Natalee Holloway: the civil case

Possible correction - 4/23/08 - Now it is being reported that Joran is not in a mental institution but instead in Thailand. See http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62906 for more info.

Article translation posted at http://scaredmonkeys.net/index.php?topic=2745.msg370675. Original at http://www.amigoe.com/artman/publish/artikel_41150.php. Apparently it was translated through a website, which would explain why the grammar sounds strange in some places and a few words are still in Dutch.

Lawyer Moszkowicz dagvaart Joran and parents
April 3, 2008, 17:56 (GMT -04:00)
ORANJESTAD / AMSTERDAM - Joran van der Sloot and his parents sued the
coming days. They must appear before the court in order to be heard under oath
about their role during and after the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. That
message De Telegraaf today.
The summonses are part of a series injunction in the civil case that the
mother of Natalee Holloway, Beth Reynolds in the Netherlands has begun. They
require a substantial compensation and satisfaction for the "shockschade" that
Joran van der Sloot it has carried out. She is convinced that he was involved in
the disappearance of her daughter.
Beth Reynolds is assisted by Bram Moszkowicz and Roger Schmidt. It has
advocatenkoppel summonses to prepare for virtually all 'stakeholders', including
Patrick van der Eem, Peter R. De Vries and the brothers Deepak and Satish
Kalpoe.
"During the questioning, the witnesses required answers to all the
questions," says Moszkowicz in the article in De Telegraaf. "There is no
absolute right to remain silent, as in criminal law. This will allow hearings
for Justice also interesting. "
According to the reporters, Joran voluntarily under treatment of the
psychiatric institution Altrecht in Den Dolder. He would stay in an open section
and therapy for people who are stuck in everyday life and suffer from
'behavioural and psychiatric problems. " It has been suggested that the possible
inclusion is a deliberate move to Jorans lawyer, Bert de Rooij, argued that his
client may not be able to answer. Van der Sloot would under his schuilnamen
again at various pokersites are identified.
The summons for Patrick van der Eem and misdaadjournalist Peter R. De Vries
wants Moszkowicz reach to see an end to the debate on the legality of the
undercover operation.

Meanwhile, the side-scan sonar search of the ocean around Aruba ended around March 3 (date of last post on http://nholloway.blogspot.com/).

If you have any additional information about what happened to Natalee, please call the FBI tipline at 1-877-628-2533.
Natalee's website: http://www.allpointsbulletin.org/Natalee_Holloway.html
Another blog about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com/

Photo of Natalee from The Search for Natalee Holloway blog.

Natalee Holloway: Evidence on tape?

And, of course, Joran is in denial, saying this time he was lying. (This from someone who has changed his story more than twenty times!)

From http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/2020/story?id=4239135&page=1 (3-page article):

Holloway Prosecutor to Seek New Arrest Warrant
Aruban
Prosecutor to Appeal a Judge's Decision Denying Him a Warrant for Joran Van der
Sloot

By CHRIS FRANCESCANI
ABC News Law & Justice Unit
Feb. 4, 2008

Police searched the home of Joran van der Sloot
Monday, one day after an undercover video was broadcast on Dutch TV in which he
bragged about having a friend dump the apparently lifeless body of Natalee
Holloway at sea.
The TV report by a Dutch journalist triggered new interest
in the frustrating two-year probe into the disappearance of the Alabama teenager
who vanished during a drunken night in Aruba.
Aruba prosecutors appealed a
judge's refusal to issue a third arrest warrant for Van der Sloot, and police
and journalists were hunting for the man Van der Sloot identified only as
"Daury" who allegedly took Holloway's body out to sea and got rid of it. Already
a Dutch newspaper claims to have spoken to Daury and reported that he denied the
allegation.
ABC News has obtained exclusive U.S. rights to this stunning new
information caught on tape and will air a 90-minute special edition of "20/20:
The Final Hours of Natalee Holloway" Monday at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Investigators
searched two homes in the Netherlands this morning where Van der Sloot lives or
has lived, Aruba's chief public prosecutor Hans Mos said today.
But Mos has
been blocked from issuing a new arrest warrant for Van der Sloot and went to
court to appeal the ruling.
Mos said today he considers undercover tapes
made by Dutch investigative reporter Peter De Vries to be "very valuable
information'' that he believes will ultimately prove to be admissible in court.
"We consider it serious information and very valuable information,'' Mos
told reporters at a press conference here today. "That's why we asked as judge
to reopen the investigation."
A judge granted that request last week, but
denied prosecutors' request for a third arrest warrant. Van der Sloot and two
other Aruban men were arrested in the summer of 2005 and rearrested again last
fall before they were released for lack of evidence in December.
An Aruban
judge "put the threshold very, very high [for an arrest warrant for Van der
Sloot] because, he said, this is the third time you have asked me for a
rearrest,'' Mos said. "This was a tough decision for the judge, and it was also
a tough decision for my office to consider a rearrest for the third time."
Van der Sloot last week insisted he had lied earlier this month when he told
Van der Eem, whom he considered a close friend and confidant, that he'd panicked
when Holloway appeared to go into convulsions during a sexual encounter and
called a friend who took her seemingly lifeless body out to sea.
Mos said he
was unimpressed by those denials.
"That's exactly what we expected him to
do,'' Mos said at a press conference Monday. "This was expected by us. Yet [Van
der Sloot] made these statements not one time, but several times. He repeated
this story."
A key question that remains unanswered is whether the
undercover tapes, 20 hours in all, will be admissible as evidence. Noting that
De Vries' investigation was "private," Mos seemed to indicate that fact would
play in prosecutors' favor.
"We did not influence in any way his gathering
of this information,'' Mos said.
Independent attorneys on Aruba have
questioned the validity of the tapes in a court of law.
"The evidence has to
be legally acceptable to a judge,'' said Aruban attorney Chris Lejuez. "If a
policeman would be involved in an investigation like [De Vries'] without the
proper instruction from a judge, it would not be legally acceptable."
Still,
Lejuez said, De Vries is "a very well known Dutch reporter who has solved many
other complex cases. He has become famous for this. He has solved cases nobody
else thought could be solved, using, of course, his own methods."
This is
the second set of prosecutors who have sought to solve the disappearance of
Natalee Holloway, who was visiting Aruba on a high school graduation class trip.
She met Van der Sloot and two other local men at a raucous nightclub called
Carlos N' Charlies. From there, she and Van der Sloot went to a beach in the
early morning hours for an amorous encounter.
Van der Sloot, who had
steadfastly insisted for more than two years that he left the young woman there
on the beach, has long been the key suspect in the case.
Last May, a fresh team of police investigators and prosecutors headed by
Mos took over the vexing case in the hope that new eyes would find new leads to
follow. That same month, Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, who were with Van der Sloot
the night he met Holloway, were briefly rearrested and a surprise search was
conducted of their home, a modest, neon-green, single-story house near the base
of Hooiberg Mountain.
During the May search of the home, investigators
allegedly planted bugs there so they could monitor the brothers' conversations,
defense attorneys claimed.
Because of information gleaned from those
wiretaps, all three men were rearrested last fall, but were all released for
lack of evidence. Late last year, Mos announced that the case would be closed,
essentially admitting defeat.
It was after that December release that De
Vries' undercover investigation began in earnest.

If you have any additional information about what happened to Natalee, please call the FBI tipline at 1-877-628-2533.

Natalee's website: http://www.allpointsbulletin.org/Natalee_Holloway.html

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

Natalee Holloway: recent news

Some of the new evidence is pretty interesting, but apparently it is still not enough yet. Except for the underwater search there doesn't seem to be much happening in Natalee's case right now (it has been closed, after all), so most of this is basically opinions and retrospection.

From http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/12/21/holloway.case/index.html?section=cnn_latest:

updated 10:19 a.m. EST, Fri December 21, 2007
Holloway case in 'new phase,' prosecutor
says
ORANJESTAD, Aruba (CNN) -- The investigation into the disappearance of
Natalee Holloway is not closed but has entered a new phase, as four detectives
continue to look for evidence, Aruba's chief public prosecutor says.
Charges
were dropped against Joran van der Sloot and brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe,
prosecutor Hans Mos said, not because he didn't have a case but because he
couldn't be sure of a conviction.
The decision not to prosecute doesn't mean
"there is not a file in which these three people are primary persons of
interest," Mos told CNN.
He said his office remains determined to find the
truth. "We believe justice will prevail one day, but we cannot force that right
now."
Mos on Thursday laid out the evidence authorities have in the Alabama
teenager's disappearance on May 30, 2005.
In an Internet chat shortly after
Holloway vanished, one of the three suspects said she was dead, Mos said.
The chat, retrieved from a computer hard disk, was among new evidence
prosecutors used to justify re-arresting the three in November, he said.
New
technology that was not available in 2005 was used to find that chat and more
between two of the three suspects, as well as others, he said.
Judges,
however, ruled the new evidence was not enough to keep the suspects behind
bars.
In the chat, Mos told CNN's Susan Candiotti, one of the suspects said,
"The fact that she's dead is not good," referring to Holloway.
Other chats
written before May 30 were also found, in which the suspects discussed "picking
up American girls and what they plan to do with them," Mos said. Such chats gave
authorities an idea of how the suspects operated, he said.
But, he said,
authorities did not find any further discussion of Holloway's death or how she
died. "If we had that, we would have been much further [along] than we are now,"
Mos said.
Other evidence against the three included two new witness
statements. In one, a female friend told authorities that one suspect called her
about five hours after Holloway was last seen leaving an Oranjestad, Aruba, nightclub with van der Sloot and the Kalpoes.
The female friend said that she could tell during the conversation that
something was wrong, Mos said. When she asked about it, the suspect -- whom Mos
did not name -- told her that "he didn't want to cause her any trouble, and that
what had happened couldn't be discussed over the phone," he said.
Police
wanted to ask the suspect what he meant by that statement, he said, but after
their re-arrest, all three men exercised their right to remain silent and
refused to speak to authorities. See a timeline of how the case has developed »
A second
witness statement came from a teacher who said that another one of the suspects
exhibited "very peculiar behavior" the day after Holloway's disappearance,
including making or receiving a lot of telephone calls, Mos said.
A fourth
piece of new evidence came when authorities bugged the Kalpoe home in June and
picked up a conversation about what happened that night, he said, but did not
elaborate.
Holloway, 18, disappeared while visiting Aruba with about
100 classmates celebrating their graduation from Mountain Brook High School in
suburban Birmingham, Alabama, and was last seen leaving the nightclub with the
three suspects.
All three suspects were arrested and released in the case in
2005. They were rearrested November 21, with authorities citing new and
incriminating evidence against them.
In freeing the Kalpoes from jail
November 30, judges from Aruba's Court of Appeal wrote that there was no
evidence that Holloway died as a result of a violent crime or that the suspects
were involved in such a crime. Using similar reasoning, a judge released van der
Sloot a week later.
All three have maintained their innocence. The Kalpoes
have told police they dropped Holloway and van der Sloot off near a lighthouse
on the northern tip of the island after leaving the nightclub. Van der Sloot's
mother, Anita, has said her son told her he was on the beach with Holloway but
left her there because she wanted to stay.
What authorities needed, Mos said,
was for at least one of the three to explain what happened that night. That's
why, he said, his office went to the expense of transferring van der Sloot from
the Netherlands, where he is attending college, after arresting him again in
November -- out of hopes that he might talk.
"You never know whether a person
two years later will, yes or no, open up," he said.
Mos acknowledged the new
evidence against the three was circumstantial, and arresting them again may have
been a long shot, but "we had to give it a shot."
"I would never have
forgiven myself," he said, and never would have been able to answer the question
"Why didn't you even try?" given the new evidence.
"And that's exactly what
we did. I'd rather give it a try and not succeed than not give it a try at all.
We gave it everything we got. We cannot torture these three guys and make them
tell what happened."

From http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071222/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/aruba_missing_teen_1:

Defense response to Aruban prosecutors
By MARGARET WEVER, Associated
Press Writer Fri Dec 21, 9:19 PM ET
ORANJESTAD, Aruba - A suspect in the
disappearance of Natalee Holloway never mentioned her death in an online chat,
his lawyer said Friday, contradicting Aruban prosecutors who called the comment
key new evidence in the case.
The chat log fell far short of justifying the
arrest of Deepak Kalpoe, one of three men seen with the American teen the night
of her disappearance, said attorney Ronald Wix.
A court in the Dutch
Caribbean island agreed and quickly released Kalpoe, along with brother Satish
and a third suspect, Joran van der Sloot. Now, authorities should leave the
three men alone, Wix told reporters.
"If they as much as look at our clients
too long, we'll take them to court," said Wix, who also represents Satish
Kalpoe.
The three suspects were seen leaving a bar with Holloway on the final
night of her high school graduation trip to the island.
Aruban prosecutors
detailed the chat log for the first time Thursday, saying it was a key clue that
they hoped would break open the long-stalled investigation. The men did not
speak with investigators while detained and a judge ordered their release for
lack of evidence.
Upon their release, authorities said they had reached a
dead end after two years of pursuing fruitless searches and leads, though they
could still prosecute the men if they uncover evidence.
In discussing the
online chat, prosecutor Hans Mos told reporters that one of the suspects — he
did not disclose which — wrote that Holloway, 18 at the time of disappearance,
was dead. He also said Internet messages among two suspects discussed meeting
drunk American girls in Aruba.
Wix said the prosecution misinterpreted Deepak
Kalpoe's Internet chats.
The 24-year-old native of Suriname in fact told a
friend he was upset and thought it was stupid of him to let Holloway, whom he
called a drunk stranger, get into his car, the attorney said.
Kalpoe then
commented on the death of a tennis teacher who drowned in Aruba almost three
years ago. When prosecutors translated his writing from Papiamento to Dutch,
they substituted 'the death' to 'her death,' and assumed he was talking about
Holloway, Wix said. Most Arubans speak Papiamento, a Creole language that has
absorbed words from Spanish, Dutch, English and Portuguese.
Mos was on
vacation Friday and could not be reached for a response. Another prosecutor, Dop
Kruimel, did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.
Holloway
vanished May 30, 2005, hours before she was to return home to Mountain Brook,
Alabama. Extensive searches of the island turned up no trace of her, but the
Aruban prosecutors have said they believe she is dead — though without a body
they admit a prosecution would be difficult.
Van der Sloot has said he
dropped Holloway off at the beach and all three suspects have denied any
involvement in her disappearance.

From http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071223/ap_on_re_eu/netherlands_aruba_missing_teen_1:

Holloway case suspect regrets no trial
Sun Dec 23, 6:29 PM ET
AMSTERDAM,
Netherlands - A former suspect in the disappearance in Aruba of American
teenager Natalee Holloway told a Dutch newspaper he regretted that he was not
formally prosecuted for any crime.
Dutch teen Joran van der Sloot, 20, was
re-arrested in Aruba in November for a new interrogation about Holloway's
disappearance in 2005. But public prosecutors on the island closed their
investigation Dec. 18, saying they believed Holloway was dead but they did not
have enough evidence to prosecute van der Sloot or two other former
suspects.
"I would have liked to have seen a trial so that everything could
be out in the open," van der Sloot told newspaper DAG in his first public
remarks since being released on Dec. 7. The newspaper published excerpts from
the interview Sunday. DAG spokesman Bob Witman said the interview was conducted
via e-mail with van der Sloot in Aruba, where he is currently staying.
All
three suspects denied any involvement in Holloway's disappearance.
Van der
Sloot denied there was any new evidence to prompt his arrest again last month,
as prosecutors had asserted.
"There was no new evidence at all," he told the
paper. "Dutch detectives tried to get me to talk for 15 days. They told me that
Natalee was dead."
Prosecutors say their new evidence was a statement by one
of the suspects during a tapped Internet chat in which he said Holloway was
dead. But defense lawyers denied that.
Van der Sloot said he believed his
latest arrest was intended to please American media.
"I've been declared
guilty without any factual evidence and I'm left to prove my innocence," he told
the paper.
Prosecutors said as things stand, the case can be reactivated if
"serious" new evidence emerges. Reactivating the case would be impossible
however if they were to prosecute and fail, due to rules against double
jeopardy.
Holloway was on a high school graduation trip to the island when
she vanished May 30, 2005, hours before she was to return home to Mountain
Brook, Ala. Extensive searches of the island turned up no trace of her.
The
three former suspects, who are the last people known to have seen her, initially
said they dropped Holloway off at her hotel.
After hotel security cameras
disproved that, they were arrested and van der Sloot said he left her alone on a
beach and had no idea how she disappeared.

If you know what happened to Natalee, please call the FBI tipline at 1-877-628-2533.

For more news, don't forget to check out the Search for Natalee Holloway blog at http://nholloway.blogspot.com/. The team will soon be starting the ROV (remote operated vehicle) dives.

Natalee's website: http://www.allpointsbulletin.org/Natalee_Holloway.html
Another blog about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com/

Natalee Holloway: The "new evidence", case closed

However, the search effort is still happening! On http://nholloway.blogspot.com/ they posted this message on Tuesday (Dec. 18):

Tuesday, 18-Dec - 1500 hrs:Aruba authorities and prosecutors close the Holloway
case and investigation and said they do not have the evidence to charge anyone.
Prosecutors said they will reopen the case "if new serious evidence were to be
found." The statute of limitations is six years for involuntary manslaughter and
12 years for homicide, they said. Regardless, this announcement WILL NOT affect
the search by the Persistence. This announcement comes the day before the search
team will begin the side scan sonar survey of the newly-mapped area.

There are more recent updates on the search also posted. It talks about the first day of the side-scan sonar (and finding an old shipwreck!) and about using a magnetometer.

Anyway, article (and above photo) from http://www.kitv.com/news/14896880/detail.html :

Suspect During Chat: Holloway Is Dead
Evidence Gathered Over Last Eight
Months
POSTED: 4:35 am HST December 20, 2007

ORANJESTAD, Aruba
-- Prosecutors in Aruba were releasing evidence from the investigation into the
disappearance of an American teen.
The country's chief prosecutor said the
file includes an Internet chat session in which one of the three top suspects in
the case said Natalee Holloway is dead.
The Alabama high school student
vanished during a May 2005 vacation in Aruba with her graduating class. Her body
has never been found.
The prosecutor didn't reveal the identity of the
person who wrote the message.
But he said its discovery helped lead to the
recent decision to re-arrest the three suspects.
All three have since been
released. The Aruba Public Prosecutor's Office said this week it won't charge
them.
Prosecutors said the re-arrests had been warranted by the
circumstantial evidence.
Those include witness statements saying the
suspects had been behaving strangely in the hours after Holloway vanished.
They have said they still believe the trio was somehow involved in
Holloway's disappearance, but can't prove it because no body has turned up.

Ugh, so frustrating! Unless the unnamed suspect was just repeating what most people have been assuming, one would hope that statement alone would have made a difference!
Anyway, if you know what happened to Natalee, please call the FBI tipline at 1-877-628-2533.

Natalee's website: http://www.allpointsbulletin.org/Natalee_Holloway.html
Another blog about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com/

Natalee Holloway: Joran van der Sloot released; case could close

Article from http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=7467937&nav=0RdE:

Dutch Suspect in Holloway Case Freed After Judge's Ruling
Updated: Dec 7, 2007 6:59 PM EST

A judge Friday ordered the release of the last of three suspects
re-arrested last month in the disappearance of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway. He
ruled the evidence was not strong enough to continue holding Joran van der
Sloot.
He had been in custody since November 21st along with two other
suspects, brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, who were released from jail
December 1st following a similar ruling.
A prosecutor said the 20-year-old
Van der Sloot was ordered freed because the judge found the investigation has
not resulted in more direct evidence than before that Holloway died as a result
of a violent crime against her or that the suspect has been involved in such a
crime.
Van der Sloot walked out of jail, accompanied by one of his
attorneys.
Chief prosecutor Hans Mos said the men did not divulge any new
information under interrogation, leaving the investigation in the same place it
was before the arrests.
Prosecutors say they have evidence that Holloway,
who was 18 when she disappeared in May 2005, is dead.
No trace of the
Mountain Brook teen has ever been found despite extensive searches.

More sad news from http://www.woio.com/global/story.asp?s=7469804:

Prosecutor in Natalee Holloway Case Ready to Drop Investigation by Month's End
Posted: Dec 8, 2007 03:26 PM EST
Updated: Dec 8, 2007 03:26 PM EST
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Aruba's chief prosecutor says officials need to
find strong evidence in Natalee Holloway's disappearance by the end of the
month, or he'll close the case.
Hans Mos tells The Associated Press that he
has promised the suspects that after December 31st, his office will not pursue
the investigation.
The probe has revolved around three suspects who were the
last people known to see Holloway before she vanished.
Mos says he and the
Holloway family feel pursuing a minor charge serves no purpose. No one has been
formally charged in the two-year-long probe.
He won't comment on the kind of
evidence his office is reviewing. But he says he doesn't anticipate finding
Holloway's remains and prosecuting a case without them would be very hard.

My hope is that the new deep-water search will turn up something that will be enough to either solve the case or at least keep it open.

If you know anything about where Natalee might be, please call the FBI tipline at 1-877-628-2533.
Natalee's website: http://www.allpointsbulletin.org/Natalee_Holloway.html
A blog covering the search: http://nholloway.blogspot.com/

Another blog about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com/


Photo of Natalee from her website.

Natalee Holloway: Appeal denied

Well, I guess for now this aspect of the case is another disappointment. However, as far as I know, Joran van der Sloot is still in jail.
Article from http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-12-05-aruba-missing-teen_N.htm:

Aruba court denies appeal in release of Holloway suspects
Posted 18m
ago
ORANJESTAD, Aruba (AP) — A judge on Wednesday refused to overrule the
release of two suspects in the 2005 disappearance of American teenager Natalee
Holloway, the prosecutors' office said.
The suspects, Surinamese brothers
Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, were released from jail on Saturday after a judge
ruled the evidence was not strong enough to continue holding them on suspicion
of involvement in Holloway's death.
Prosecutors challenged the decision at a
closed session Tuesday, but were rebuffed by the appeals court, said John Pauly,
communications consultant for Aruba's prosecutors' office.
The Kalpoe
brothers — Deepak is 24, Satish is 21 — were arrested for a third time in the
case on Nov. 21 along with a third suspect, Joran van der Sloot, who remains in
jail pending a hearing Thursday. Prosecutors said the latest arrests were
justified by new evidence.
Holloway, of Mountain Brook, Alabama, was last
seen leaving a bar with the three suspects on May 30, 2005, hours before she was
scheduled to return home with fellow high school classmates celebrating their
graduation on this Caribbean island. She was 18 at the time.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Aruba Natalee Holloway Satish Kalpoe
All three have denied any role in the disappearance.
An attorney for Deepak Kalpoe, Hose Figaroa, said his client "is trying to get his
life back to normal" and hopes that "finally this case will stop haunting him."
No trace of Holloway has been found despite extensive searches and uncertainty hangs over the case.
"Notwithstanding expensive and lengthy investigations on her disappearance and on people who could be involved, the file against the suspect does not contain direct indications that Natalee passed away due to a violent crime," the ruling said.

I also checked the blog about the search (http://nholloway.blogspot.com/), and currently they have removed the information that they posted until it can be reviewed. They also are keeping the exact search area "classified". I suppose this is probably a good idea--maybe sometimes we are told too much about some cases. (One of the risks of being "high-profile"!)

Anyway, if you know anything about where Natalee might be, please call the FBI tipline at 1-877-628-2533.
Natalee's website: http://www.allpointsbulletin.org/Natalee_Holloway.html
Another blog about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com/

Photo of Natalee from her website.

Natalee Holloway: Kalpoe brothers released

This is disappointing. Hopefully Joran van der Sloot will continue to stay in prison a little while longer. Another article (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g03xmlbMM0BjGFGrLokyvroCO6FwD8T888001) said that prosecutors have three days to appeal regarding the Kalpoe brothers' release; hopefully they will have a compelling reason to do so.
From http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=e31d41e4-6258-4b5f-82ee-9fb26cae0a37:

Brothers Released in Holloway Probe
Reported by: Adrienne Phillips
Email: aphillips@myeyewitnessnews.com
Last Update: 5:12 pm

Joran Van Der Sloor (top) Satish and Deepak
Kalpoe were taken into custody, Aruban prosecutors say. Two brothers arrested in
connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway have been released. CNN is
reporting the release may be due to lack of evidence.
Holloway went missing in Aruba while on a senior trip in 2005. Deepak and
Satish Kalpoe were arrested earlier this week, along with Joran Van Der Sloot.
Prosecutors thought all three were connected to Holloway's presumed death.
Joran Van der Sloot is still behind bars.
Investigators say he and the Kalpoe brothers were the last people to
see Holloway before she disappeared. They were taken
into custody before as suspects in Holloway's disappearance. Van
Der Sloot's lawyer says his client is frustrated about his return to jail.

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
A new blog covering the new deep-water search: http://nholloway.blogspot.com/
Another blog about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com/

Photo of Natalee from her website.

Natalee Holloway: Upcoming search, Kalpoe brothers to have hearing

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.

Natalee Holloway: Kalpoe brothers hearing results; father will lead new search

There is also a hint about what the "new evidence" might be, but anonymous sources might not necessarily be trustworthy.
From http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g03xmlbMM0BjGFGrLokyvroCO6FwD8T3J9CO3:

Detention Ordered for Holloway Suspects
By MARGARET WEVER – 58 minutes ago
ORANJESTAD, Aruba (AP) — A judge Friday ordered an extended detention of two
brothers held in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway after reviewing new
evidence in the case of the missing teenager.
Surinamese brothers Satish and
Deepak Kalpoe will be detained in separate jails for at least another eight days
while prosecutors continue to pursue the investigation. The brothers have been
held since Wednesday on suspicion of involvement in Holloway's death.
A third
suspect, Joran van der Sloot, was expected to arrive in Aruba on Friday, a day
after a judge in the Netherlands approved his arrest and transfer, the
prosecutor's office said.
Van der Sloot will appear before a judge on Monday,
Aruba's chief prosecutor Hans Mos told the Associated Press Friday.
All three
men were previously held as suspects in the case but released for lack of
evidence.
Holloway, of Mountain Brook, Ala., was last seen leaving a bar with
the three on May 30, 2005, hours before she was scheduled to board a plane home
with high school classmates celebrating their graduation on the Dutch Caribbean
island. She was 18 at the time.
A search by hundreds of volunteers, soldiers,
police and FBI agents — even Dutch air force planes — turned up no trace of her.
Her father, Dave Holloway, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he plans
to launch a new effort to find her remains off the island's coast, using private
boats.
Prosecutors said Wednesday that they had ordered the three men
re-arrested and disclosed that it had new evidence, although officials declined
to provide any details.
Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, citing anonymous
detectives in Aruba, reported Friday that the new evidence is derived from phone
taps of conversations between Van der Sloot and the Kalpoes from earlier this
year in which they contradict their earlier statements to police.
Attorney
David Kock, who represents the Kalpoe brothers, told an Aruba radio station
Thursday that the arrests were "an action of despair."
"There was no reason
for their arrest now," Kock said. "We will take all kinds of measures to give
our clients their freedom as soon as possible."

Alternative possibilities about the new evidence (excerpted from New York Daily News article from yesterday):

T.J. Ward Jr., a private investigator hired by the Holloway family, said the
break could have something to do with information he passed along to police in
Aruba and the FBI in Barbados two months ago.
Ward claimed on Fox News last
night that informants told him van der Sloot's father, Paulus, a judge in the
Netherlands, paid for a boat to have Holloway's body removed from the island.
"I told them, and I believed all along, that Paulus van der Sloot had
indirect or direct knowledge of the removal of Natalee Holloway's body or what
transpired with her to be removed from that island," Ward said.
Ward said
authorities assured him they would investigate his information.
Joran van
der Sloot's lawyer, New Yorker Joe Tacopina, said he was not aware of any new
evidence.
"It's frustrating that we're going through this again," Tacopina
said. "If there's new evidence and it's persuasive evidence, then we'll see what
it is."
Tacopina said it was his understanding that there might be new
evidence implicating only the Kalpoes.

MySpace page for Natalee: http://www.myspace.com/helpfindnatalee
One of several blogs about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com

Natalee Holloway: Three main suspects rearrested!

This is a very exciting development, especially since it seems like not much has happened with her case for a little while. It will be interesting to see what the "new evidence" is, if the public is ever allowed to know.

From http://www.news4jax.com/news/14663242/detail.html:

Holloway Suspects Arrested Again
U.S. Teen Vanished More Than Two Years Ago
POSTED: 4:15 pm EST
November 21, 2007
UPDATED: 7:46 pm EST November 21, 2007

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- Three men who were
previously detained as suspects in the May, 2005, disappearance of American
teenager Natalee Holloway have been re-arrested in the case, the Aruban public
prosecutor's office said Wednesday.
Dutch teen Joran van der Sloot and two
Surinamese brothers, Satish and Deepak Kalpoe have been arrested on suspicion of
involvement in manslaughter and causing serious bodily harm that caused the
death of the 18-year-old woman from Alabama, the prosecutor's office said in a
statement.
Van der Sloot was arrested in the Netherlands, where he is
attending university, and is expected to be extradited to Aruba. The Kalpoe
brothers were arrested on the Dutch Caribbean island.
Holloway disappeared
on May 30, 2005, hours before she was scheduled to fly home to Alabama after a
high school graduation trip to Aruba. She was last seen in public leaving a bar
with the three young men who now are again suspects in her disappearance.
All three young men previously have denied any role in Holloway's
disappearance. The brothers were expected to appear in an Aruban court on
Friday, when prosecutors planned to present new evidence to judge.
The three
were first arrested but then released in June 2005 because of insufficient
evidence.
The arrests follow nine months of new activity in the case. In
April, investigators from the Netherlands spent several days searching the home
of van der Sloot's family.
Then, in May, Dutch and Aruban investigators
visited the home where Deepak and Satish Kalpoe live with their parents.
Vinda de Sousa, an attorney Dave Holloway, Natalee's father, said she has
left a message for the family but has not talked to them and is not privy to the
new evidence.

MySpace page for Natalee: http://www.myspace.com/helpfindnatalee

One of several blogs about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com

Natalee Holloway: "Dr. Phil" granted access to some documents

This is the first actual news on Natalee for a couple months, and it also is slightly encouraging!
Transcript from http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296798,00.html:

Holloway Case: New Kalpoe Documents
Friday, September 14, 2007
This is a rush transcript from "On the Record ," September 13, 2007. This copy may
not be in its final form and may be updated.
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Tonight, a possible breakthrough in the Natalee Holloway case. A California judge has ordered the Kalpoe brothers to turn over documents and e-mails that the judge says are relevant to the most fundamental issues in this case.
John Q. Kelly is an attorney for Natalee Holloway's parents. He joins
us in New York.
John, you were part of this lawsuit originally, but your
client got bounced out of it. Btu tell me, what is the order that this judge has
issued and why is it significant?
JOHN Q. KELLY, ATTORNEY FOR HOLLOWAY FAMILY: Well, the key issue is whether the Kalpoe's have to turn over all the documents in their possession including all their e-mail correspondence between them and Joran Van der Sloot or any other third parties during the uncertain period of time after Natalee's disappearance. And we're hoping that it would shed some light on Natalee's disappearance and the Kalpoe's involvement with it and think of it (ph) if they're kind enough to turn it all over.
VAN SUSTEREN: You say shed some light. Is it fair to say this might be a bombshell in the case?
KELLY: Well, depending on what is in the records they have right
now. I know for a fact that the former prosecutor Karen Yanson (ph) had
diligently turned over all the prosecution filed up to a certain point to the
Kalpoes and Mr. Van der Sloot as the investigation was going on. And I think
having now seen the light of day and Dr. Phil's attorneys having these two
questioned, the Kalpoes, taking their deposition, it could be rather powerful,
to say the least.
VAN SUSTEREN: These e-mails and documents have never been
in the possession of you or your client Dave and Beth, is that right?
KELLY:
Some of them may have been, Greta. I have seen some of the prosecution filings,
I've seen a lot of the police reports and things, but obviously there's a lot
out there we have not seen yet and we would like to be privy to. And I would
certainly like to see Dr. Phil's attorneys be privy to them.
VAN SUSTEREN:
John, there is some question whether the documents will be produced. The Kalpoe
brothers will say, we don't have them, they are in the possession of the
prosecutor in Aruba. Is that true? Is that the way it's going to be fought at
this point?
KELLY: I believe David Koch (ph), one of the attorneys for the
Kalpoes actually signed a declaration at the court indicating that even if the
court ordered the documents be turned over, they were not going to turn them
over, which was sort of, for lack of a better word, arrogant on his part. The
court did not necessarily like that.
But I can't see them both using the
courts as a sword and then a shield. They can't bring this action, they can't
seek damages and not obey the quarters of the ort - the orders of the court and
expect their case to go forward.
VAN SUSTEREN: All right. So now back this up
a little bit. Explain what this lawsuit is about and how your client was once in
it and is now out of it?
KELLY: The Kalpoe brothers claim - Deepak claims
that when he was interviewed by Jamie Skeeters (ph), who subsequently passed
away, he said on the tape that he was not involved in Natalee's disappearance
and in no way did he engage in any sexual activity with her before
disappearance. Deepak claims subsequently either Dr. Phil's production company
or Jamie Skeeters altered the tape to reflect that Deepak had been involved in
Natalee's disappearance and engaged in sexual activity with her prior to her
disappearance. And therefore they have brought a lawsuit claiming libel,
defamation, invasion of privacy and a lot of other claims based on the alleged
alteration of the tape, a ledger alteration.
VAN SUSTEREN: All right. So that
was filed in the State of California by these Aruban residents - I don't know
what their status is in Aruba. They live there, I don't know what their legal
status is.
They filed in the State of California and then you and your
clients seized upon the moment to try to get into the litigation so you would
get them under oath. Is that right?
KELLY: We did. Our premise was that they
were claiming that the basis of their claim was that it was false, by saying
that they were involved in Natalee's disappearance. Our claim was the wrongful
death action, the assault and wrongful death action that we brought against
Deepak and Satish was based on the same set of salient operative fact, that
whether they were involved or not in Natalee's disappearance is something that
should be litigated by the courts out in California once they have submitted
themselves to the jurisdiction.
VAN SUSTEREN: And then of course the court
said that your client could not bring the action so you guys got bounced out in
June.
KELLY: We did. Unfortunately. We would have liked to stay in there, but
that was the ruling.
VAN SUSTEREN: But you'd like to stay in there but even
though you got bounced out, it is s till a huge victory for you because I
suspect, I don't know, that you are working with the lawyers of Dr. Phil's
because that would enable you to get more information about the investigation,
right? Or won't you answer?
KELLY: I'll answer, of course. I've had a number
of conversations with the attorneys of Dr. Phil and I like to keep them posted
and they like to keep me posted. And that's an open line there, for sure.
VAN SUSTEREN: So getting really bounced out was not really a loss at all and your
foot is still in the door, so to speak.
KELLY: It was a hail Mary and we also
would like to know we want the Kalpoe brothers to know we're watching their
every move and if there is ever even a crack in the door we're going to seize
the opportunity and go after them.

If you have any information about Natalee's whereabouts, please call the FBI at 1-877-628-2533.

Natalee's website: http://www.allpointsbulletin.org/Natalee_Holloway.html
One of several blogs about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com/

Photos of Natalee from her website.

Natalee Holloway: Texas Equusearch returning to Aruba (and other "news")

I can't find a news article to confirm this yet, but it is mentioned on a couple blogs (see http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/2007/07/15/texas-equusearch-going-back-to-aruba-in-3-4-weeks-with-superior-offshore-international-to-search-for-natalee-holloway/ and http://blogsfornatalee.com/2007/07/03/latest-search-in-aruba-from-dave-holloway/) and on a forum topic (http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50172&page=1). Scared Monkeys says the search will take place in three to four weeks in deep water with help from Superior Offshore International.

Some of the comments on the Scared Monkeys post also mention something about Natalee's mother turning down a $4 million ransom demand and her father saying it was just tabloid news.

Another topic active on Natalee's Websleuths board is about an article recently printed in the Aruban newspaper Amigoe about an unauthorized Medjet landing in Aruba one day after Natalee went missing (see http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51292). Some say that the Medjet was ordered by the Holloway/Twitty family in case Natalee would need medical attention when they found her. The thread has now been "locked" (no more replies allowed) because some of the Medjet theories seem so preposterous.

I guess we will probably have to chalk up the Medjet and the ransom under the "Natalee Holloway: Rumors and False Leads" category. And the category is unfortunately pretty large. But maybe, there is a bit of encouragement in that, too. To quote Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes books and stories:

"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."

On a more positive note, three people recently traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, to promote awareness of the fact that Natalee is still missing. For more details and photos of the event, see http://blogsfornatalee.com/2007/07/02/awareness-campaign-for-natalee-new-orleans-la/.

Anyway, if you have any actual information on the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, please call the FBI tipline at 1-877-628-2533.

The address I had for Natalee's website appears to no longer be valid. However, if you type in http://www.nataleeholloway.com, you will be redirected to a flyer for Natalee.

One of probably many blogs about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com/

Photos from NataleeHolloway.com.

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.

Natalee Holloway: Kalpoes want suit against them dropped

Big surprise, eh? Well, at least they attempt to justify it with a valid reason.

Story from http://www.nbc4.tv/news/11128216/detail.html?rss=la&psp=news. Photo of Natalee from http://www.natalee-holloway.com:

Aruban Brothers Want Natalee Holloway Lawsuit Dismissed
POSTED: 2:08 pm PST
February 27, 2007
LOS ANGELES -- A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles against two
Aruban brothers by the parents of missing Alabama teen Natalee Holloway should
be dismissed on grounds the case has no connection to California, the siblings'
lawyers argue in court papers obtained Tuesday.
Los Angeles Superior Court
Judge George Wu will consider the motion brought on behalf of Deepak and Satish
Kalpoe, but no date was immediately set. The next scheduled hearing in the case
is April 2.
The brothers' attorney, Kristina M. Beck, filed court papers
last Tuesday in support of the dismissal.
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
Holloway case and later released.
Beck's court papers state that an
important ruling occurred Jan. 24, when another 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 siblings'
defamation case against "Dr. Phil" McGraw.
"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.
The Kalpoes sued McGraw and CBS Television on Dec. 13, alleging they were
defamed in a Sept. 15, 2005, show dealing with the still-unsolved case. Although
the Kalpoe brothers had been released from Aruban police custody, the "Dr. Phil"
episode suggested they gave Holloway a date rape drug and had non- consensual
group sex with her, according to their lawsuit.
The episode also implied the
siblings helped kill Holloway and dispose of her body, according to the lawsuit.
The Kalpoes and van der Sloot have maintained that they were not involved in
her disappearance and did not have sex with her.
In addition to defamation,
the Kalpoes' suit alleges invasion of privacy, emotional distress, fraud, deceit
and civil conspiracy.
Natalee Holloway's parents, Elizabeth Ann Twitty of
Alabama and Dave E. Holloway of Mississippi, filed a wrongful death suit against
the Kalpoes the next day, even though their daughter's body has never been found
and Aruban authorities have not determined if she is dead or alive.
Natalee
Holloway was vacationing with friends on the Caribbean island resort when the
18-year-old disappeared the night of May 30, 2005.
Twitty and Dave Holloway,
who are divorced, maintain that by bringing an action against McGraw in Los
Angeles, the Kalpoes voluntarily submitted themselves to the Los Angeles
Superior Court jurisdiction.
But in her court papers, Beck argues 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 her motion, Beck attached to her court
papers a declaration by the Kalpoe brothers' 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.
Twitty and Dave Holloway also filed a wrongful death suit last
year in New York against van der Sloot and his father, but a judge there also
threw it out for lack of jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, a motion is set before
Judge Ferns on Thursday in the defamation case.

If you know anything about the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, please call 1-866-SOS-LOST (1-866-767-5678).
Natalee's website: http://www.natalee-holloway.com/
A couple blogs about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com/ and http://justicefornataleeholloway.blogspot.com/.
Natalee's father and stepmother have started the Natalee Holloway Foundation to help other American families who have loved ones who are missing and endangered in other countries. For more information, visit http://www.nataleehollowayfoundation.net/. Natalee's mother also has an organization, the International Safe Travels Foundation, which teaches safety tips to those traveling abroad. For more information, visit http://www.internationalsafetravelsfoundation.org/MS/MS37/.

Natalee Holloway: No "damages" for Paulus van der Sloot

Finally, some good news in this case! Well, maybe not good news for Paulus van der Sloot.

Story from http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=19&story_id=36556. Photo of Natalee from her website:

No damages in Holloway case
15 February 2007
AMSTERDAM – Paul van der
Sloot, father of the main suspect in the Natalee Holloway case, has not been
awarded any damages by the court in Aruba. The decision cannot be
appealed.
Paul van der Sloot was himself detained from 23 June until 26 June
2005 in connection with the disappearance of American high school student
Natalee Holloway. The examining magistrate decided at the time that there was
not enough evidence of involvement in the case.
The father of Joran, who
is still a suspect in the case, based his claim for damages on this
decision from the magistrate. Last year the court initially ruled that he should
be granted damages of 40,000 Aruban guilders (18,000 euro).
The court has now
ruled that his arrest at the time was “without grounds but not unjustified.” “So
he will not be getting anything,” summarised lawyer Arie
Swaen.
Eighteen-year-old Holloway disappeared after a night out on 30 May
2005. She left a nightclub with three young men and was never found. The police
have arrested ten people since her disappearance but all have since been
released.
There was much criticism from the US about how Aruban authorities
handled the case. The Netherlands has led the investigation since September and
made officers of the national police corps available to the effort.

If you know anything about the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, please call 1-866-SOS-LOST (1-866-767-5678).

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

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

Natalee's father and stepmother have started the Natalee Holloway Foundation to help other American families who have loved ones who are missing and endangered in other countries. For more information, visit http://www.nataleehollowayfoundation.net/. Natalee's mother also has an organization, the International Safe Travels Foundation, which teaches safety tips to those traveling abroad. For more information, visit http://www.internationalsafetravelsfoundation.org/MS/MS37/.

Natalee Holloway: Update on Kalpoe brothers' lawsuit

According to Google News, this article was published on January 31. Jamie Skeeters, the polygraph expert, also died recently. Otherwise, there is not much actual news on Natalee. Her name just gets mention in articles about media sentionalism or "missing white women" or her mother's International Safe Travels Foundation. But Natalee is still missing and still needs to be found, alive or dead.
From the Montgomery Advertiser:

NATALEE HOLLOWAY
'Dr. Phil' lawyer responds to suit over segment
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES -- Two brothers who filed a defamation
lawsuit against the "Dr. Phil" show for airing a segment about their roles as
former suspects in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway should not be entitled
to punitive damages, an attorney for the show said.
Deepak and Satish Kalpoe,
both residents of Aruba, filed the suit in December seeking unspecified damages
against talk show host Phillip McGraw, CBS Television Distribution Group and
private investigator Jamie Skeeters.
The lawsuit alleges the show altered
portions of a secretly recorded conversation between Deepak Kalpoe and Skeeters
to "create false, incriminating, and defamatory statements that the plaintiffs
engaged in criminal activity against Natalee Holloway."
William Haggerty, an
attorney for McGraw and CBS, said in court papers filed Friday in Los Angeles
that widespread news reports of the brothers' arrest "serves to mitigate any
damages allegedly suffered by them and bars or reduces their right to recover
any damages."
Haggerty also denied his clients intentionally misrepresented
any fact to the brothers or acted with malicious intent. Skeeters is being
represented by a separate attorney.
An after-hours telephone message left
Monday for the attorney representing the brothers was not immediately
returned.
Holloway was 18 when she disappeared on May 30, 2005, while on a
trip to Aruba with classmates from her Alabama high school. She was last seen
getting into a car with the brothers and their friend, Joran van der
Sloot.
Police spent months searching for the missing teen, but the case did
not lead to any criminal trial in Aruba.
The brothers were released from
police custody following their arrest and have not been charged in the
case.

I agree, they do not deserve "damages"--at least not yet. Who knows, maybe by some strange twist we will learn in the future that they really weren't involved. After all, this is in an American court, where people are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. But suspicion always falls on those last seen with a person.

If you know anything about the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, please call 1-866-SOS-LOST (1-866-767-5678).
Natalee's website: http://www.natalee-holloway.com
A couple blogs about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com, http://justicefornataleeholloway.blogspot.com/

Photo of Natalee from her website.

Natalee Holloway: parents sue Kalpoes, Kalpoes sue Dr. Phil

When Dave Holloway and Beth Holloway Twitty tried to sue Joran van der Sloot in New York before, the case was thrown out because the location was in no way related to the case. But since the Kalpoes sued Dr. Phil first, apparently also in California...we'll see how this goes.
Story from http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061214/clth106.html?.v=5:

Press Release
Source: The Kelly Group
Natalee Holloway's Parents File
Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Arubans Deepak and Satish KalpoeThursday December
14, 3:55 pm ET
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Beth Twitty and Dave
Holloway, parents of Natalee Holloway, the Alabama teen who went missing in
Aruba last year, filed a wrongful death lawsuit today in Superior Court of the
State of California, County of Los Angeles against brothers Deepak and Satish
Kalpoe, two of the last known people to be with Natalee alive before her May
2005 disappearance.
"All we want is justice for our daughter. There is no
doubt in my mind that Deepak and Satish played a role in my daughter's death and
should be held accountable," Beth Twitty said. "It is unconscionable that they
have not been punished so far."
Allegations in the lawsuit against Deepak
and Satish Kalpoe include claims that they caused the death of Natalee Holloway
by "intentionally, negligently, wantonly ... unlawfully conducting themselves"
to bring about her fatal injuries. The wrongful death action was filed as a
related case to an action the Kalpoes filed against the "Dr. Phil Show," and
others.
"Natalee's parents' attempt to get justice in Aruba have been
repeatedly frustrated -- which is why we welcome the opportunity to file this
civil case in Los Angeles," New York attorney John Q. Kelly, who represents both
Beth and Dave Holloway in this action, said. "By filing this wrongful death
suit, we hope to capitalize on the Kalpoe's decision to utilize the California
courts in a frivolous claim for compensation, and give Natalee's parents the
closure they need and deserve."
Natalee was last seen alive in a grey Honda
with the Kalpoe brothers and Joran van der Sloot on the morning of May 30, 2005
in Aruba during a school trip. The Kalpoe brothers were both arrested and
charged with her murder, but have yet to be brought to trial by prosecutors in
Aruba. Due to their conflicting, and admittedly fabricated, accounts of what
happened to Natalee, as well as strong circumstantial evidence, the Kalpoe
brothers have remained two of the prime suspects in her disappearance and
presumed death.
This past week an Aruban court denied the Kalpoe's request
to be cleared as suspects, and Aruban prosecuting attorney Karin Jansen recently
returned from Holland where a new team of Dutch investigators is reviewing all
evidence against the Kalpoes and others.
In a civil action such as this one,
nine out of twelve jurors need to conclude, by a preponderance of the evidence,
that the Kalpoes were responsible for Natalee's disappearance and death.

And don't forget, if you know anything about the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, please call 1-866-SOS-LOST (1-866-767-5678).

Natalee's website: http://www.natalee-holloway.com/
Two of probably many blogs about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com, http://justicefornataleeholloway.blogspot.com

Photo of Natalee from her website.

Natalee Holloway: Case to be turned over to Dutch

Article from the Dutch news source Expatica:

Aruba asks Dutch to take lead in Holloway case
25 August 2006
AMSTERDAM — Aruba has asked the Netherlands to take over the leadership of the stalled investigation into the disappearance of US school graduate Natalee Holloway.
Dutch minister Atzo Nicolaï has indicated a willingness to help the investigation. "But we still have to look at the precise agreements under which we would work," he said on Thursday.
Nicolaï (Government Reform and Kingdom Relations) made his comments at the end of his official visit to the autonomous Dutch island in the Caribbean. The request for assistance was made by Aruban Justice Minister Rudy Croes.
Aruba has been battered by negative publicity in the US for over a year since Holloway, 18, vanished on the night of 30 May 2005. She was on holiday with friends to celebrate their graduation and was last seen leaving a local tourist venue with three youths.
Police on Aruba arrested a total of 10 people so far in the investigation but all have been released. Dutch teenager Joran van der Sloot, one of the youths with Holloway on the night she disappeared, was the main suspect for many months. He continues to deny harming her in any way.
Holloway's family doesn't believe him. Her mother Beth Twitty has led a chorus of criticism from the US of the way the local authorities have handled the case. There have even been calls for Americans to boycott the popular tourist destination.
Repeated searches of the island have failed to find any trace of her, though investigators said early on they believed she is dead. At one stage dutch F-16 jets, fitted with special cameras, were used in a futile attempt to find her remains.
Aruba's new request goes much further as it proposes giving Dutch officers investigative powers and their own office. They would also be allowed to carry weapons. Croes wants the Dutch national police service KLPD to lead the investigation.
Dutch Interior Minister Johan Remkes, who is responsible for the police, will discuss the matter further when he visits Aruba next week.

For Beth Twitty's reaction, see http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060831/NEWS02/608310326/1009.

I only hope that this will cause some progress, as the case seems to have come to a standstill.

If you know anything about the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, please call 1-866-SOS-LOST (1-866-767-5678).
Natalee's website: http://www.natalee-holloway.com
A couple blogs about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com
http://justicefornataleeholloway.blogspot.com/

Photo of Natalee from her website.