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ITN
McCanns 'probe sniffer dog theory'
McCanns 'probe sniffer dog theory'
Lawyers for Madeleine McCann's parents have been working to dismiss allegations that a police dog picked up the "scent of death" on her mother's clothes.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 Kate McCann's clothes to missing Madeleine's favourite soft toy Cuddle Cat, according to reports.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%, 71% and 62% of the time.On Sunday, the couple prayed for their daughter at their local church for the first time since returning from Portugal.© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.
ITN | September 17, 2007
