RSSWitness Finally gives Sworn Testimony
The witness, a Colombian national working as a gardener, who had been missing and failed to show up for his court appointments yesterday finally gave his sworn testimony to the court with his accounts that he “claimed he saw a suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway driving with two friends the night she vanished.”
ORANJESTAD, Aruba (AP) — A man who claimed he saw a suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway driving with two friends the night she vanished appeared in court Monday to give sworn testimony, days after police said he may have fled the country.
The witness had been summoned to appear in court last week, but authorities were unable to locate him and said he might have left the Dutch Caribbean island.
Police found the man and brought him to court, police spokesman Edwin Comenencia said, declining to say where or when they located him.
The man, whose name has not been disclosed, told police last month that he saw Joran van der Sloot, an 18-year-old Dutch high school student who has been detained in the case, and two Surinamese brothers driving near the Marriott Hotel around 2:30 a.m. on May 30.
The man’s account is significant because van der Sloot told authorities that he was already at home at 2:30 a.m. that night. Van der Sloot has admitted he was alone with Holloway that night, but said he left the 18-year-old from Mountain Brook unharmed at a beach near the Marriott Hotel.
As previously posted, the Witness had been missing and failed to appear for previous court dates. The importance of sworn testimony and credibility of this witness could prove crucial in this case with the many different accounts that Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers have provided during this investigation.
Under Dutch law, which governs Aruba, a sworn testimony is considered more credible because it allows the judge and lawyers on both sides of a case to question the witness.
We are very satisfied with the interrogations,” of the witness, said Ruud Oomen, a lawyer for Deepak Kalpoe, after the session. “The judge gave us the opportunity to ask the questions we wanted.” Oomen declined to comment further.
Chief Prosecutor Karin Janssen and other defense lawyers declined to comment upon leaving court.
Family and EquuSearch Respond to derogatory comments from Jim Knox
Natalee Holloway’s family and EquuSearch have responded to the insensitive and derogatory comments by Jim Knox of the newest search teams in Aruba.
As reported earlier today and as seen by many last night, Jim Knox, of the new search team in Aruba made some pretty accusatory and inflammatory comments regarding previous search groups in Aruba. The insinuation was that Knox was referring to Texas EquuSearch in the following comment as much as Mr. Knox wises to play games of parsing words and state that he never mentioned EquuSearch by name. (The entire transcript of comments can be seen here.)
JK: We arrived on Wednesday, we started working Wednesday afternoon. We met with police first thing as soon as we got off the plane, that’s where we started the cooperation. They were mightily impressed. We presented Fred’s resume of over 2000 finds in 17 different countries and states. They’ve watched the dogs work, they’re impressed, they know that we’re working.
Jamie, I’ve had 1 beer in a week with a hamburger in Saturday. The previous searchers were taking tubs and ice chests of beer out with them. They’d work 2 hours and come in. They had equipment they didn’t know how to use. I could give you a world of information but….
When emailing the family and talking with some of them personally, all were profoundly disappointed in the actions and the comments made by Jim Knox. What makes matters even worse is it appears that members of the family had spoke to Knox before be left for Aruba an stated they asked Knox to discuss his searches with the media and not talk about previous search team’s efforts. I guess Jim Knox did not understand that conversation. Especially seeing that before he even came to Aruba he made other inflammatory and derogatory comments.
The following is an email that I received from Dave and Robin Holloway this afternoon regarding this matter:
I want to take a moment to defend EquuSearch. Dave and I frequently read posts from this website and want to take this opportunity to let everyone know how much we appreciated EquuSearch and all of the hard work and volunteering they have done in our efforts to find Natalee. Dave was with them every day they were there. The only tubs we saw they carried were filled with water and soft drinks! They are wonderful people and very dear friends of ours that we will stay in touch with the rest of our lives. Negative comments from other searchers will do nothing to assist in our search for Natalee and we feel this was uncalled for. We appreciate all of the volunteers who are looking for Natalee, but want to keep it civil and professional.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support! That is the only thing getting us through this.
Dave and Robin
I also received am email from Linda Allison that stated the following:
“It is unfortunate that the comments were made last night since it is irrelevant to finding Natalee. I have always been a very big advocate of EquuSearch and have met some truly outstanding, hard-working, and caring individuals”.
I also personally spoke with Paul Reynolds this afternoon at great length and discussed the unfortunate issue at hand and how many people were hurt by these comment. I told Paul that there were many volunteers and caring people out there that were profoundly hurt that their efforts were undermined by the selfish and insensitive comments made by Mr. Knox. I told Paul that people truly care about Natalee and your family and want there to be closure for you, but such comments can only do harm and make people not care. In talking to Paul, he was bewildered and simply shocked at the comments that were made. He called Jim Knox today to tell him just that. It was my understanding that the conversation was pretty much a one sided one with Paul doing the talking voicing his displeasure. Paul told Scared Monkeys that he wanted to apologized for the unfortunate and childish comments made by Knox and in no way did the family support anything that Mr. Knox said. Paul also wished to say the following:
“I am shocked and dismayed at the irresponsibility and inappropriateness of these comments. We have always welcomed every volunteer and every person to help find Natalee. Everyone has been gracious, respectful and diligent in this effort to help our family and to go on the air, in a live broadcast and make such inaccurate and derogatory comments is unbelievable wrong and insensitive.”
I also received am email from Tim Miller of EquuSearch. I did not want to bother Tim as he has been recovering himself from an illness.
Statement from Tim Miller:
I am very hurt and offended by allegations made in our efforts to search for Natalee Holloway. We brought in every resource we thought possible in her safe return or search for her remains.
I was personally very optimistic going into the Natalee search that she would be located, probably deceased.
Probably the most disappointed people besides Natalee’s family was each one of the 93 volunteers from Texas Equusearch that had to leave that island with no results.
I am extremely proud of every effort every volunteer made. I am extremely grateful to every person that sent us a donation allowing us to continue the search as long as we did.
We also realize the struggles of Natalee’s family and did everything we could do to help support them in any way we could.
Texas Equusearch at this point is several thousands of dollars in the red and credit card bills continue coming in. We will defer these expenses through our own fund raisers and we are not asking for the public to support us in these expenses.
We are asking everyone to continue praying for this family during this terrible time of need. Let us continue praying for the other families who also have missing loved ones who have not received the support that was given in the Natalee Holloway search.
On a joking side, I have no turtle eggs and really don’t enjoy turtle soup and I’m very disturbed that Paul VDS felt as though I threatened him, but hopefully someday he’ll allow his property to be searched.
As far as statements from Jim Knox and Fred Golba, I have thick skin and will deal with these as needed.
Again I appreciate all the support that we’ve received during the Natalee Holloway search and other efforts we’ve been involved in.
Hopefully Natalee’s disappearance will not be in vein and resources gathered will be used for our missing loved ones in the future.
God Bless all, Your Friend
Tim Miller
Thus at the time these comments were made the family members had no idea they were being said. Some even found out through SM and direct emails and telephone calls from either myself or other Monkeys for the first time.
Thus everyone can see how one person’s agenda and comments can waste valuable time and resources in the primary goal to find Natalee Holloway. Amazing when one makes thyself bigger than the story. I have to admit I was suspect of Mr. Knox by his previous comments when I previously posted, Calling All SAR’s; Search More, Talk Later.
How anyone can go to Aruba and help in the search for Natalee and use the media air time for their own personal gain, agenda or vendetta is truly reprehensible. I hardly think that this is what the family expected out of Jim Knox nor what he ever claimed he would do prior to coming to Aruba. Jim Knox has has embarrassed himself, the family and the investigation by his actions and I hope understands and makes amends for his foolishness.
I hope that Jim Knox apologizes publicly for what he has said and if not I hope the family tells him to cease all future media events until he does so. There is no need for any of this childishness and three ring circus caused by Knox. This is about finding Natalee and bring closure to the family, nothing more. Maybe Jim Knox should remember this before he opens his mouth again?
Look for the family to be on the talk shows tonight having to do damage control for Jim Knox’s comments.
More News From Aruba & Alabama on Natalee Holloway
From CBS WTVY Channel 4 comes “Holloway Remembered”
Natalee Holloway would have began college this Fall at the University of Alabama.
Holloway was slated to begin school at the university this week and dozens of students at the school want to make sure the teenager from Mountain Brook is not forgotten.
To keep Holloway’s memory alive, some fraternity and sorority members have hung yellow ribbons across the campus as a reminder that the honor student won’t be at the university when classes begin.
From AP, ‘Aruba Police Find Man Who Claims to Be Witness in Missing U.S. Teen Case’
A man who claimed he saw a suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway driving with two friends the night she vanished appeared in court Monday to give sworn testimony, days after police said he may have fled the country.
The witness had been summoned to appear in court last week, but authorities were unable to locate him and said he might have left the Dutch Caribbean island.
Police found the man and brought him to court, police spokesman Edwin Comenencia said, declining to say where or when they located him.
New Searchers and Fox News have some explaining to Do
Last night on Fox News, 8/14/05 – Big Story (Jamie Colby), FOX News Channel, Jim Knox of the new search team out of Florida had some pretty not so kind things to say about previous search teams that have gone to Aruba to help locate missing teen, Natalee Holloway. Jaime Colby also thought it not to do any follow up questions rebutting the comments. Below is a transcript of that interview. Let me first say I find it appalling and unprofessional that any search team would criticize another. IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU! It is about Natalee Holloway and being able to bring closure in some form to her family. However, Former NYPD Detective Pat Bronson tried to say last night before Fox’s Jamie Colby tried to cut him off:
It’s awesome, absolutely dynamite. What he said could very well be the fact or that could just be something said by the next team in. Very rarely do you find complimentary things being said of the prior team, let’s be pragmatic about it
Jaime Colby: Let’s move on….
As a point of reference, this hardly seems like a place where one would bring an ice chest of beer does it? Its also a place where one can barely stomach the thought of eating. Maybe Fox News would like to interview the many volunteers that spent all day in the landfill helping search for Natalee taking time only to leave for lunch to get out of the hot sun and their surroundings? The volunteers that gave up their time and put risk to their health to help Natalee’s parents bring closure in one form or another. One last interesting point I will bring up. Why is it that this new group is so quick to criticize yet they have not been to this location. It is truly sad when people make it about their own agenda or vendetta rather than the primary focus, finding Natalee Holloway. Take a good look folks, there are certainly more landfill pictures to come.
Fox News, Jim Knox and others have much explaining to do.
Story developing …
The following is the transcript from last nights show: (Hat Tip: Getagrip)
Tito Lacle Answers the Monkeys Questions, Part 2
The following is the second part of Tito Lacle’s Q&A from the other night. Tito was kind enough to take the time to answer further questions the next day that he had been asked.
Scared Monkeys thanks Tito for spending so much time answering the questions posed to him and his willingness to come into The Monkey Cage.
TLR
Tito – Any news on the whereabouts of the missing gardener?
Klaasend
Tito, Any news on the whereabouts of the missing gardener?
TITO: AS OF THIS AFTERNOON, POLICE ARE STILL SEARCHING..
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DT
Tito – We asked last night, but I was wondering what your personal
theory was as to what happened to Natalee?
TITO: I DON’T HAVE ONE.. GAVE UP ON HAVING ONE.. POLICE THINK SHE IS DEAD.. THEY HAVE BEEN TREATING THIS INVESTIGATION FROM THE BEGINNING AS A MURDER INVESTIGATION
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Sb
My question would be: Do you have any read on what the Holloway/Twitty
family suspect has happened to Natalee? Do they agree with the Aruban
authorities’ ideas?
TITO: THEY DO AT SOME EXTEND.. FATHER ‘DAVE’ BELIEVES IT WAS SOMETHING GONE BAD, AND JUST WANTS TO KNOW WHAT IT IS.. DOESN’T BELIEVE THE BOYS WANTED TO KILL HER BUT THAT THEY PANICKED WHEN SOMETHING WENT WRONG.. THE MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW IF SHE CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH AND WILL DEAL WITH IT WHEN IT HAPPENS..
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Crazybabyborg
Not a question, but I know all of the monkey cage appreciates your willingness to accept the fabric pictures. Thank You!
TITO: YOU ARE SO WELCOME.
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Friend of monkeys
TITO…..hi and thx…i have been here from day one and remember early in June when aruban pub info official stated on fox they were shocked to find that NH had been kidnapped and they were following a car in Venezuela going to columbia…..what ever happened to that??? sounded serious and true at the time. thank you . are they looking in Venezuela deeply?!
TITO: THEY ARE LOOKING IN VENEZUELA.. EARLY REPORTS HAD PEOPLE SPOTTING NATALEE IN PUNTO FIJO.. AND FBI SEND PEOPLE OVER TO SEE. BUT IT TURNED OUT NEGATIVE
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TexasRick
Tito?? Anyone?? Paulus and his wife could not possibly afford
NINE attorneys representing his son, given their jobs, the sort of house
they live in and the car that they drive. Can anyone in Aruba find out who
is paying for the lawyers? Is that a matter of public record? ….It would be
interesting to see if any of these lawyers have histories of working with
drug-trafficking types in Aruba as that might explain things more clearly…
.Keep Joran out of jail and thus “innocent” and take the heat off from their
profitable drug operations, like GHB and Ecstasy…
TITO: THE FATHER OF JORAN IS PAYING FOR THE 3 LAWYERS.. EACH LAWYER IS FROM A DIFFERENT FIRM AND HAS MORE PARTNERS.. HENCE THE SUMMATION OF 9 LAWYERS.
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Molly12
Tito why do you think Jug said the police know where the gardener is?
TITO: I DON’T KNOW
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Golden – Hey Tito, I’m a couple of pages behind so I hope you are still on
board. Greta mentioned on the Jay Leno show that the prosecutor hated her. Any ideas why?
TITO: I ANSWERED THAT LAST NIGHT ALREADY
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