Deceased/Not Found UK - April Jones, 5, Machynlleth, Wales, 1 Oct 2012 #7 *M. Bridger guilty*

[MediaFerret]

Hi all I'm noo! But have been lurking and reading.

I've had a niggling thought that keeps niggling and it's been niggling for a long time. Here it is. Please forgive me if this has already been discussed - I've read as much as possible here but I may well have missed something.

When April was first reported missing, and her little friend was asked about what happened, the news reports suggested that yes, April got in what would have been the passenger side for a LHD, and when her friend told her not to, Aprll allegedly said something along the lines of "it's all right, I know them."

Thoughts:

1. If it was someone both of them knew, April would more likely have said "it's all right, it's X." In which case, April's friend would have named "X" when questions started flying. Which means that Coral's panic about April being kidnapped would be directly related to personal knowledge.

2. If it was someone only April knew, that means one of two possibilities:

Either:

i) it IS actually the case that only April knows the person/people in the vehicle,

Or:

ii) the person/people in the car told April he/she/they knew her and April believed him/her/them. (If she didn't know him/her/them, but she was told she did, would a small child have the confidence to contradict?)

3. Was April's friend's "them" (as in "it's all right, I know them") a colloquial "them" which can mean singular or plural, or was she being specific?

4. Was that misreporting? I guess we won't know until the trial, unless someone has a link to what April's little friend actually said.

What I find difficult to believe, IF it was indeed MB in the car (with or without someone else) is that she wouldn't have NOT said who it was. I don't think at such a young age you make those little decisions about what is someone else's business and what's not - i.e. there'd be no conscious attempt to hide the fact that it was MB if it was indeed him.

This all makes sense to me right now, but I expect in half an hour I'll be thinking it's gibberish. :notgood:

 

[greenpalm]

Hi all I'm noo! But have been lurking and reading.

I've had a niggling thought that keeps niggling and it's been niggling for a long time. Here it is. Please forgive me if this has already been discussed - I've read as much as possible here but I may well have missed something.

When April was first reported missing, and her little friend was asked about what happened, the news reports suggested that yes, April got in what would have been the passenger side for a LHD, and when her friend told her not to, Aprll allegedly said something along the lines of "it's all right, I know them."

Thoughts:

1. If it was someone both of them knew, April would more likely have said "it's all right, it's X." In which case, April's friend would have named "X" when questions started flying. Which means that Coral's panic about April being kidnapped would be directly related to personal knowledge.

2. If it was someone only April knew, that means one of two possibilities:

Either:

i) it IS actually the case that only April knows the person/people in the vehicle,

Or:

ii) the person/people in the car told April he/she/they knew her and April believed him/her/them. (If she didn't know him/her/them, but she was told she did, would a small child have the confidence to contradict?)

3. Was April's friend's "them" (as in "it's all right, I know them") a colloquial "them" which can mean singular or plural, or was she being specific?

4. Was that misreporting? I guess we won't know until the trial, unless someone has a link to what April's little friend actually said.

What I find difficult to believe, IF it was indeed MB in the car (with or without someone else) is that she wouldn't have NOT said who it was. I don't think at such a young age you make those little decisions about what is someone else's business and what's not - i.e. there'd be no conscious attempt to hide the fact that it was MB if it was indeed him.

This all makes sense to me right now, but I expect in half an hour I'll be thinking it's gibberish. :notgood:

:welcome:

Good questions and thoughts. We have talked about most of this. I wouldn't say we drew any conclusions! Not sure we ever considered that an unknown stranger perp specifically told April that she knew them and was convincing enough to convince her. But sure, I'll ackowledge that at 5 she could be sufficiently naive & trusting, especially if an and adult says they know you. Kids are accustomed to following adults' instructions. We typically even tell them not to question them.

I proposed the possibility that April knew MB, but that MH, the child witness, did not. The theory was not well embraced here on WS because the estate is so small, that everyone should have known everyone, but I'd argue it is sill possible, given that his own son lived on the estate but had only seen him a few times at the local pub, and didn't know him at all until the son was nearly an adult.

We aren't really certain what the child witness said. The quote came from one of the adults who was repeating what she'd heard MH say. There's no way of knowing if the quote was completely accurate, or indeed misreporting.

So, I'm afraid it could be misreporting.

I agree, it seems very unlikely that April was being deliberately deceptive about who it was.

 

[Amber34]

Hi and welcome MediaFerret

As Greenpalm said, we have pondered this to inconclusion MB had three children living on the estate, two of them young enough to have played out with other children and these two MB did have regular contact with, including taking them on an outing to the beach with April a few months previously. In addition, MB had recently had a relationship with VF who lives on the estate and would likely have been a regularly seen face around the area.

My personal feeling is that MH (the young friend) was a distance away from the vehicle, and I feel this because:

1) Any perp using rational thought would be far less likely to try to entice a child if there was an obvious witness. If MH was some distance away, say at the grass end of the garages, the perp may not have seen her in the fading light. I'm not convinced the perp was thinking rationally though.
2) The colour of the vehicle given by MH was quite different to the colour of the accused's vehicle. Distance with street lamps inbetween could be the reason for this.
3) MH did not identify the vehicle or driver - again, distance and failing light.

It is of course possible they have the wrong man, although to press chrages as they did, I feel this cannot be the case.

 

[Uchiki Kuri]

...

I also find it strange that here we have someone charged with probably the most heinous crime imaginable, killing an innocent child, yet there does not seem to be any public outrage or anger towards him. No one interviewed seems to have a bad word for him, not even "I always knew there was something dodgy about him" kind of thing.

I'm not defending him, I just find it all a bit strange. As you say, all will be revealed.

Eh? If Bridger was released now it is very likely that he would be violently attacked and probably killed by members of the public.

2) The colour of the vehicle given by MH was quite different to the colour of the accused's vehicle. Distance with street lamps inbetween could be the reason for this.

According to the police's public account of the child witness's description, the colours she recalled exactly match the colours of the feature that shouts loudest - the go-faster stripe (light-coloured/grey).

 

[jigzy]

This makes me mad. Where in this article do the parents actually state this? So unfair of sensationalist news reporters, in the absence of any real 'news' on this case, to spin this garbage related by so called 'friends'.

OUR APRIL JONES IS STILL ALIVE SAY PARENTS

THE parents of missing five-year-old April Jones remain convinced that their daughter is still alive, a family friend revealed yesterday.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/355752/Our-April-Jones-is-still-alive-say-parents

 

[KR1]

Richard Desmond-owned....of all the tabloids, perhaps the most 'National Enquirer' of the lot.... Sad :banghead:

This makes me mad. Where in this article do the parents actually state this? So unfair of sensationalist news reporters, in the absence of any real 'news' on this case, to spin this garbage related by so called 'friends'.

OUR APRIL JONES IS STILL ALIVE SAY PARENTS

THE parents of missing five-year-old April Jones remain convinced that their daughter is still alive, a family friend revealed yesterday.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/355752/Our-April-Jones-is-still-alive-say-parents

 

[ann-other]

Family friend speaking on the radio and yes they do (you only need to read the family's social media pages) They have to believe it - wouldn't you?

Radio interview with family friend
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-20171595

 

[jigzy]

Family friend speaking on the radio and yes they do (you only need to read the family's social media pages) They have to believe it - wouldn't you?

IMO, there's a lot of confusion around the idea of 'bringing the girl home', and whether this means alive and well or her remains. Clearly there is evidence of her death or else the LE would not have charged MB with her murder.

As for social media sites to do with this case- I tend not to go there, but when I have, I've seen messages of thanks expressed by/ passed on from the parents, and lots of bizarre messages by those who think the girl is alive and who clearly have not been following the news.

As for the family's pages, are you saying that you have access to the family's pages? I have seen no reference to them thinking that she's alive, just that they hope to bring her back/home.

Jmo

 

[ann-other]

IMO, there's a lot of confusion around the idea of 'bringing the girl home', and whether this means alive and well or her remains. Clearly there is evidence of her death or else the LE would not have charged MB with her murder.

As for social media sites to do with this case- I tend not to go there, but when I have, I've seen messages of thanks expressed by/ passed on from the parents, and lots of bizarre messages by those who think the girl is alive and who clearly have not been following the news.

As for the family's pages, are you saying that you have access to the family's pages? I have seen no reference to them thinking that she's alive, just that they hope to bring her back/home.

Jmo

I totally agree that the likelihood of her being found alive is extremely unlikely (just picking words carefully) However, the parents can/will hold out in hope because 1) no evidence (to prove to them that she is dead)
2) clinging onto anything and any hope they can. As would any parent in the same situation IMO

 

[jigzy]

I totally agree that the likelihood of her being found alive is extremely unlikely (just picking words carefully) However, the parents can/will hold out in hope because 1) no evidence (to prove to them that she is dead)
2) clinging onto anything and any hope they can. As would any parent in the same situation IMO

I still haven't heard the parents say/ write that they think she's alive. Seems like a whole load of people in Machynlleth have put themselves forward as spokespersons for the family. Jmo

 

[jigzy]

The annual Gwyl y Golau (festival of light) Lantern Festival tonight in Machynlleth

http://www.visitmidwales.co.uk/thedms.aspx?dms=13&feature=31&venue=1024804

 

[ann-other]

I still haven't heard the parents say/ write that they think she's alive. Seems like a whole load of people in Machynlleth have put themselves forward as spokespersons for the family. Jmo

Fair enough and not doubting what you are saying at all, you are in the area and your post that told us what people were thinking was very informative.

I just know as a parent, I could not give up hope because the minute you do you are grieving.

 

[ann-other]

Fair enough and not doubting what you are saying at all, you are in the area and your post that told us what people were thinking was very informative.

I just know as a parent, I could not give up hope because the minute you do you are grieving.

And I can't quote statements on social media as you know

 

[Cherwell]

However, the parents can/will hold out in hope because 1) no evidence (to prove to them that she is dead)

Any such evidence has not been made public for obvious reasons. However, it may have been revealed to the parents by the police.

 

[ann-other]

Any such evidence has not been made public for obvious reasons. However, it may have been revealed to the parents by the police.

Struggling to accept this one as I don't feel the parents or rather CJ and especially MM would be quite as vocal in denial. But you may very well be right.

 

[Cherwell]

Struggling to accept this one as I don't feel the parents or rather CJ and especially MM would be quite as vocal in denial. But you may very well be right.

Who's MM?

 

[ann-other]

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/10/06/april-jones-search-mother-coral-jones-desperate-facebook-plea-91466-31980561/

 

[ann-other]

She was, I am not sure if she still is, the main 'voice' for the family. She lives in Australia.

 

[jigzy]

Yes, that was 6th October and no doubt the family were in a state of shock. No doubt the LE would be very sensitive in what they let the family in on at that stage. Of course the family would be hopeful, but my point was that it is incredibly insensitive of so called 'friends' to say what the parents are thinking. Did the family really endorse this?

Also insensitive were the fb followers of weird sites posting hearts upon demand, promoting the idea of a happy homecoming even aft the LE charged the guy with her murder. How is this helping the family?

Jmo.

 

[LittleMissContrary]

Edited: Removed comment on account of Jigzy bringing the date of the article to our attention. Sorry, I am a little slow today.