Madeleine McCann: Spies, Richard Branson PI And Maddy TV
MADDYWATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann.
DAILY EXPRESS front page: “MADELEINE. SPY-IN-SKY PLAN TO FIND HER KIDNAPPER.”
So she was kidnapped. Wasn’t she?
“Satellite and aerial footage as well as internet traffic should be used to help the hunt,” say “intelligence experts”, including Professor Anthony Glees, Director of Brunel University’s Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies. Security is his thing.
Pages 4 and 5: “Riddle of the McCanns’ day out” – Why did the McCanns go to Spain on August 3 and what did they do there? Clarence Mitchell says the TV cameras and journalists tracked their every move.
“Branson: They are innocent” – Richard Branson PI calls it a “grotesque nightmare”. He has donated £100,000 to help the McCanns clear their name. He says the McCanns have “the weight and support of Britain behind them”.
THE SUN front page: “OUTRAGE AS COPS CLAIM MADDIE ‘BURIED IN SPAIN’.”
Pages 6 and 7: “POLICE PROBE LOST 2 HOURS” – Police Claim the McCanns buried Madeleine during a “missing two hours” in Spain.
Kate and Gerry are “shattered”.
Says the Sun:
“SUSPICIOUS the trip was postponed from the day before – because Gerry had intestinal problems.
“’STRANGE’” that the couple from Rothley, Leics, chose to visit Spain on a national holiday, when the shops were shut.
“MYSTERIOUS that the McCanns racked up ‘unjustified mileage’ in their Renault Scenic – hired 25 days after Maddie disappeared.”
A source says a new ad campaign to find Madeleine will start in two weeks.
DAILY MAIL page 3: “Police use CCTV to map McCanns trips.”
As newspaper Correio de Manha reports, Spanish police have given their Portuguese counterparts CCTV footage “showing the Renault Scenic in places in Spain where there was ‘no reason’ for the couple to be.”
A TV series based on Madeleine McCann is being produced in Chile. Says Chilean newspaper El Mercurio: “The case is becoming a soap opera.”
DAILY MIRROR front page: “KATE IS SO FRAGILE. Fears for mum after latest blow.”
Kate McCann’s face is all over the front page. “The anguish is plain to see.” A friend hears that Madeleine had not been found in Morocco: “Kate is so fragile. She’s suffering a devastating disappointment.”
Page 5: “They suffered a devastating blow with the false alarm in Morocco. Kate has crashed.”
“COPS PROBE SPAIN TRIP.”
DAILY STAR pages 6 and 7: “MADDIE DUMPED IN SPAIN.” An “exclusive”.
THE TIMES page 16: Mick Hume says: “The line between investigation and emotive entertainment has disappeared.”
THE TELEGRAPH page 6: “Portuguese focus on McCanns’ Spain trip” – Clarence Mitchell says the McCanns are innocent.
THE GUARDIAN and THE INDEPENDENT: no Madeleine news today.
Posted: 28th, September 2007 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (1,087) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
- HOTWATER on Madeleine McCann: The Media Creates A New Maddie Monster And Twists The Facts
- yampster on Dundee Woman Accused Of Ripping Out Lover’s Testes With Her Bare Hands
- KathyM on Susan Boyle Weeps As The Press Set About Destroying Her
- Desperate Dan on I’m A Celebrity: Joe Bugner’s Career In Pictures
- Desperate Dan on The 14 Ten Most Offensive Google Search Results
September 28th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Lilith - immaculately groomed, funny I thought that she was living in the same two or three outfits for the four months and frequently appeared looking very rough. You must have quite low standards if you say that K was immaculate
And ADE where exactly is your imagination taking you off to now?
If anyone wants to have an intelligent shot at what they did with a body for 3+ weeks unknown to an ever present media/police presence than I will be prepared to listen up. But hey that is getting close to be logical and I dont see any of that here.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
535 maura
Where to keep a small body? I’d use a freezer.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
I dont think we will see home video of Madeleine, purely because it would be an insight to life at the McCanns house - ie, Gerry being miserable in the background and Kate finding it hard to deal with the kids!
September 28th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
309, brandonflours
Yes, I read the link on the 9/11 woman. I think there were quite a few like her - some who conveniently disappeared in the rubble to insurance policies could be collected.
There was a chap in London a few years ago, who claimed to be on an exploding double decker bus, but later transpired that he was not, who gave a witness account of the scene. It was not the July 7th 2005 bombings, but an earlier bus explosion. Unfortunately there are fantacists about who feel better when they’re at the centre of things, even if it is only in their imagination.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
339 Stevo & 331 Teenie
Yes, they know they’d come off looking worse than Ian Beale from East Enders. As Stevo says, they tried it once outside the church and all it resulted in was a scrunched up face and the “she’s lovely” phrase.
In other news, I was looking at a few bits and bobs from Youtube the other day. There was a statement from Gerry in the first week in which he talks of going to see the police and he says
“it was a meeting which was entirely amicable, I stress amicable”.
Media coverage was favourable to him at this early stage. Why did he say this??
September 28th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
350 - Lilith
I agree. Apart from the lack of emotion by Kate, it’s amazing how she wasn’t traumatised enough to stop personal grooming. All the parents of abducted children I’ve seen look like crap - and understandably so. Kate was always immaculate for the cameras.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
….some interesting points for further consideration made by ‘Linda’ on Gazeta Digital that I haven’t seen discussed much…..could possibly account for ’storage’ problems!.
http://gazetadigitalarquivo.blogspot.com/2007/09/gerry-and-kate-mccann-now-were-fighting.html
September 28th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
344. Maura. Balls. I suppose you’d go up and lick their arse in public, or throw rose petals before them. If I had to say what I thought I would say it. I would definitely tell them to sack their P.R.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Teenie - Did you ever hear of being numb with grief?
So they brought the body to Spain in the Renault. So where were they supposed to have kept her in the interim? I would love to hear some non laughable explainations from the anti-mcanns.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
351 - I retract my last post where I said lifting a child into the cot would be difficult. What I meant is that changing the bedding etc. would be difficult as cots usually have sides that lift/lower. The ends are fixed on all cots I’ve seen/used.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
In the layout of the apartment, the German team that did the image have got Madeleine’s bed in the corner and the two cots between the bed and the window. I thought Madeleine’s bed was supposed to have been between the two cots.
If so…and this is weird…how would you have put the twin in the cot which was sandwiched between Madeleine’s bed and the corner?
To sandwich Madeleine’s bed like that sounds reasonable when you first hear it but practically it’s a silly way to lay out the room. Lifting a child into a cot would be difficult if it was laid out the way the McCanns say.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Just read Kate health is now fragile because fewer and fewer people buy their bogus stories.
She lost..(gasp) 2 pounds!
One of the things I found suspicious about her from the start is her being immaculately groomed at all times. Revealing tops, color-coordinated outfits, hair done at salon, make-up, lotsa jewelry. All if this in some kind of a girlish way.(pink,lace,flowers, butterfly earrings)
I thing Kate the Minx Murderer should start her own clothing line!
September 28th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
(342) Stevo
I always thought it might be “she knows we love her” because she is in heaven and KM tells her so in her prayers.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
308
I agree. The ‘About Madeleine’ section of the FindMadeleine website is quite bizarre. It talks about where she lives and who the members of her family are (message I think is supposed to be ‘Madeleine belongs with these people’ - that’s fine)
BUT it doesn’t say anything like ‘Madeleine is a normal, happy child’ or ’she loves playing on the swings and feeding the ducks’ etc, etc.
Also, no video of Madeleine.
No photo of her, looking very happy, in either parent’s arms.
I’d love to see some of that stuff. Maybe the McCanns have been advised this would be inflammatory to kidnappers or hoaxers, but I think it is very sad that we all have so little positive imagery about Madeleine, who is in people’s thoughts so very much.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
340. My friend Char, an actress, has cried about Madeleine at every rehearsal of a play we’re doing, and we’ve been rehearsing 2 weeks. It’s a play about murdered children, that’s why we end up talking about Madeleine. And her face goes red, her make-up runs, she gets snot on her sleeve.
I haven’t cried; I’m made of sterner stuff - that’s why I do the blocking.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
341 - Anonymous
In any case, to all those that fall back on the secrecy thing - what’s to stop Mitchell doing a press release with the accurate timeline? The PJ couldn’t say it came from the McCanns because the timeline is a composite made up of many people’s stories. If the McCanns are recruiting the SAS etc. then they could recruit a respected author or publisher to do a systematic investigation and release what is known so the public can help find Madeleine more effectively. I think the reason we never get more than snippets of information is because that’s what the McCanns want. Too much information = too many awkward questions.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
337. Karen,
If it wasn’t true I wouldn’t have been able to laugh! “Bless him” is right. Gerry does try his best! But he isn’t very good in the emotional department is he? He’s much better acting as child ambassador and up and coming politician.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
#337 Karen - no its safer (sneekier) to do so on annonmous public forums.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
336 stevo
Interesting point… I only found this place a week ago so “Smell of Death” is before my time. But I just have a funny feeling it’s REALLY REALLY bad. My warped logic tells me that if they are involved in a cover-up on such a scale and with such a risk attached then the thing behind it has got to be bad on the same gigantic scale.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
338 - Anonymous
My theory has always been that Madeleine disappeared before the time they were in the Tapas Bar. When Kate said “she knows we love her” seems to me to be some kind of message that she may have been given away and the message was like a “you know it’s for the best” kind of message to Madeleine.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
Stevo,
Agree! I didn’t mean silence towards PJ. Yes it is strange they do not answer the questions regardless of how “stressful” or “personal” they may be? I mean if they really wish to find Madeleine they would cooperate fully with PJ, British authorities and they would step back from the media circus they and they alone are responsible for creating.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
337 - Karen
EXACTLY. To anyone out there that thinks they can act like the parents of an abducted toddler - try it. Go on - in a quiet moment when you’re alone at home and nobody is watching, try it. You won’t be able to do it convincingly.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
331 - teenie
I’ve thought of that. To act out tears and emotions would look silly if it’s not real. That’s why there are good actors and bad actors. That’s why some get Oscars and others don’t. For two normal people to try and put on some kind of tearful display which they tried to force would be almost impossible because they are not good actors. That’s the point and why my argument isn’t flawed.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
325. Yes Matty the “She knows we love her.” Indirect bizarre words of love from Kate to Madeleine was a real shocker for me.
I don’t believe for one minute speaking directly to an abducted child via the media is giving the alleged abducter any thrills. Something makes me strongly feel the McCanns can make direct loving comments to Madeleine without becoming emotional. (If they wanted to.)
In fact, I feel they will begin speaking directly to Madeleine within the week. They will also begin telling us 5 months later what her favorite food is; favorite hobbies; favorite song and color and show us some of her artwork etc…
This will of course be too little too late. But I’ve noticed the McCanns tend to do things which are focused talking points on Anorak within a week of them being discussed.
Last week someone was saying something to the effect that if the McCanns wish to persuade them they are innocent they need to hire their own detectives and visit a few locations of where Madeleine has been reported seen.
Then this week we hear about their allegedly having hired special forces as their PI’s and of course the ridiculous pixs of any blonde child seen in Morocco.
It’s all very calculated maneuvers to convince the public of their innocence and to illustrate how they are working so hard trying to find her.
With all the bs Gerry discusses on his stupid blog you’d really think he would have mentioned the special forces they hired. Or that it would have been leaked through their incredibly mouthy media mouthpieces. That’s why I think if they have in fact hired a security unit it was within the past couple of weeks.
Also, that disgusting MacDonald’s-like “over-so-many-billions-served” on the Madeleine site money metre hasn’t shown any dramatic drop as I would expect if they’d been paying for a special forces unit for the past 5 months.
Unless of course they have another “private” backer who is footing the bill for this expense as well?
September 28th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
331. Teenie. But what if you can’t act? There is footage of them on YouTube on Mother’s Day, with their faces all screwed up, and Gerry, bless him, is really trying to cry and does put a half-assed quiver into his voice, but damn it all, they just can’t manage it.
I cry when I’m guilty and wish I wasn’t. I wouldn’t cry if I was guilty and was in denial about it - I would get stroppy. Both Kate and Gerry have shown signs of being stroppy.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
334 - Ade
When “smell of death” posted in this forum the week after the Mc’s came back to England, they said that this is worse than you will realise. The person made some more cryptic posts and hasn’t been heard of since.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
327 - Anonymous
I heard that too.
But like I say, if someone asked me “did you do it?” or “did you sedate your children” I would categorically say “NO”. Answering such a question wouldn’t make me feel like I had violated any law.
Don’t forget that Portugal is an EU member. That means there’s always the European Court if you felt your human rights had been violated. Answering that you were not guilty to anyone that asked is not a violation of anything.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
331 teenie
trouble is we don’t know just HOW bad is the thing they are guilty of. My hunch is that it’s MUCH worse than our wildest imagination.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
I read a study that said something like 98% of parents who loose a child (death/accident/mislaying them etc…) divorce within 3 years. If the case is not solved by then (which I think it will be when the pj produce Poor Maddies body from Spain) it will be interesting to seeif their ‘pact’ holds up - particularly with GM’s addition to the media….
September 28th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
This is a quite pointless snippet but I know a member of the McCann family, in Glasgow. I think he’s the nephew or something, but other than saying ‘isn’t that terrible’ and stuff like that, none of us talk about it. My G.B.F. explicitly told me that if I even tried to question him he’d banish me from the pub (he’s the barman) forever. So, Mod and Stig, I’m not that bad. I’m not tormenting family members in public.
I don’t know if anyone is Scottish - but basically seeking the limelight is one of thee most frowned upon things you could possibly do - maybe some deep repressed longing in Gerry has been released by the cameras?