Time team could do the whole thing in three days . Where do people get these ideas from the Portuguese police might be inept but they are not that stupid are they ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty Posted 26 September, 2012 Share Posted 26 September, 2012 ......"Gerry, what was Madeleine's maths teacher called again?...." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint si Posted 26 September, 2012 Share Posted 26 September, 2012 Out of interest did the kids knick it?! No, they just buried it under a patio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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