Accidental Death Not Ruled Out By Aruban Police

From the AP, Accidental Death Not Ruled Out

Two Suspects in Teen’s Disappearance Known for in Aruba Were Known to Police; Accidental Death Not Ruled Out

I am not sure if I am buying this premise. I doubt whether this will play very well.

ORANJESTAD, Aruba (AP) – Accidental death has not been ruled out in the case of a missing Alabama honors student whose fate remains a mystery despite the arrest of two suspects known to police for trying to pick up women in hotels in this Dutch Caribbean territory, authorities said Tuesday.
Police and FBI agents kept up a 9-day-old search for 18-year-old Natalee Holloway, but a lack of any solid leads was hindering progress, said several officers involved in the investigation.

Authorities had not ruled out any possibilities, including that Holloway may have drowned, Aruba Attorney General Caren Janssen said. Two divers were among the eight FBI agents helping in the hunt, but it was not immediately clear if they had begun an underwater search.

Massive search for missing Alabama teen stopped

*** Breaking News ***

According to CNN,

Massive search for missing Alabama teen stopped
(No further reason given at this point as to why.)

According to CNN, Aruba suspects trolled island hotels.

ORANJESTAD, Aruba (AP) — Two men charged in the disappearance of a U.S. teenager who went missing in Aruba more than a week ago were known to police for trolling area hotels to pick up women, and at least one had a previous brush with the law, a police officer said Tuesday.

The two suspects had lost their jobs as security guards at a hotel about two blocks from the Holiday Inn where 18-year-old Natalee Holloway was staying in the Dutch Caribbean island. They weren’t fired but their work contracts had expired, a police officer told The Associated Press.

The officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said several islanders told police that the two men who had been detained were seen hanging out frequently at different hotels trying to pick up female tourists in a friendly manner. No complaints had been filed against the men.

One of the suspects had a brush with the law, but it was not a violent or sexual offense, the officer said.

UPDATE: 3:00pm EDT – I have searched everywhere for confirmation on the search being called off reported by CNN and I can find nothing. AP, Reuters, Aruban news and even CNN has not confirmed this. CNN TV has not even reported such events. I am a bit suspect.

If any Aruban readers know please let us now by comment or email.

Natalee Holloway Updates June 7, 2005

11:00am EDT - The Judge in Aruba is supposed to later today rule whether the two suspects that were arrested over the weekend in suspicion with the missing teen, Natalee Holloway can be held legally.

Investigators in Aruba say a judge is expected to rule today whether two men charged in the disappearance of an Alabama teen can be legally held.

ORANJESTAD, Aruba (AP) — Police say the men were security guards. Neighbors say they worked at a hotel under renovation near the one where Natalee Holloway stayed. She vanished a week ago while on a high school graduation trip to the Dutch Caribbean island.

Officers say they’ve asked the Justice Ministry for permission to conduct another big search Tuesday for Holloway. But so far they haven’t received an answer.

11:25 am - The searches continue today for Natalee as per CNN.

ORANJESTAD, Aruba (CNN) — The search for Natalee Holloway will resume Tuesday in Aruba, a day after government employees joined police, Dutch marines and FBI agents in the search for the 18-year-old Alabama student.

Holloway vanished more than a week ago on the Caribbean island.

Authorities said some searchers focused Monday on the eastern tip of the island, the same area searched Sunday by Dutch marines.

Aruba chief prosecutor Karen Janssen has declined to specify the charges the two men could face, and authorities have not called the case a kidnapping. The men could appear in court on Wednesday.

Janssen also said she has requested FBI dive teams to help search craggy areas of Aruba’s coast.

An FBI spokesman in Miami, Florida, said earlier reports that bureau divers would join the search Monday were in error, as was a report that its agents assisted in Sunday’s arrests.

Seven FBI agents from Miami are in Aruba, including two divers and evidence collection and analysis experts, and one agent has come from Barbados, the spokesman said.

11:30 am - The two suspects that were arrested over the weekend and charged in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway have lost their jobs as security officers as reported by the AP.

ORANJESTAD, Aruba – Two men charged in Natalee Holloway’s disappearance lost their jobs as security guards at a hotel near the one in which the Alabama teenager was staying the day before she vanished, a police officer said Tuesday.

The suspects lost their jobs when their company’s contract expired with the hotel, which was closed for renovation, on May 29, the day before the 18-year-old honors student disappeared during a senior class trip to the Dutch Caribbean island, the police officer told The Associated Press.

The men — ages 28 and 30 — will appear before a judge Wednesday to determine whether their detention is legitimate, Attorney General Caren Janssen said. The hearing will be closed to the public, she said.

What has always puzzled me was the fact that the two suspects were hired as security guards in the first place. The Birmingham News had previously reported The following, “allegedly”, “The two men, known drug dealers, may have connections with three others targeted earlier as “persons of interest,” according to police.” If this were the case and this is a fact, how were they employed to be security guards? Why would anyone with this “alleged” type of background be employed to be anywhere near a hotel whether it was under renovations or not?

12:00 noon - According to a Fox News story an Atlanta, GA resident had been offered marijuana by the same guards on a previous vacation trip to Aruba. (Video avaliable)

One Atlanta resident told FOX News that she was vacationing in Aruba and confirmed that she was approached by the same guards currently in custody and was offered marijuana by them.

Friends and family remain hopeful and thankful to Aruba’s help.

As the search continued, Holloway’s friends, family and residents of her hometown remained hopeful.

“I have no reason to be pessimistic about anything,” friend Brooke Gardner told FOX News. “There’s been nothing that’s shown she’s not OK. She is OK and I’m not going to believe anything otherwise.”

More than 100 Meridian, Miss., residents gathered at a church Monday night to pray for the safe return of Holloway, who is a Mississippi native. Her father is a resident of Meridian.

And the outpouring of support from the Aruban community and at home is holding the family together, he said.

“It renews our faith and our hope that she’ll be home soon,” Reynolds told FOX News. “It’s overwhelming how they [the people of Aruba] have responded — it’s almost like a large family here. They’ve been very supportive … it’s a wonderful thing to see how everyone pulls together.”

MOUNTAIN BROOK, Al Prays for Natalee’s Safe Return

As the search on Aruba continues for Natalee Holloway, the town of Mountain Brook comes together and prayer for her safe return.

MOUNTAIN BROOK, Ala. – They have waited and prayed for good news for a week, refusing to give up hope that 18-year-old Natalee Holloway will be found alive and come back home.

The belief has kept residents of this upscale suburb and Holloway’s anxious family tightly bound since the teen went missing last Monday during a senior class trip to Aruba.

“You don’t want that to happen to anybody’s family,” said Nikki Quick, manager of a gift shop in the mostly residential, tree-lined community of 22,000 that is home to many of the Birmingham area’s most well-to-do families.

Yellow ribbons, positive thought and prayers in support of Natalee and her family have been the order of the day in Mountain Brook. The roller coaster of emotion with the not knowing of information about Natalee is something that most of us could never comprehend and most of us do not want to.

An aunt of Holloway, Marcia Twitty, said the girl’s mother – though on “an emotional roller coaster” – is staying upbeat: “I know Natalee is alive and I’m going to find her,” she quoted her saying.

The hope is shared from one town to the other; yellow ribbons are attached to everything from mail boxes to automatic bank machines.

“We’re just showing that we’re supporting her family and everyone down there wanting to bring her home,” Quick said.

Quick spent Monday morning redecorating the show window in front of her business with only yellow items – her own small way of showing support. A handmade sign on the sidewalk outside said “Pray for Natalee.”

Mountain Brook Mayor Terry Oden said he’s not at all surprised residents have banded together. “Most people have lived here all their lives and we care for each other,” he said.

The people of Mountain Brook have come together in support.

Twitty, speaking to reporters Monday in the parking lot of Mountain Brook Community Church, which has been holding daily prayer services, showed a large picture of Holloway and her mother.

“These people belong together. This is a mom and daughter team that go together,” Twitty said. “She’s missing and we’ve got to find her.”

Asked how the family was reacting to the possibility Holloway might not be found alive, Twitty remarked: “I can’t mentally go there, because we’ve got to find her.”

At Norton’s Florist, manager Deana Cross said she had made 400 yellow ribbon displays in the past four days and was having trouble keeping up with orders.

Keep the faith, God Bless and a safe return.

No Election Fraud in Washington State; The Elect Senator Rossi Campaign Has Just Begun

I guess who ultimately couldn’t see this coming? This election was marred with so much questionable voter fraud that of course the Judge would side for the Democrat. It is hard to imagine that Judge John Bridges could have kept a straight face when he made the comments regarding his ruling to uphold Democrat Christine Gregoire’s victory.

A judge Monday upheld Democrat Christine Gregoire’s victory in the closest race for governor in U.S. history, rejecting Republican claims that last fall’s election was stolen through errors and fraud.

The election — decided by an amazingly close 129 votes out of 2.9 million cast — included 1,678 illegally cast ballots, Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges found. But he said Republicans failed to prove that GOP candidate Dino Rossi would have won if those votes had been disregarded.

“Unless an election is clearly invalid, when the people have spoken their verdict should not be disturbed by the courts,” Bridges said. Nullifying the election, he said, would be “the ultimate act of judicial egotism and judicial activism.”

Unless the election was clearly invalid? What type of sick joke is this? In the ultimate slap in the face, Judge Bridges even went so far as to “throw out only a few illegally cast votes and raised Gregoire’s margin of victory to 133 from 129.”

The Republicans argued that large numbers of votes were illegally cast by felons or cast in the names of dead people; that there were errors in the counting of ballots; and that there was stuffing of the ballot box and destruction of ballots. They concentrated their attacks on Seattle’s heavily Democratic King County, the state’s most populous county.

While the Republicans characterized the election problems as “sinister,” Democrats described them as innocent mistakes that happen in every county, in every election. They said the GOP lacked the clear and convincing proof needed to justify overturning the election.

In his ruling, the judge said the GOP failed to make the case for any deliberate, widespread fraud. He rejected the GOP’s argument that an analytical technique called “proportional deduction” showed that most of the illegal votes cast in the election went to Gregoire. He also held that even using Republicans’ proposed analytical technique, Gregoire still won.

If this had been the other way around Democrats would have been marching and chanting, “no victory, no peace.” So I guess the judge thinks that just fraud is acceptable as long as it is not wide spread. This is simply shameful.

Following the decision Republican Dino Rossi decided not to go ahead to the state Supreme Court with his legal challenge to the 2004 election of Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire.

Reeling from a courtroom rout, Republican Dino Rossi decided today not to press ahead to the state Supreme Court with his legal challenge to the 2004 election of Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire.

“With today’s decision, and because of the political makeup of the Washington State Supreme Court, which makes it almost impossible to overturn this ruling, I am ending the election contest,” Rossi said at his campaign headquarters in Bellevue.

Bridges turned back the GOP challenge on several fronts. He said the Republicans’ claims of fraud were not supported by any evidence. He rebuffed their statistical proposal for subtracting invalid votes from the candidates, calling it scientifically inadequate. And he rejected their suggested interpretations of state laws and previous court rulings on election challenges.

“I don’t think I can think of anything we argued that he didn’t take lock, stock and barrel,” Democratic lawyer Kevin Hamilton said.

Well isn’t that reassuring? After Democrats have clamored over every election that they should have won like in Florida in 2000 and OH in 2004 because of voter fraud after this man you have no more room for complaint.

Michelle Malkin live blogged the even charade and has a great play by play of the events.

Sound Politics put it best we have “Nothing to do but work harder.”

As voters, we have all the power we need to make these changes, regardless of the decisions of any court, executive or legislature. Our remedy is to be more organized and to work for candidates who believe as we do. This is one election. There will be hundreds more in our lifetimes and we must contest them all. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

Let’s just hope that this is the beginning of the Rossi for Senate Campaign run. The voters of Washington State will not forget this. People know when a wrong has been committed no mater what a Judge may rule. Rossi for Senate in 2006.