Having read through the various supposed 'myth busting' excuses, from certain pros, and having finally recovered from a rib busting laughing fit, I'd like to set the record straight.
Where to begin? Well there has been so much people have got wrong, it is difficult to know where to start really.
I'll just go with the flow I think :)
Eddie was trained as follows:
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARTIN_GRIMES_RIGATORY.htm
'The dog EVRD is trained using whole and disintegrated material, blood, bone tissue, teeth, etc. and decomposed cross-contaminants. The dog will recognize all or parts of a human cadaver. He is not trained for 'live' human odours; no trained dog will recognize the smell of 'fresh blood'. They find, however, and give the alert for dried blood from a live human being.'
And Keela - source http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARTIN_GRIMES_RIGATORY.htm
'The dog that alerts to human blood is trained exclusively for this purpose, and includes its components, plasma, red cells, white cells and platelets. Given the nature of the training, the dog will not alert to urine, saliva, semen, sweat, nasal secretion, vaginal secretion or human skin unless these are mixed with blood.'
'The dog that alerts to human blood is trained exclusively for this purpose, and includes its components, plasma, red cells, white cells and platelets. Given the nature of the training, the dog will not alert to urine, saliva, semen, sweat, nasal secretion, vaginal secretion or human skin unless these are mixed with blood.'
Eddie and Keela were used in tandem, as a fail safe method to eliminate any chance of false positives. Eddie's original training was to human blood, and latterly, to cadaver scent using pigs and human cadavers; Keela purely to detect human blood. That's why the dogs were used in tandem.
Eddie would be sent in first to a location as part of an investigation to check, if he alerted then Keela was sent in to see if she also alerted. If Keela also alerted then the alert was to blood, as that is all that Keela is trained to detect. If she did not alert also, then Eddie was alerting to cadaver scent.
Apologists waffle about alerting to bodily fluids, but they get confused as to what that means:
When Martin states;
''Eddie' The Enhanced Victim Recovery Dog (E.V.R.D.) will search for and locate human remains and body fluids including blood to very small samples in any environment or terrain"
He is talking about the fluids which are produced by the body as it breaks down and liquefies and NOT urine, saliva and semen etc.
Claims that Eddie's alert to the wardrobe was due to volatile, organic compounds produced by the blood specks found beneath the tiles behind the sofa, is frankly ridiculous and I have yet to stop laughing.
When Martin Grime states that the scent source can be in a different place to where it can end up, he is referring to cadaver scent, not blood.
There were no blood alerts in that room! Keela did not alert.
'What we have to be able to understand in a situation such as this is in a hot climate with the apartment being closed down, the scent will build up in a particular area. If there isn't a scent source in here, i.e. a physical article where the scent is emitting from, any scent residue will collect in a particular place due to the air movement of the flat, the apartment and what I would say in this case, is that there is enough scent in that area there for him to give me a bark indication but the source may not be in that cupboard, the source may well be in this room somewhere else, but the air is actually pushing into that corner. But *strong indication and I would say its positive for things that he is trained to find, which will be part of a separate debrief.'
*Note Eddie was trained to alert to blood, and trained to alert to cadaver scent.
Eddie would be sent in first to a location as part of an investigation to check, if he alerted then Keela was sent in to see if she also alerted. If Keela also alerted then the alert was to blood, as that is all that Keela is trained to detect. If she did not alert also, then Eddie was alerting to cadaver scent.
Apologists waffle about alerting to bodily fluids, but they get confused as to what that means:
When Martin states;
''Eddie' The Enhanced Victim Recovery Dog (E.V.R.D.) will search for and locate human remains and body fluids including blood to very small samples in any environment or terrain"
He is talking about the fluids which are produced by the body as it breaks down and liquefies and NOT urine, saliva and semen etc.
Claims that Eddie's alert to the wardrobe was due to volatile, organic compounds produced by the blood specks found beneath the tiles behind the sofa, is frankly ridiculous and I have yet to stop laughing.
When Martin Grime states that the scent source can be in a different place to where it can end up, he is referring to cadaver scent, not blood.
There were no blood alerts in that room! Keela did not alert.
'What we have to be able to understand in a situation such as this is in a hot climate with the apartment being closed down, the scent will build up in a particular area. If there isn't a scent source in here, i.e. a physical article where the scent is emitting from, any scent residue will collect in a particular place due to the air movement of the flat, the apartment and what I would say in this case, is that there is enough scent in that area there for him to give me a bark indication but the source may not be in that cupboard, the source may well be in this room somewhere else, but the air is actually pushing into that corner. But *strong indication and I would say its positive for things that he is trained to find, which will be part of a separate debrief.'
*Note Eddie was trained to alert to blood, and trained to alert to cadaver scent.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARTIN_GRIMES.htm
The document below explains all about bodies and volatile organic compounds, scent cones and pooling
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=WTXuc7BjA-QC&hl=en#v=onepage&q=scent%20c
On the subject of scent pooling:
The document below explains all about bodies and volatile organic compounds, scent cones and pooling
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=WTXuc7BjA-QC&hl=en#v=onepage&q=scent%20c
On the subject of scent pooling:
The alert to the McCann's hire car:
We've heard apologists discuss how Eddie was running about all over the indoor car park. They are quite right, but there was a reason for this. As detailed above, in certain conditions, a cadaver scent can be strongest away from the source. The car park had a fan on the wall, Martin will have seen this, and will have known that scent pooling would have occurred. As per guidelines, he encouraged Eddie to do a more detailed search.
Cadaver scent:
The odour target of cadaver is scientifically explained through 'volatile organic
compounds' that in a certain configuration are received by the dog as a
receptor. Recognition then gives a conditioned response 'ALERT'.'
We've heard apologists discuss how Eddie was running about all over the indoor car park. They are quite right, but there was a reason for this. As detailed above, in certain conditions, a cadaver scent can be strongest away from the source. The car park had a fan on the wall, Martin will have seen this, and will have known that scent pooling would have occurred. As per guidelines, he encouraged Eddie to do a more detailed search.
Cadaver scent:
The odour target of cadaver is scientifically explained through 'volatile organic
compounds' that in a certain configuration are received by the dog as a
receptor. Recognition then gives a conditioned response 'ALERT'.'
Eddie was not trained using cadaverine during, his cadaver training but was trained on pigs and human cadavers.
The text below is taken from: EDDIE & KEELA MARTIN GRIMES REPORT
Research from March 2013 blows the myth that Eddie possibly alerted to urine, bad breath, semen or other substances out of the water.
The following is sourced from https://ir.library.dc-uoit.ca/bitstream/10155/315/1/Stadler_Sonja.pdf and is further supported here; http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0039005
Cadaverine and putrescine are products of amino acid breakdown and were previously thought to be the main contributors of decomposition odour. It was also believed that these volatile compounds are a target for cadaver dogs. However, research into the VOCs produced by pig and human decomposition was unable to identify these two diamines. This casts doubt on the importance of putrescine and cadaverine as key components in decomposition odour.
Have a listen to this conversation with Dean Beers, which is specifically discussing the case of missing baby Lisa Irwin in 2011. Dean explains that the average time for a cadaver dog hit is about 3 hours but that time scale can be reduced, based upon factors such as environment temp and body size, so a hit on a child would be much sooner. Particularly interesting around 14 mins in
http://rmriinc.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/dean_beers_conversation.mp3
http://rmriinc.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/dean_beers_conversation.mp3
Apologists discredit the fact that Eddie got excited at the door of 5a and in the garage but that is normal for a well trained dog:
'Police dog used in search for Suzanne Pilley found 'positive indications' of human remains'
"she told the trial that repeatedly in the garage and in the corridor leading from it into into the office block buster had shown signs of interest."
Watch the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY07z7A9zpw
Apologists claim Eddie was relieved of his duties:
Ahh good old MSM again. Firstly, let's get one thing straight. Eddie was not relieved of his duties, this is yet again more hearsay. Martin took him when he retired in August 2007. Martin lived with him, had trained him, and knew him inside and out, so once Martin retired it was a natural move for Eddie to make.
Secondly, Eddie was not used in the Shannon Matthews case but whichever way it goes, the dog who alerted at the property, did what they were trained to do. How were they supposed to know that the furniture they alerted to, came from another property where someone had died? The dog alerted, it was up to police to then determine if those alerts meant that Shannon was dead. The dogs have no way of knowing who they are alerting to. Buster did his job and it was established where the furniture had come from and so the alerts were explained. Tell me again just how Buster failed?
'Police dog used in search for Suzanne Pilley found 'positive indications' of human remains'
"she told the trial that repeatedly in the garage and in the corridor leading from it into into the office block buster had shown signs of interest."
Watch the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY07z7A9zpw
Apologists claim Eddie was relieved of his duties:
Ahh good old MSM again. Firstly, let's get one thing straight. Eddie was not relieved of his duties, this is yet again more hearsay. Martin took him when he retired in August 2007. Martin lived with him, had trained him, and knew him inside and out, so once Martin retired it was a natural move for Eddie to make.
Secondly, Eddie was not used in the Shannon Matthews case but whichever way it goes, the dog who alerted at the property, did what they were trained to do. How were they supposed to know that the furniture they alerted to, came from another property where someone had died? The dog alerted, it was up to police to then determine if those alerts meant that Shannon was dead. The dogs have no way of knowing who they are alerting to. Buster did his job and it was established where the furniture had come from and so the alerts were explained. Tell me again just how Buster failed?
Apologists claim Martin Grime was retired when he was in PDL:
The young cop who did the research re Grime for Operation Haven, got his facts wrong. Martin Grime DID NOT retire in July 2007. As confirmed here by South Yorkshire police:
The young cop who did the research re Grime for Operation Haven, got his facts wrong. Martin Grime DID NOT retire in July 2007. As confirmed here by South Yorkshire police:
Pros have no idea what the remit for HDLG was and discredit the fact that he alerted to teeth:
Eddie was charged with locating bodies, body parts, or scent of where a dead body may have lain/come into contact with with. He was trained using whole, and disintegrated material, blood, bone, tissue, and TEETH. It is up to police to then ascertain whether any teeth he found did or did not come from a dead body.
Eddie was charged with locating bodies, body parts, or scent of where a dead body may have lain/come into contact with with. He was trained using whole, and disintegrated material, blood, bone, tissue, and TEETH. It is up to police to then ascertain whether any teeth he found did or did not come from a dead body.
Significance of Eddie's alerts in PDL:
Andy Redwood was very clever in my opinion. The crux of Redwoods appeal for information, is in his wording. He did not say that possibly Madeleine may no longer be alive, he made the point of saying that she possibly may not have been alive before she left the apartment
He will know that it takes a minimum of 1.25 hours and an average of 2-3 hours before cadaver scent develops on a body, as that is the time it takes for the required diamines to be detectable. Assuming for a moment that Eddie alerted correctly to a cadaver, and again assuming that that cadaver was Madeleine, that would totally throw Gerry's check at 9.10pm out of the window. There just isn't enough time between 9.10pm and the 10pm alert by Kate, for a body to be detectable by a cadaver dog scent wise!
Some relevant info:
'The shortest post-mortem interval for which we received a correct response was one hour and 25 minutes. However, the post-mortem interval for which we received a consistently correct response from all dogs involved is 2.5 - 3 hours.'
In the case study referenced gauze pads were placed on the abdominal area of 5 decedents for exactly 20 minutes before being taken away and used for testing. The decedents had been dead between 70 minutes and 3 days. In the case of the earliest positive scenting the time was logged at 1 hr 25 mins
http://www.csst.org/cadaver_scent.html
Regarding Scotland yard's requests to speak to, or investigate, Binman/Tractorman RIP/drug dealers, it is safe to assume it was purely to eliminate them from their enquiries. Mr Redwood knows how highly unlikely it is that any intruder entered the apartment, sat on Madeleine's bed, killed her and then waited around for an hour and a half(ish), for cadaver odour to develop before making his escape with her body!
Redwood brought up the possibility of Madeleine not being alive when she left 5a for a reason. He could have just said "there is a possibility that she is not longer alive", but he didn't, he made a point of saying that she possibly may not have been alive before she left the apartment, and that is totally different to what he has said previously.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/mar/19/madeleine-mccann-police-intruder-girls-algarve
Scotland yard have never said that they have ruled the dog alerts out, and to say what they have above, proves that. There is nothing else, other than the dog alerts, that would make them even think about suggesting she was not alive before she left 5a. Why else would they bring it up?
What we have to remember here is that Redwood had a duty to cover all bases, investigate all potential leads in order to be absolutely certain everything had been looked at, so that any charges brought are as safe as houses, leaving no room for doubt as to who is responsible for Madeleine's disappearance.
To even suggest what they have done, Madeleine would have had to have died sometime prior to 8:30pm that night. A theory that blows everything we have been told about checks etc, completely out of the water. There is no other logical explanation for Andy Redwood saying what he said.
To quote Arthur Conan Doyle:
"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."
The fact that there were, in June 2014, dogs in PDL searching scrub land, gives credence to Andy Redwood and his team validating the original alerts by Grime's dogs in 2007. In fact the dogs that searched PDL in 2014, were trained by South Wales police force. Martin Grime worked closely with South Wales, and his methods were implemented by them in PDL for the digs.
Face it, Andy Redwood knew what he was doing reference the suggestion of Madeleine's possible death before 8.30pm on 3/5/2007, and no amount of straw clutching from certain pros and their cohorts will convince me otherwise.
Just an observation:
Why the need to find all kinds of bizarre excuses to explain away Eddies' alerts if they are of 'no value and are meaningless' according to apologists.
That there is a scramble to do just that, is, in itself, very telling :)
Apologists claim Tamsin Sillience's grandfather lived and died in 5a:
This info comes from one of the McCann's own powerpoint presentations. Tamsin was incorrect and it was the apartment next door. This was confirmed by Brian Kennedy when he spoke to one of her grandparent's friends, an Alfred Schuurmans on the 13th January 2008. Scroll down to find Alfred Schuurmans in the presentation in the link below.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/POWERPOINT.htm
'She also mentions that she lived in the apartment where the missing child was staying, that belonged to her Grandmother, who is already deceased. That she didn't actually reside there, but spent extensive and repeated periods of time there'
It was her father not her mother who was present at her interview.
By the way, the man she saw lurking about was identified as Michael Anthony Green.
Why did Brian Kennedy feel it necessary to get confirmation from Alfred Schuurmans regarding where the grandfather lived in January 2008 as referenced in Gerry McCann's powerpoint presentation?
HDLG:
Why the need to find all kinds of bizarre excuses to explain away Eddies' alerts if they are of 'no value and are meaningless' according to apologists.
That there is a scramble to do just that, is, in itself, very telling :)
Apologists claim Tamsin Sillience's grandfather lived and died in 5a:
This info comes from one of the McCann's own powerpoint presentations. Tamsin was incorrect and it was the apartment next door. This was confirmed by Brian Kennedy when he spoke to one of her grandparent's friends, an Alfred Schuurmans on the 13th January 2008. Scroll down to find Alfred Schuurmans in the presentation in the link below.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/POWERPOINT.htm
'She also mentions that she lived in the apartment where the missing child was staying, that belonged to her Grandmother, who is already deceased. That she didn't actually reside there, but spent extensive and repeated periods of time there'
It was her father not her mother who was present at her interview.
By the way, the man she saw lurking about was identified as Michael Anthony Green.
Why did Brian Kennedy feel it necessary to get confirmation from Alfred Schuurmans regarding where the grandfather lived in January 2008 as referenced in Gerry McCann's powerpoint presentation?
HDLG:
Firstly let's look briefly at the background of HDLG, how Eddie, the human cadaver and human blood dog was deployed, what he found, then how the disturbed mind of "Safari" makes out that nothing untoward happened there, and goes onto claim Eddie's alerts were false.
HDLG was opened in 1867 with the purpose of being a school for neglected children, it went on to serve a few purposes, but it's main use was as a children's home, until in 1986 the home closed. After the home's closure it was used for a short period as a temporary respite centre for children with special needs. When you think of the number of vulnerable children that passed through the building's doors, and knowing what we now know went on there, it sends shivers down your spine. Most of us, thankfully, can only imagine the horrific happenings that took place, and what it must be like to be scared and alone, with no one to trust, no family to help you, and abused at the hands of those who are supposed to be your saviours.
In February 2008 a police investigation started on site at the home, this investigation was brought about after allegations of the abuse, and murder of children at the home. Eddie, the dog widely regarded as the best in the world, and who had also, the year previous worked on the Madeleine McCann case, was brought in with his trainer, Martin Grime. Below is a link, filmed by the Homicide Search Advisor of the National Policing Improvement Agency, present with him at the time was former Deputy Chief Police Officer Mr. Lenny Harper:
As you will hear from the start of the video, Mr Harper was in no way confident as to Eddie's abilities, not least of all because of the bad press Eddie had received at the hands of pro McCann claims after his findings in 2007. That opinion was soon to change, as you can see by the report he made to accompany the video below, take note at some of the amazing tests that Eddie passed with flying colours Mr Harper describes at the start of his report. JAR/6 is a fragment of a child's skull:
Taken from the following link:
Taken from the following link:
"00.00.0 Getting ready. I was reluctant to let the dog inside as I did not feel that it would do much good. In truth, I was a little sceptical – I had not felt a favourable impression from the handler (Martin Grimes (sic)) at our initial meeting and I was dubious, although my opinion of his qualities and integrity was to markedly change as events unfolded. I began to realise as I worked closely with him over a period of months that what I originally took as arrogance was simply supreme confidence in the ability of his dogs in the face of jealous, empire protecting rivals who were not as professionally capable. Throughout the investigation, we subjected Martin and his dogs to many ‘verifying’ tests, from burying swabs in sand (which he always found no matter how large an area), to minute blood stains. The dogs never failed. Many of these tests were carried out in front of Jersey politicians and media, including Channel Television and Diane Simon of the JEP. Frank Walker and Andrew Lewis were only two of the politicians who witnessed the ability of the dogs in hugely impressive displays. Funny how they all forgot this when they jumped on the bandwagon which sought to ruin Martin Grime’s reputation. One of the most spectacular exercises occurred when one of the Anthropologists brought a vial of sand back that she had removed from the tomb of a mummy in Egypt. We put this vial on a beach, below the sand, and let Eddie off to look for it. The dog amazingly sought it out in a few minutes and gave us the reaction you will see in this video. To get back to the start of the video and my initial doubts, after a few days outside I had at least gained a grudging respect for Martin’s hard work and dedication. I still was not keen to extend the search inside the house with the dog; however, I reluctantly conceded that we should look at all our possibilities so that we could walk away and say that we had given it a good shot. You can see me standing looking less than confident.
00.00.45 The first indication that the dog (Eddie) is finding something amiss. His behaviour has changed, and is remarked on by the handler. He is initially reacting further down from where we were to eventually find the initial fragment, (which ILM and others still incorrectly claim to be definitively identified as coconut) and in the flow of the drainage from the area where it was found. To clarify, Eddie is trained to trace the scent of dead human flesh. He will react where this scent is found, not necessarily where it was originally located. His strongest reaction will normally be where that scent is strongest, which will usually be where the dead flesh has lain longest, but he will sense it in areas where the scent has been carried, for instance, by drains.
00.01.08 Eddie is starting to react strongly now. Although still some yards from the finding of JAR/6, he smells something which has been carried down in the drainage from the original source. We were later to find that the drain ran down from where we found JAR/6 and where the bones were found by the builders, who suspected that they were also the bones of juveniles. One of them identified a child’s pelvic bone from the internet. These bones were found with children’s’ shoes which were to be later the source of interesting conflicts between the evidence of the pathologists and the staff at the Jersey Museum.
00.01.50 The doors and wall where Eddie is reacting so strongly now lead into the room where the top wall adjoins the stair area where JAR/6 (the infamous initial fragment) was found. Note the change in the dog’s behaviour, and the strong indication from his that there is something to be investigated here. It is important to note at this point, that the dog is only telling us that the scent of human death is here. He is not telling us that there has been a murder; he is not telling us that this is the spot where a body has been buried. He is only telling us that the scent of human death is at this spot. He is saying, “There is something here for you to investigate.” It is worthy of note, that this is also next to the location where builders found the bones which they thought were human juveniles, and where they were told that if they found bones to let “bygones be bygones.”
00.02.25 Eddie is now at the doors leading to the stairwell where both JAR/6 and the “builders’ bones” were found. Note that he is reacting strongly. To corroborate Eddie’s reaction we used the most up to date geological equipment supplied to us by the British Army and the Metropolitan Police (more services obtained through the use of contacts and a hospitality budget!) for which we paid nothing. These surveys confirmed inconsistencies in the sub floor levels.
00.02.39 Eddie is telling us that there is something we need to investigate on the other side of the door and he wants through to indicate this to us.
00.02.58 Eddie is now reacting very strongly and indicating to us that the scent of dead human flesh is in this location. This is where we were to find JAR/6, which the establishment continue to say was only coconut, but cannot explain how Eddie reacted as he did, nor indeed, how the lab at Oxford found Collagen.
Collagen is not found in coconut or wood, it is only present in mammals, which would seem to destroy the claims of the Jersey establishment, aided and abetted by the Jersey Evening Post and Channel Television, that JAR/6 is coconut or wood. Again, it is worthy of recall, that the builders who found the bones at this location thought they were human, and that one of them actually identified a bone as that of a child’s pelvic bone from the internet. Additionally, the police officer who was called to the scene was also dubious of the bones’ origins, as was the female pathologist who attended. She “did not like” the situation and referred the matter to her boss who said the bones where not consistent with being human. However, an Anthropologist later stated that he was incorrect and the measurements he quoted were entirely consistent with the bones being children’s’ pelvic bones as identified by one of the builders. The Anthropologist further stated that the Pathologist was not qualified to make the statement that he had.
00.04.06 Now Eddie has just left the wall adjoining the stair area where he reacted earlier. The drains in the building run from those stairs, under the adjoining wall, and down the room where we are now standing. As the dog is trained to detect the scent of dead human flesh, he is now following the strong scent emanating from the other side of the wall and being carried in the drains under the floor of this room and down the room towards the corridor seen earlier in the video.
00.04.15 Note the dog’s return to the wall. This was almost the exact spot where JAR/6 was found. It is a few inches from where the builders found the bones which they thought were human and which they were told about, “Let bygones be bygones.” If this dog was a waste of money, then how did he lead us to this exact spot? How did he later, in the ‘live’ presence of Wendy Kinnard (the then Home Affairs Minister) and Graham Power (the then Chief Police Officer), lead us to the bones in the cellars which an Anthropologist in the United Kingdom said were “fleshed and fresh” when burnt and buried? It cannot be a co-incidence that this dog, trained to detect the scent of dead human flesh, reacted so strongly in an area where we were to find a fragment of substance initially identified by a professional, accomplished, Anthropologist, as a part of a child’s skull, and right beside the spot where builders found bones and children’s shoes which they thought were human bones. No amount of spin by Le Marquand and others can contradict this, and no amount of misinformation from Warcup and Gradwell can conceal this truth.
00.04.41 Eddie still on stairs, right above the location where JAR/6 was found. He comes down again to the exact spot.
00.05.20 Eddie still reacting strongly at the spot where JAR/6 was found.
This is the live video, filmed on a mobile phone as it happened. The film was made by the Homicide Search Advisor of the National Policing Improvement Agency, on his mobile phone. He was to later say that the way we had carried out the search of HDLG was a “shining example” and should be documented as an example of good practice. Where has this recommendation been lost in the mists? The reactions of the dog speak for themselves. Eddie is not telling us that murder was committed at HDLG. He is telling us that somewhere in the floor-space of the premises; the scent of human death has been present. He is telling us that there is something there for us to investigate. His findings have been corroborated by the finding of the bones and teeth, by the results of the surveys carried out by the most sophisticated of electronic geological equipment, and by the evidence of builders and former residents and victims of abuse in HDLG. This video totally contradicts the spin of Frank Walker, Andrew Lewis and Diane Simon of the Jersey Evening Post, all of whom were taken on a tour of the building and given a demonstration of the ability and capability of Eddie and his companion "Keela" the blood detection dog. All of them were aware of the true situation relating to the dog and the finds. All of them, for their own reasons, chose to ignore the truth and to peddle the myths of those seeking to discredit the victims of the horrific abuse within HDLG. They are now, in my opinion, exposed as craven cowards and not fit to lick those victims’ boots. As for Martin Grime and the dogs that they have tried to discredit, they are now working full time for one of the best Law Enforcement Agencies in the world in the USA."
End quote.
End quote.
So we have a pathologist (a physician who interprets and diagnoses the changes caused by disease in tissues and body fluids) claiming that the bones found weren't human, and Julie Roberts, an anthropologist (someone who can examine human skeletal remains to determine the identity of unidentified bones.) claiming that the bones were human. Have a guess whose opinion was taken as correct. The pathologist said the findings were coconut shell, and it is this claim that our child abuse apologist, Safari Sara goes along with. The mere fact that a lab in Oxford found collagen, (something that is only present in mammals, NOT coconut) doesn't put Sara off her false claims, a draught doesn't WHOOSH through her ears, as with the apologist known as Alfibab.
This is the other evidence that was found on the HDLG site:
JAR/30: 3-4; 1940s to 1980s. Two fragments of burnt bone one is fragment of longbone? Tibia. Submitted to University of Sheffield with KSH/158. Origin confirmed as human. Submitted for dating awaiting results.
JAR/33: 3-4; 1940s to 1980’s.
Calcined fragment of bone. human.
JAR/53: 183. Cellar 3 Dark char rich deposit equivalent to 169.
4 / 5: 1960s to present date.
5 fragments of calcined long bone ?human.
JAR/54: 183. Cellar 3 Dark char rich deposit equivalent to 169.
4 / 5: 1960s to present date.
4 fragments of calcined bone ?human.
JAR/55: 183. Cellar 3 Dark char rich deposit equivalent to 169.
4 / 5: 1960s to present date.
1 fragment of calcined bone ?human.
JAR/57:183. Cellar 3 Dark char rich deposit equivalent to 169.
4 / 5: 1960s to present date.
2 fragments of bone of unknown origin.
JAR/56: 183. Cellar 3 Dark char rich deposit equivalent to 169.
4 / 5: 1960s to present date.
1 fragment of bone ?human.
JAR/67: 183. Zone 3 East Cellar 3.
4 / 5: 1960s to present date.
Human Tooth: deciduous left maxillary first molar, age 9 yrs ± 3 yrs. Could have been shed naturally (Anthro exam).
Submitted to odontologist, see report.
JAR/69: 183. Zone 3 East Cellar 3.
4 / 5: 1960s to present date.
Fragments x 3 of possible human cortical bone.
JAR/61: 183 Zone 4 East Cellar 3.
4 / 5: 1960s to present date.
23 Fragments of bone:
1 Burnt fragment which closely resembles a human juvenile mastoid process.
2. Burnt fragment of ?human mandible.
3. Fragments of burnt long bone x 3 measuring between 11.3 and 16.3 mm.
4. Fragments of unidentified burnt cortical and trabecular bone x 7.
5. Fragment of slightly burnt long bone measuring 33 mm. The cortex of the
bone resembles human but it is quite thick and the trabeculae can not be seen because it requires cleaning. It appears to have been cut at one end.
6. Fragments of unburnt unidentified long bone. x 3 The appearance and texture of the cortex of the fragments appears more animal than human but it is advised that further examination should be undertaken in order to confirm this.
7. Fragments of unidentified long bone x 7. 5 have been burnt and 2 haven’t. Species
uncertain although two of the burnt fragments could possibly be human
JAR/90: 183 Cellar 3 Zone 3 East.
4 / 5: 1960s to present date.
Fragments of unidentified bone of unknown species. One which is calcined is possibly human bone.
Cellar 4 Context 169 (redeposited char material from fire elsewhere. Unsealed)
JAR/36: 169. Cellar 4 E. Charred material at southern end of Zone 4. Equivalent to 127.
4 / 5: 1960s to present date.
Fragment of bone ?human.
JAR/37: 169. Cellar 4 E. Charred material at southern end of Zone 4. Equivalent to 127.
4 / 5: 1960s to present date.
Fragment of burnt bone. ?human mastoid process
JAR/39: 169. Cellar 4 E. Charred material at southern end of Zone 4. Equivalent to 127.
4 / 5: 1960s to present date.
Fragment of burnt bone ?human.
JAR/40: 169. Cellar 4 E. Charred material at southern end of Zone 4. Equivalent to 127.
4 / 5: 1960s to present date.
Fragment of bone ?human.
GMK/18: 169. Cellar 4 E. Charred material at southern end of Zone 4. Equivalent to 127.
4 / 5: 1960s to present date.
Human tooth. Anthro exam – deciduous left maxillary lateral incisor. Age range 6 yrs ± 2yrs
Apologists rubbish alerts at HDLG, and keep citing an excerpt from Graham Power's disciplinary which never made it to a hearing and which is full of untruths, but I'll deal with that another day. As per usual they are way off the mark. A new enquiry into what happened in HDLG is currently under way, and is due to conclude on the 16th May 2016.
Jersey abuse inquiry led by Frances Oldham.
UK lawyer Frances Oldham was nominated to lead the investigation into historical child abuse in Jersey.
A selection panel, led by Greffier Michael de la Haye, chose Mrs Oldham to replace Sally Bradley, who became unavailable due to ill health.
The inquiry will investigate allegations of abuse in children's homes and fostering services from 1960 to the present day.
Mr de la Haye said: "The selection panel is convinced that [Mrs Oldham] has exactly the right combination of empathy and firmness to chair the inquiry successfully in a totally independent and objective way."
'Establish what happened'
Mrs Oldham, a deputy high court judge, has 36 years experience of family and criminal law matters, said:
"I am determined to run the inquiry in a way that will encourage all those who want to come forward to speak to us to do so.
"It is essential that the inquiry is able to establish exactly what happened in the care system in Jersey during the period covered by our terms of reference and I will ensure that everything possible is done to achieve that aim."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-24595101
Jersey abuse inquiry led by Frances Oldham.
UK lawyer Frances Oldham was nominated to lead the investigation into historical child abuse in Jersey.
A selection panel, led by Greffier Michael de la Haye, chose Mrs Oldham to replace Sally Bradley, who became unavailable due to ill health.
The inquiry will investigate allegations of abuse in children's homes and fostering services from 1960 to the present day.
Mr de la Haye said: "The selection panel is convinced that [Mrs Oldham] has exactly the right combination of empathy and firmness to chair the inquiry successfully in a totally independent and objective way."
'Establish what happened'
Mrs Oldham, a deputy high court judge, has 36 years experience of family and criminal law matters, said:
"I am determined to run the inquiry in a way that will encourage all those who want to come forward to speak to us to do so.
"It is essential that the inquiry is able to establish exactly what happened in the care system in Jersey during the period covered by our terms of reference and I will ensure that everything possible is done to achieve that aim."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-24595101
"Safari's" favourite, which she hammers out regularly, Eddie alerted to coconut husk at HDLG:
What is always ignored here is that bones, were originally found in the location of the alleged 'coconut', by workmen who were laying the concrete. Those bones were binned at the time, but would have also have been in contact with said 'coconut' ergo Eddie was correct to alert to the location.
But what if, and it's a big what if; what if it was coconut husk...
'coconut husk is porous and will absorb odours. If the husk was in the presence of human remains material for years it will actually build up and retain large amounts of odour as a cumulative effect. The fact that the coconut is not human does not matter. It's the odour the dog alerts to, not the material on which the odour is deposited.'
By the way, coconut husk does not contain 1.6% collagen but hey ho ;)
Pros claim Eddie alerted to semen soaked tissues at HDLG: Eddie was not alerting to the semen on the tissues, he was alerting to blood on them, as was Keela. Both dogs alerted to the tissues at VT/9. As both dogs were deconditioned during training to alert to semen, urine and faeces, they were therefore alerting to blood. From Op Rectange Report: http://voiceforprotest.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/operation-rectangle-summary-report.html … 'VT / 9 Trench and gun emplacement containing small personnel shelter. Forensic examination revealed recently deposited tissues that appeared to have been used to ‘clean up following sexual intercourse’. It would appear that the shelter had been used as a venue for courting couples. This alert is within the trained parameters of the dog’s repertoire and is a satisfactory explanation of the alert. Base of an oak tree planted as a memorial to the two sons of Mr Hamon, Flat 2 Delborgho Lodge, Upper Clarendon Road, St Hellier. The cremated remains of the two adult sons had been previously scattered just under the surface of the ground and the tree planted as a permanent memorial together with a plaque. This alert is within the trained parameters of the dog’s repertoire and is a satisfactory explanation of the alert. There being no other points of interest, intelligence led excavation of the site commenced to locate and investigate defensive positions by excavation, forensic examination and canine screening.' And 'V/T 9 Re-enforced concrete machine gun post and protective trench, personnel shelter attached. Earth and debris removed by hand and plant machinery to allow access. The forensic strategy was implemented with the following results. EVRD – positive indication. SOCO visual – positive. Blood dog - positive indication. Visual – positive UV – negative (items removed prior to screening). Quasar - negative Positive indications confirmed as being recently deposited tissues used to clean up after sex by unknown persons. Offences not suspected at this stage. Retained as exhibit should there be future reports of offences. There will be no forensic submission at this stage.'
What is always ignored here is that bones, were originally found in the location of the alleged 'coconut', by workmen who were laying the concrete. Those bones were binned at the time, but would have also have been in contact with said 'coconut' ergo Eddie was correct to alert to the location.
But what if, and it's a big what if; what if it was coconut husk...
'coconut husk is porous and will absorb odours. If the husk was in the presence of human remains material for years it will actually build up and retain large amounts of odour as a cumulative effect. The fact that the coconut is not human does not matter. It's the odour the dog alerts to, not the material on which the odour is deposited.'
By the way, coconut husk does not contain 1.6% collagen but hey ho ;)
Pros claim Eddie alerted to semen soaked tissues at HDLG: Eddie was not alerting to the semen on the tissues, he was alerting to blood on them, as was Keela. Both dogs alerted to the tissues at VT/9. As both dogs were deconditioned during training to alert to semen, urine and faeces, they were therefore alerting to blood. From Op Rectange Report: http://voiceforprotest.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/operation-rectangle-summary-report.html … 'VT / 9 Trench and gun emplacement containing small personnel shelter. Forensic examination revealed recently deposited tissues that appeared to have been used to ‘clean up following sexual intercourse’. It would appear that the shelter had been used as a venue for courting couples. This alert is within the trained parameters of the dog’s repertoire and is a satisfactory explanation of the alert. Base of an oak tree planted as a memorial to the two sons of Mr Hamon, Flat 2 Delborgho Lodge, Upper Clarendon Road, St Hellier. The cremated remains of the two adult sons had been previously scattered just under the surface of the ground and the tree planted as a permanent memorial together with a plaque. This alert is within the trained parameters of the dog’s repertoire and is a satisfactory explanation of the alert. There being no other points of interest, intelligence led excavation of the site commenced to locate and investigate defensive positions by excavation, forensic examination and canine screening.' And 'V/T 9 Re-enforced concrete machine gun post and protective trench, personnel shelter attached. Earth and debris removed by hand and plant machinery to allow access. The forensic strategy was implemented with the following results. EVRD – positive indication. SOCO visual – positive. Blood dog - positive indication. Visual – positive UV – negative (items removed prior to screening). Quasar - negative Positive indications confirmed as being recently deposited tissues used to clean up after sex by unknown persons. Offences not suspected at this stage. Retained as exhibit should there be future reports of offences. There will be no forensic submission at this stage.'
The fact that the tissues were said to have been used to clean up after sexual activity, would suggest that they had been tested for semen, either visually, or scientifically. Given Keela's record of never giving a false alert, coupled with the fact that Eddie also alerts to dried blood from either a living, or dead person. A pretty fair conclusion to draw would be that blood was present on the tissues, if only a microscopic amount. I will leave you to use your own imaginations as to how.
So, Eddie didn't alert to semen, he alerted to a tissue. Had the tissue been blue, you could have used the same argument to state Eddie alerted to the colour blue. Simply not true.
This is confirmed by Stuart Syvret here:
http://voiceforchildren.blogspot.com/2012/03/exclusive-footage-of-eddie-cadaver-dog.html?showComment=1331818693108#c9195913564054186929
Moving on...
Apologists shout, "...but, but, Eddie didn't find Kate Prout's body":
Dogs would have never found Kate Prout's body, no matter how many times they were taken there. Why is that? It's because she was wrapped in carpet and then wrapped in plastic sheeting..... which is an impermeable membrane. Couple that with the fact that the body was buried under a pheasant pen, using digging equipment, and I think you'll agree, Eddie was never going to find the body. He did however, find the scent of it.
"Detective inspector Steve Bean of Gloucestershire Police told the inquest that Prout confessed to wrapping the body in a carpet and plastic sheeting and putting it in his Range Rover."
http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/9687871.print/
How do they think test materials are transported for testing cadaver dogs? In non permeable containers or they would be alerting all over the place whilst in transit.
Dogs are trained not to scent impermeable membranes. When providing training samples for dogs such odours have to be contained in gas impermeable containers. This has presented problems in that trainee dogs might begin to identify the scent of container (neoprene, plastic type etc), so they are now de conditioned to alert to such.
By the same token an EVRD which responds to human trace odours only will not identify odour of impermeable membrane around a body. So, with right 'wrapping' or containment, dogs can miss cadaver as not trained to scent impermeable membrane.
Eddie alerted in the living room at the Prout house and he was proven correct when Prout eventually confessed to murdering his wife.
Given the dogs training regarding not scenting to impermeables, and that Eddie alerted in the living room to where Kate Prout's body had lain, I do not consider that to be a fail by Eddie by any stretch of the imagination.
Eddie did exactly what it says on the tin. That was his role, to detect human remains or where those human remains had come into contact, either directly or by transference. He did that, did he not? That he did not find the body does not a fail make, as the fact that the remains were wrapped in plastic (as verified at the inquest) prevented any scenting/alerts as he was de-conditioned to impermeable membranes. Eddie alerted to scent of her cadaver, justice was done and a man is behind bars. Job well done I say.
More on the Prout case can be read by clicking this link.
Dogs would have never found Kate Prout's body, no matter how many times they were taken there. Why is that? It's because she was wrapped in carpet and then wrapped in plastic sheeting..... which is an impermeable membrane. Couple that with the fact that the body was buried under a pheasant pen, using digging equipment, and I think you'll agree, Eddie was never going to find the body. He did however, find the scent of it.
"Detective inspector Steve Bean of Gloucestershire Police told the inquest that Prout confessed to wrapping the body in a carpet and plastic sheeting and putting it in his Range Rover."
http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/9687871.print/
How do they think test materials are transported for testing cadaver dogs? In non permeable containers or they would be alerting all over the place whilst in transit.
Dogs are trained not to scent impermeable membranes. When providing training samples for dogs such odours have to be contained in gas impermeable containers. This has presented problems in that trainee dogs might begin to identify the scent of container (neoprene, plastic type etc), so they are now de conditioned to alert to such.
By the same token an EVRD which responds to human trace odours only will not identify odour of impermeable membrane around a body. So, with right 'wrapping' or containment, dogs can miss cadaver as not trained to scent impermeable membrane.
Eddie alerted in the living room at the Prout house and he was proven correct when Prout eventually confessed to murdering his wife.
Given the dogs training regarding not scenting to impermeables, and that Eddie alerted in the living room to where Kate Prout's body had lain, I do not consider that to be a fail by Eddie by any stretch of the imagination.
Eddie did exactly what it says on the tin. That was his role, to detect human remains or where those human remains had come into contact, either directly or by transference. He did that, did he not? That he did not find the body does not a fail make, as the fact that the remains were wrapped in plastic (as verified at the inquest) prevented any scenting/alerts as he was de-conditioned to impermeable membranes. Eddie alerted to scent of her cadaver, justice was done and a man is behind bars. Job well done I say.
More on the Prout case can be read by clicking this link.
Oh, and another thing, for those that say cadaver odour disappears into thin air after 28 days...the following dates do that to your argument.
Kate Prout was reported missing on the 4th November 2007.
Eddie alerted on the 19th December 2007.
That's a total of 46 days later.
Eddie was proven correct on 25th November 2011, when Kate Prout's remains were formerly identified.
Kate Prout was reported missing on the 4th November 2007.
Eddie alerted on the 19th December 2007.
That's a total of 46 days later.
Eddie was proven correct on 25th November 2011, when Kate Prout's remains were formerly identified.
Just a quick digression, but still on the subject of the Prout case. The apologists keep saying the police have said the McCanns aren't suspects, or persons of interest. Ahem...
Apologists have yet to cite a case where Eddie was wrong:
Given that Eddie was trained to alert to the scent of human remains and no-one has ever turned up alive and well after an alert from Eddie, be it from a murder or a missing persons case, then it is with more than a degree of certainty that Eddie alerted to cadaver scent in Jersey and in PDL. Dogs do not lie, and Martin knows what his dogs alerted to, but is also fully aware that without corroborative forensics, or a body, the only alerts that can be accepted by the authorities are those to blood.
Apologists can split hairs and twist and turn all they like but Martin knows what his dogs alerted to and it wasn't seabass or semen!
Apologists claim dogs were wrong as there was no body found in 5a:
Well doh, if there had been a body in situ, there would have been no need for Harrison to give Martin Grime a call would there?
Given that his dogs were never wrong, then it is highly likely that it was cadaver scent that Eddie scented. Just because a body was not found does not mean that Eddie was wrong does it?
Another favourite argument of the apologists; is that in 200 cases the dogs didn't alert to sausages....
What the silly woman does not comprehend, is that in any one case, the dogs could be deployed many, many times.
In over 200 case searches there were ZERO false positives, ergo Eddie never alerted to road kill or a bacon butty for example, but that fact goes whoosh, way over her head :)
Apologists claim cuddle cat not screened separately:
I take it they haven't read this from Martin Grime's statement regarding the toy then?
'It is my view that it is possible that the EVRD is alerting to cadaver scent
contamination."
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARTIN_GRIMES.htm
Note too, that Keela did not alert when screened separately.
Eddie alerting but Keela does not = cadaver scent
Eddie and Keela alerting = blood*
*the possibility of a cadaver also having been present, cannot be ruled out
Apologists ask why did Eddie not alert on the clothes in the apartment.
They were in the washing machine.
A seal on a washing machine needs to be water tight, so it's a given that it would be airtight. Any seal on a washing machine would also be made from impermeable materials, so the dogs would not have detected anything through it. How do you think test materials are transported for testing cadaver dogs? In non permeable containers or they would be alerting all over the place whilst in transit.
As already covered, when I discussed the Prout case, dogs are trained not to scent impermeable membranes.
By the same token an EVRD which responds to human trace odours only will not identify odour of impermeable membrane around a body. So, with right 'wrapping' or containment, dogs can miss cadaver as not trained to scent impermeable membrane.
Apologists are always going on about Martin stating that the alerts needed corroborative forensics:
Well yeah doh! That's as much as Martin can say, unless a body or corroborative forensics are found. But umm lemme see what was he trained to detect again? Oh yeah Cadaver scent.
You know something, not once in all the cases that Martin and his dogs attended prior to May 2007, was he asked to place so much emphasis on corroborative forensics in a report, despite the fact that the dogs had never been wrong ever. But he was asked to emphasise in this case. Strange huh?
Pros claim the alerts were to seabass:
18 month old Sean McCann, apparently developed a taste for sea bass which can produce cadaverine under some circumstances. Interesting research from March 2013 strongly suggests that cadaverine is not even a diamine that is detected by an EVRD and it also blows the myth that Eddie possibly alerted to urine, bad breath, semen or other substances, out of the water.
Pros claim Eddie alerted to crappy nappies:
Eddie was trained, (deconditioned) to exclude urine, faeces and semen and would only alert to them if they were mixed with dried blood. So there is not a hope that he was alerting to 'widdle' as you put it. Keela did not alert to any of the clothing and therefore a blood alert can be ruled out leaving only alerts to cadaver scent. Both dogs were used in tandem to reliably differentiate between an alert to blood, and an alert to the scent of a dead body or body parts. In simple terms, if both Eddie and Keela alerted then the alerts were to blood, although the presence of a cadaver having been present at some point also, could not be ruled out. If Eddie alerted but Keela did not then the alert was to cadaver scent.
Eddie was trained, (deconditioned) to exclude urine, faeces and semen and would only alert to them if they were mixed with dried blood. So there is not a hope that he was alerting to 'widdle' as you put it. Keela did not alert to any of the clothing and therefore a blood alert can be ruled out leaving only alerts to cadaver scent. Both dogs were used in tandem to reliably differentiate between an alert to blood, and an alert to the scent of a dead body or body parts. In simple terms, if both Eddie and Keela alerted then the alerts were to blood, although the presence of a cadaver having been present at some point also, could not be ruled out. If Eddie alerted but Keela did not then the alert was to cadaver scent.
Apologists claim Eddie's alert to Cuddle cat was false and ask why he was playing with it, and why he did not alert when he first encountered it:
Martin Grime had a good reason for doing the second test with cuddle cat hidden in the cupboard ....
I asked Martin why Eddie did not alert to cuddle cat when he first encountered the toy, his response was this, and I quote:
"Eddie was given a cuddly toy as a reward in training so reverted to puppy mode. His initial reaction in playing with the toy was not unusual at all."
What he told me is further supported here:
http://www.scpr.org/news/2012/01/20/30870/indiana-bones-cadaver-dog-severed-limbs-hollywood/
"When detector dogs work, they’re not looking for bombs, humans or body parts," Grand Pre says. "They’re looking for their toy. They’re not motivated by what we’re motivated by."
Full article:
About 6 on a cold clear morning one bright-eyed German shepherd and about a dozen other members of the Los Angeles County coroner's skeletal recovery team gather for a Wednesday briefing.
The previous afternoon, a dog walker had discovered two of her charges playing with a human head in a plastic bag near a trail below the Hollywood sign in Bronson Canyon Park.
Police had performed a preliminary search of the rugged Hollywood Hills terrain, but they weren't sure whether more body parts might be found; coyotes could have scattered the remains over miles of parkland.
Indiana Bones to the rescue.
Martin Grime had a good reason for doing the second test with cuddle cat hidden in the cupboard ....
I asked Martin why Eddie did not alert to cuddle cat when he first encountered the toy, his response was this, and I quote:
"Eddie was given a cuddly toy as a reward in training so reverted to puppy mode. His initial reaction in playing with the toy was not unusual at all."
What he told me is further supported here:
http://www.scpr.org/news/2012/01/20/30870/indiana-bones-cadaver-dog-severed-limbs-hollywood/
"When detector dogs work, they’re not looking for bombs, humans or body parts," Grand Pre says. "They’re looking for their toy. They’re not motivated by what we’re motivated by."
Full article:
About 6 on a cold clear morning one bright-eyed German shepherd and about a dozen other members of the Los Angeles County coroner's skeletal recovery team gather for a Wednesday briefing.
The previous afternoon, a dog walker had discovered two of her charges playing with a human head in a plastic bag near a trail below the Hollywood sign in Bronson Canyon Park.
Police had performed a preliminary search of the rugged Hollywood Hills terrain, but they weren't sure whether more body parts might be found; coyotes could have scattered the remains over miles of parkland.
Indiana Bones to the rescue.
An 8-year-old German shepherd, Indy is one of the nation’s few cadaver dogs retained full-time by county law enforcement. On the staff for six-and-a-half years, she has been on hundreds of searches for human remains. And has honed her skills on the job.
“She’s saved us here,” says handler and coroner Investigator Renee Grand Pre. “Lots of times you get that call from police that someone is missing. ...Where do you start?”
On this particular morning, Grand Pre takes out a tightly knit brown stick-like toy and the revved up, 75-pound Indy lunges out of the truck. “Site,” Grand Pre commands, speaking to Indy in her native Dutch. Indy pushes her hind legs down, gazing up toward the toy in rapture.
“Sook,” Grand Pre orders, pretending to throw the toy forward, stuffing it in her back pocket, as Indy gets to work, busily sniffing the ground, ears up and back against her head.
After a few brief forays into steep vegetation and some animal trails, Indy tries to lie on a slope and stares at a hole in the ground. After only 20 minutes, she has found the hole within which investigators will later discover two feet and a hand.
The team, which consists of a criminologist, anthropologist and several coroner’s investigators, comb the area and discover a severed hand about 100 yards away.
Investigators believe the body parts were all placed in the hole that Indy found, and were scattered by animals.
Cadaver dogs are not easy to obtain. But if anyone could get one for the department, it is Grand Pre.
At 51, Grand Pre is a compact, fit woman with dirty blond hair and slightly clinical demeanour. She has been with the coroner’s office for 11 years and in addition to being a trained nurse and investigator, she is also the acting department emergency coordinator and the weapons of mass destruction team leader. She balances these responsibilities with duties to the National Guard and working with Indy.
In 2004, Grand Pre stumbled upon a line item for a canine in the department’s homeland security grant budget. Until then only volunteers had worked with them, and then only on non-crime-scene investigations. She wrote a letter to the state outlining why a large-scale disaster response required a cadaver dog on staff that could identify and locate human bodies.
About $10,000 in federal money was set aside for Indy’s purchase and training; the coroner's office provides about $1,000 annually for food, toys and vet visits.
"In my mind, that [also] makes her a federal resource," Grand Pre said. And these days, Indy can get busy. She is often called upon by agencies such as the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department or LAPD homicide investigators to help hunt for a possible body. "You’re not going to dig up the person’s whole backyard. The dog is one more tool."
Most detector dogs are bred in Europe, where there is a greater market for German shepherds, and then sent over to the United States. Indy is an import from Holland. In the summer of 2005, Grand Pre flew to Peru, Ind., just outside Indianapolis, to pick up Indy from a kennel where dogs are primarily trained to detect bombs.
Working dogs have certain natural characteristics, such as a strong drive to hunt and play, which is nurtured, and focused on certain tasks. At 1-and-a-half years old, they are "imprinted," or introduced to and trained to recognize the odor that they will spend a good part of their lives seeking.
"When detector dogs work, they’re not looking for bombs, humans or body parts," Grand Pre says. "They’re looking for their toy. They’re not motivated by what we’re motivated by."
Taphonomy, or the study of how a human body decomposes, is not easily mastered. For example, a hand can feature a different level of decomposition and discolouration on each finger. A decomposing human body gives off a distinctly tangy, sweet but putrid rotting stench that is nearly as difficult to describe as it is to forget.
For Indy, the ability to tell the difference between animal bones and human bones is somewhat equivalent to a person’s ability to walk into the kitchen and know whether chicken or turkey is cooking.
To train them, the kennel used a box with a hole through which a tennis ball pops out after the dog "alerts" to the odor emanating from within.
When Indy recognizes the odor of a decomposing human body, she sits or lies down, staring at the spot. It is the same passive alert most bomb dogs have because handlers do not want them disturbing the scene. In Indy’s case, a wagging tail or digging alert could wreak havoc on a crime scene and damage bones.
The Indy of today is starkly different from the one that came home with Grand Pre from the kennel six years ago. That Indy was more "machine-like" than "dog-like," Grand Pre says. And though Indy still leads a regimented life — "eats once in the morning and once at night, poops once in the morning and once at night" — she no longer pees on command.
The discipline comes in handy, for example, when the pair had to search trash cans for possible body parts Wednesday. A lot of the waste included leftover food that would distract most dogs. Indy keeps her focus.
Indy was originally named Toby after her “T Litter.” And though you’re not supposed to change their names, Grand Pre did a small shift — calling her Indy, since she picked her up in Indiana. After a phone conversation with a friend, she decided her full name should aptly be Indiana Bones. And that’s the name on her dog tag.
The roughly dozen old Army barracks on a cul-de-sac at Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base are a perfect training location for Katrina-esque levels of calamity: unkempt, rickety apartments abandoned and ignored, with peeling blue paint, broken glass and scattered animal feces and dirt. Weeds sprout everywhere. This is one spot where Indy works out.
In the back of Grand Pre’s truck is a black case that holds four specimen jars, each filled with a different "training aid" that she switches to accustom Indy to identifying the smell of human decomposition. These include dried blood, a small bit of brain tissue and congealed human body fat.
The coroner’s law allows for the use of human body parts for training and educational purposes. But even so, the office is very careful about using bones, which can be linked to individuals if they are lost.
Indy and Grand Pre train four to eight hours a week. A session starts with obedience. “Site,” Grand Pre says, turning and walking away from Indy, glancing back every few step to make sure she doesn’t move. When Indy’s about 20 feet away, Grand Pre tells her to “komen.” Indy runs forward. Grand Pre stops her — “site” — and Indy responds with precision.
Indy’s Dutch vocabulary is minimal, but key. A handful of words have been used to train her since she was a pup: “Sook” means “seek” or “search,” “bliven” means “stay,” “auf” means “off” or “lie down,” “louss” means “loose,” “komen” means “come,” and “site” means “sit.”
Training includes hidden problem sets placed around and within different apartments that all look alike. “Luckily, if I forget where they are, she can find them,” Grand Pre says. She’s had make the problems more creative as Indy has gained experience over the years.
Indy is now a pro, with more than six years of experience and a resume that includes a variety of investigation scenarios: homicide, missing persons, suicide followups, wilderness and backyard searches, among others.
“If somebody is missing...when you find them, you find their remains and it brings closure to the family, it gives them a final wrap-up,” Grand Pre says. “For police investigations, it can be critical to the case.”
But Indy, at 8-years-old, is also getting older, and does not yet have a successor. On average, a working dog's life span is eight to 10 years, Grand Pre says, but Indy isn't involved in some of the rougher patrol jobs those figures take into account.
The department has been trying to find another dog, but a price tag of up to $8,000 is difficult to fulfill during tough times. With a lead time of roughly a year to gain real on-the-job experience, Grand Pre says, the department really needs to get that second dog.
The program has "been successful, and if it's going to continue to be successful, we need to have the resources available to continue to grow," Grand Pre says. "I'll use Indy as long as she's healthy and able to go out. It's hard to say [how long], but she's very, very healthy
Dogs supposedly alerting to anything other than what they were trained for:
Eddie did not react to 'many' other substances as a Cadaver/EVRD dog. His original training was to detect blood and latterly to detect cadaver scent which was why he and Keela were used in tandem.
To explain: If EVRD/Blood dog Eddie alerted then CSI Blood dog Keela was brought in to check & if she too alerted it meant blood detected. If Keela did not alert it meant Eddie had alerted to cadaver scent.
Eddie was not trained using cadaverine during his cadaver training but was trained on pigs and human cadavers. He was trained to exclude (de conditioned to) the scent of human urine, faeces, and semen and would not alert on residual scent from a live human; and was never trained to locate any scent other than that of decomposed human tissue.
Research from March 2013 blows the myth that Eddie possibly alerted to urine, bad breath, semen or other substances out of the water.
The following is sourced from:
https://ir.library.dc-uoit.ca/bitstream/10155/315/1/Stadler_Sonja.pdf
and is further supported here
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0039005
Cadaverine and putrescine are products of amino acid breakdown and were previously thought to be the main contributors of decomposition odour. It was also beleived that these volatile compounds are a target for cadaver dogs. However research into the VOCs produced by pig and human decomposition was UNABLE to identify these two diamines. This casts doubt on the importance of putrescine and cadaverine as key components in decomposition odour.
Some other cases you might want to read about. Cases that the dogs were instrumental in:
Attracta Harron
Arlene Atkinson
Teresa Parker
Shafilia Ahmed
Abigail Witchells
Bob Rose
Bianca Jones
Shane Collier
Katie Baxter
Zoe Pennick
Charlotte Pinkney
Alicia Eborne
To name but a few.
Those clever dogs eh, not so unreliable after all...
