Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: To Dig or Not to Dig

South African businessman Stephen Birch says he has proof of some sort of cavity beneath a second pebble driveway (put in after Madeleine McCann's disappearance) and he believes that Maddie may be buried in that particular spot, a possible grave he located with a geo-radar machine he ran over Robert Murat's property (where his mother is living) a number of times quite illegally. He admits he had no permission to be on the grounds and, under the cover of night, slipped onto the property and ran his tests. He recognizes he may be sued for this and has his lawyers in place to deal with the possibility.

I am not going to speak of legalities and ethics in this particular post. Personally, I do not approve of trespassing on private property, possibly terrifying anyone at home (although some will claim I am the pot calling the kettle black because I touched the shutters on Apartment 5A when it was vacant which were accessible from the public walkway in the resort at which I was staying). Anyway, the issue at hand I am wishing to discuss is not whether Mr. Birch should be dealt with legally, but whether there is any merit to his claim and if anyone should dig at the spot on the driveway and who that should be.

 First, to the issue of Mr. Birch's theory that Madeleine was dead on May 3rd and buried on Murat's property the same night. I will not get into his entire theory as to who was involved and why. Suffice it to say, his theory is possible, if not all that probable, at least from this profiler's experience. IF his theory were to be true, it would be a major anomaly. If Maddie is buried on Murat's property, I would have to believe that Robert Murat was himself involved in the crime, that he was a child sex predator who saw a lucky opportunity, grabbed the child, and ran back to his house with her. Then, finished with his enjoyment of the child, he would have done what most child sex predators do; kill the child straight away. Then, he would have buried her on his own property believing that he would not become a suspect and, thereby, her body would not be found with his DNA on it somewhere on the side of the road.

Do I believe that this is what happened? Do I believe Murat is involved? No, but only because the evidence, in my opinion, doesn't point in his direction (see all my blogs on the case and my Profile of the Disappearance of Madeleine McCann). I don't believe Maddie was abducted, I do believe the McCanns are involved, and my Number One choice of where Maddie would be found buried is Monte do Jose Mestre, a desolate area west of Praia da Luz where Gerry McCann's cell phone pinged.

If Murat were not involved in the disappearance of Maddie McCann and the Gerry and Kate McCanns did have something to do with their daughter's demise, I would find it highly improbable that Maddie would be buried by one of her parents (with or without the help of any of their friends) nearby on someone's private property. I find it would be extraordinary, that  under great duress right after finding her dead that evening,  Gerry would have the audacity and balls to go onto someone's property, dig a hole, and bury Maddie there in an attempt to to frame someone in the community. I could believe someone burying their child on some stranger's farm in the country in some remote and area easily accessible to the road, but just down the street on a property behind an inhabited house in the middle of town, this is too unbelievable to me. If the McCanns were involved and Gerry was seen trotting toward the beach with Maddie by the Smith family, that behavior is more in line with known behaviors of parents involved in the death of their child; he would have been in a panic and quickly trying to get her body away from the vacation residence and to a remote place where any predator could have dumped her. What might have happened after that would all depend on luck and circumstances and having more time to think things through. But to place her just down the street on someone's property, I doubt it. Could be true, but it would be extremely odd.

Now, on to the issue of should the property be dug up at that spot just to make sure? I don't object to it. Who the suspect would be if it turned out Maddie was buried on the property is secondary to locating the chid and seeing justice done for her. Also, if the theory she is buried there does not pan out, perhaps Mr. Birch and others will take that machine and a search party over to Monte do Jose Mestre and see if they can find Maddie over there.

But who decides if the driveway at Murat's should be excavated? If the police do not have probably cause and they don't believe Birch's video of his radar scanning means much, they are not going to be knocking on Murat's mom's door. Is there really any evidence pointing to the Murat property or Murat? Is that video really indicative of a grave? If it is, could it be the grave of a dog? Could that cavity be the result of some other disturbance to that ground could cause a scan that looks to Birch like a grave?

Next, should Robert Murat just say, "What the hell! Let me just shut this guy up!" and allow the driveway to be dug up?  I would say if he wasn't worried about a body being there, he could do that. But, on the other hand, even if he had nothing to do with Maddie's disappearance, he might now be paranoid someone has put her body there and he will indeed be framed, or that someone has planted some kind of evidence to make it look like a body might have been there. If I were in his shoes, I don't know what I would do.

Should the McCanns push the police or Murat to take action? Well, if I were them and I were innocent, I would damn sure want that ground dug up because it would drive me crazy not to know if Maddie was really there or not.

What do I think will likely happen? Nothing. I think the police don't have probable cause, Murat won't want to take the chance, and the McCanns, in my opinion, already know whether she is under that driveway or not. So, nothing will happen unless the Murat family no longer owns the property and the new owners have no problem with the matter being settled with a little digging on the drive. I don't think we are going to see that coming down the pike any time soon.

What I wouldn't be surprised to see is Stephen Birch ending up on the end of a Carter-Ruck lawsuit via the McCanns for claiming Maddie is dead.  We all know how the McCanns deal with differing opinions, don't we?


Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

July 14, 2012

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Kate McCann appointed Ambassador for Missing People Organization - Unfuckingbelievable!

Seriously?

I know, I know. I should be more professional than to use such bad language, but having Kate McCann be the poster woman for people who have lost children, just blows my mind. Yes, Kate surely is pretty good at making children go missing, but it is this fact alone that should disqualify her for any ambassador position connected to missing anybodies. In fact, it should make her poison to any organization seeking money and support for finding missing persons. Not only has Kate managed to lose her child due to her own poor skills at mothering, but she has squandered millions of donor dollars on crooked and incompetent private investigators who haven't unearthed a damned clue, much less the body of her own very likely very dead daughter.

What in god's name was this Missing People organization thinking? Even if they find Kate McCann a sympathetic figure, even if they believe her daughter was really abducted, even if they believe she has truly spent five years searching for her missing child, the people who run this organization have to know that a good many people think Kate McCann is guilty of child neglect, guilty of manslaughter, guilty of covering up a crime, guilty of obstructing a police investigation, and guilty of defrauding the public of money. Who chooses such a person to represent their organization? Wasn't there one person in the leadership who said, "You know, bringing Kate McCann on board might not be such a bright idea."

Of course, Kate McCann, had she any sense of decency and concern for the purpose of such an organization should have said, "I do appreciate your kind offer and your generous support of my innocence and forgiveness of my parenting "mistake" but I wouldn't want to do harm to your organization, do more damage than good, considering how many people think I am guilty of a number of crimes. They will undoubtedly attack your organization if my name were to be linked with it."

Oh, I get why Kate didn't turn down the offer; it fits with her personality.  I am not a bit surprised. If she had turned it down, I might have actually stopped to rethink my analysis of her. Guess I don't have to do that. I also can't help but wonder if, perhaps, she wasn't offered the position...that maybe she offered herself as a representative, that she paid her way in. Maybe a large donation is what buys you an ambassadorship. I, for one, would like to see the financial records.

So, go figure. Another bizarre occurrence in the McCann saga which involves people who shouldn't be involved with them. I never was much for conspiracy theories, but with all the high level people sticking up for the McCanns and ignoring their very concerning behaviors and misdeeds, I just have to wonder why the McCanns seem to walk on British waters, don't you?


Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

July 10, 2012

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Pat Brown, Serial Tea Kettle Killer

BOLO for serial tea kettle killer!!! A second victim of the tea kettle serial killer has just been discovered in Tucson, Arizona just some six months after the first victim was murdered in Lisbon, Portugal. The MO, however, remains fairly consistent. An unsuspecting tea kettle, one unrelated to the perpetrator and assaulted in the tea kettle's own home, was taken from its resting place on the counter and burned to death on the nearby stove.

Crime Scene Photo One

Victim Number One, a fine red electric tea kettle was taken from its base, filled with water, and settled, rubber touching electrical surface, on the front left burner. The perpetrator then turned the stove on high and left the room. Smoke soon billowed out from under the kettle and the perpetrator reentered as the tea kettle was breathing its last. The kettle's closest relative asleep in the next room was unaware of the ongoing homicide and the perpetrator quickly worked to eliminate the evidence. Said perpetrator later denied the murder, laying the blame on the victim, claiming the red kettle had the shape of a nonelectric sort and the cord was not plugged into the kettle at the time. The perp claimed she thought the tea kettle was a typical pot that would be used on the stove and was unaware of its rubber bottom.

Crime Scene Photo Two

Six months later, the tea kettle serial killer struck again in Tucson, Arizona. This time a copper kettle was home alone when the perp struck. This nonelectric kettle was filled with water, place on the front left burner as had been the first victim, and the heat set on high. The perpetrator then left the room and waited for the kettle to boil dry and burn itself to death. The perpetrator later claimed that the tea kettle was of the whistling variety and while waiting to hear the whistle, the perp busied herself with web surfing. The perpetrator claims the whistle was defective and the pot never whistled and, therefore, without the proper signal, she forgot the tea kettle was on the stove boiling which led to its eventual death.

Pat Brown, the suspected perpetrator of these two tea kettle homicides as she was in both locations at the time of the murders, is still free in society. We would like to warn the public to keep an eye on their tea kettles and be sure not to allow this woman into one's kitchen if there are any tea kettles present.


Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

July 7,2012

Pat Brown’s ONLY THE TRUTH

Harkening back to the writing styles of the earlier American authors – John Steinbeck, Harper Lee, and Carson McCullers, "Only the Truth" is a story of soul searching, a psychological mystery which examines the question, “Whom should one love and when should one quit doing so?” Billy Ray, a lonely and rather slow, uneducated African-American man living in the mountains of Arkansas, runs across a mysterious young woman at the railroad tracks. She asks to go home with him and Billy Ray takes her with him as she requests. He comes to love this woman, Charlene, unconditionally. She is the only woman he has ever loved, and life is finally good for Billy Ray. Then Charlene shoots the neighbor and burns down the neighbor’s house. His happy life destroyed, a confused and devastated Billy Ray is at a loss. Is the woman he loves “just a troubled girl” or a psychopathic killer? Billy Ray sets out on a quest to find the truth, only the truth, whether it leads him to be able to save Charlene from a death sentence or it frees him from her spell.

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Sherlock Holmes on Scotland Yard's Madeleine McCann Review

W: So, Holmes, what do you think Scotland Yard is doing in the Madeleine McCann case?

H: Well, Watson, there are only two options: they are searching for truth and justice or they are using four million taxpayer dollars to cover up a crime.

W: What would show they are searching for truth and justice, Holmes?

H: They would be seeking justice for those who perpetrated crimes against a little three-year-old girl.

W: So, let me see if I have this right; they would be following evidence and statistics which would mean they would look at the parents first since there is evidence that they were the last ones to see her, they admitted to her neglect, and because cadaver and blood dogs hit in their apartment and car, and they would also investigate the parents because statistics show caretakers are the ones most likely involved when a child of Madeleine's age disappears or dies in their care. Then, if the parents can be cleared, they should look for a local child sex predator who murdered her since statistics overwhelmingly support a child this age would be kidnapped, raped, and murdered within an hour by a man living in the vicinity.

H: Correct, Watson. But, Scotland Yard hasn't spent any time analyzing the possibility of the parents' involvement in their daughter's disappearance nor have they spent any time focusing on the vicinity of the McCann's apartment or a local child sex predator.

W: I am confused, Holmes. Are you saying that they have spent four million dollars sifting through tips that would take them out of Portugal in search of a live Maddie living with a family somewhere?

H: This is what appears to be the fact, Watson.

W: Well, then, Holmes, I would have to deduce that Scotland Yard is rife with dunces or corruption.

H: Bravo, Watson! I think you have hit the nail on the head! All the evidence points to Madeleine McCann being dead but her parents and Scotland Yard have collectively purportedly spent some eight million dollars not seeking justice for little Maddie and not seeking to punish the perpetrator or perpetrators, but instead appear to be focusing on a statistical anomaly in spite of evidence to the contrary; they want the public to believe she is alive and being cared for by strangers for the last five years. Yet none of the investigators, not the McCann hired PIs nor Scotland Yard, has presented ONE shred of evidence to validate this cock-and-bull theory.

W: Then, why, Holmes, are so many attacking the Portuguese police, retired Detective Goncalo Amaral, Criminal Profiler Pat Brown, and the others who have worked to analyze the case and provide theories and evidence of Madeleine having died in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007? These folks haven't been milking the public and citizens of millions of dollars and then refusing to show them any of what they have discovered during their investigations.

H: Ah, Watson, I guess because there are a lot of people out there who just can't accept that Madeleine McCann is dead, has been dead, and will be dead, and there is not going to be a happy ending to the story.

W: Whoa, Holmes, aren't you afraid to say unequivocally that Madeleine McCann is dead? Aren't you worried the McCanns and Carter Ruck will be suing your deductive ass?

H: Well, let them have at it, Watson! Since I am a fictional character, they can sue me for my fictional money, and I will happily send them a fictional check for the fictional Madeleine Search Fund with my fictional signature on it. Good luck cashing that at the bank.


Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

July 6, 2012

My Thirty Day Water Fast - Day Five

No, I am not back to looking like this

Well, okay, it is really Day Seven, so you must have thought I was either dead or in hiding. Well I am still kicking, so I must have been in hiding, stuffing something into my mouth! Close, but, no, actually, I was just busy. But here is the scoop.

On Day Five, I was either flying (in a plane) or walking through airports until midnight. And, here is where my fast started to get to me. It wasn't the hunger because, truly, by Day Five it was not there, and it wasn't thinking about food, although that still was there. Rather, it was the weakness I felt when moving about. It is really strange because last time I fasted (okay, I was nineteen years old - see photo at left), I didn't feel that way and buzzed about for all ten days. So I did a lot of reading and I found varying reports of how weak one might feel and some reported weakness in the beginning but it lessened as the days progressed and others apparently spent their entire fast in a hammock; age didn't seem to matter.

And that was my problem. The weakness seriously bugged me and I really noticed it as I crawled to my connecting flight, worried I wouldn't make it to that gate in another state by the time boarding ended. I didn't have any peanuts or cookies or pretzels on the flight and I made it through the day, but I remember looking fondly at a wheelchair as I deplaned that I really wanted to sit in. Back at home, I woke on Day Six to feeling still like 1/4 of a human and although I knew this did not mean I was going to kick the bucket (I know some of you will say...."Oh, your body was crying for food!"), I didn't want to continue to be that weak because I had stuff to do. I wasn't on a prolonged vacation and I couldn't just lay about for the rest of the month, so I decided to break the fast. I did diluted juices, then juice, then fruit. Today I have had a salad.

I am a bit bummed that I didn't get to finish the fast as I wanted. If it hadn't been for the weakness, I think I would have carried on. I don't regret the try, though, as I learned a lot of interesting things about food and my brain's attitude toward it. I think the most fascinating thing I learned is that I too often eat without thinking about why and what; this is what I hope to change. I also find pretty fascinating that life is incredibly boring without food, mostly because our culture is built around food in every single social occasion, which I think is rather a terrible thing. At least when I was growing up, I remember food played a much smaller part and, even when a social occasion did include food, it was often in small proportions. This is something America needs to fix if we want to be truly a healthier population.

Ah, well, on to the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland with my daughter to see Sarah Mclachlan. As I lay out on the blanket listening to her sing (Sarah, not my daughter), I just hope I don't eat an entire bag of Doritos.


Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

July 5, 2012

My Thirty Day Water Fast - Day Four

At the Desert Museum

Well, Day Four here and I have not yet bailed, although I thought about doing so about fifty times today. Actually today is a bit better than yesterday, but not enough that I am going, "Woo hoo!" I am so hoping the spiritual effects and clarity of mind and those wonderful things that make continued fasting worth doing show up soon...right now it is just an exercise in mind control. I am still hating life.

I went and visited the Desert Museum here in Tucson and saw some really cute animals. The heat was ungodly and I spent the walk pouring water over my head. Uphill walking was torture; the fast definitely influence my ability to take the heat and exercise. But, I enjoyed my visit.

For those wanting to understand more about the difference between fasting and starving and worry about the dangers for me, please read this: Fasting/Starving

 
The real key to when fasting becomes starving is when one's hunger returns with a vengeance and when your body runs out of fat and then has to cannibalize muscle. Right now, believe me, I still have enough fat to live on! (even if some of you are kind enough to say I am so thin...being twenty pounds overweight is not thin). When hunger massively attacks (if I get to the point where hunger has vanished) or I hit 130 pounds, I will stop the fast (that is if I don't wimp out way before then, like tomorrow).


The Stats

Weight: 146
Exercise: Walked for about forty minutes; felt pretty weak with the incredible heat and anythng uphill; sat down about five times.
Hunger: Really not bad but craving food like crazy.
Side Effects: Mild headache late in the day.
Mental Clarity: Still crap because I am thinking about how not to throw in the towel which is all I am thinking about.


Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

July 2, 2012

My Thirty Day Water Fast - Day Three

Nice Bunny

Day Three seriously sucks. It is always considered the worst day in a fast. I woke up and had my breakfast water and then went for my walk. I got ten minutes down the way, took a picture of that cute little rabbit and turned around and went back. Weakness is what one feels on the third day and, along with that, an incredible desire to chuck the whole idea. Most people quit on this day, never getting to Day Four which is so much better (at least that is what I read and think I remember from before). On Day Four, hunger diminishes and energy increases as the body goes into ketosis and burns stored fat for energy. But, meanwhile, Day Three is damned hard to get through. I am hating it.

But, I am making it. I went out and got a nice massage for an hour which was quite interesting because I noticed that during that massage, I actually didn't think about food. Likewise, while swimming in the pool; for some reason, these nice sensations seem to replace the need to eat temporarily.

Then I went out for "lunch" with my wonderful literary agent,Claire Gerus, and while she had salad, I had sparkling water. I managed to enjoy her company without having to eat which is something I am trying to learn, that I don't need to consume a ton of food every time I am out socializing.

Another thing I learned today was that I don't have to drink liquid all night. I have been quitting having liquid at sundown and start drinking liquid again only after sunrise (I tend to drink Diet Pepsi all night). Quitting night drinking sure helps me sleep through the night!

So, the day from hell is near over and I am just crossing my fingers that Day Four will be much, much  better.


The Stats

Weight: 148 -
Exercise: Walked for twenty minutes; felt like crap within ten minutes and turned around and that was enough exercise for the day.
Hunger: Yes, and had to fight really hard to not give in.
 Side Effects: Mild headache late in the day.
Mental Clarity: Not so good because all I wanted to do was crawl into the refrigerator and make friends with anything in there.


Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

July 1, 2012