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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.
 |
| Hunt: Keela
was brought in to help police find Madeleine |
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.
 |
| Helpful
hound: Eddie was also drafted to help in the search for Madeleine |
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.
|
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| Eugene
Zapata (left) was convicted of first-degree murder of his estranged wife
Jeanette (right) when sniffer dogs found traces of human remains at his
home |
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.
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| Gerry and
Kate McCann: hired an American lawyer over sniffer dog 'evidence' that
detected the 'scent of a corpse' on Mrs McCann's clothes |
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." |
