'Missing 411', by David Paulides: Tracking unusual missing persons cases

[Gwenllian]

Thinking about the massive amount of grief that these disappearances cause to the family and the community as well as everyone else who learns of it including all the searchers who give up their time to try to find the missing, is that the real reason they are taken - the loose load has to be immense.

Well said. Also, not knowing what has happened to the person who goes missing turns what would be let's say ordinary grief after a loss into traumatic or complicated grief which is a different kettle of fish. I feel for the grand-father who is now racked with guilt. Certainly, he didn't pay attention to Emile's whereabouts and he should have. Still, his punishment is huge. I hope the family will seek help. It leaves me wondering how many of them do after their loved ones go missing.Thank you for posting Dave's video, Jeep.

 

[Niall]

They appear to have been found. Just saw a few articles that on Friday 5th April, the Portuguese press announced that the bodies of the baker couple were found 100 meters from Vereda da Abelheira in São Vicente, by a foreign citizen who lives in the archipelago and was carrying out some searches on his own initiative, having smelled a nauseating smell on the path. The bodies were found 20 meters away from each other.

Although DNA tests still need to be carried out to confirm the identity of the victims, everything indicates that the bodies found will be of the French couple, Véronique and Laurent Blond, who disappeared during their vacation with their daughter in São Vicente, Madeira, since the clothes are very similar to those described.

The woman’s body was reportedly the first to be found, on Thursday night. On Friday morning the second body, almost certainly of husband Laurent, was found.

To the French newspaper, Luis Simões, commander of the PSP (police) responsible for the operation, said that “despite the state of the body not having allowed the person to be identified, the clothes, shoes and the probable date of death give 95%, up to 99%, certainty that it is the missing French tourist." Although everything indicates that the bodies found belong to the French tourist couple who had been missing since March 16, João Góis states that it is not yet possible to officially confirm this information. The identification will have to be carried out through forensic expertise or through the Institute of Legal Medicine.

Interestingly, according to the authorities, that area was “searched from the first day,” however, “due to the rugged terrain and dense vegetation of the site,” the bodies had not been found until now.

For now, the PSP suspects that the couple took the trail and ended up falling. “This trail has an area a little exposed at an elevation of 300/320 meters or so and which passes towards the area where they were found, but at a much higher elevation. Therefore, the main suspicion is that they fell from 300 meters to 170 meters,” he reveals.

The Blonds were the 5th and 6th foreign tourists to have gone missing on the island in recent years. They appear to be the first whose remains have been recovered.

Local media in France has said not one word about the investigation, reporting only how glad their former customers are that their bakery is reopening.

A Madeira English-language news outlet reported yesterday that Portuguese investigators were still awaiting "official confirmation of the identification of the bodies," and that their lead theory at this time is "a probable fall" of "about 140 meters on a very steep slope surrounded by vegetation," before listing all the Portuguese rescue services brought in during the search for the Blonds:

The Public Security Police (PSP) has confirmed that the search for the missing French couple has now ended.

“Following the search actions carried out on the Caminho da Abelheira in São Vicente, where two bodies were found whose characteristics and clothing pointed to the couple in reference, the Public Security Police activated on the 9th of April a search of the locale which revealed various material belonging to the citizens in reference.”

The same note said that the PSP’s Mountain Search, Rescue, Relief and Rescue Brigade carried out technical searches on the escarpment, from the height of 320 meters to the area where the bodies were found last week, “where it was possible to find items of clothing belonging to the couple in reference, as well as a backpack with several personal belongings, including personally identifiable documentation.”

“Thus, even if we wait for the official confirmation of the identification of the bodies, the thesis of a probable fall on the route is accentuated, in an area that was found to be dangerous and difficult to access, causing them to fall about 140 meters on a very steep slope surrounded by vegetation,” said the PSP.

In conclusion, the PSP’s Madeira Regional Command also thanks “the collaboration of all the entities that collaborated in the search actions, namely the Regional Civil Protection Service, the Madeira Operational Command, the Judiciary Police, the National Maritime Authority, the National Republican Guard, the Forest Police Corps, the Madeiran Volunteer Firefighters and SANAS Madeira, and also the collaboration of the media and the civilian population, in the indication of possible clues, evidence and testimonies, contributions that proved to be important in the definition of the search perimeters, in the location and recovery of the bodies and their personal belongings.”

As previously noted, the Blonds were found in a place all these professional rescue services had already searched. And it sounds like their personal belongings were scattered, including their clothing, which shouldn't come off during a 'fall'.

 

[Gaby]

Interestingly, according to the authorities, that area was “searched from the first day,” however, “due to the rugged terrain and dense vegetation of the site,” the bodies had not been found until now.

Another Missing 411 element reported in the French news was that the search was interrupted for a period of time due to weather conditions. There was a storm.

 

[Joe]

As previously noted, the Blonds were found in a place all these professional rescue services had already searched. And it sounds like their personal belongings were scattered, including their clothing, which shouldn't come off during a 'fall'.

They were last seen on the promenade along side the major coast road on the north of the island. Their daughter said that they said they were walking in the direction of the next town westwards. They made no mention of hiking up into the hills. It's all too easy for them to be "dropped" in a hilly location, forcing people to assume that's where they had gone.