AP News, October 25th, 2007
The parents of Madeleine McCann on Thursday released an artist's impression of the man they believe abducted their daughter during a family vacation in Portugal.
The sketches depict a man with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing a brown or maroon top and beige trousers walking with a pajama-clad child in his arms.
Kate and Gerry McCann reported their daughter's disappearance from their holiday apartment in Portugal's Algarve region on May 3, shortly before her fourth birthday.
The drawings are based on a description given by a friend of the McCanns who said she saw a man walking with a child on the evening Madeleine was reported missing.
Portuguese police have named Madeleine's parents and a British man, Robert Murat, as formal suspects, but have not put forth any charges. Kate and Gerry McCann, who strongly deny involvement, have returned to their home in Britain.
McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said the suspect in the sketches was described as southern European or Mediterranean in appearance, about 35 to 40 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall and of slim build.
"This is another important phase of our investigation into Madeleine's abduction and we hope that this picture will be a very important reminder to anyone who was in the area on that night who may have seen this man," Mitchell said.
"We believe that this was Madeleine being carried away by a man from the apartment, so we place great importance on having these pictures produced. Anyone who knows this man should contact our confidential phone line immediately."
