Natalee Holloway now missing 2 years, Aruba

When we first heard this story, did we think this much time would pass before Natalee was found? Despite all the media coverage and all the searches, she is still missing, and little can be done (prosecution wise) until there is some solid evidence.

However, there has been some action in the case lately. To briefly sum it up, here is a transcript from the May 30 episode of On the Record with Greta van Susteren (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,276715,00.html):

Missing in Paradise: Where Is Natalee Holloway?
Thursday, May 31, 2007
This is a rush transcript from "On the Record ," May 30, 2007. This copy may
not be in its final form and may be updated.
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, HOST:
Eighteen-year-old Natalee Holloway headed off to Aruba for an
exciting high school graduation trip with friends in 2005. She said goodbye to
her mother and left Alabama for an island vacation. That was the last time Beth
Holloway saw her teenage daughter. And it was exactly two years ago tonight that
Natalee was out with friends at a nightclub in Aruba.
What happened after she
left the club? That remains a horrible mystery. Two years, plenty of heartache
but still no answers for Natalee's mother and father.
Beth Holloway joins us
tonight from Birmingham. Beth, I can only imagine, not only two years ago that
she left that club, but also you got that phone call two years ago and a few
hours from now. Is there any way to describe — describe how you're
doing?
BETH HOLLOWAY, NATALEE'S MOTHER: Well, I know one thing as far as the
phone call, Greta. It's the phone call that no parent wants to receive. And you
know, it's been a long, painful journey of two years. And I, you know, never
could have imagined all that has taken place, and you know, nor could I have
imagined when I received that phone call the twists and turns of this event and
how it was all going to unfold. And it's been unimaginable journey,
Greta.
VAN SUSTEREN: Do you give up hope, at some point, and sort of
reconcile yourself to the fact that this is the way it is?
HOLLOWAY: I don't
give up hope that I will get an answer one day. You know, I still am hopeful
about that, Greta. You know, and with things that happened just as recently as
the — you know, the latest developments, it does give you a little bit of
resurgence, and you know, remind you that, you know, things could still be
forthcoming. So I still remain hopeful that I will get an answer.
VAN
SUSTEREN: Well, it's- it's — I mean, you show a sense of optimism and you're
upbeat, you know, when we talk. I guess that the thing that's sort of
distressing from afar is that you get — you get word that there's going to be a
search someplace and it sounds like they're finally onto something, and then all
of a sudden, it falls flat like a big thud, and then that's the end of it. I
mean, you go up and down.
HOLLOWAY: Well, you're exactly right, and I think
the most painful thing that's occurred just recently was the search of the Van der
Sloot property. I think that, you know, that probably hit me harder than
anything else, Greta. And I don't know if it had been the time that had
transpired or if was just the act of — you know, of knowing what they were doing
and what they would possibly be searching for. But I think that was probably the
most difficult thing that I've faced in this journey. It was — I didn't see it
coming, and you know, I just had a really hard time with that.
VAN SUSTEREN:
You know, I've always found it particularly cruel that the Aruban government or
the prosecutor didn't provide you and Natalee's father more information about
the status of the investigation. They claim it's the rules, but frankly, I — I
think that there must be some way around that (INAUDIBLE) to be — to be humane.
Do you have any contact whatsoever with the current prosecutor?
HOLLOWAY: No,
I don't. And of course, John Kelly has been communicating with him. And I think,
over the least couple of weeks, things have picked up somewhat in the
communicative process from the justice officials in Aruba. So you know, it's
been a long time forthcoming, but I think it has picked up lately.
VAN
SUSTEREN: Well, you might get some information out of the lawsuit that you and
Dave have filed against the Kalpoe brothers. I know that John Q. Kelly is out in
California to argue at least part of it on Friday. But if you're able to
proceed, you're going to get the Kalpoe brothers under oath at a deposition and
ask them lots of questions, so maybe you'll get information then.
HOLLOWAY:
Oh, absolutely. And I mean, that's something that is still very much viable, and
you know, we hope that that will happen.
VAN SUSTEREN: Do you hear from — I
know Natalee's friends spent a lot — stayed in touch with you for a long time.
Do you still stay in touch with Natalee's friends?
HOLLOWAY: I do. I do,
periodically. You know, they're busy with school. They, of course, now finished
and are home for the summer. But you know, yes. They would maintain a periodic
phone call or I would to them. So yes, and that's been good. It's been very
therapeutic for me, and I hope, as well, for them.
VAN SUSTEREN: Well, I have
hounded you to write a book. And I know that you kept very careful notes during
the investigation, but I kept telling you that all the viewers want more
information. They want to find out anything about it. You're starting to write a
book?
HOLLOWAY: I am. I am. And you know, Greta, I feel as if — you know, if
we can share some of the painful lessons that I've learned and the power of
faith and can share these lessons with other parents and young adults, then, you
know — and if I can prevent this tragedy from happening to another family, then
it will be — well have been worth the writing of this book. So that is my
hope.
VAN SUSTEREN: Well, I'm glad you're writing it. I know that I've been
pounding you to write it, just from the massive number of e-mails we get from
viewers who — they still — they send e-mails all the time, What's up with
Natalee? Anyway, Beth, thank you. Sorry that we're at this anniversary point.
Maybe next year at this time, we'll have answers. Thank you, Beth.
HOLLOWAY:
Thank you, Greta.

A few of my own little comments:

- I notice that Natalee's mom is referred to as "Beth Holloway". She is divorced (0r at least in the process of divorce) from George "Jug" Twitty as of last December. It seems odd that she went back to her surname from her previous marriage instead of her maiden name. Maybe as a tribute to Natalee? Or maybe it is an honest mistake on the part of Greta and the transcriber(s)?

- For more details on the van der Sloot search, which occurred April 27 and 28, see http://www.wtol.com/global/story.asp?s=6453297 and http://www.nbc13.com/gulfcoastwest/vtm/news.apx.-content-articles-VTM-2007-05-03-0016.html. The Kalpoe brothers' home was searched on May 12 of this year. (See http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=nation_world&id=5299653. I am not sure that calling the Kalpoes "one-time suspects" is quite accurate, since as far as I know, the only person who has been officially cleared of suspicion is Paulus van der Sloot.)

- As you probably already know, Natalee's father, Dave Holloway, has already published a book,
Aruba: The Tragic Untold Story of Natalee Holloway and Corruption in Paradise (co-authored with R. Stephanie Good and Larry Garrison). It will probably also be good to hear Natalee's mother's side of the story, but I still think it is a little too soon for either of them to have published books on her disappearance. Maybe it would be different if she had been missing for longer. Dave, at least, would have to write a sequel after Natalee or her body is found, and there seems to be a lot of uncertainty even though suspicions always come back to Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers. According to Amazon.com, Beth Holloway (yes her name is listed that way there, too)'s book is called Evidence of Faith: Loving Natalee -- A Mother's Testament of Hope and is scheduled to be released on October 2. And I suppose I will probably go out and buy it, too, even if I think it is too soon.

Anyway, there is an update on the lawsuit and it is not good news for the Holloway family. I can see the reasoning, though.

Article from http://cbs2.com/local/local_story_152135917.html:

Jun 1, 2007 10:53 am US/Pacific
Wrongful Death Lawsuit Dismissed In
Holloway Case
(CBS) LOS ANGELES A wrongful death lawsuit filed in Los Angeles
against two Aruban brothers by the parents of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway was
dismissed Friday by a judge.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charles C. Lee granted a motion by Deepak
and Satish Kalpoe to throw out the lawsuit brought by Elizabeth Ann Twitty and
Dave E. Holloway because it has no connection to California and the court has no
jurisdiction over the siblings.
Natalee was vacationing with friends on the Caribbean island resort when
the 18-year-old disappeared the night of May 30, 2005.
The Kalpoes and another Aruban resident, Joran van der Sloot, have been the
subject of scrutiny by Aruban authorities and the U.S. media. All three were
arrested in connection with the girl's disappearance, but were later released.
The Kalpoes and van der Sloot have maintained that they were not involved
in her disappearance and also have denied rumors and allegations they had sex
with her.
According to court papers filed by the brothers' attorneys, an important
ruling occurred Jan. 24 in another case involving the Kalpoes in which they sued
"Dr. Phil" McGraw and CBS Television for defamation.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Edward A. Ferns ruled that the wrongful
death claim of the teen's parents against the Kalpoes is substantially different
from the defamation lawsuit against the celebrity doctor.
The Kalpoes allege they were defamed in a Sept. 15, 2005, "Dr. Phil" show
that they maintain falsely suggested they gave Holloway a date rape drug and had
non-consensual group sex with her.
The episode also implied the siblings helped kill Holloway and dispose of
her body, according to the lawsuit, which is the subject of a hearing scheduled
for Wednesday.
"These actions do not arise from the same or substantially identical
transactions, happenings or events," Ferns wrote, in ruling that both cases
should not be kept before the same judge.
In addition to defamation, the Kalpoes' suit alleges invasion of privacy,
emotional distress, fraud, deceit and civil conspiracy.
William Cremer, an attorney representing the Kalpoes in both the wrongful
death suit and the defamation case, said outside the courtroom that he is
pleased with the ruling dismissing the suit by Natalee's parents.
"It was what we anticipated," Cremer said. "The only reason it was filed
was to detract attention from the Dr. Phil case."
Cremer said the only proper place to file a wrongful death case would be in
Aruba, but he said that also would be pointless.
"They don't have a shred of evidence against them," Cremer said. John Q.
Kelly, an attorney for Twitty and Dave Holloway, said he was disappointed with
the ruling and will talk with his clients about their future course of action,
which could include an appeal.
"There are all kinds of promising issues," Kelly said. Natalee's parents
were pessimistic about the chances of the lawsuit going forward, in part because
their previous wrongful death suit, filed against van der Sloot last year in New
York, also was dismissed, Kelly said.
Unlike the case against the Kalpoes, van der Sloot was personally served
with the lawsuit against him during a visit to the U.S., Kelly said.
Twitty, of Alabama, and Holloway, of Mississippi, filed their suit against
the Kalpoes the day after the brothers sued McGraw. The suit maintained they
caused fatal injuries to Natalee, even though her body has never been found and
Aruban authorities have not determined if she is dead or alive.
Twitty and Dave Holloway, who are divorced, maintained that by bringing an
action against McGraw in Los Angeles, the Kalpoes voluntarily submitted
themselves to the Los Angeles Superior Court jurisdiction.
But in their court papers, attorneys for the Kalpoes argued that Twitty and
Holloway are not part of the defamation case; that the alleged misconduct by the
defendants in the lawsuits occurred in two entirely different locations, Aruba
and California; and that one suit involves wrongful death and the other
defamation.
In support of their motion, the siblings' attorneys attached to their court
papers a declaration by their mother, Kemwattie Ramirez, stating that her sons
live with her in Aruba and have no ties to California.
"Neither Deepak nor Satish has ever traveled to California, or anywhere
within the United States, for business or pleasure," according to their mother,
who also said her sons have no business, employment of financial ties to
California.
George "Jug" Twitty, Twitty's most recent husband and Natalee's stepfather,
filed for divorce in December. Before the breakup, he and Elizabeth Twitty made
numerous media appearances together after Natalee went missing.

One last tidbit of lesser known news: a British psychic is claiming that he has information on Natalee's disappearance in the form of a Kansas "numberplate", which I'm guessing is the British term for a license plate. That certainly seems far fetched, and for the record I do not believe in psychics, but I suppose it is worth mentioning in case it somehow proves relevant.

If you have any useful information on the disappearance of Natalee Ann Holloway, please call 1-866-SOS-LOST (1-866-767-5678).

Natalee's website: http://www.natalee-holloway.com

Natalee's guesbook: http://www.natalee-holloway.com/guestbook/addentry.php

A couple blogs about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com, http://justicefornataleeholloway.blogspot.com

Photo of Natalee from her website.