Greece Greece - Ben Needham, 21 mos, Isle of Kos, 24 July 1991

[Elainera]

I agree, no proof.

But it does sound like LE are in "case closed" mode now?

 

[Rayemonde]

Significantly, the car was NOT discovered at the farmhouse in Iraklis where Ben had been playing when he disappeared.

It was at the fly-tipping site half-a-mile away where digger driver Konstantinos ‘Dino’ Barkas dumped his material.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.mirr...rst-picture-ben-needhams-battered-9147766.amp

 

[Ozoner]

No gardeners right, it does not prove that he is dead however I can see why it would lower the chance of him being alive.

This makes me think the most likely scenario is the he was accidentally killed by the digger and hay have been buried by the digger without the operator even realizing it. The body could have been carried off by scavenging animals. On the other hand, the driver may have been aware of what he had done and may have buried the boy far from the dig site. The car may not be proof positive that the boy is dead, but it does point to his demise.

 

[DakotaMayi]

This makes me think the most likely scenario is the he was accidentally killed by the digger and hay have been buried by the digger without the operator even realizing it. The body could have been carried off by scavenging animals. On the other hand, the driver may have been aware of what he had done and may have buried the boy far from the dig site. The car may not be proof positive that the boy is dead, but it does point to his demise.

It definitely does I hope Kerry & family can have closure one day, soon.

 

[Alyce]

Ben was playing in the olive grove area, as well as the patio area, so he could have dropped one of the toy cars,which was later swept up by the digger and then, later again, taken with other rubble to the dumping site ( Site 2 of the police search ).

No one ( police I mean, not on here ) has yet explained the missing shorts..........plus if Ben had been killed by the digger, it might have been expected that they would have found both of the toy cars.

I dont know, really, what to think.

The only thing I really wish for is that Kerry and her family are able to find some peace of mind and closure.

 

[Murkywaters]

Part of me wonders if the police just want to close the case.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Part of me wonders if the police just want to close the case.

That may be the case. South Yorkshire police are in a difficult position since there is nothing they can do to investigate in Greece without the consent and co-operation of the Greek police. I believe there is a protocol within the Schengen area which allows police from one country to cross a national border in pursuit of a suspect but in practice the in-country police still expect to take over very quickly. And of course the UK is not part of Schengen. Europe's police forces are very protective of their borders against collegues from outside and can be loathe to share sensitive information.

 

[kiterunner]

But what DI Cousins said was:


"The recovery of this item, and its location, further adds to my belief that material was removed from the farmhouse on or shortly after the day that Ben disappeared" If Ben had been involved in an accident with the digger why would the toy car would be removed from the farmhouse?


In the "Somebody Knows" documentary Eddie thought Ben wet his shorts with the hose. Christine believed it was a potty training accident. In her book Kerry seemed to use Stephens account of Ben drenching himself from head to toe after scooping water out of a barrel. On such a warm day it's entirely possible that all of these things happened and everyone recalls a different incident but if the shorts were missing I feel it would have been sensitive therefore surely their recollection would have been more uniform and under hypnosis Stephen recalls Ben wearing his shorts as he left on the bike.


I can't help wondering if the various media sources, in their effort to seem more up to date and than the next have mixed a chunk of fiction between some meager facts.

 

[Murkywaters]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ben-needham-case-hallmarks-cover-9161080?ICID=FB_mirror_main

They should also perhaps look into claims of one former Greek official involved closely with the investigation.

He told us there had been a “huge mistake” in the investigation because of an unofficial policy of waiting 24 hours before launching a full search for a missing person – even though in this case Ben was just 21 months old.

The man was at first reluctant to talk, saying he feared for his life. Eventually he told us: “I arrived at work at 8am the morning after Ben disappeared. For someone to be called lost, 24 hours have to pass.

“That was a huge mistake. They didn’t go to the port when they should have done.” But he said his main reason for speaking was to reveal the statement of a mysterious witness, a friend of his, was never taken because bosses ignored his report.

“He told me he’d seen a car with number plates from abroad. It had two people in the car and they were not Greek people.

“The witness said the child was playing outside and someone stepped out of the car and took him. My friend does not lie. I went back but once he knew the child was still missing he didn’t want to speak.

“He said ‘Don’t ask me more, I’m scared.’”

 

[Gardener1850]

'PLEASE HELP' Ben Needham’s family make heartbreaking appeal to find missing tot three weeks after cops said he was probably dead

Writing on their ‘Help Find Ben Needham’ Facebook page, the family said: “May I ask you to still keep Ben’s case out there and if anyone out there has any information on where Ben could be to please get in touch.

“All information given is in the strictest confidence.”

A three-week dig has been halted, with the case open for new information only.

Devastated Kerry, from Sheffield, vowed to keep looking for his body.
She said: “I want to tear up the whole island to find him. I can’t say goodbye until I know exactly where he is.”

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/21819...e-weeks-after-cops-said-he-was-probably-dead/

 

[Ironside]

It's logical to say based on the evidence that was uncovered they should drop it, accept he's not coming back and start to grieve but I suppose if I was in his mothers shoes I would also probably want to tear up the entire island.

 

[eeejay268]

http://www.itv.com/goodmorningbrita...lea-for-information-about-where-ben-is-buried

 

[Rayemonde]

http://www.itv.com/goodmorningbrita...lea-for-information-about-where-ben-is-buried

Very sad the family say they have accepted that Ben is dead, but they still want to find his body and they ask the people of Kos to come forward with any information they have been holding back.

 

[Gardener1850]

[h=1]"You can't hide forever": Ben Needham's mum begs those with information on missing boy to 'search their conscience'[/h]

Kerry Needham begged for more information in a New Year post on Facebook this week.

As she posted a new picture of Ben on the Find Ben Needham Facebook page, she wrote: "You may think you can hide in the dark forever.
"No one can hide from their conscience.
"Someone, somewhere, knows something."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/you-cant-hide-forever-ben-9579338

 

[Elainera]

New face-ageing algorithm shows how police may have got image of older Ben Needham wrong

The technique involved taking careful measurements from photographs of 500 people when they were aged 21 months, six years old, 14 and 22.

They then used the results to create an algorithm which accurately predicts how a face changes over time.

However when they tested the programme on a photograph of missing youngster Ben Needham, they found it bore no resemblance to artists' impressions of his older self.

The images provided by police above, and those generated by the new algorithm below

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/...orithm-shows-police-may-have-got-image-older/

 

[JanetElaine]

New face-ageing algorithm shows how police may have got image of older Ben Needham wrong

The images provided by police above, and those generated by the new algorithm below

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/...orithm-shows-police-may-have-got-image-older/

Very interesting. And what a wonderful research program, kudos to the person(s) who came up with it. I hope it will help.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

There is such a strong family resemblance between Kerry, Leighanna, Stephen & Christine I would think Ben would look more like the original set of pics. However, sadly I think it's academic and Ben never got past being a one year old.

I'm going to Kos in 7 weeks (eeek, 49 more sleeps!) and will keep an eye out nevertheless.

 

[JerricaBenton]

There is such a strong family resemblance between Kerry, Leighanna, Stephen & Christine I would think Ben would look more like the original set of pics. However, sadly I think it's academic and Ben never got past being a one year old.

I'm going to Kos in 7 weeks (eeek, 49 more sleeps!) and will keep an eye out nevertheless.

I agree, I still think the top set of photos resemble his family likeness more.

I also agree that he never made it past babyhood

 

[gregjrichards]

"Human blood has reportedly been found on a toy car and sandal believed to have belonged to toddler Ben Needham, who disappeared on Kos 26 years ago.
Kerry Needham said the discovery is evidence of a cover-up in the disappearance of her son, who was staying at his grandparents' farmhouse on the Greek island.

She fears the 21-month-old was killed and his body moved before British police began searching the site last year.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...toy-car-sandal-Ben-Needham.html#ixzz4nhmtHhep

 

[CoverMeCagney]

"Human blood has reportedly been found on a toy car and sandal believed to have belonged to toddler Ben Needham, who disappeared on Kos 26 years ago.
Kerry Needham said the discovery is evidence of a cover-up in the disappearance of her son, who was staying at his grandparents' farmhouse on the Greek island.

She fears the 21-month-old was killed and his body moved before British police began searching the site last year.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...toy-car-sandal-Ben-Needham.html#ixzz4nhmtHhep

But even if it is Ben's blood it doesn't prove how he died, or actually even if he has died.

I'm going in a couple of weeks. I'll try and find out the word on the street but I doubt they like talking about it too much.