I'm a Dutch citizen who is rather annoyed by how some Americans are responding to this tragedy, and I will try to argue a case is aquited of most of these baseless (or very based actually) statements. I'll be quoting people here so I might be stating the same more then once.
You people in Aruba know what happened to Miss Hollaway,it's obvious by the way the suspects were not detained until two weeks had gone by!
Claiming all the people of Aruba know what happened to her is ridicules, some people on Aruba probally know what happened to her, but most likely they are involved in her disappearance in one way or another and aren't going to talk unless some substantial evidence turns up.
I do realise that the Aruban authorities were sluggish at the start of the investigation, however I think the Arubian authorities at first considered this a case of someone who just didn't want to go home, this is no excuse obviously, but it is understandable.
On the other hand however, this is a quote of cnn, from June 8th, 2005:
Twitty said authorities have been forthcoming with Holloway's relatives. "It's just that the laws in Aruba are different, and the way they do their investigations is totally different than they do in the United States. It's difficult, it's frustrating, but on the other hand I do feel like they're doing everything they can do to try to find Natalee."SourceAlso, the first suspects were arrested on June 6th, one day after it was announced that the investigation into the dissappearance of Natalee had become a criminal case. Although it later turns out these man had nothing to do with Natalees' disappearance. These people were arrested based on a testimony by the Kalpoe brothers, and possibly by Joran van der Sloot.
(
Source)
The two security guards were later released (on the 13th) because there was no evidence to hold them longer, and not because Beth Twitty said they were innocent.
Joran van der Sloot and the Kaploe brothers were arrested on the 9th of June, they were not arrested earlier because:
Authorities said the three were the last people seen with Holloway, who was in Aruba on a high school graduation trip. She was seen leaving an Oranjestad nightclub, Carlos 'N Charlie's, with them about 1:30 a.m. on May 30, they said.
In previous questioning, the three told police they visited a beach with Holloway before taking her back to her hotel, the Holiday Inn, about 2 a.m.But
Authorities said their witness statements did not lead to the three arrests, but that police had been watching the youths ever since they were questioned shortly after Holloway's disappearance.SourceIt was indeed follish not to arest them earlier. This could have been a result of racism, discrimination, or indeed, the police willing to believe the son of a highly respected laywer, however I don't feel this is proof for a cover up of any kind.
I honestly think that she was slipped something in her drink at Carlos N Charlies such as Extacy or another powerful drug. Which would explain why she was "tippsy" and not coherent when she left the bar. I also believe that Joran did take her to a beach and they were making out or what normal kids do, and she died from the over dose. Being teenagers and being scared, I think the dad and the friends were brought in to "get rid" of her...
I mostly agree with this assement and this is what I find most reasonable as to what happened to her, but I'd like to state for the record that ecstacy is, according to the DEA,
a stimulant with hallucinogenic properties, the psychedelic effects of which can last between 4 and 6 hours. It is usually taken orally in pill form. The psychological effects of ecstasy include confusion, depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, drug craving, and paranoia.SourceNot the most logical party rape drug if you think about it.
According to the DEA, Rohypnol, Ketamine and GHB are the most used party rape drugs. (
Source)
According to
this website (it is a link from the DEAs' website, so I believe it is credible) the effects of rape drugs include:
Rohypnol:
Rohypnol may cause drowsiness, confusion, impaired motor skills, dizziness, disorientation, disinhibition, impaired judgment, and reduced levels of consciousness. You may look and act like someone who is drunk. Your speech may be slurred, and you may have difficulty standing or walking. Or, you may be rendered completely unconscious.
GHB:
GHB can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, seizures, respiratory depression, and intense drowsiness. In some cases, GHB causes unconsciousness or coma. As a result, you may not be able to recall what happened to you while you were under the influence of the drug.
Ketamine:
Ketamine is fast acting. It can cause dizziness, confusion, disorientation, hallucinations, agitation, impaired motor skills, high blood pressure, and potentially fatal respiratory failure. Because of its dissociative effects, you may feel detached from your own body and your surroundings, a state sometimes referred to as “conscious sedation.” You may be aware of what is happening to you, but unable to move. You may lose consciousness abruptly. Ketamine can also produce depression and amnesia. It is especially dangerous when it is mixed with alcohol or other drugs.
GHB and Ketamine don't seem like likely candidates in this situation, Rohypnol could have been used, but I think Natalee was just drunk and willingly went with them.
Hi, I am from Canada. I landed in Aruba and went to the Holiday Inn on May 29th - the day before Natalee went missing. Let me tell you something - I did not see one local police officer in that hotel - as a male guest staying with another male guest, I would have thought the place would be crawling with local police at least questioning everyone there in order to determine if anyone saw her. Nothing! The only presence at that hotel was her family organizing a search for their daughter and the American news media (thank God for the pressure the American News media exerted on the local justice system otherwise I don't think the locals would have done anything).
I can only speculate on this, but it indeed took a few days before this case was recognised as possibly a criminal case and any serious effort was put into it.
That being said, the locals should be ashamed at how long it took them to organize a search and how long it took them to detain and interrogate the people that were last seen with her.
See previous comments about the detaining, but according to cCNN the search (which included locals) started before June 4th, also FBI agents were searching the island:
Aruba's Prime Minister Nelson O. Oduber said Friday that more FBI agents had been added to help in the search, and efforts will be concentrated around coastal areas. Aiding the FBI and Aruba police in the search are Holloway's family members, tourists, Aruban nationals and Dutch marines."/i]
Source
How soon do you want them to start searching anyway?
And on June 12th CNN reports:
[i]Aruba's government employees today joined police, Dutch marines and FBI agents in the search for 18-year-old Alabama student Natalee Holloway, who vanished a week ago on the Caribbean island.
[...]
Janssen also said she has requested FBI dive teams to help search craggy areas of Aruba's coast.
An FBI spokesman in Miami, Florida, said earlier reports that bureau divers would join the search Monday were in error, as was a report that its agents assisted in Sunday's arrests.
Seven FBI agents from Miami are in Aruba, including two divers and evidence collection and analysis experts, and one agent has come from Barbados, the spokesman said.SourceOn June 15th CNN reports:
A search near an Aruba beachfront hotel that began in the afternoon ended Tuesday night with apparently no sign of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway, the Alabama student missing since May 30.
[...]
A source close to the probe said search participants included five FBI agents and a search dog from Miami-Dade County, Florida, in addition to Aruban police.
[...]
A fire truck brought in a pump that was used to drain parts of the property, which is sandwiched between the main highway that goes around the coast and the beach area next to the Marriott Hotel.
[...]
"People have gone over the area [before] but not as intensely as this time," Trapenberg said, adding that every part of the island was being checked.
He said Aruba requested and had received additional technical assistance from Dutch and U.S. authorities, but didn't elaborate.
[...]
"I feel like that we are working in a collaborative effort," Beth Holloway Twitty told CNN's "American Morning."
"From the family to the FBI to the local authorities to the Aruban government to the U.S. government, I feel like we are all in this investigation, and I do feel like we are beginning to proceed forward. ... That's where I want to go because that will help us find our daughter."SourceOn June 18th CNN reports
Despite a massive search operation throughout the island, Aruban authorities have found no sign of Holloway.SourceOn June 22nd CNN reports
A search-and-rescue organization from Texas was expected to arrive in Aruba late Tuesday to help look for Natalee Holloway, the Alabama teen who has been missing for more than three weeks.
[...]
The 17 former and current law enforcement officers who comprise the search team are committed to spending at least five days in Aruba, Miller said.
[...]
[The local attorney hired by the Holloway family] said police investigators have brought in behavioral and demeanor experts from the United States to sit in on interviews with the three suspects arrested initially. SourceOn June 25th CNN reports
A team of Texas search specialists began a full-fledged hunt Saturday for Alabama teen Natalee Holloway.
[...]
The team searched a wetlands area and also the northern tip of the island near its landmark lighthouse, combing the beaches with the dog. After borrowing a boat, the team installed side-scanning sonar equipment and conducted a water search.
[...]
The dogs, considered highly trained, [...]SourceOn July 11th CNN reports:
"Photos taken by Dutch reconnaissance jets have found no sign that Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway remains in Aruba, a government spokesman said Monday.
Final examinations of the photos will be conducted back in the Netherlands, Aruban government spokesman Ruben Trapenberg said.
But authorities are "99 percent sure" that Holloway, who was last seen early on May 30, is no longer on the island, he said.
Three F-16s from the Dutch air force, equipped with lasers and special cameras, made several passes over the island last week in hopes of finding some clue to Holloway's disappearance.
Each of the planes was equipped with a television infrared camera, two daylight cameras and a 12-inch lens housed in pods slung beneath the aircraft.
[...]
The search for Holloway has also involved hundreds of volunteers, including a team from Texas EquuSearch, a group that also brought in dogs and side-scan sonar equipment.Source(I'll refrain from quoting more newsstatements as the quote I responded to was made on July 12th)
So I'd say everything possible was done to find here
Trust me, that judge they brought in from the local island of Curacao spent his weekends golfing with Paul Van der Sloot - both islands are under Dutch rule and the legal circle is very small. Americans, stay away until the Aruban/Dutch Government puts a real effort into this search!
Great, just somebodies well educated oppinion, this isn't even worth responding to.
BUT WAIT, if I were drugged, how would I know I was leaving with strangers?
As one of my above statements should make clear, drugs don't turn you into a mindless zombie.
If I were the Gov. and calling the shots on that Island, I would have allowed the US, FBI, etc., to run the investigation without delay. We have the advanced technology, resources and skills to conduct such an investigation and I believe it would have been solved by now.
Ever heard of a term called "Sovereign Nation"? Besides the FBI is involved in the case, as should be clear from my above statements. (I could quote a few more news articles, but I wont, maybe for a different post.)
Are there any pictures of the three boys and Natilee taken in the bar? Does the bar have video camera's with the pictures of that night? What about outher witnesses? It wouold seem that a search warrant could be obtained to search the van der Sloot's place. Why won't he allow them to search, is he hidding something? Besides, Is the father involved in this more than has been shown?
The Van Der Sloot residence has been searched, twice.
On June 10th CNN reports
Three more suspects were arrested Thursday in the investigation into the disappearance of Alabama 18-year-old Natalee Holloway in Aruba, bringing those in custody to five.
[...]
Police searched the homes afterward. At a news conference later, police said they seized a vehicle and other items but declined to elaborate.SourceOn June 15h CNN reports
Authorities searched the home Wednesday of a 17-year-old detained in connection with the disappearance of an Alabama teenager more than two weeks ago.
[...]
It was unclear why police revisited the home of Joran Van Der Sloot,[...]
Sourcewhatever happend to that duct tape they found on the beach? was it her hair they found in it?
Part of it was sent to the Dutch Forensic Institute, part was sent to an FBI lab.
Aruban investigators were sending a sample to a lab in the Netherlands and shared it with the FBI. It was not known when the hair would be sent to the FBI's crime lab in Quantico, Virginia.CNN, July 18thThe hair turned out not be of Natalee.
DNA taken from strands of blond hair stuck to duct tape found on a beach in Aruba does not match the DNA of missing Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway, an FBI spokeswoman said Thursday.CNN, July 29thMy personal opinion is that Natalie is on the VanDerSluth property as they asked the father if they could search the property and he knew that they had to give permission before they searched and so he said "no". He, as a judge, knew they couldn't do it without his permission. I thought the mother and stepfather were not going to leave until they found her. Does anyone know anything else?
Like I said earlier, the residence was searched, and they did not need Van Der Sloots permission to do so in the first place, he may be a trainy judge, he's not above the law.
We must never forget how fortunate we are, although we complain some, to live in this wonderful country. We have beaches and islands, much more beautiful than Aruba...... Why have we gotten so accustomed to traveling out of our country, where they don't have our wonderful constitution happening. In Aruba, people are not equal. That was proven over and over. The reason all of the evidence that was given, either disappeard, or was discarded, or overlooked, or ignored, is because Mr. Paulus Van dersloot is a priviledged character.
This is a very interesting statement, basicly it comes down to this:
The US is wonderful save place without crime, corruption or cover ups
Aruba is a corrupt banana republic.
Well according to the 2005 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index released by the Berlin-based organization Transparency International, which is a respect organisation on this subject, the Netherlands scored an 8.6 (on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the worst, 10 being the best), ranking, along with the UK 11th, however the US scored a 7.6, a full point lower and ranked 17. Denmark scored a perfect 10 and ranked first, Chad and Bangladesh both scored an 1.7 and ranked last.
SourceJust some insight for those who believe in one giant cover up.
Mrs. Twitty will return to Aruba November 1st to resume her search for her daughter. Mr. Holloway is there now conducting water searches with Texas Equasearch. Yesterday, October 21, was Natalee's 19th birthday.
Aruba may have cared and helped with the search in the beginning but there are a lot of Arubans showing their true colors now with all the hateful comments on boards and other such vile acts. I wonder if any American would visit Aruba knowing that Mrs. Twitty has received death threats, a man with a scarred face following her when she is there and a widespread island ploy to urinate in food served to Mrs. Twitty.
One cannot blame Beth Twitty for her frustrations with this case, however, one cannot blame the Arubians for being frustrated with how this case has been handeled in the media either, their anger against Beth Twitty is IMO misdirected though.
THIS GOES OUT TO THE SO CALLED ARUBA FAN...HOW PATHETIC ARE YOU REALLY? YOU ARE JUST AS DISGUSTING AS THE THREE BOYS THAT GOT AWAY WITH THE CRIME AGAINST NATALEE HOLLAWAY. BE REAL, COMMON SENSE POINTS TO THE LOSERS OF ARUBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for your very diplomatic and balanced input into this discusion
Aruba Fan has a different oppinion then you and is therefor is wrong?
Although I believe Natalee is fish food by now, and I believe Joran van der Sloot is involved in one way or another, this is totally irrellivant, as I cannot prove any of this, if you have some information I don't have and can infact prove they are guilty, please do contact the Arubian Authorities or the FBI with this information and let justice be done, but as long as it can't be proven that Joran van der Sloot (or anyone else) commited a crime, he is innocent. This is called the principal of 'innocent untill proven guilty', something both the Dutch and the American legal system are based on, but I'm afriad the American public has taken a stance of 'guilty until proven innocent' in this case, which is something which troubles me deeply.
The procecutor will not even sit down and talk with Natalie's mother. I wonder why? Perhaps she is also a mother and cannot look this mother in the eye for a case that she knows is a cover up.
After what Beth Twitty and the American media and public has done? After Beth started her own investigation without consulting her? With the FBI increasingly demanding more and more? With the FBI releasing possible sensative information about the case to the media, without even consulting her about it (or even telling her this information)? With the American media and public demonizing Aruba? With the American media undermining her investigation? With the American public which has already turned Joran van der Sloot into a scape goat for this all?
Well, I can only wonder why she wouldn't want to meet her
I hope this provides some insight into this case, I could have done much more and adressed many more (false) points, but this is what is handeled here on this forum, so bringing in more points wasn't neccesary, but I'm willing to adress future points and comments on this point should they be made
