The McCanns' Timeline
														
															
															
															This is one of the 
															last photos of 
															Madeleine McCann, 
															right, taken May 3, 
															2007, less than 
															eight hours before 
															she disappeared. 
															Just shy of her 
															fourth birthday, 
															Madeleine vanished 
															from an apartment in 
															Praia da Luz, a 
															sunny seaside town 
															in the Algarve 
															region of Portugal, 
															where she and her 
															family were 
															vacationing. The 
															night she 
															disappeared, Gerry 
															and Kate McCann, 
															Madeleine's parents, 
															went to dinner with 
															friends at a nearby 
															restaurant. They 
															regularly checked in 
															on Madeleine and her 
															2-year-old twin 
															siblings, Sean and 
															Amelie, who were 
															napping in the 
															unlocked apartment. 
															(Kate McCann) 
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														The McCanns' Timeline
									
															
															
															Gerry and Kate 
															McCann spoke to the 
															press May 4, 2007, 
															at the Ocean Club 
															apartment hotel in 
															Praia da Luz. Lt. 
															Col. Costa Gabral 
															told the gathered 
															press that Madeleine 
															vanished while her 
															parents were out to 
															dinner and could 
															have been abducted.
															 
															(VASCO CELIO/AFP/Getty 
															Images) 
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														The McCanns' Timeline
														
															
															
															Olegario Sousa, the 
															detective in charge 
															of the case, spoke 
															during a press 
															conference May 10, 
															2007, in Portimao, 
															Portugal. 
															Investigators showed 
															Praia da Luz 
															residents 
															photographs of two 
															men and one woman 
															taken by a gas 
															station surveillance 
															camera the night of 
															Madeleine's 
															disappearance. 
															Madeleine's parents 
															said they were 
															trying to stay 
															positive and thanked 
															the hundreds of 
															police and 
															volunteers searching 
															for the girl.  
															(VASCO CELIO/AFP/Getty 
															Images) 
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														The McCanns' Timeline
														
															
															
															On May 12, 2007, 
															Madeleine turned 4. 
															Her parents asked 
															people to "redouble 
															their efforts" to 
															help find their 
															daughter. The BBC 
															reported that 
															Madeleine's aunt, 
															Philomena McCann, 
															said Gerry and Kate 
															McCann would have a 
															"family day" to 
															honor their missing 
															daughter.
															(AP Photo) 
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														The McCanns' Timeline
														
															
															
															Gerry and Kate 
															McCann, devout 
															Catholics, visited 
															Pope Benedict XVI 
															May 30, 2007, in 
															Rome. During the 
															emotional meeting, 
															the pope blessed a 
															photograph of 
															Madeleine. "Today, 
															meeting the pontiff 
															was an experience 
															that has caused very 
															mixed emotions for 
															us," Gerry McCann 
															said during a press 
															conference. "In 
															ordinary 
															circumstances, it 
															would be a highlight 
															for any Catholic to 
															meet the pope. Of 
															course it's saddened 
															by the marked 
															realization that our 
															daughter is still 
															missing." 
															(CityFiles/WireImage/Getty 
															Images) 
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														The McCanns' Timeline
														
															
															
															As word spread about 
															Madeleine's 
															disappearance, the 
															McCanns' hometown of 
															Leicestershire, 
															England, showed its 
															support. 
															Three-year-old Cally 
															prepares to add a 
															yellow ribbon to a 
															floral tribute for 
															missing Madeleine 
															McCann at the 
															Rothley War Memorial 
															May 21, 2007.  
															 
															(MAX NASH/AFP/Getty 
															Images) 
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														The McCanns' Timeline
														
															
															
															Gerry and Kate 
															McCann hold pyjamas 
															similar to those of 
															their daughter 
															Madeleine during a 
															press conference 
															June 6, 2007, in 
															Berlin. The McCann's 
															visited Germany to 
															raise awareness and 
															to ask German 
															tourists for help in 
															the search for their 
															missing daughter.
															(CLEMENS BILAN/AFP/Getty 
															Images) 
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														The McCanns' Timeline
														
															
															
															A candle is left 
															standing in the spot 
															where yellow ribbons 
															for missing 
															Madeleine McCann 
															were removed from 
															the railings at the 
															Rothley War Memorial 
															at Cross Green in 
															England July 31, 
															2007. "[It's] not 
															because in any way 
															we feel that we're 
															giving up hope or 
															the search is any 
															less than it was," 
															said Brian Kennedy, 
															Madeleine's 
															great-uncle. "It's 
															as big as ever. In 
															fact, it's more 
															widespread than 
															anything, but [the 
															ribbons have] been 
															on the Green for a 
															long time and the 
															Green doesn't just 
															belong to us, it 
															belongs to 
															everyone."  
															(Matthew Lewis/Getty 
															Images) 
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														The McCanns' Timeline
														
															
															
															On August 5, 2007, a 
															dozen Portuguese 
															police conducted a 
															new search of the 
															home of 33-year-old 
															British expatriate 
															Robert Murat, left, 
															one of three 
															suspects named by 
															Portuguese police. 
															His home is located 
															near the hotel from 
															where 4-year-old 
															Madeleine vanished. 
															Police later 
															announced that the 
															search yielded 
															nothing. Murat's 
															mother spoke out in 
															November 2007, 
															telling the BBC that 
															her son was with her 
															throughout the 
															evening of May 3, 
															2007, the day 
															Madeleine 
															disappeared. British 
															newspaper The 
															Observer reported 
															April 13, 2008, that 
															Murat is seeking 
															record monetary 
															damages from British 
															media for allegedly 
															defaming him. 
															(FRANCISCO LEONG/AFP/Getty 
															Images) 
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														The McCanns' Timeline
														
															
															
															On Sept. 7, 2007, 
															Kate McCann leaves 
															the headquarters of 
															the Portuguese 
															criminal police 
															department after she 
															was questioned in 
															Portimao. Gerry 
															McCann dismissed the 
															suggestion that his 
															wife was involved in 
															Madeleine's 
															disappearance, 
															saying it was 
															"ludicrous" and 
															adding that Kate 
															McCann was 
															"completely 
															innocent."  
															A family spokesman 
															said that police 
															believe Kate McCann 
															was involved in the 
															accidental death of 
															her daughter, to 
															which Madeleine's 
															grandmother 
															described as 
															"absurd." Days 
															later, Portuguese 
															prosecutors said 
															they found no new 
															evidence to justify 
															further questioning 
															of the McCanns.  
															(FRANCISCO LEONG/AFP/Getty 
															Images) 
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														The McCanns' Timeline
														
															
															
															Kate and Gerry 
															McCann returned to 
															Britain from 
															Portugal with their 
															2-year-old twins 
															Sept. 9, 2007, 
															insisting they were 
															not behind 
															Madeleine's 
															disappearance after 
															Portuguese police 
															named them as 
															suspects.  
															(RUI VIEIRA/AFP/Getty 
															Images) 
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														The McCanns' Timeline
														
															
															
															On Oct. 25, 2007, 
															Kate and Gerry 
															McCann released a 
															sketch of the man 
															they believe 
															abducted their 
															daughter. The image 
															shows a man carrying 
															a child in his arms 
															and was drawn by an 
															FBI-trained forensic 
															artist from the 
															eyewitness account 
															of Jane Tanner, one 
															of the friends who 
															dined with Gerry and 
															Kate McCann on the 
															evening Madeleine 
															disappeared. Tanner 
															told the BBC she saw 
															the man near the 
															McCanns' apartment 
															complex around 9:15 
															p.m. Nearly an hour 
															later, Tanner found 
															out that Madeleine 
															was missing.  
															(McCann family/PA 
															Wire/AP Photo)
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														The McCanns' Timeline
														
															
															
															McCann family 
															spokesman Clarence 
															Mitchell holds two 
															artists' impression 
															of a new suspect 
															Jan. 20, 2008, in 
															London. The 
															description came 
															from British woman 
															Gail Cooper, who was 
															staying with her 
															family close to the 
															McCann's apartment 
															in Praia da Luz.  
															(Daniel Berehulak/Getty 
															Images) 
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														The McCanns' Timeline
														
															
															
															British newspapers 
															Daily Express and 
															Daily Star printed 
															front-page apologies 
															March 19, 2008, to 
															Kate and Gerry 
															McCann for 
															publishing false 
															allegations. The 
															Express Newspapers 
															group published more 
															than 100 articles 
															containing 
															inaccuracies in four 
															of their newspapers 
															regarding the case 
															of the missing 
															McCann girl. 
															(Cate Gillon/Getty 
															Images) 
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														The McCanns' Timeline
														
															
															
															Gerry and Kate 
															McCann hold a news 
															conference after a 
															meeting at the 
															European parliament 
															in Brussels April 
															10, 2008, nearly a 
															year after Madeleine 
															disappeared. The 
															McCann's addressed 
															the parliament to 
															help launch a new 
															EU-wide helpline for 
															missing children. 
															(Yves 
															Herman/Reuters)   | 
								 
								 
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