Missing girl Madeleine's parents are suspects
FOR the McCann family it has been a nightmare week.
An undated photo of Madeleine during the family's holiday in the Algarve, Portugal, released by the McCann family. -- Picture: AP
From victims they have become suspects.
How did the two doctors from central England become suspects overnight in the disappearance of their young daughter from a holiday home in Portugal on 3 May?
Portuguese police say it was forensic evidence.
Mrs Kate McCann and her husband Gerry McCann became suspects as Portuguese police began receiving the results of tests on evidence collected during a review of their investigation.
But why did it take so long?
According to The Times, the material was collected only at the end of July and early August in a review of the investigation carried out by Portuguese detectives with the help of British police and two sniffer dogs.
Many of the samples are very small, containing just a few cells, while others are of poor quality because of damage by cleaning or simply the passing of time.
A full report of the findings will not be ready for weeks, but many results have already been passed to the Portuguese authorities by the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in Birmingham, which is carrying out the tests on behalf of the Portuguese authorities.
COMPELLING EVIDENCE
It appears the FSS believes it has discovered compelling new evidence, possibly from more than one source.
Portuguese detectives had earlier told Mrs McCann repeatedly that they found traces of Madeleine's blood in a Renault Scenic hired three weeks after she disappeared.
But yesterday, they denied a report that they had found a perfect DNA match for Madeleine in a sample of body fluids taken from the hired car.
But a source close to the investigation told The Times that forensics experts had found a surprising amount of Madeleine's hair in the car, which detectives now suspect was used to transport her corpse.
Detectives had expected to find some of Madeleine's genetic material, skin flakes or hair in the car because it had been used to carry the family's belongings, including her clothes and toys, when the McCanns moved from their holiday apartment to a nearby villa.
But the amount of hair came as a surprise, the source said, although detectives were not confident that they could prove beyond doubt their suspicions that Madeleine's body was ever in the car.
Yesterday morning, the Portuguese police submitted the case to the public prosecutor. He will now decide whether the evidence is strong enough to bring charges against the couple.
Even though DNA matching Madeleine's has been found in the rented car, it does not mean she was killed.
The McCanns and their 2-year-old twins would have often carried items in the car that were used by Madeleine. These items could easily certainly carry Madeleine's hair and minute traces of skin, dried blood, saliva and vomit.
SNIFFER DOGS
The same could be said of the holiday apartments used by the McCanns and their friends in the Ocean Club resort. However, if the blood came from Madeleine's corpse the only other highly unlikely explanation would be that a previous hirer had moved the body.
Another factor that made the parents suspects was the behaviour of the 'cadaver' sniffer dog.
Mr and Mrs McCann were shown a police video of a sniffer dog used to find corpses 'going crazy' when it approached the rented car.
Reports also claim that the dog discovered the scent on the vehicle's key fob. Mrs McCann is reported to have explained that in her work as locum GP she came into contact with six corpses in the weeks leading up to her holiday in Portugal.
This seems a high number for a locum GP working just a couple of days a week but then it would be easy to check against hospital records.
The dog is alleged to have become excited when shown Madeleine's favourite pink soft toy, called Cuddle Cat.
Mrs McCann washed it four days after the police tests, claiming it had become dirty. The toy was potentially crucial evidence and should have been seized by police very early in the investigation.
The McCanns and their friends are reported to have told detectives they shared four bottles of wine, with another two barely touched before Madeleine was discovered missing.
However, it is claimed detectives have recovered a bill showing they downed eight bottles of red wine and six white during the afternoon and evening.
taken:
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/st...41709,00.html? 
Sniffer dogs go crazy near their rented car 
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