Article by Dr Rosemary Claire Taylor MA MB BChir (Cantab)

Olfaction, the act or process of smelling, is the primary special sense possessed by dogs. A dog’s sense of smell is a thousand times more sensitive than humans. Dogs have more than 220 million olfactory receptors in their nose, whereas humans only have 5 million. Specially trained dogs have been used to locate forensic cadaver material and disaster survivors. Highly trained dogs assisted the emergency services in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre on September 11th, 2001.

Cadaver dogs need to undergo rigorous training. Prior to beginning a specialised training programme, these dogs need to have basic obedience skills. The cue a dog uses to indicate forensic material depends on the trainer. Some dogs are trained to bark to indicate cadavers, whereas others scratch at the area in the crime scene. Dogs are given a verbal cue to start searching, and directional cues such as “check it out” to indicate an area requiring a more detailed search.

A variety of breeds can be trained to hunt forensic material. Bloodhounds, springer spaniels and labradors are commonly used. Trained cadaver dogs have the ability to detect decomposing bodies beneath running water, for example when a corpse is weighted down, and placed at the bottom of a river.

I have done a thorough search of academic journals on this subject, and will present my findings as follows:

1. Cadaver dogs are known as valuable forensic tools in crime scene investigations. Scientific research attempting to verify their value is largely lacking, specifically for scents associated with the early postmortem interval. The aim of our investigation was the comparative evaluation of the reliability, accuracy, and specificity of three cadaver dogs belonging to the Hamburg State Police in the detection of scents during the early postmortem interval.

Carpet squares were used as an odor transporting media after they had been contaminated with the scent of two recently deceased bodies (bodies are all less than 3 hours old). The contamination occurred for 2 min as well as 10 min without any direct contact between the carpet and the corpse. Comparative searches by the dogs were performed over a time period of 65 days (10 min contamination) and 35 days (2 min contamination).

The results of this study indicate that the well-trained cadaver dog is an outstanding tool for crime scene investigation displaying excellent sensitivity (75-100), specificity (91-100), and having a positive predictive value (90-100), negative predictive value (90-100) as well as accuracy (92-100).

Reference:
Cadaver dogs–a study on detection of contaminated carpet squares.
Oesterhelweg L, Kröber S, Rottmann K, Willhöft J, Braun C, Thies N, Püschel K, Silkenath J, Gehl A.
Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg, Germany.

Notes on the scientific terminology in this study;

Sensitivity means the number of correct detections out of 100. Here, all dogs managed to correctly identify 75-100 carpet squares out of 100. This is a good success rate.

Specificity describes the number of false identifications. A sensitivity of 91 out of 100 means, at most, there are 9 false positives in a sample of 100 uncontaminated squares. This is a good specificity, much higher than cervical screening, which can detect far more false positives.

The Positive Predictive Value can be defined as;

In other words, out of 100, there are 75-100 true positives, and 0-9 false positives. A positive predictive value describes the percentage chance, if a sample is contaminated, that the dog will discover it. The value of 90-100 means that, out of 100 contaminated squares, at least 90 are correctly identified by the dog.

The Negative Predictive Value can be defined as;

In other words, out of 100, there are 0-9 false positives and 0-25 false negatives. A negative predictive value describes the chance that, if a sample is not contaminated, the dog will correctly identify the sample as clear of human remains. The study quotes a negative predictive value of 90-100. This means only 0-10 ‘clean’ squares are wrongly identified as contaminated by the dogs.

Accuracy is the degree to which the evidence presented by the dogs matches known information about which squares were marked. The accuracy of dog detection is presented as 92-100. This means that dogs correctly identify carpet squares as ‘marked’ or ‘unmarked’ in at least 92 cases out of 100. This is an impressive accuracy score.

In addition, I think it is important to consider that this is an experiment, not real life. In reality cadaver dogs are given more time to assess possible traces of human remains. Hence in a true police setting, cadaver dogs are more likely to give accurate information.

2. Specially trained air scent detection canines (Canis familiaris) are commonly used by law enforcement to detect narcotics, explosives or contraband, and by fire investigators to detect the presence of accelerants. Dogs are also used by police, military, and civilian groups to locate lost or missing persons, as well as victims of natural or mass disasters. A further subspecialty is “cadaver” searching, or the use of canines to locate buried or concealed human remains.

Recent forensic investigations in central Alberta demonstrated that the use of cadaver dogs could be expanded to include locating partial, scattered human remains dispersed by repeated animal scavenging. Eight dog-and-handler teams participated in a two-month training program using human and animal remains in various stages of decay as scent sources. Ten blind field tests were then conducted which simulated actual search conditions. Recovery rates ranged between 57% and 100%, indicating that properly trained cadaver dogs can make significant contributions in the location and recovery of scattered human remains.

Reference:
J Forensic Sci. 1999 Mar;44(2):405-8.
The use of cadaver dogs in locating scattered, scavenged human remains: preliminary field test results. Komar D.
Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.

This study was written in 1999. Nonetheless, in situations where there are scattered human remains, dogs identify them in 57-100% of cases.

3. The detection of human remains that have been deliberately buried to escape detection is a problem for law enforcement. Sometimes the cadaver dog and handler teams are successful, while other times law enforcement and cadaver dog teams are frustrated in their search. Five field trials tested the ability of four cadaver dog and handler teams to detect buried human remains.

Human and animal remains were buried in various forested areas during the summer months near Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The remains ranged in decomposition from fresh to skeletonised. Cadaver dogs detected with varying success: buried human remains at different stages of decomposition, buried human remains at different depths, and buried decomposed human and animal remains.

The results from these trials showed that some cadaver dogs were able to locate skeletonised remains buried at a significant depth. Fresh and skeletonised remains were found equally by the cadaver dogs along with some caveats. Dog handlers affected the reliability of the cadaver dog results. Observations and videotape of the cadaver dogs during field trials showed that they were reliable in finding buried human remains.

Reference:
J Forensic Sci. 2003 May;48(3):617-21.
Cadaver dog and handler team capabilities in the recovery of buried human remains in the southeastern United States.Lasseter AE, Jacobi KP, Farley R, Hensel L.
Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0210, USA.

This is an impressive study. The salient points are that cadaver dogs can identify a corpse, or a piece of a corpse, which had been buried at a significant depth. This gives the dog handlers an opportunity to investigate a more ‘real life’ crime scene. Following a murder, it is normal for a criminal to hide any human remains, often by burying the corpse. It appears that these dogs can still detect the ‘smell of death’, when a body part is buried deep in a forest.

The Eugene Zapata Case

Eugene Zapata’s wife, Jeanette Zapata was last seen on October 11th, 1976. Her body was never found. Police suspected that her husband had murdered her, but without sufficient evidence to arrest him, her disappearance became a cold case. It was reopened due to pressure from Mrs Zapata’s loved ones, and cadaver dogs were used to locate her remains. The link for this article is http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1541908/posts

Jeanette “Jean” Zapata sent her two teenage daughters and 6-year-old son to school shortly after 8 a.m. Oct. 11, 1976. They last saw her as she sat at the kitchen table in their East Side home near La Follette High School wearing blue corduroys and a striped top.

The 36-year-old flight instructor – who was divorcing her husband – was never heard from again.
Madison Police Capt. Tom Snyder said Thursday that the husband, Eugene J. Zapata, is their primary and only suspect. He lives in Nevada with his second wife.

According to a search warrant executed by police in August but kept sealed until Thursday morning, dogs trained to detect human remains reacted to two locations connected to Eugene Zapata – a crawl space in the couple’s former home and a storage locker in Sun Prairie.

Two days after Jeanette Zapata’s children saw her for the last time, Ivan Norton, an accountant at Frickleton School of Aeronautics, reported her missing because she hadn’t come to work.

“If she told you to make an appointment at a certain time, she was there ahead of schedule to make sure it all went right,” Norton, 69, said Thursday. “She was very nice and very prompt and that was the whole thing that was concerning us. She was like a time clock.”

Immediately after she disappeared, her purse and other belongings, including her new car, were found at the home, but a .30-06 rifle was missing.

Investigators said in the search warrant:

Officers have questioned Eugene Zapata several times over the past 30 years and he sometimes provided contradictory statements.

Zapata told police he argued with his wife over visitation rights to their children a few days before she disappeared. The day she vanished, they met with the La Follette High School principal to discuss their oldest daughter. One time he told police he called the morning of Oct. 11 to cancel the meeting. On another occasion, he said he went to the house at 9 a.m. to pick her up.

Jean Zapata had obtained a court order that restricted his time with the children in the home to two hours on Saturday mornings.

His employment records at the state Department of Transportation indicate he worked from 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. the day she disappeared, was off work the following day, Oct. 12, and then came in to work at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 13.

He told police he took Oct. 12 off to care for his children at home, but investigators verified the children were at school.

Zapata did not respond to messages from the State Journal asking for an interview. In a 1987 State Journal article, he said he believed his former wife ran away.

“It may have been just the pressure of it because I filed for custody of the kids,” Zapata said then. “She was a very strong-willed person. If she made up her mind that she wanted to disappear, she could do it.”

Investigators suspected Zapata, but lacking leads they had shelved the case.

It was reactivated a year ago after one of Jean Zapata’s childhood friends called asking about its status, Snyder said.

New detection techniques, including “cadaver dogs” that can find faint odors of human remains, pushed the investigation forward.

According to court documents, dogs twice signaled that they had found the scent of human remains in an unused basement crawl space at the Zapatas’ former home on Indian Trace, and a human hair was excavated. Police will not say whether test results indicate that it belonged to Jean Zapata.

Eugene Zapata sold the house in 1997. In 2001, he moved to Nevada. He rented a storage facility in Sun Prairie that year and listed its contents as “boxes, mixture of son’s and parent’s stuff.”
According to the search warrant:

On April 13, 2005, police left a message for Eugene Zapata with his wife in Nevada. The next day, the locker’s key was returned to U-Store Mini Storage in Sun Prairie. The empty locker remained locked until Aug. 10 and 11 when police opened it.

Dogs detected the scent of decomposing or decomposed human remains inside and around the locker, the search warrant indicates. That prompted a search of four acres in rural Juneau County owned by Zapata since 1978.

Nothing was found on the land, which was for sale.

Snyder stopped short Thursday of saying he believes Jean Zapata was murdered by her husband and could not predict if an arrest was imminent.

But he did say he believes she met with foul play and her husband is the only suspect.

The McCanns’ lawyers used the Zapata case to indicate an example of how a seemingly innocent man, can be incriminated by the cadaver dog evidence.

Madeleine: McCanns consult American lawyers over ‘cadaver dog’ evidence

Daily Mail Last updated at 18:07 16 September 2007 (Link to original article here)

Kate and Gerry McCann’s legal team have consulted the lawyers of an American man accused of murdering his estranged wife in a case where cadaver dog evidence was key, a source said today.

Two British sniffer dogs, one capable of detecting blood and human remains, were brought to Portugal in early August.

The cadaver dog picked up a “scent of death” on everything from Mrs McCann’s clothes to missing Madeleine’s favourite soft toy Cuddle Cat, according to reports.

During police interviews the McCanns were shown a video of the animal “going crazy” when it approached their Renault Scenic hire car, newspapers have claimed.

Leaked reports from the investigation have suggested Madeleine’s parents could have accidentally killed her and then disposed of her body using the car.

Although they do not know the full details of Portuguese prosecutors’ case against them, the McCanns are concerned it may rest on the dog’s reaction.

They want to highlight the judge’s dismissal of cadaver dog evidence in the high-profile Eugene Zapata murder trial in Madison, Wisconsin.

The couple’s lawyers have already contacted Zapata’s defence team, who are now sending their large file on the matter to Britain.

Zapata’s estranged wife, flight instructor Jeanette Zapata, was 37 when she vanished on October 11 1976 after seeing her three children off to school. Her body has never been found.

Detectives suspected Zapata of involvement in her disappearance but did not charge him because of a lack of evidence.

Police decided to conduct new searches using cadaver dogs, a new investigative technique, when an old friend of Mrs Zapata contacted them about the case in 2004.

Zapata, 68, was charged with first-degree murder last year after the dogs indicated they sniffed human remains in a small basement “crawl space” at the former family home in Madison and other properties linked to him.

But Dane County Judge Patrick Fiedler ruled last month that the evidence that led to the charge could not be put before the jury.

He said the dogs were too unreliable in detecting the odour of remains and noted that no remains were actually found.

The judge agreed with an analysis of the three dogs’ track record by Zapata’s defence team that found they were incorrect 78 per cent, 71 per cent and 62 per cent of the time.

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, Mr Fiedler told the court: “The state has failed to convince me that it’s any more reliable than the flip of a coin.” Zapata denies murder, and the jury in the case went out on Friday to start considering its verdict.

A source close to the McCanns’ solicitors said: “The legal team are in touch with the lawyers who represented the defendant in the case.

“The court papers, giving the legal submissions, are on their way to the McCann team for consideration.

“At the moment there are no formal charges and therefore there is no formal allegation against which the McCann team can work. We are having to work a little bit in the dark.

“But given that we understand the central plank of what the police are alleging involves sniffer dogs – albeit British ones which are said to be particularly good – this is important and relevant, and will be raised with the police and brought to the judge’s attention.”

Unfortunately for Kate and Gerry, Mr Zapata eventually plead guilty to his wife’s murder on February 19th, 2008.

Zapata Enters Guilty Plea In Connection With Missing Wife’s Death

Former Madison Resident Plead To Reduced Charge of Homicide By Reckless Conduct
(Link to original article here)

UPDATED: 7:18 am CST February 19, 2008 MADISON, Wis. — Eugene Zapata entered a guilty plea on Monday to a reduced charge of homicide by reckless conduct in connection to his wife’s disappearance 30 years ago and was sentenced to time behind bars.

Appearing in Dane County Circuit Court on Monday, Zapata was sentenced to five years in prison after entering the guilty plea. Zapata, 69, pleaded guilty as part of a deal with prosecutors. The sentence was the maximum sentence for the charge, WISC-TV reported

Old sentencing rules likely mean that Zapata will spend just more than three years in prison, but the judge and prosecutors supported the deal, saying that it would give family and friends closure and let them heal, WISC-TV reported.

Dane County Judge Patrick Fiedler, who sentenced Zapata, said that the important thing is everyone now knows what happened to Zapata’s wife, Jeanette. Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard said that the plea deal gives closure to Jeanette Zapata’s loved ones.

“Part of what happened after Madison police took over a cold case from nowhere to today is the ability now to have the family and friends of Jeanette Zapata know exactly what happened to her.”

Eugene Zapata was to have faced a second trial late next month. A former Madison resident, he was tried last year for the disappearance and presumed death of his wife in 1976. Her body was never found.

He had faced first-degree murder charges. A jury deadlocked on a verdict, and a second trial was scheduled. If convicted on that charge, Zapata would have faced life in prison.

A second trial seemed less likely after reports surfaced earlier this month that a plea deal had been struck.
As part of the agreement with prosecutors, Zapata had to tell authorities how he killed his wife and where her body was hidden, WISC-TV reported.

During Monday’s proceedings, Dane County chief prosecutor Bob Kaiser asked the court to accept an amended charge of homicide by reckless conduct. Kaiser earlier told the court that the deal with Zapata includes a statement to police about why Zapata went to her house, how and why he killed her and what he did with her.

Kaiser said that Zapata confessed to police and that he believes Zapata’s statement will be truthful and complete.

Prosecutors said that Zapata told police that he went to his wife’s house in 1976, had an argument and “snapped.” He told them that he grabbed a metal draftman’s tool and hit her in the head multiple times. He said that she then dropped to ground and he strangled her. He apparently told investigators that he “strangled Jeanette Zapata manually until his hands hurt.” He also wrapped a cord around her neck.

Zapata said that he wrapped her body in a tent and drove it to an area near Highway 151 and Reiner Road, where he hid it in some underbrush. He transferred her remains a short time later to some Juneau County land that he owed. There, he buried her body — which remained there for 24 years — before moving her remains to a Sun Prairie storage locker, where it was eventually cut into pieces and later disposed of at a Mauston landfill. He moved the body from the Juneau County because he planned to sell the land.

Linda Zapata, the youngest of Eugene and Jeanette Zapata’s three children, gave a statement in court. She said that she was torn over testifying against her father earlier, but she’s glad that he agreed to the plea deal. She said his confession is “a gift.”

“By confessing to Mom’s murder, you have given me and others a precious gift, a chance to grieve, mourn and heal,” she said. “Mom deserved no less than that Mom deserved the truth about what really happened that morning, and I thank you for finally giving her that.”

She added that she still loves her father and forgives him, although she doesn’t condone what he did.

Blanchard said because Jeanette Zapata’s body was dumped in numerous Dumpsters at the landfill, there is no way to recover her remains.

Eugene Zapata declined comment in the court. He was later taken away in handcuffs after his sentence was imposed.

Kaiser said that he thinks the agreement is the best possible option for “truth and justice.” Likewise, Blanchard called the resolution to this case a huge achievement for justice.

Mrs McCann attends the death of six of her patients, prior to her holiday

Extract from Scapegoats? McCanns reject ‘compelling’ new police evidence

Belfast Telegraph 10th September 2007

Forensic experts have also warned that evidence obtained from the use of cadaver-smelling dogs is open to challenge. According to the McCann family, detectives asked why a British-trained dog detected traces of a corpse on Mrs McCann’s clothing and on a Bible in the apartment. Mrs McCann, a GP, has said she was present at six deaths before her holiday. Despite it being said that dogs’ noses are anywhere between 1,000 and 10,000 times more effective than humans’, and despite the dogs’ training to detect traces of everything from drugs to cancers, experts warn that there are still difficulties using evidence uncovered by dogs.

I have worked as a junior doctor in general practice, and my sister is a GP. Doctors are called to certify death on occasions. Typically the patient is an elderly person in a residential or nursing home. Thankfully this does not occur very often. A doctor has to check for a heartbeat, respiration, and whether the pupils react when a pen torch is shone into the eyes. I find the claim that Mrs McCann attended six deaths, shortly before the her holiday, difficult to believe. People tend to die on hospital wards, and when a patient in a care home becomes unwell, they tend to get admitted to a hospital. Why the scent of death was on Mrs McCann’s Bible also raises suspicions. Are we supposed to believe she took this Bible with her when she was at work? Was she reading her unfortunate patients their Last Rites? Unbelievable.

OPERATION TASK CANINE SEARCH REPORT

Personal Profile

I am a ‘retired’ police officer, formally a senior instructor at the South Yorkshire Police dog training establishment.

I have 35 years experience in the training of dogs both within the police service and in the public sector.

I specialise in the development and training of specialist search dogs to include narcotics, explosives, currency, human remains, blood and semen.

I am the Special Advisor to The U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, in relation to their Canine Forensic Program.

I am a U.K.A.C.P.O. (Association of Chief Police Officers, England and wales) accredited police dog training instructor. I am a Subject Matter Expert in forensic canine search and on the N.P.I.A. (National Policing Improvement Agency) Expert Advisers database.

I advise Domestic and International Law enforcement agencies on the operational deployment of Police Dogs in the role of Homicide investigation.

I develop methods of detecting forensically recoverable evidence by the use of dogs and facilitate training.

Iam regularly deployed to homicide cases within my portfolio and form a ‘Specialist Canine Homicide Search Team’ including the S.A.M dog teams from Dyfed Powys and USA.

I have trained and handle two operational specialist search dogs:

• ‘Eddie’ is a 7-year-old English Springer spaniel dog who is trained as an Enhanced Victim Recovery Dog (EVRD).
• ‘Keela’ is a three-year old English Springer spaniel bitch who is trained as an Human blood search dog (C.S.I. dog).

OPERATION TASK CANINE DEPLOYMENTS 1-8 AUGUST 2007

On the instruction of The PJ Director, The Portuguese police kept all search records concerning the deployment of the search dogs. All dog searches were recorded by video.

The following searches were conducted:

• Five apartments at a complex in Praia Da Luz.
• Mr. Murat’s property at Praia Da Luz.
• Mr. McCann’s Villa at Praia Da Luz ( Present occupancy).
• Articles of clothing from Mr. McCann’s residence.
• Western beach Praia da Luz.
• Eastern Beach Praia Da Luz.
• 10 Vehicles screened at Portimao.

CANINE SEARCHES AT FIVE APARTMENTS AT Praia DA LUZ.

All five apartments were searched using the EVRD. The only alert indications were at apartment 5a, the reported scene.

The EVRD alerted in the:

• Rear bedroom of the apartment in the immediate right hand corner by the door.
• Living room, behind sofa.
• Veranda outside parent’s bedroom.
• Garden area directly under veranda.

My observation of the dog’s behaviour in this instance was that the dog’s behaviour changed immediately upon opening the front door to the apartment. He will normally remain in the sit position until released and tasked to search. On this occasion he broke the stay and entered the apartment with an above average interest. His behaviour was such that I believed him to be ‘in scent’ and I therefore allowed him to free search without direction to allow him to identify the source of his interest. He did so alerting in the rear bedroom.

I released him from this and tasked him to continue to search. He did so alerting in an area to the rear of the sofa in the lounge.

The dog’s behaviour for these alerts led me to the following opinions:

MINISTERIO PUBLICO DE PORTIMAO

The first alert was given with the dogs head in the air without a positive area being identified. This is the alert given by him when there is no tangible evidence to be located only the remaining scent.

The second alert was one where a definitive area was evident. The CSI dog was therefore deployed who gave specific alert indications to specific areas on the tiled floor area behind the sofa and on the curtain in the area that was in contact with the floor behind the sofa. This would indicate to the likely presence of human blood.

The forensic science support oficers were then deployed to recover items for laboratory analysis.

There were no alert indications from the remaining properties. I did however see the dog search in the kitchen waste bins. These contained meat foodstuffs including pork and did not result in any false alert response.

CANINE SEARCH OF MR MURAT’S PROPERTY.

The property was subjected to a search for human remains or blood stained articles. The outside of property was stripped of vegetation and after the ground being probed was searched by the EVRD dog. The inside of the property was then searched by the dog. There were no alert indications and no human remains were located.

CANINE SEARCH OF MR McCANN’S VILLA, PRESENT OCCUPANCY.

The villa interior, garden, and all property within were searched by the EVRD.

The only alert indication given was when the dog located a pink cuddly toy in the villas lounge. The CSI dog did not alert to the toy when screened separately.

It is my view that it is possible that the EVRD is alerting to cadaver scent contamination. No evidential or intelligence reliability can be made from this alert unless it can be confirmed with corroborating evidence.

BOXES OF CLOTHING 1 PROPERTY FORM MR McCANN’S RESIDENCE.

At a suitable venue numerous boxes of clothing 1 property taken from the McCann present residence were screened using both the EVRD and the CSI dog. The venue was screened by both dogs prior to introducing clothing/property. Neither gave an alert indication. The screening then took place with the contents of each box being placed around the room in turn. The process was recorded by video and written records were taken by PJ officers.

The only alert indication was by the EVRD on clothing from one of the boxes. I am not in possession of the details as these were recorded by the PJ ofíicers present.

MINISTERIO PUBLICO DE PORTIMAO

It is my view that it is possible that the EVRD is alerting to ‘a cadaver scent’ contaminant. No evidential or intelligence reliability can be made from this alert unless it can be confirmed with corroborating evidence.

WESTERN BEACH

The beach above the waterline was searched. This extended to areas of fallen rock and the cliff face as far as the dog could negotiate the incline. There were no alert indications.

EASTERNBEACH

The beach above the waterline was searched. This extended to areas of fallen rock and the cliff face as far as the dog could negotiate the incline. There were no alert indications.

CANINE VEHICLE SEARCHES.

Ten vehicles were screened in an underground multi storey car park at Portimao. The vehicles, of which I did not know the owner details, were  parked on an empty floor with 20-30 feet between each. The vehicle placement video recording and management of the process was conducted by the PJ. The EVRD was then tasked to search the area. When passing a vehicle I know know to be hired and in the possession of the McCann family, the dog’s behaviour changed substantially. This then produced an alert indication at the lower part of the drivers door where the dog was biting and barking. I recognise this behaviour as the dog indicating scent emitting from the inside of the vehicle through the seal around the door.

This vehicle was then subjected to a full physical examination by the PJ and no human remains were found. The CSI dog was then tasked to screen the vehicle. An alert indication was forthcoming from the rear driver’s side of the boot area. Forensic samples were taken by the PJ and forwarded to a forensic laboratory in the U.K.

It is my view that it is possible that the EVRD is alerting to ‘cadaver scent’ contaminant or human blood scent. No evidential or intelligence reliability can be made from this alert unless it can be confirmed with corroborating evidence. The remainder of the vehicles were screened by the EVRD without any interest being shown. Therefore the CSI dog was not further deployed.

MINISTERIO PUBLICO DE PORTIMAO

SUMMARY

The tasking for this operation was as per my normal Standard Operating Procedures. The dogs are deployed as search assets to secure evidence and locate human remains or Human blood.

The dogs only alerted to property associated with the McCann family. The dog alert indications MUST be corroborated if to establish their findings as evidence.

Therefore in this particular case, as no human remains were located, the only alert indications that may become corroborated are those that the CSI dog indicated by forensic laboratory analysis.

My professional opinion as regards to the EVRD’s alert indications is that it is suggestive that this is ‘cadaver scent’ contaminant. This does not however suggest a motive or suspect as cross contamination could be as a result of a number of given scenarios and in any event no evidential or intelligence reliability can be made from these alerts unless they can be confirmed with corroborating evidence.

The steps where Madeleine fell

Portuguese police believe Madeleine McCann died after falling down a flight of steps and that her parents panicked, hiding her body because they feared being blamed, it was claimed yesterday.

It was alleged that the four-year-old smashed the back of her head on a ceramic flagstone at her family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz.

Fearing they would be charged with manslaughter, Kate and Gerry McCann then got rid of the body, possibly with the help of their friends, it was alleged.

The latest theory against the couple, who are official suspects in their daughter’s disappearance, was dismissed as “ludicrous and unsubstantiated” by their spokesman.

It emerged as a source close to the McCanns said police were investigating claims that a disgruntled ex-employee from the Ocean Club, where the family was staying, may have been involved in Madeleine’s abduction.

Mrs McCann has said she would be willing to risk going to prison by speaking out about the events of May 3 in breach of Portugal’s secrecy laws. As suspects, or arguidos, the couple are prevented from speaking about the investigation, and have expressed frustration that they are not able to defend themselves against increasingly lurid allegations regarding their daughter’s fate.

Despite the ban, they are in talks with chat-show hosts in the US in an attempt to remind people Madeleine is missing.

Yesterday, the McCanns spent a quiet day in their home town of Rothley in Leicestershire, marking 150 days since their daughter disappeared.

They are adamant that she was abducted but police in Portugal were described as “100 per cent” certain that the little girl died in the family’s apartment in the Algarve.

A senior detective told Portuguese newspaper 24 Horas: “The only thing to investigate is how the body disappeared.” The newspaper claims Madeleine fell down steps at the back of the apartment. Photographs taken at the time show a children’s safety barrier above the steps.

The new theory emerged after a report from Britain said specialist sniffer dogs had detected the “smell of death” on the steps, it was claimed. In the past, Mr and Mrs McCann, both 39, have been accused of hiding their daughter’s body because she had been sedated.

But yesterday, a source close to the couple hit back at the allegations.

Kate carrying Cuddle-Cat. The toy with cadaver scent detected by the dog Eddie.

“Where is the proof that this happened? Madeleine was put to bed at 7pm and there was a witness. When is Madeleine supposed to have fallen?

“If the police are 100 per cent certain that Madeleine fell down some steps, that means they must be able to prove she died in that way. It’s just not possible without a body.”

The couple’s spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, added: “It is just ludicrous. All of these reports are unsourced and unsubstantiated.”

A tip-off claiming that a former Ocean Club employee was involved in Madeleine’s disappearance was sent to the Prince of Wales’s official website, and passed to police.

It alleged that a maid who used to work at the Mark Warner resort kidnapped Madeleine in revenge for being fired. Police have discovered the woman identified does exist and that the tip-off came from an email address registered in the Iberian peninsula.

I fell into search and rescue by shear accident, While watching a local nightly news show, there was a local search and rescue group looking for dogs that weighed more than 65 pounds. The next day I contacted the person in charge of the group and I was told that each dog would be evaluated, and by the end of the evaluation, they would let us know whether or not our dog would become part of the “team.”

I thought that Kelley, a Rhodesian Ridgeback without a ridge, would be a good search and rescue dog. After all, Rhodesians were bred for hundreds of years to track lions over long distances and on all types of terrain. Kelley at the time was three going on four; she’s living proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

On the scheduled evaluation day, a cold December day, Kelley and I rode out with a friend to see if our dogs could “cut the mustard” so to speak. After we showed the group leaders how obedient our dogs were both on and off lead, a track was laid and a victim was hidden. After Kelley found the live victim, I was given a cadaver-scented tennis ball to practice with her. Now Kelley has never been a ball dog (I suppose she thinks the game of fetch is beneath her), but she really liked these tennis balls. From that point on, even though we’ve trained in both live and cadaver finds, Kelley has preferred to find cadaver.

In early March 1997 — the “Flood of 97” — our group was asked to bring our dogs down to Falmouth, Kentucky (the worst area hit by flooding) to locate 67 people who were un-accounted for. I packed the needed items and the following morning Kelley and I left to meet the other dogs and handlers and follow them to Falmouth. When we arrived I really couldn’t believe the destruction. It looked like a war zone — clothes in tree tops, slabs of pavement missing, houses moved off foundations and cars strewn about like toys. It was a sight that will be burned in my mind forever.

After much delay, we were given our instructions to search the houses with our dogs to look for missing people. Each dog and handler team was accompanied by a fireman Kelley and I were paired up with a two other “seasoned” dogs and handlers. After about our fourth or fifth house, Kelley “hit” on a mobile home that was leaning against a telephone pole. She stood solid and would not budge, I tried pulling her and she just stood there. I told the fireman who was with us that the trailer needed to be check out when the situation became more stable. I told him that even though Kelley was a “novice” dog that she’d never lied to me before.

Later that evening, that trailer was checked and a mother and daughter were found. Although pleased that Kelley proved herself after only three months of training, I was still saddened by the discovery.

I left that search and rescue group and joined another one. While in between groups I was contacted by a central Ohio Police Department and asked if they could add me and Kelley to their call out sheet in the event that they would need a cadaver dog. I agreed.

After years of dealing with a homicide detective from a local law enforcement agency in my job, he contacted me regarding a case their department had been working on since 1996. He knew that I had a dog that did cadaver work from a newspaper article.

This gruesome case will stick out in my mind forever. The victim was originally reported to the police department as a missing persons. The case started to unravel when two boys who were out fishing reeled in a skull. The victim’s live-in boyfriend and father to their child was the prime suspect from the beginning (his mother reported her missing, not him). The offender went to great lengths to hide the body of his girlfriend. He not only removed the teeth from her skull, but he also dismembered her body and dispersed her remains in a field.

In August 1997 at the department’s request, I took Kelley out to the field where the murderer had dumped the body parts. Kelley ran off a perimeter and when the detectives and the coroner went back to that area about a third of the victim was found. I was told by the detectives that when all the bones were recovered the victim’s remains fit into an infant’s casket.

Kelley and I specialize in cadaver recovery are now independently sub-contracted with several law enforcement agencies throughout the state of Ohio. Last year a photo of Kelley was submitted to the International Photography Hall of Fame, and a short autobiography was printed in their book. The title of the photo is “A True Companion, Helps In Adding Closure, And Asks For Nothing In Return.” That photo was dedicated to all victims.

When Mary Jennifer Love was reported missing just this past summer, my Mom, Kelley and I volunteered our time to help the family and law enforcement search for the little girl. I knew in my heart that after two days of 98 degree temperatures that unfortunately the victim was deceased. Even though we did not find her, we still gave our all. Kelley and I do this as a service to the community; we do not get paid, nor do we want to get paid.

The true heroes here are Kelley and all the other dogs that aid in the help of mankind, whether it be search and rescue, police dogs, arson dogs, drug dogs, bomb dogs, or the dogs that aid in helping people lead independent normal lives.

Cathleen A. Combs

A dog who is trained to find human remains has been brought in from the United Kingdom to help in the search for Theresa Parker, the Walker County 911 operator who has been missing for almost six months.

FBI Regional Director John Parrish said Martin Grimes and his English springer spaniel Eddie are some of the best in the world at finding bodies.

Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson introduced Mr. Grimes and Eddie at a press conference in LaFayette on Thursday afternoon.

He said the search for Ms. Parker is “very active and ongoing.”

Sheriff Wilson said the only “person of interest” remains Ms. Parker’s husband, former LaFayette Police Sgt. Sam Parker.

Mr. Grimes, who said he is retired after 30 years with the UK Police, said Eddie is trained “to locate human remains – whole or in part.”

He said he and Eddie plan to remain in LaFayette until this phase of the investigation is complete.

He declined to specify where or when they would be searching.

Director Parrish said the case has been declared “high priority” by the FBI and an agent has been assigned fulltime to it.

He said K-9s were used in April on the search and that “was very valuable to us.” He said, “We have completed that phase and we are evolving into another phase.”

Sheriff Wilson said in this phase, “We will go to areas that are of interest to us.”

Mr. Grimes said he will be utilizing “a method we have used successfully in the UK.”

The parents of missing Madeleine McCann will return to Britain from Portugal on Sunday.

Kate and Gerry McCann fear they could be charged over their daughter’s death after they were named as “arguidos”, or official suspects in her disappearance.

They wanted to fly back to the UK as soon as possible, but were worried that it might appear they are “running scared”, according to Mr McCann’s sister Philomena.

The McCanns Scarper Back To England After Being Made Official Suspects in Madeleine's Disappearance

No conditions were imposed on the McCanns, which means they are free to travel abroad, their lawyer said. “They can travel whenever and wherever they like,” lawyer Carlos Pinto de Abreu told Reuters, adding that the McCanns could remain at their home in England as the police investigation continues.

The McCanns plan to approach David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, asking him to intervene in the case of their missing daughter Madeleine amid growing fears that they might become the victims of a “shocking injustice”.

The couple are “angry and horrified” that the search for the missing four-year-old has been halted as, they believe, police seek to blame them for killing her and disposing of her body.

Some forensic scientists have begun to question some of the evidence against the couple – supposedly samples of Madeline’s blood found in the boot of the car they hired 25 days after the disappearance, and the “death smell” allegedly found on Mrs McCann’s belongings by a police sniffer dog.

There is suspicion that tiny DNA samples obtained from the McCanns’ apartment – and compared with the blood found in the car boot – could have been contaminated.

One of Britain’s leading forensic scientists, who asked not be named, said: “If they are spots of blood, it could not be from a car used by the McCanns 25 days later. That doesn’t make sense.

“The blood would have dried and it would not transfer as spots unless the child is alive. It would be fragments [of dried blood].

“But that is not what the police are saying they have. This is the prevailing view among other forensic scientists I have spoken to.”

John Barrett, a former Scotland Yard dog handler, also indicated that the trained dogs used in an attempt to detect a “death smell” on Mrs McCann’s Bible and clothes were brought in too long after Madeleine vanished.

The crucial scent lasts for no longer than a month, he said.

The McCanns are expected to appear before the public prosecutor in Portimao, Portugal, this week. They could face restrictions on their movements and, possibly, charges.

The McCanns, both 39-year-old doctors, are said to be “deeply alarmed” by the turn of events after they were interrogated separately by Portuguese police for a total of 24 hours on Thursday and Friday.

They are furious at the manner of the questioning and may decide to stay in Portugal to clear their names and revive the search for their girl, who vanished four months ago while her parents were at a nearby tapas bar in the resort of Praia da Luz.

Portuguese sources said police were using a “war of nerves” in an effort to make Mrs McCann “crack” and confess to killing her daughter.

Her two interrogations last week – the second lasting 11 hours – were described as “aggressive”, with officers said to be “exploring her weaknesses”.

Media reports said the couple used their right to remain silent and refused to answer “more than 40 questions”. Friends insisted they answered all questions put to them.

The couple, who spoke with Mr Miliband last month, will urge him this week to step in “with any help he can,” said a friend of the couple.

“There is a danger of a shocking injustice here,” the friend said. “Kate and Gerry are appalled that anybody could think Kate would harm any of her children.”

Mrs McCann’s mother, Susan Healy, defended her, saying: “She fought her corner in her interview with the police and I felt quite proud that she was able to do that knowing how distraught she was by Madeleine’s disappearance.”

Philomena McCann, Mr McCann’s sister, said of her brother: “He is a bit distressed and very tired. But he is adamant that he has done nothing wrong.”

She said the couple were worried it would appear as if they were “running scared” if they returned to Britain.

Plans to return to their home in Rothley, Leicestershire, today have now been shelved.

Portuguese police believe that Mrs McCann killed Madeleine accidentally with a sedative overdose, and then hid the body. They think Mr McCann helped cover up her crime.

The McCanns insist they have never used sedatives on their children and deny any involvement in Madeleine’s death. They believe that she was abducted and is still alive.

Police have indicated their case is based on DNA evidence, analysed by British forensic scientists.

It is said to be blood from Madeleine found in the hired car. Investigators say further analysis is needed before any “definitive” conclusions.

The couple spent yesterday at a rented villa in Praia da Luz with their two-year-old twins, Amelie and Sean.

The Foreign Office was last night described as “firing on all cylinders” in its efforts to help the McCanns.

Asked about the case yesterday, Mr Miliband said: “A little girl is missing. This is an independent judicial process we fully respect. Consular services are being provided. Above all, this is about a little girl.”

A dog who was ‘earning’ more money than her force’s Chief Constable has been brought in to help Portuguese police in their hunt for missing Madeleine McCann.

Specially-trained Keela was flown to Praia da Luz in the Algarve last week because she can detect human blood – even after items have been cleaned or washed many times.

Keela, and another English springer spaniel called Eddie, have now both been enlisted in the hunt for the missing four-year-old.

Scroll down for more…

Hunt: Keela has been brought in to help police find Madeleine

Keela hit the headlines two years ago because she was earning more than her force’s Chief Constable.

The South Yorkshire Police dog has already helped forces across the country, including working on the high-profile stabbing of pregnant mother Abigail Witchalls in Surrey, and was being hired out for £530 per day, plus expenses.

Back then she would have been earning almost £200,000 – around £70,000 more than her force’s Chief Constable – if she worked every day of the year.

She has been trained to ignore decomposing body materials other than human blood.

And instead of barking when she smells blood, she has been trained to have a “passive” alert – freezing with her nose as near to the subject matter as possible without touching, to enable scientists to recover the sample quickly and efficiently.

This technique has saved time and money on major investigations.

She can search any area, including houses, cars, boats, both indoors and outdoors, and will lead her handler to spots of blood so small that humans cannot see them.

She screens textiles and can pick out traces of blood even after clothing has been washed many times or weapons cleaned.

When Keela was working on the Abigail Witchalls case she found eight piece of blood-stained clothing in just one day.

Now the dogs have been brought in to help after the police looking into her disappearance re-focused on the McCanns’ holiday apartment.

Madeleine has now been missing for 99 days and police are increasingly desperate for any kind of breakthrough in her case – as are her parents Kate and Gerry, who are still in Portugal.

Both sniffer dogs are attached to South Yorkshire Police.

Eddie is a “victim recovery dog” who can detect blood and human remains.

Scroll down for more…

Helpful hound: Eddie is to help in Madeleine search

It appears highly likely that Keela was the dog who was brought in by British detectives last week who located tiny traces of blood in the McCanns’ apartment despite alleged attempts to wash them off.

Police are still waiting for the results of tests on the recovered traces, which arrived yesterday at a top UK forensic laboratory.

The sniffer dogs have already travelled around Britain, and to Ireland and the US to help police investigating murder and missing person cases.

A dog diary about Keela on the South Yorkshire Police website when she was six months old says she and Eddie live “with my dad” at home in Bawtry, Doncaster.

It reads: “He is going to train me to search for very small spots of blood at crime scenes, so small that the humans can’t see it.

“My very sensitive nose will be able to smell the blood and I will show Dad where it is. He can then show the scientists so that they can take samples.” South Yorkshire Police were unavailable for comment last night.

A pair of elite police sniffer dogs attached to an English police force has been helping Portuguese police in their hunt for missing four-year-old Madeleine McCann, it has emerged.

The specially-trained English springer spaniels Eddie and Keela were reportedly flown to Praia da Luz in the Algarve last week to take part in the investigation.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, the pair were brought in to help after the police looking into her disappearance re-focused on the McCanns` holiday apartment.

Madeleine has now been missing for 98 days and police are increasingly desperate for any kind of breakthrough in her case – as are her parents Kate and Gerry, who are still in Portugal.

Both sniffer dogs are attached to South Yorkshire Police and are trained to locate traces of blood to help officers in murder and missing person inquiries.

Eddie is a “victim recovery dog” who can detect blood and human remains, while Keela has been trained only to detect human blood and specifically very small samples.

It appears highly likely she was the dog brought in by British detectives last week which located tiny traces of blood in the McCanns` apartment despite alleged attempts to wash them off.

Police are still waiting for the results of tests on the recovered traces, which arrived yesterday at a top UK forensic laboratory.

The sniffer dogs have already travelled around Britain, and to Ireland and the US to help police investigating murder and missing person cases.

Eddie located the body of pensioner Attracta Harron in a shallow grave in Co Tyrone in April 2003 after the 65-year-old was murdered on her way home from Mass, the Belfast Telegraph said.

Her killer, Trevor Hamilton, 23, was put behind bars last year for the murder – which was committed less than four months after he completed a sentence for rape.

As well as locating the pensioner`s body, the seven-year-old dog found the murdered woman`s blood on Hamilton`s burned-out Hyundai.

A dog diary about Keela on the South Yorkshire Police website when she was six months old says she and Eddie live “with my dad” at home in Bawtry, Doncaster.

It reads: “He is going to train me to search for very small spots of blood at crime scenes, so small that the humans can`t see it.

“My very sensitive nose will be able to smell the blood and I will show Dad where it is. He can then show the scientists so that they can take samples.”

South Yorkshire Police were unavailable for comment.

By Karen McVeigh

HER detective work is unsurpassed, her dedication to duty during some of Britain’s most challenging murder cases unfailing.

Keela, a 16-month-old springer spaniel, has become such an asset to South Yorkshire Police that she now earns more than the chief constable.

Her sense of smell, so keen that she can sniff traces of blood on weapons that have been scrubbed after attacks, has her so much in demand by forces up and down the country that she is hired out at £530 a day, plus expenses.

Thought to be the only one of her kind, the crime scenes dog earns nearly £200,000 a year. Her daily rate, ten times that of ordinary police dogs, puts her on more than the chief constable, Meredydd Hughes, who picks up £129,963.

Keela’s considerable talent in uncovering minute pieces of evidence that can later be confirmed by forensic tests has put her in the forefront of detective work across Britain. She was drafted in to help after the stabbing of the young mother, Abigail Witchalls, in Surrey, and has been involved in high- profile cases across 17 forces, from Devon and Cornwall to Strathclyde.

She has already helped to apprehend a murderer after sniffing out blood on a knife.

PC John Ellis, her handler, said that police sent for Keela when the scenes of crime squad failed to find what they were looking for. “She can detect minute quantities of blood that cannot be seen with the human eye,” he said. “She is used at scenes where someone has tried to clean it up. If blood has seeped into the tiles behind a bath where a body has been, she can find it.”

The spaniel can sniff out blood in clothes after they have been washed repeatedly in biological washing powder, and can detect microscopic amounts on weapons that have been scrubbed and washed.

When faced with a “clean” crime scene, Mr Ellis and PC Martin Grimes, Keela’s other handler, will first send in Frankie, a border collie, and Eddie, another springer spaniel, to pick up any general scent. Then they wheel in the big gun.

“We take Keela in and she will find the minutest traces of blood,” Mr Ellis said. “It’s not like looking for a needle in a haystack any more. The other two dogs will find the haystack and Keela will find the needle.”

While the other dogs bark, Keela has been trained to freeze and pinpoint the area with her nose.

Mr Ellis said Keela’s “perfect temperament” and enthusiasm made her a great asset. “We thought we would get one or two deployments a year, but things have just snowballed. Obviously when we are called in by other forces they are charged a fee and it’s quite funny to think she can earn more than the chief constable.”

Mr Hughes showed there were no hard feelings. The chief constable said: “Keela’s training gives the force an edge when it comes to forensic investigation which we should recognise and use more often.” Mr Ellis and Mr Grimes came up with a special training regime to focus on Keela’s remarkable skills. It has proved so successful that the FBI has inquired about it. “The FBI is very interested in how we work because they don’t have this sort of facility in-house and they are looking at setting up their own unit,” Mr Ellis said.

Paul Ruffell, of K9 Solutions, a security firm specialising in dog units, said he was amazed at Keela’s abilities. “I’ve been working in this business for 25 years and I’ve never heard anything like it,” he said.

ANIMAL MAGIC

£200,000 DOG

Keela: Crime scene investigation dog, South Yorkshire Police

Pay: None. Charges £530 a day plus expenses for services. Earned almost £200,000 last year

Career: Joined South Yorkshire Police in 2003 at 12 weeks. Came originally from West Midlands Police, from a large litter. Period of training lasted a few months

Hobbies: Chasing her tail and eating

£129,000 MAN

Meredydd Hughes: Chief Constable of South Yorkshire

Pay: £129,963 a year

Career: Joined North Wales Constabulary, 1979. Promoted to Superintendent in West Yorkshire Police in 1995 and Assistant Chief Constable in Greater Manchester, 1999

Hobbies: Rock climbing, mountainbiking and mountaineering