Police test blood found in Madeleine apartment

Aug 7 2007

madeleine McCann

TRACES of blood, believed to be Madeleine McCann’s, have been found on the wall in the holiday apartment where the little girl went missing, it emerged last night.

Portuguese police have refused to comment on the discovery but it is believed the blood was found last week by British sniffer dogs, specially trained to detect remains of bodies.

A Portuguese newspaper claims detectives now believe it is likely that Madeleine is dead, having been killed accidentally.

The news came as it was revealed that a second search at the home of the only official suspect in the case has apparently produced no new evidence.

While investigating officers remain tight-lipped about the result of the re-examination of the villa Robert Murat shares with his mother, citing Portugal’s strict secrecy of justice laws, a source close to the investigation said that nothing was found.

There has been no official confirmation of the two reported developments and Liverpool-born Kate McCann and her husband, Gerry, have repeatedly said in the last few days they are still optimistic they will be reunited with Madeleine.

Up to 12 Portuguese and British police officers spent two days scouring the inside and outside of 33-year-old Mr Murat’s villa, in the Algarve village of Praia de Luz.

Tuck Price, Mr Murat’s friend and spokesman, said: “They haven’t officially said anything - they didn’t say anything to us - but we were there, and I think we would have seen and known if they had found anything.

“Robert was there pretty much the whole time. They (police) won’t be going back to the house again.

“If they do, they’re going to look pretty stupid,” he added.

Casa Liliana is just yards from the holiday apartment where four- year-old Madeleine, from Rothley, Leicestershire, was snatched from her bed on May 3.

Portuguese police first searched the villa on May 14, when Mr Murat was also taken in for questioning.

He has always strenuously maintained his innocence, and hopes the results of the weekend’s search will prove he had no involvement in the abduction.

Madeleine’s parents are gearing up for another bleak landmark. On Saturday it will be 100 days since the girl went missing.

They are planning a media event to mark the anniversary in order to keep Madeleine’s disappearance in the public eye, but retain hopes there will be a positive development before then. that point

It was also reported yesterday that Portuguese police have been keeping a second suspect under surveillance for weeks.

The unnamed man, who is in his 30s and a Portuguese speaker, is not believed to be Madeleine’s kidnapper but may have been an accomplice, according to newspaper reports.

Belgian police are continuing to investigate a possible sighting of Madeleine at a restaurant in the Flemish town of Tongeren, near the Dutch border.

Results of DNA tests on a drinks bottle used by the girl seen in Tongeren are not expected before tomorrow (Wed), a Belgian police spokeswoman said.