First, some details on the search. The "Iberia" mentioned in the article below is in Louisiana. Article from http://www.iberianet.com/articles/2007/11/29/news/news/news00.txt:
From here to Aruba
Thursday, November 29, 2007 12:37 PM CST
BY JEFF MOORE, THE DAILY IBERIAN
An expedition to search the waters off
Aruba for the remains of missing Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway leaves today
from the Port of Iberia.
The research vessel Persistence, owned by the Lafayette-based Silvetti
Group, will make the 10-day journey to the island. A 20- to 25-man crew will
spend at least two weeks surveying the sea floor for Holloway, who has been
missing since May 30, 2005.
Holloway, 18, was last seen leaving a bar with three men hours before she
was scheduled to fly home with high school classmates celebrating their
graduation. Last week, police re-arrested the three men, prompting her father to
re-launch the search in deep waters.
John Silvetti said his company became involved in the search after he was
contacted by Louis Schaefer, chairman of Superior Offshore International.
Schaefer had been approached by Texas Equusearch, a non-profit organization that
has been searching for Holloway for more than two years.
Schaefer asked Silvetti if he could provide the survey personnel and the
geophysical equipment required for the search. After spending a weekend with
Schaefer and Pam and Dave Holloway, Silvetti agreed.
“It ripped my heart out to hear them say that right now all they’re looking
for is to have a funeral in Alabama,” Silvetti said. “What do you say to someone
like that?”
Silvetti agreed to provide his equipment and primary survey vessel at well
below cost, with Schaefer covering all out-of-pocket expenses. Silvetti said his
staff volunteered its services for the project as well.
“They said ‘You don’t even have to pay me. I just want to help,’” Silvetti
said. “That just tells me we’ve got the right people on board.”
Marc Broussard, project manager for the Silvetti Group, said the company
normally performs surveys looking for oil rigs and downed helicopters. Now, it
will be using its high-resolution SONAR equipment to look for a body.
To upgrade its systems for the terrain in Aruba, Broussard said the
Silvetti Group looked to its vendors, two of which are based in New
Iberia.
Seatronics, located at the Port of Iberia, agreed to donate some of its
high-tech electronic equipment to scan the ocean floor.
“I told (Silvetti) any opportunity that we had to go in on such a good
cause, we would go in on it,” said Erik McGuire, vice president of Seatronics
Inc.“We’re more than happy to give the best effort possible to recover this girl
for her family.”
Pro Log Inc. also stepped forth to provide a command center building where
all of the surveying equipment will be stored. Like many people around the
country, Pro Log Human Resources Director Heidi Parker said she has been
following Holloway’s disappearance closely.
“We’re a family-owned business, so family is very important to us,” Parker
said. “Anything we can do to help this family out is something that we’re going
to do.”
After more than two years of searching, Texas Equusearch office manager
Cheryl Lawless said she is hoping the organization’s fifth trip to Aruba will be
its last. She said the venture would not be possible without the help of
Schaefer, Silvetti and the other local companies.
“Nothing is being done to gain name recognition. This is to help these
people,” Silvetti said. “Most of us have watched this on television, and I can
only imagine the horror any parent would go through searching for their child in
a foreign country.”
Next, an update on the suspects. From http://www.nbc13.com/gulfcoastwest/vtm/news.apx.-content-articles-VTM-2007-11-29-0014.html:
Detainment Hearing Scheduled For Holloway Suspects
Thursday, Nov 29, 2007 - 04:45 PM
By NBC 13 Staff
A hearing is scheduled for tomorrow in Aruba on whether
there is enough evidence to detain the Kalpoe brothers for another 8 days
otherwise they will be released tomorrow.
Prosecutors want the Kalpoe
brothers to have two separate legal teams so they can't coordinate
statements.
They also want to keep Joran Van Der Sloot isolated from his
family and any outside influence.
Defense attorneys for Van Der Sloot want
him to have fewer restrictions while in jail.
The three suspects were the
last people known to see 18-year-old Natalee Holloway alive before she vanished
May 30th, 2005.
(For more on the "restrictions on Joran van der Sloot, see http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/11/27/holloway.arrest/.)
And finally, most places are reporting the "new evidence" as transcripts of tapped phone conversations. From http://www.wbko.com/news/headlines/11861796.html:
Lawyers For Man Arrested In Holloway Disappearance Disputes Evidence
Posted: 2:45 PM Nov 27, 2007
Last Updated: 5:08 PM Nov 27, 2007
Lawyers for one of the men arrested in the disappearance of a US teenager in Aruba, is disputing there's new evidence in the case.
Prosecutors have submitted what they say is new evidence to a judge to justify detaining the three men.
The attorneys say the evidence is not significant or new.
They accuse prosecutors of rehashing old evidence and they predict all three suspects will be released again.
"We found these new leads and re-investigated the old file we had. Then you have to
make a decision. Do you just want to cover up like some people in America think
we do? And say okay, everything is nice and quiet in Aruba, and we don't do
anything anymore? That was not our choice, we wanted to solve this case," stated
Helen Lejuez, Beth Twitty's Aruban attorney.
A case that's been a mystery on this island since May of 2005 when Natalee Holloway disappeared on her last night of vacation.
"Aruba has no secrets. This is the first secret I've ever seen on this island. And that's why I know there are people that know what's going on," added Lejuez.
But does that include Joran Van Der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers, Satish and Deepak? The last known people to see Holloway alive?
Attorneys for Sateesh say the prosecution's only rehashing old evidence.
"They reorganize it and then put it on the table again and say it's new because we say it's new," stated David Kock, defense attorney.
The prosecution's evidence apparently includes recordings of cell phone conversations inside the Kalpoe's home.
Transcripts of those calls indicate Joran saying to Deepak, "You know what
happened to that girl."
Later, Joran added, "If you have done something bad to the girl, we will see."
Natalee Holloway was last seen leaving a bar with the men on May 30, 2005.
If you have any information on Natalee's whereabouts, please call the FBI tipline at 1-877-628-2533.
Natalee's website: http://www.allpointsbulletin.org/Natalee_Holloway.html
Photos of Natalee from her website.
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