Natalee Holloway
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Natalee Ann Holloway (born October 21, 1986), from Mountain Brook, Alabama, disappeared on May 30, 2005 during a post-graduation trip in Aruba. Holloway remains officially missing to this day, although according to Aruban authorities she is most likely dead. The disappearance generated a media sensation in both the U.S. and Aruba and sparked considerable interest in the Netherlands.
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[edit] Disappearance
Holloway and 124 fellow graduates of Mountain Brook High School, located in an affluent suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, were visiting Aruba on a five-day unofficial senior class graduation trip. Holloway was last seen leaving Carlos’n Charlie’s, a popular, international, tourist-oriented bar and grill in Oranjestad, at about 1:00 a.m. on Monday, May 30 with Joran van der Sloot (17) and his two companions, the brothers Deepak Kalpoe (21) and Satish Kalpoe (18), in Deepak's car.
Holloway did not arrive for her return flight that day, nor did she appear in any security camera footage of her hotel lobby in the course of the night--although, according to statements made by her mother, Beth Twitty, on April 19, 2006, the security cameras at the Holiday Inn were not working the night Holloway vanished[1]. Her passport, pre-packed luggage, camera, and cellular phone were found in her hotel room. Searches of the island and surrounding waters began almost immediately, but to date have been fruitless.
[edit] Investigation
An investigation into Holloway's disappearance began immediately when she missed her flight home.
[edit] Leadership
Jan van der Straten was the initial Aruban police leader of the investigation. After van der Straten's retirement, Police Commissioner Gerold Dompig took over as the leader of the investigation. In April 2006 he was replaced by Adolpho (Dolfi) Richardson.
At Aruba's request the Netherlands will take over the investigation. A team of the Korps Landelijke Politie Diensten (KLPD) (nl) (Dutch police organization) was to have started in September 2006.[2] They have, however, been delayed.
[edit] Early investigation
On May 30, immediately following her missed flight, Holloway's stepfather and mother, Jug and Beth Twitty, traveled to Aruba with friends by his company private jet. Within four hours of landing in Aruba the Twittys and others went to the Aruban police with van der Sloot's name and address, as the person last known to have been seen with their daughter. Accompanied by two Aruban policemen and other Arubans, they went to the van der Sloot home looking for Holloway. Van der Sloot initially denied knowing Holloway, but then Van der Sloot and Deepak Kalpoe related their first joint statements.
Their initial joint statements were that they drove Holloway to the "California Lighthouse" area of Arashi Beach because Holloway wanted to see the sharks. According to these first statements, Holloway was slipping in and out of consciousness, and she and van der Sloot "made out" for a short time. Van der Sloot also stated to witnesses and later the police that he sexually fondled Holloway's genitalia, before they dropped her off at her hotel around 2:00 a.m. They said she fell down as she got out of the car and hit her head, but she refused van der Sloot's help to get up, and then she was approached by a dark man in a black shirt similar to those worn by security guards, as the young men drove away. On June 5, Aruban Police, led by superintendent Jan van der Straten, detained Antonius "Mickey" John (30) and Abraham Jones (28), former security guards for the nearby Allegro Hotel, which was closed for renovation.
Holloway's father, Dave Holloway arrived on Aruba two days after her disappearance. He went to the police station and spoke with Dennis Jacobs, the case lead detective, and police drugs specialist. According to Holloway, Jacobs' first statement to him was, "Well how much money you got?" Holloway further alleges that Jacobs told Holloway to go to Carlos and Charlie's Bar, and she might turn up there, but to watch his drink as "People put stuff in it." Again according to Holloway, about four months later, Jacobs repeated his request to know how much money he had. Jacobs has made no known statement on Holloway's allegations. [3] [Aruba by Dave Holloway with R. Stephanie Good and Larry Garrison, pp. 8-10, Nelson Current, 2006]
[edit] Van der Sloot's arrest
On June 9, Van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers were arrested as suspects believed to be involved in a crime(s) of “reasonable suspicion of murder, manslaughter or intentional containment with the dead as consequence” against Holloway. John and Jones were released on June 13.
During interrogation, the remaining suspects' story changed. In a joint police interview between the three, van der Sloot said that he was dropped off at his home, and the brothers drove away with Holloway. Van der Sloot then stated to police he left Holloway at the Marriott Hotel beach near the fishermens huts, phoned Deepak Kalpoe, who returned and gave him a ride home.
On Friday, June 17, a fourth person, later identified as disc jockey Steve Gregory Croes (26) was also arrested. Police Commissioner van der Straten told the media that "Croes was detained based on information from one of the other three detainees." On June 22 Aruban police detained Van der Sloot's father, Paulus Van der Sloot, for questioning, and arrested him the same day for suspicion of “reasonable suspicion of murder, manslaughter or intentional containment with the dead as consequence.” He was released on June 26 after agreeing to waive his right not to testify against his son. Croes was released on June 27. On Monday, July 4, a Judge Commissioner released Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, but they were re-arrested on August 26 along with another new suspect, Freddy Arambatzis, Joran's friend and neighbour. [4]
[edit] Suspects released
On Saturday, September 3, 2005, all four of the detained suspects were released by a judge despite the attempts of the prosecution to keep them in custody, on the condition that they remain available to police. Subsequently, on September 14 all restrictions on them were removed by the Gemeenschappelijk Hof van Justitie van de Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba (the combined appeals court of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba). Though all of those arrested technically remain suspects, they are not in custody and, without additional evidence (and a judge's permission), can only be interrogated voluntarily. Joran van der Sloot now resides in the Netherlands, where he is attending a business college. On November 10, 2005, Paulus van der Sloot won an unjust detention action against the Aruban government and, by virtue of that victory, is no longer legally a suspect. The elder Van der Sloot also initiated a civil action for monetary damages for himself and his family because of his detention. On August 2, 2006 Paulus van der Sloot was granted damages up to 50,000 Aruban guilders - approximately US$28,000 - plus legal fees by an Aruban judge for his unjustified detention. The van der Sloot family may be entitled to additional damages. On August 8, the Aruban office for public prosecution (OM) announced an intention to appeal against this award, with a spokesman contending that the award was excessive[5].
Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers, in interviews or statements after their release, have said that Van der Sloot and Holloway were left at a beach near the Marriott Hotel at about 1:40 a.m. Van der Sloot has claimed that Holloway wanted to have sexual intercourse with him there, but he did not because he did not have a condom. Van der Sloot initially stated that he then left Holloway and his shoes on the beach only 0.6 mile from her hotel, and then walked almost 2 miles to his home. Van der Sloot then stated that Deepak Kalpoe picked him up in their car, but now says he was picked up by Satish Kalpoe at about 3:00 a.m., left Holloway there - he says she wanted to stay, while he wanted to go home because he had to go to school later that morning. Satish Kalpoe denies picking up van der Sloot.
[edit] Physical search
The search for physical evidence has been extensive--and subject to, apparently, false leads. A possible blood sample taken from the car Holloway rode in was tested. The substance was then reported not to be blood. [6]
A small lake near the Aruba Racquet Club close to the Marriott Hotel beach was partly drained between July 27 and July 30, 2005 after an individual ("the gardener") claimed to have seen Joran van der Sloot driving, Deepak Kalpoe next to him, and Satish Kalpoe duck downward quickly in Deepak's car that was sitting parked on a dirt road nearby between 2:30 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. on the same morning Holloway disappeared. This witness was then declared as not credible when he presented himself in front of a judge. He was not able to recognize any of the suspects and the lawyers easily destroyed his stories.[7] Another individual, "Junior," or "the jogger" claimed to have seen the two van der Sloots, Deepak Kalpoe and other persons burying a nude, blonde-haired woman in a landfill during the first week after Holloway disappeared. The police searched the landfill by hand for two hours, finding nothing of interest. Later, when Holloway's father, Dave Holloway, and a volunteer search team learned about the witness, the landfill was extensively searched with heavy garbage-moving/digging equipment. However this witness was not deemed credible since he was a drug addict and had a criminal history. On August 15 it was reported that when the search team members arrived at the landfill, the excavated area had been filled in with new garbage. However, Vanity Fair has reported that the search team searched the landfill until satisfied there was no body present, and searched again in late October. On July 4, the Netherlands deployed three F-16 aircraft equipped with infrared sensors to aid in the search, also without initial result. In March 2006 it was reported that the aircraft photos are being re-examined with additional scrutiny and utilizing new techniques.
The FBI and Aruban authorities interviewed (or in some cases, re-interviewed) several students in the United States in January 2006.
On January 17, 2006, Aruban police searched sand dunes on the northwest coast of Aruba for Natalee Holloway. More than 50 Aruba police cadets searched a one-square-mile area around where the young woman was last known to be seen. Additional searches took place in March and April 2006, without result.[8]
[edit] Arrest of new suspects
On April 15, 2006, Geoffrey von Cromvoirt, 19, was arrested by Aruban authorities on suspicion of criminal offenses that, according to the prosecutor, may be related to the disappearance of Holloway and of offenses related to dealing in illegal narcotics.[9] At his first court appearance, his detention was extended for eight days. However, Von Cromvoirt was released on April 24, 2006.[10] In addition, another individual with initials "A.B." was arrested on April 22, 2006, but released the same day.
On May 17, 2006, another suspect, 19-year-old Guido Wever, the son of a former Aruban politician, was detained in The Hague on suspicion of assisting in the abducting, battering, and killing of Holloway. [11] While Aruban authorities requested his transfer to the island, he was instead released on May 23, 2006 - according to his lawyers, due to lack of evidence. [12]
All arrestees except Paulus van der Sloot legally remain suspects. Attempts by the lawyers for Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoes to end that status have not been successful. While some have tried to distinguish Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers as "principal" or "primary" suspects, this is not a distinction recognized by Aruban law.
In an interview with CBS correspondent Troy Roberts aired on March 25, 2006, Gerold Dompig, deputy chief of police in Aruba (who removed himself from the case shortly after making his comments), said that he now believes Holloway probably died from self-consumed alcohol and/or drug poisoning, was not murdered, and that someone later hid her body. [13]
[edit] Holloway's behavior
Some reports, notably a feature article in Vanity Fair, centered on the behavior of the high school group during their vacation in Aruba. According to that article, the 2006 seniors were not welcome at the Holiday Inn due to the behavior of the previous year's graduates.
Holloway's behavior, in particular, has been discussed. According to some reports, Holloway lay down on the bar and let van der Sloot lick a jello shot off her midriff, otherwise known as a 'body shot'. [14] [15]
Holloway's friends said she had been drinking all day long the day before her disappearance, and Deputy Chief Dompig indicated that the police have evidence which corroborates this. Dompig indicated that there is evidence that points to possession (though not necessarily use) of drugs by Holloway. [16]
[edit] Reward
The reward for information leading to Holloway's safe return, pledged by her family, ex-con and self-described philanthropist Joseph Mammana, private donors, the Aruban government, and Carlos 'n Charlie's Restaurant, is $1,000,000. A $250,000 reward is also offered for information about her whereabouts, alive or dead.[17].
[edit] Beth Twitty's involvement
Beth Twitty has alleged in televised interviews that Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers know more than they have claimed, and, at least one of them sexually abused or raped her daughter. She bases her allegations on parts of an interview with Deepak Kalpoe in which (at least on the version aired on Dr. Phil) he seems to answer "She did" to a suggestion that Holloway had sex with all of them. These clips were first aired on the popular television talk show Dr. Phil. However, in versions of the tapes provided by Aruban authorities, Kalpoe appears to say "No, she didn't" (the version provided by Dr. Phil has heavy, dramatic music making it harder to discern what Kalpoe said). According to Satish Kalpoe's attorneys, David Koch and Elgin Zeppenfeldt, the Dr. Phil audio has been cut and pasted. The Dutch forensic institute has investigated the credibility of the tapes, and concluded that content of the Dr. Phil aired tape did not match the original tape, and that Kalpoe actually said "No, she didn't," followed by, "You'd be surprised how simple it was that night."
Twitty claims to have received copies of police statements stating that Joran van der Sloot admitted having sex with Holloway at his home and described private details of her. She has not provided any copies of such papers, and the evidentiary basis for this is unclear. Vinda de Sousa, former Holloway-Twitty family Aruban attorney, has indicated that no such statement was made.[18], In addition, former deputy chief of police Gerold Dompig has denied that any such statements were made, stating that all three suspects have consistently denied having sexual intercourse with Holloway. [19] Zeppenfeldt, and a number of experts on the various talk shows, have stated that Deepak Kalpoe clearly answered "No, we didn't" to Skeeter saying that they all had sex with Holloway. A copy of the tape [20] (provided by the Aruban police) is available at Scrux.com.
Twitty has been criticized for what is perceived as excessive focus on Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers, to the exclusion of any other theory as to what happened to Holloway. She has also been criticized for making what have been deemed to be inconsistent and contradictory statements (for example, as to whether there were operating security cameras at the Holiday Inn). On June 2, 2005 the Associated Press reported, "Hotel employees, however, say that security cameras did not record her return."
[edit] Criticism of the investigation, call for boycott
The Twittys and their supporters have criticized the lack of progress by Aruban police [21]. Aruban officials and non-U.S. press have attributed their criticism as a lack of understanding of Dutch judicial procedures employed on the island for much of the tension. The Twittys' own actions in Aruba have also been criticized. Some allege that they are actively stifling any evidence that would impugn their daughter's character by asking her fellow students to remain silent about the case and using their access to the media to push their own version of events. The Twittys have denied this publicly many times.
While initially the Twittys discouraged a travel boycott of Aruba, this soon changed and by September 2005, Beth Twitty was suggesting that persons not travel to Aruba because of tourist safety issues. Alabama Governor Bob Riley, joined by the Twittys, urged Alabamians and others to boycott Aruba on November 8, 2005 in a news conference.[22] He also wrote to other United States governors seeking their support--the governors of Georgia and Arkansas eventually joined in the call for boycott. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, city council voted to ask the governor of Pennsylvania to call for a boycott. [23]. He did not do so. The call for boycott has received no federal support.[24]
Members of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association, the Aruba Tourism Authority, the Aruba Hospitality and Security Foundation, the Aruban Chamber of Commerce and government figures, including Public Relations Representative Ruben Trappenberg, formed an "Aruba Strategic Communications Task Force" to respond collectively to their perceived unfounded and/or negative portrayals of the island. The group issues press releases and sends representatives to appear in news media. They have joined the Aruban government in opposing the calls for a boycott of the island. In May of 2006 the website for the group was ceased.
[edit] Media coverage
U.S. television networks have devoted much air time to the search for Holloway, the investigation of her disappearance, and rumors surrounding the case; Greta Van Susteren, host of On The Record on Fox News, perhaps most prominently, alongside Nancy Grace on Headline News, whose show began airing at the exact apex of the coverage. Van Susteren's almost continuous coverage of the story caused On The Record to get its best ratings to date [25]., while Grace's show has become the cornerstone of the new "Headline Prime" block on HLN, which has run two episodes (a live show and a repeat) every night during prime-time. As the case has worn on, much of the attention has been given to Beth Twitty and her statements.[26]
[edit] Criticism of media coverage
The saturation of coverage triggered a backlash among some critics who allude to the theory known as "missing white woman syndrome," which argues that missing-person cases involving white women and girls receive disproportionate attention in the media compared to cases involving men or non-whites. CNN ran a segment criticizing the amount of coverage their competitors have been giving to the story [27]. Locally, the Aruban Press has published extensive news on the story both in Dutch [28] and in the local Papiamento language [29].
The saturation coverage of Holloway's disappearance by the American media was largely eclipsed in late August 2005 by Hurricane Katrina. Beth Twitty has alleged that Aruba took advantage of the media lull to release the suspects and discourage continued U.S. media presence on the island. [30]. However, the deadline for judicial review of the suspects' detention was set long before the hurricane.
[edit] References to the case in non-news media
Police procedurals on American television have aired episodes based to some extent on the Natalee Holloway case:
- The Closer: "Good Housekeeping" (August 8, 2005)
- CSI Miami: "Prey" (October 3, 2005)
- Law & Order: Criminal Intent: "In the Wee Small Hours". (November 6, 2005)
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: "Gone" (February 28, 2006)
- Boston Legal: "BL: Los Angeles" (May 16, 2006)
[edit] References
- The Birmingham News (local and archived coverage)
- Caribbean Net News (local Caribbean coverage)
- Aruba Getagrip (roughly translated Aruban media articles, through early December 2005; restarted March 2006, ended July 2006)
- Scrux.com "Facts in Evidence" (summary)
[edit] External links
- Missing in Aruba
- Summary of Aruban judicial system at Aruba.com
- Editorial About Press Coverage at Kuro5hin.org
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Holloway, Natalee |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | missing teenager |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 21, 1986 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Mountain Brook, Alabama, United States of America |
| DATE OF DEATH | around May 30, 2005 (supposed) |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Aruba (supposed) |
