Natalee Holloway Totally Explained

Everything about Natalee Holloway totally explained

Natalee Ann Holloway (born October 21, 1986) disappeared on May 30, 2005 during a high school graduation trip in Aruba, a Caribbean country which is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. An American student from Mountain Brook, Alabama, Holloway graduated from Mountain Brook High School on May 24, 2005, just before the trip to Aruba. The disappearance became a media sensation in the United States, Aruba, and the Netherlands.
Holloway failed to show up at the airport for her return flight, and her packed bags were found in her hotel room. as did fifty Dutch soldiers and three specially equipped Dutch F-16 aircraft. On December 18, 2007, Aruban prosecutors announced that the case would be closed without any charges brought against the suspects, whose status as such was thus ended under Aruban law. After receiving video footage of Joran van der Sloot which some described as a confession, the Aruban prosecutor's office announced on February 1, 2008 that the case was being reopened.
Throughout the search, Aruban investigators were criticized by Holloway's family for a perceived lack of progress. Holloway's family called for a boycott of Aruba, which gained the support of Alabama Governor Bob Riley, but which failed to gain national backing. At the time of the disappearance, Dave Holloway was an insurance broker in Meridian, Mississippi, while Beth Twitty was employed by the Mountain Brook School System. After a brief separation from Beth Twitty, Jug filed divorce papers on December 29, 2006, stating the two have "such a complete incompatibility of temperament that the parties can no longer live together".

Disappearance

In late May, Holloway and 124 fellow graduates of Mountain Brook High School, part of a wealthy suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, arrived in Aruba for a five-day, unofficial senior class graduation trip. The students arrived in Aruba on Thursday, May 26, accompanied by seven chaperones.. However Jodi Bearman, the chaperone who organized the trip, has stated that "the chaperones were not supposed to keep up with their every move". around 1:30 a.m. on Monday, May 30. Holloway left with 17-year-old Joran van der Sloot, a Dutch student living in Aruba, and his two friends, the Surinamese brothers Deepak Kalpoe (18) Holloway didn't arrive for her return flight later that day, and her packed luggage and passport were found in her hotel room at the Holiday Inn. Within four hours of landing in Aruba, the Twittys went to the Aruban police with the name and address of Van der Sloot, as the person with whom Holloway left the nightclub. Van der Sloot also said Holloway fell down as she exited the car, but that she refused Van der Sloot's help. Aruban banks raised $20,000 and provided other support to aid volunteer search teams. and then at the nearby Wyndham Hotel where she stayed in the presidential suite. Twitty has made other statements indicating that they were working, and has stated so in her book.
The search for physical evidence was extensive and on occasion subject to false leads; for example, a possible blood sample taken from Deepak Kalpoe's car was tested, but the substance was found not to be blood.

Initial arrests

On June 5, Aruban police detained Antonius "Mickey" John and Abraham Jones, former security guards for the nearby Allegro Hotel, which was then closed for renovation, on suspicion of murder and kidnapping. The initial reason for their arrests has never been officially disclosed; however, according to news accounts, the Van der Sloot and Kalpoe statements may have been a factor in the arrests. Reports also indicate the two former guards were known for trolling hotels to pick up women, and at least one of them had a prior brush with the law. John and Jones were released on June 13.
Van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers were arrested June 9, 2005, on suspicion of kidnapping and/or murdering Holloway. Aruban law allows for arrest on serious suspicion from investigators; to continue holding the suspect in custody, an ever-higher evidentiary burden must be met at periodic reviews. According to Commissioner Gerold Dompig of the Aruban police, who would lead the investigation from mid-2005 until 2006, the focus was on these three suspects from the "get-go". Cruz later retracted the statement, saying he was a victim of a "misinformation campaign". According to Satish Kalpoe's attorney, David Kock, Van der Sloot called Deepak Kalpoe to tell the latter that he was walking home, and sent him a text message forty minutes later.

Continued search, suspects rearrested and re-released

On July 4, the Netherlands deployed three F-16 aircraft equipped with infrared sensors to aid in the search, also without initial result.
   A small pond near the Aruba Racquet Club close to the Marriott Hotel beach was partly drained between July 27 and July 30 2005 after an individual ("the gardener") came forward. According to Jug Twitty, the gardener claimed to have seen Joran van der Sloot attempting to hide his face, driving into the Racquet Club with the two Kalpoes on the morning of May 30 between 2:30 and 3:00 a.m. Nancy Grace described the gardener as "the man whose testimony cracks the case wide open". Another individual, "the jogger", The landfill was searched three times after the jogger's statements, including a search by the FBI with cadaver dogs. The searches were fruitless. The FBI subsequently announced that the hair wasn't Holloway's.
   The Kalpoe brothers were re-arrested on August 26 along with another new suspect. Freddy Arambatzis (21), according to his lawyer, was suspected of taking photographs of and having physical contact with an underage girl, an incident which allegedly occurred before the Holloway disappearance and in which Arambatzis's friends Van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers were supposedly involved. Van der Sloot's mother, Anita van der Sloot, stated, "It's a desperate attempt to get the boys to talk. But there's nothing to talk about". While no public explanation was then made for the Kalpoe rearrests, Dompig later said that it was an unsuccessful attempt to pressure the Kalpoe brothers into confessing. Subsequently, on September 14, all restrictions on them were removed by the Combined Appeals Court of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.
   In the months following his release, Joran van der Sloot gave several interviews, expanding upon his version of events, most notably a lengthy interview for On the Record which aired over three nights in March 2006. During the interview, Van der Sloot indicated that Holloway wanted to have sex with him, but he didn't because he didn't have a condom. Van der Sloot stated that Holloway wanted them to stay on the beach, but that he'd to go to school in the morning. According to Van der Sloot, he was picked up by Satish Kalpoe at about 3:00 a.m., leaving Holloway sitting on the beach. In August 2005, David Kock, Satish Kalpoe's attorney, stated that his client had gone to sleep, and hadn't returned to drive Van der Sloot home. Van der Sloot stated he was somewhat ashamed to have left a young woman alone on the beach, albeit by her own request, and related that he wasn't truthful at first because he was convinced Holloway would soon turn up. On January 17, 2006, Aruban police searched sand dunes on the northwest coast of Aruba in search of Holloway's body, as well as areas close by the Marriott beach. Additional searches took place in March and April 2006, without result.
   Shortly before leaving the case, Dompig gave an interview to CBS correspondent Troy Roberts, which was broadcast on March 25, 2006. In that interview, Dompig stated that he now believes Holloway probably died from self-consumed alcohol and/or drug poisoning, wasn't murdered, and that someone later hid her body. Dompig also stated that Aruba had spent about $3 million on the investigation, about 40% of the police operational budget. Dompig indicated that there's evidence that points to possession (though not necessarily use) of drugs by Holloway. Members of her family have denied drug use by Holloway.
   Dompig described the behavior of Holloway and her fellow students, stating there was "wild partying, a lot of drinking, lots of room switching every night. We know the Holiday Inn told them they weren't welcome next year. Natalee, we know, she drank all day every day. We have statements she started every morning with cocktails—so much drinking that Natalee didn't show up for breakfast two mornings." Two of Holloway's classmates, Liz Cain and Claire Fierman, "agreed that the drinking was kind of excessive".

Arrest of new suspects, the Dutch take over the investigation

On April 15, 2006, Geoffrey von Cromvoirt was arrested by Aruban authorities on suspicion of criminal offenses related to dealing in illegal narcotics that, according to the prosecutor, might have been related to the disappearance of Holloway. At his first court appearance, his detention was extended for eight days. However, Von Cromvoirt was released on April 25 2006. In addition, another individual with initials "A.B." was arrested on April 22 2006, but was released the same day. Wever was questioned for six days in Utrecht. While initially Aruban prosecutors sought his transfer to the island, he was instead released by agreement between the prosecutor and Wever's attorney.
   At Aruba's request the Netherlands took over the investigation. A team of the started work on the case in September 2006 following receipt of extensive case documentation in Rotterdam. On April 16, 2007 a combined Aruban-Dutch team began pursuing the investigation in Aruba. In the book, Van der Sloot gives his perspective of the night Holloway disappeared and the media frenzy which followed. He admits, and apologizes for, his initial untruths, but maintains his innocence.
   On April 27, 2007, a new search involving some twenty investigators was launched at the Van der Sloot family residence in Aruba. Dutch authorities searched the yard and surrounding area, using shovels and thin metal rods to penetrate the dirt.
   According to Jossy Mansur, managing editor of Aruba's Diario newspaper, investigators were following up on statements made during early suspect interrogations regarding calls made and emails sent between the Kalpoe brothers and Joran van der Sloot. He also said investigators could be seen examining a laptop at the house.
   On May 12, 2007, the Kalpoe family home was subject to an "inspection". The two brothers were detained for about an hour upon objecting to the entry by police and Dutch investigators, but were released when the authorities left. According to Kock, the brothers objected to the search because officials didn't show them an order justifying the intrusion. A statement from Van der Biezen didn't mention what, if anything, officials were searching for, but indicated nothing was removed from the home.

Rearrests and re-releases

With Aruban investigators citing what was described as newly discovered evidence, Joran van der Sloot and Satish and Deepak Kalpoe were rearrested November 21, 2007 on suspicion of involvement in "manslaughter and causing serious bodily harm that resulted in the death of Holloway". Van der Sloot was detained by Dutch authorities in the Netherlands, while the Kalpoe brothers were both detained in Aruba. That search, involving a vessel called the Persistence, was abandoned due to lack of funds at the end of February 2008 with nothing of significance found.
On November 30, 2007 a judge ordered the release of Satish and Deepak Kalpoe, despite attempts by the prosecution to extend their detention. The two brothers were released on the following day. The prosecution appealed the Kalpoes' release. That appeal was denied on December 5, 2007, with the court writing, "Notwithstanding expensive and lengthy investigations on her disappearance and on people who could be involved, the file against the suspect doesn't contain direct indications that Natalee passed away due to a violent crime". Van der Sloot was released without charge on December 7, 2007, due to lack of evidence implicating him as well as a lack of evidence that Holloway died as the result of a violent crime. The prosecution indicated it wouldn't appeal.
On December 18, 2007, prosecutor Hans Mos officially declared the case closed, and that no charges would be filed due to lack of evidence. The prosecution indicated a continuing interest in the Kalpoes and Joran van der Sloot (though they're now no longer legally suspects), and alleged that one of the three, in a chat room message, had stated that Holloway was dead. This was hotly contested by Deepak Kalpoe's attorney, who stated that the prosecution, in translating from Papiamento to Dutch, had misconstrued a reference to a teacher who had drowned as one to Holloway. Attorney Ronald Wix also stated, "Unless (Mos) finds a body in the bathroom of one of these kids, there's no way in hell they can arrest them anymore."

De Vries footage and "confession"

On January 31, 2008 Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries claimed that he'd solved the Holloway case. De Vries stated that he'd "tell all" on a special television program on Dutch TV on February 3. Beth Twitty's attorney, John Q. Kelly, told ABC News that he'd little faith that the supposed evidence would prove pivotal to the case and suggested that it would be quickly debunked. Later that day, Van der Sloot stated that he was secretly filmed by someone, but that he was telling the individual what he wanted to hear, and that he'd no role in her disappearance. That same day, the Aruba prosecutor's office announced the reopening of the case. and stating that he was with Holloway when she became unresponsive. Van der Sloot stated that he attempted to revive her, without success. He said that he called a friend, who told Van der Sloot to go home and who disposed of the body. An individual reputed to be this friend, identified in the broadcast as Daury, has subsequently denied Van der Sloot's account, indicating that he was then in Rotterdam at school.
   The Aruban prosecutor's office attempted to obtain an arrest warrant for Van der Sloot based on the tapes; however, a judge denied the request. The prosecutor appealed the denial, but the appeal failed on February 14, 2008. The appeals court held that the statements on the tape were inconsistent with evidence in the case and were insufficient to hold Van der Sloot.
   On February 8, 2008, Van der Sloot met with Aruban investigators in the Netherlands. Van der Sloot denied that what he said on the tape was true, stating that he was under the influence of marijuana at the time. Van der Sloot indicated that he still maintains that he left Holloway behind on the beach.
   In March 2008, news reports indicated that the tables had been turned on Van der Eem, who himself was secretly taped after giving an interview for Aruban TV. Van der Eem, under the impression that cameras had been turned off, kept talking. Van der Eem disclosed that he'd been a friend of Van der Sloot for years (contradicting his statement on the De Vries show that he'd met Van der Sloot in 2007), that he expects to become a millionaire off his involvement in the Holloway case, and that he knew the person who supposedly disposed of Holloway's body—and that Van der Sloot had asked him for two thousand euros to buy the man's silence. According to Dutch news service ANP, Van der Eem, who has already signed a book deal, "was furious" after learning of the taping, and "has threatened" the interviewer, who has sought legal advice.
   The De Vries broadcast was discussed in a seminar by Dutch legal psychologist Willem Albert Wagenaar who noted that "it isn't even a confession". Wagenaar criticized De Vries for broadcasting the material, stating that the broadcast made it harder to obtain a conviction, and had De Vries turned over the material to the authorities without broadcasting it, they'd have held "all the trumps" in questioning Van der Sloot. Mr. Wagenaar opined that not only is the case not solved, it isn't even clear that a crime was committed. Professor Crisje Brants, in the same seminar, also criticized De Vries's methods.

Reward

Following Holloway's disappearance, a reward of $50,000 was established for her return. The reward increased repeatedly, until on July 25, 2005, the reward for her safe return was increased from $200,000 to $1,000,000, with a $100,000 reward for information leading to the location of her remains. In August 2005, the reward for information as to her remains was increased from $100,000 to $250,000. The rewards were pledged by her family, ex-con and self-styled philanthropist Joe Mammana, the Aruban government, Carlos'n Charlie's Restaurant, and others. Mammana had been interviewed by the news media regarding the Holloway case. On March 2, 2007, the Philadelphia Daily News reported that Mammana intended to plead guilty to the charges, accept forfeiture of significant assets, and pay the IRS $200,000 before sentencing. The paper indicated that Mammana's pledge towards the Holloway rewards had been $100,000. Manamma remains incarcerated.

Beth Twitty's involvement

Beth Twitty alleged in televised interviews that Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers know more than they've told, and that at least one of them sexually assaulted or raped her daughter. In addition, Dompig has denied that any such statement was made, stating that Van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers consistently denied having sex with Holloway.
   On June 12, 2005, three days after the arrest of Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers, and in response to a nationally-televised address by Aruba Prime Minister Nelson Oduber reaffirming Aruba's commitment to solving the case, Twitty stated, "I'm not getting any answers." She added, "I don't feel any further along than the day I got here." Twitty subsequently stated that her complaints were not addressed specifically at the Aruban government, but arose from frustration at not knowing what happened to her daughter.
   On July 5, 2005, following the initial release of the Kalpoes, Twitty alleged, "Two suspects were released yesterday who were involved in a violent crime against my daughter", and referred to the Kalpoes as "criminals". On July 8, 2005, and after Satish Kalpoe's attorney threatened legal action over Twitty's allegations (which he described as "prejudicial, inflammatory, libelous, and totally outrageous"), Twitty read a statement which said her remarks were fueled by "despair and frustration" and that she "apologize to the Aruban people and to the Aruban authorities if I or my family offended you in any way". Subsequently, Twitty also based her allegations on the Skeeters tape (see below), indicating that she believes that Deepak Kalpoe answered affirmatively to the suggestion that all three had sex with Holloway.
   Twitty has been criticized for what is perceived as excessive focus on Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers, to the exclusion of any other theory as to what happened to Holloway. According to the lawsuit filed by the Kalpoe brothers, she's (on various television programs) repeatedly accused them, and Joran van der Sloot, of "sexual assault" and "gang rape" of her daughter.
   Twitty has also been criticized for making what have been deemed to be inconsistent and contradictory statements (for example, as to whether there were operating security cameras at the Holiday Inn). According to Julia Renfro, U.S.-born owner of the Aruban tourist-oriented newspaper, Aruba Today, who befriended Twitty in the early days of the investigation, Twitty pandered to tabloid TV and her "behavior was odd from the get-go". Twitty also alleges that the individual Joran van der Sloot supposedly called that evening was his father, Paulus, who, according to Twitty, "orchestrated what to do next". She, and Dave Holloway, alleged that Joran van der Sloot was receiving "special legal favors". After the court decision not to rearrest Van der Sloot was affirmed, Twitty stated, "I think that what I do take comfort in, his life is a living hell."
   In response to Holloway's disappearance, Twitty founded the International Safe Travels Foundation. Twitty is working with Auburn University to develop a curriculum that she hopes "will be the foremost authority on travel education".
   Twitty's book Loving Natalee: A Mother's Testament of Hope and Faith,|Beth Twitty}}

Criticism of the investigation

The Twittys and their supporters criticized a perceived lack of progress by Aruban police. The Twittys' own actions in Aruba were also criticized, and the Twittys were accused of actively stifling any evidence that might impugn Holloway's character by asking her fellow students to remain silent about the case and using their access to the media to push their own version of events. The Twittys denied this. Riley also wrote to other United States governors seeking their support—the governors of Georgia and Arkansas eventually joined in the call for boycott. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, city council voted to ask the governor of Pennsylvania to call for a boycott. The governor didn't join in the call for a boycott, and no federal support was given.
The boycott was supported by some of Alabama's Congressional delegation, including both senators and Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), who represents Mountain Brook. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) voiced his support for the boycott in a letter to the American Society of Travel Agents. Shelby stated, "For the safety, security and wellbeing of our citizens, I don't believe that we can trust that we'll be protected while in Aruba".
Members of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association, the Aruba Tourism Authority, the Aruba Hospitality and Security Foundation, the Aruban Chamber of Commerce and government figures, including Public Relations Representative Ruben Trapenberg, formed an "Aruba Strategic Communications Task Force" to respond collectively to what they perceived to be unfounded and/or negative portrayals of the island. The group issued press releases and sent representatives to appear in news media. They joined the Aruban government in opposing the calls for a boycott of the island.

Skeeters tape and Dr. Phil; lawsuits

On September 15, 2005, the Dr. Phil television show showed parts of a hidden-camera interview with Deepak Kalpoe in which, Kalpoe seems to answer "She did. You'd be surprised how easy it was." to a suggestion that Holloway had sex with all of them. The taping had been instigated by Jamie Skeeters, a private investigator. When the tape was broadcast, news reports indicated an expectation of a rearrest, which Dompig termed a "strong possiblity" if the tapes were legitimate. The Dutch forensic institute investigated the credibility of the tapes, and concluded that the version aired on the Dr. Phil show was a manipulated version of the original, and that Kalpoe actually said "No, she didn't," followed by, "You'd be surprised how simple it would have been."
In December 2006, the Kalpoes filed a slander and libel suit against Dr. Phil and Skeeters (who died in January 2007) Beth Twitty and Dave Holloway responded by filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the Kalpoes in the same venue. The wrongful death suit was dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction on June 1, 2007; the libel and slander case remains pending.
On November 10, 2005, Paulus van der Sloot won an unjust detention action against the Aruban government, clearing him as a suspect and allowing him to retain his government contract. The action was initially successful, but the award of damages was reversed on appeal.

Amigoe article

On July 3 2007, the Netherlands Antilles newspaper Amigoe reported on a documentary video being produced by Renée Gielen, previously best known for exposé documentaries about Curacao's Bon Futuro prison. The video was based in part on interviews with Dompig and with Renfro.
   According to interviews done in preparation for the film, Aruban authorities had been systematically obstructed in their investigation by the FBI and other American authorities. They also indicate that within a day of Holloway being declared missing, a medjet, unauthorized by Aruban authorities, had arrived on Aruba and had remained for several days. They further indicate that, while the purpose of the medjet wasn't even known to its crew and medical personnel, it was in fact to spirit Holloway off the island if she were freed from a drug house in Oranjestad. Holloway's departure was to be covert and without notice to local authorities.
   The article states that Renfro and Beth Twitty received a phone call from an unknown woman on June 2, 2005. That woman was offering information about Holloway's location and the information that Holloway was still alive but was unwilling to return to her mother. Further information was offered for $4,000. Twitty was unwilling to pay more than $1,000 for the information, and in fact didn't pay anything. Believing there was a good chance of finding Holloway, Renfro and another American went to the drug house where Holloway supposedly was, bringing money. However, they found that Jug Twitty had already been to the area, spreading "a lot of uproar and panic in the direct vicinity", and nothing could be accomplished. They blamed Jug Twitty for the failure. while Grace's show became the cornerstone of the new "Headline Prime" block on Headline News, which ran two episodes (a live show and a repeat) every night during prime-time. As the case wore on, much of the attention was given to Beth Twitty and her statements.
   Said Aruban government spokesman Ruben Trapenberg, "The case is under a microscope, and the world is watching."
   Early in the case, conservative commentator and columnist Arianna Huffington wrote, "If you were to get your news only from television, you'd think the top issue facing our country right now is an 18-year-old girl named Natalee who went missing in Aruba. Every time one of these stories comes up, like, say, Michael Jackson, when it's finally over I think, what a relief, now we can get back to real news. But we never do."
   CBS senior journalist Danna Walker stated, "There is criticism that it's only a story because she's a pretty blonde–and white –and it's criticism that journalists are taking to heart and looking elsewhere for other stories. But it's a big story because it's an American girl who went off on an adventure, and didn't come back. It is a huge mystery, it's something people can identify with." Beth Twitty and Dave Holloway alleged that Aruba took advantage of the extensive coverage of the hurricane to release the suspects. Lamented Dave Holloway in his book,

Hurricane Katrina had left the door open for the boys to be sent on their way with little publicity and few restrictions because it took the world's focus off of Natalee, but only for a brief time. The huge amount of publicity had waned and, during that time of quiet for us, Joran and the Kalpoe brothers were sent home. . . . All of the news shows that had followed our every move only a day before had now become fixated on the next big ratings grabber: the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

However, the deadline for judicial review of Joran van der Sloot's detention was set long before the hurricane.Further Information

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