About a month ago, the word was that Natalee is only one of many women who have gone missing - the reason there's still so much fuss about her is that her mother refuses to leave. GO MOM!!!!

That hair on the duct tape may be from one of the other missing girls. I hope they're keeping the evidence for the other girls' sake.

Well, Natalee's mom has gone back to Alabama. I guess she had to, eventually. I can only imagine that her optimism is dwindling.

I looked into other cases of missing women in Aruba, and I could only find it from one source...The National Enquirer.. I don't know exactly what that means. It may be that the mainstream media just hasn't discussed risks facing women traveling alone there, if there are any.

You're absolutely right. We're not just that great. We are the best.

-Rudey

Sorry to hear that some people are "tired" of hearing about this girl and relating it to some white girl thing. INteresting that more who feel that way aren't outraged at the sorry ass way two black men employed by the hotel spent 13 days in jail when Aruban authorities knew within 24 hours that their alibis were solid and that they in fact had nothing to do with the disappearance.

The sad truth here is that the Aruban police and the lead investigator, who turned out to be a longtime personal friend of Paul Van Der Sloot, were inept and more interested in taking care of a native who was buddies with all the right people.

Beth Holloway is doing what I'd be doing if it were my daughter.
Bless her.

Hear, hear!

I'm sure that they're happy with their way of conducting this investigation, but the "he's arrested - he's freed" bit would really get on my last nerve!

I'm sure that Natalee's mother simply can't afford to stay "where happiness lives" forever - but this article says she plans to return soon.

I can't remember which tv news station I heard about the other missing women on, but since I don't read the Enquirer, and the above was the first search I did on her, I'm fairly certain that I did hear about the other women on tv.

I definitely don't blame Natalee's mother for doing all that she can and I'm sure I would be doing the same if it was my daughter.

But, I think the Alabama congress is going a bit far in condemning a whole nation for not having solved this crime yet. It isn't as though we have all missing persons crimes solved in two months. It took far longer than that for Scott Peterson to be arrested. Ted Bundy killed women for years and years. Jeffery Dahmer was killing for a long time before they found all the bodies in his backyard and we have thousands of missing children in this country. It seems a bit self righteous to say "boycott Aruba". The Aruba officials do seem to be trying very hard to solve this case. They are draining lakes, going through landfills (for the second time), etc. They need some evidence and they don't have any yet.

I also heard a passing comment on TV about other missing women. I think it was on the Today show sometime last week.

Dee

how about we boycott California b/c they didnt' convict OJ, Robert Blake, and Michael Jackson?

When someone goes missing in another country, it may be more difficult to solve due to cultural issues. This can even happen within one's own country. When Cecilia Zhang went missing, the police had to approach the case with cultural sensitivity because the girl and her family were immigrants from China. Apparently people in China don't trust police as much as they do here.

Cecilia's case received a lot of media attention from the time she was missing until they found her body six months later. I think her middle class upbringining had a great deal to do with it. Had she been some kid from Chinatown, the Amber Alert would probably not have been issued.

When the state of Alabama prosecutes all those who were involved in lynchings in their oh-so-great state, then they can tell other governments how to deal with their criminal justice systems.

OH TEH HYPOCRACY.

I'm game! :D

While watching GMA, Charlie Gibson reported that Bob Costas as well as CNN refused to do another story on Natalie Holloway. Their reasoning was that this story has received enough air time. I'm not sure how I feel about this?:confused:

i'm sure if something big came up they'd change their mind real quick!

I read about that in the newspaper yesterday, and I have to say I respect Bob Costas for doing this. The article said that Costas refused to anchor Larry King Live because that was the main story planned -- it didn't say anything about CNN refusing to run it, so I'm not sure what ended up happening with that.

I seriously cannot understand why anybody thinks that story deserves more coverage than it has already had.

I heart Bob Costas even more than I did previoiusly. Which is a lot.

At least someone can admit that...

I think there's been quite enough coverage; the story is out there, people are aware that she's missing, and those who want to help have the info they need. Daily and hourly updates aren't really necessary.

And both are the "right" things to do.

The story has received way more than enough coverage. If there is a news development, it's worth covering, but rehashing the same old stuff simply for ratings purposes is not good journalism.

mom leaves Aruba
 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9208806/

ORANJESTAD, Aruba - The mother of an Alabama teenager who went missing in Aruba said Sunday she is leaving Dutch Caribbean island after having “exhausted all my avenues” there following the release of all three suspects in the disappearance.

Beth Holloway Twitty arrived in Aruba hours after her daughter, Natalee, vanished May 30 and has been an almost permanent fixture since, focusing intense U.S. media attention on the case through frequent television appearances and interviews and pressuring local authorities to act.

“I will never allow my daughter’s voice to be silenced, but I have exhausted all my avenues in Aruba,” Holloway Twitty told The Associated Press before leaving on a flight home to Mountain Brook, Ala.

Holloway Twitty said she will visit “frequently” and promised to fight for justice from her home in the United States.

Her planned departure came a day after all three suspects in Holloway’s disappearance were released from jail, dealing a serious setback to the prosecution and the biggest blow yet to the teen’s family.

Joran van der Sloot, an 18-year-old Dutchman, and two Surinamese brothers, Satish Kalpoe, 18, and Deepak Kalpoe, 21, were released on condition they remain available to police for questioning.

Holloway’s family has insisted that the young men know what happened to the 18-year-old Alabama honors student, who vanished on the last day of a vacation to celebrate her high school graduation.

Holloway was last seen leaving a bar with van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers. Her family has often been critical of Aruban authorities’ handling of the case, especially for taking 10 days to arrest the three young men and two weeks to search van der Sloot’s home.

‘Taking it easy, day by day’
Van der Sloot and the brothers were arrested June 9 on suspicion of involvement in Holloway’s disappearance. All three have denied any connection to the disappearance.

As a Dutch citizen, van der Sloot can leave Aruba but must remain in Dutch territory as a condition of his release. The Surinamese brothers have different visa requirements and must stay in Aruba.

Van der Sloot will soon be going to college in Holland, according to his lawyer, but his mother said Sunday he would not leave immediately.

“We’re looking at the options. We’re taking it easy, day by day,” Anita van der Sloot said in a telephone interview.

Police insist the investigation into Holloway’s widely publicized disappearance will continue, but legal observers in Aruba say the releases indicate the government has no case.

Police and thousands of volunteers have scoured Aruba without finding a sign of Holloway, often chasing apparently false leads.

Arrest Deepens Mystery in Holloway Case
 

From Yahoo:

"ORANJESTAD, Aruba - An announcement that police made an arrest in the disappearance of teenager Natalee Holloway left many islanders wondering Sunday who the suspect is — and whether the arrest marked a real breakthrough in the almost year-old case.

Aruban authorities would only say late Saturday that the person arrested is 19 years old and has the initials "G.V.C." In Aruba, when an arrest is announced, officials usually release only a suspect's initials.

Antonio Carlo, attorney for Dutch national Joran van der Sloot, who was arrested last year but then released for lack of evidence, said he hoped the new arrest would shed light on happened to Holloway, an honors student from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who disappeared on May 30. It was the final night of the 18-year-old's trip to this Dutch Caribbean island...."

The rest of the story is at the link above.

Her father, who says he know the name of the arrested person, says that he had never heard of the young man before.

From Good Morning America...
 

According to GMA...
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1849859

Apparently he worked for a security company that patrols the beaches around hotels.

cool names......

Von Cromvoirt and Van Der Sloot

At this point the police have no credibility. They have already had their man about 6 times in this case. The judge's son, two brothers, two security guards, a dj, and now GVC.

I guess the various newspaper/TV station producers and crews wanted to get back out there and have free vacations on the company card.. If this occured at the south pole, no way in hell this would be in the news.

Tons of kids go missing every year -- many in tourist spots. Why do we care about this one?

She's dead, Aruba probably did something to cover it up, life isn't fair... time to move on.

Agreed.

Three Men Re-Arrested in Disappearance of Natalee Holloway
 

For more info:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americ...est/index.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21919572/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21919702/

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312488,00.html

Should note that I was just down there this past week and found just about everyone there on the island, natives as well as visitors, very nice and friendly.

Only problem I know of there is a problem driving cars.
Starts with having over 55,000 on a rather small island.

GOOD!!! I always thought that van der Sloot kid (along with his Dad) was as slippery as an eel...

I missed these postings the first time around. Not sure what OP's thought or intent at the time were. I too thought about some sort of a perhaps a "good old boys" situation due to the father's contacts but of a small nature.
Will have to see how it now plays out.
Just thought I would include links to what three different governments tell
their citizens about travel to Aruba:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?...=1056724578045
http://www.smarttraveller.gov.au/zw-...w/Advice/Aruba
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_1153.html
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/22491.htm
https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat...k/geos/aa.html

Lets hope they get is right this time!:mad:

I always thought the boys were lying, but something about Van der Sloot is not right. Justice will be served one way or another. Karma can be a b*tch. :rolleyes:

Case "closed"
 

ORANJESTAD, Aruba - Authorities have closed the investigation into the disappearance of Natalee Holloway and do not have evidence to charge anyone, prosecutors said Tuesday.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22312287/?GT1=10645

I'm actually "glad" that this has some closure now. Especially being from the same area as the girl. Sad ending but an ending nonetheless.

Finally.

But I bet Greta van Susteren can drag it out another year or so.

Holloway case in the news again!
 

Not sure if you all have been keeping up with the case or not

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/02/04/...ect/index.html

He claims he lied when he admitted to killing her...too bad they do not have capital punishment :rolleyes:

I honestly think she died of alcohol poisoning. Whether the boys provided the alcohol or not is another story. But I do not think they killed her on purpose. I think she died and they did not know what to do and were afraid of being blamed so they just disposed of the body.

Are you effing serious? I like how you refer to them as "the boys" like they're just some poor misled goofballs. This van der Sloot slimeball has LIED and LIED and LIED while letting that poor girl's parents and family and friends suffer horribly in the unknown. It's unconscionable. I hope they find some way to put him away for SOMEthing. The disposal of her body, the perjury, SOMEthing. Sociopathic d*ckhead.

Narcissistic personality disorder

How in the world are you going to admit to something then....oppps that was a lie.

But you can see that this alone would be pretty terrible, right?

If you are out with someone who falls unconscious because of alcohol poisoning (or anything else), the normal thing to do would be to seek medical help, even if you were afraid it was too late.

You wouldn't assume the person was dead and dump the body out at sea and then repeated lie about what happened, would you?

On another message board I frequent, someone was speculating that maybe he had drugged her and raped her. And then he dumped her into the water to cover his tracks (either she was alive and he dumped her into the water so she couldn't press charges, or she had died or was unwakeable from the date rape drugs and he panicked and dumped her into the water). I haven't really been following the case so I don't know how plausible this theory would be.

Ah. Elaborate, please and thank you. :)