Amigoe: Joran van der Sloot tells his ‘truth’. (aka: a new version of Aruba the Truth)

From Amigoe: Sunday 26 February 2006, Joran van der Sloot tells his ‘truth’.

“It is time to tell the truth”, said Joran in the interview.

Well I guess Karen Janssen will be interested to know then that would mean he was lying all summer when he was being questioned. Now its time to tell the truth? Not when it could have made a difference in gaining valuable leads and information in finding Natalee Holloway. The tales Joran Van der Sloot spins makes one wonder exactly what is truth and what is fiction.

He claims he lied in the beginning because he was scared, yet he was not scared to continually tell lies to the interrogators until this interview with the US media? That is believable. Aruba, he belongs to you and your island hangs in the balance as to the perpetual lies he tells and obstructs an investigation. Support him if you will, but there are consequences that go with it. For all those that back him and support Joran; if your life was on the line as to whether he was lying or telling the truth, would you still trust him?

From Amigoe:

ARUBA — Natalee Holloway had drunk some, but was not under the influence of alcohol on the evening of her disappearance. She did say something strange about her mother. “She said that her mother is Hitler’s sister.” This is what Joran van der Sloot, the main suspect in the case of the disappeared girl, said in Primetime on the American TV-station ABC that was broadcasted on Thursday evening.

It’s the first time that the suspect gave a detailed interview. He recently refused to talk to the Aruban and Dutch media. It was also the first time that the Americans could hear the other side of the story.
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Natalee Holloway Story: Many Just do not Get its Popularity, Including Aruba

For the longest time, many have scoffed at the fact that the Natalee Holloway disappearance story has managed to stay in the media spot light. Many have criticized it, yet still managed to report, post and do articles only to capitalize on the stories popularity. The fact is that people want to know what happened, they are intrigued and they have a personal bond with the story.

The Natalee Holloway story is a “Perfect Storm” of a confluence of issues that have captured the attention, hearts and minds of many. The missing American teenage girl who could be anyone’s daughter, sister or cousin with her entire life ahead of her, an international element occurring on a vacation island in the Caribbean that is deemed a safe, and the perceived cover up and preferential treatment of a local boy who has lied more times about the events of that fateful evening than one cares to analyze. That coupled with a continued investigation that has been marred with errors, a lack of proper searches and an attitude of no sense of urgency. Just like in the “Perfect Storm”, the Andrea Gail could not get out of the storms path and neither can Aruba with the Natalee Holloway story.

Many have thought that people eventually would lose interest and go away, including many wishful individuals in Aruba. Ask ABC’s Prime Time if the story is waning? The other night when they interviewed Joran Van der Sloot they received their largest audience and highest rating in three years . The broadcast averaged 12.4 million total viewers.

The broadcast averaged 12.4 million total viewers. The news magazine’s 4.4 rating in the 18-49 demo beat CBS’s 3.8…

Not only has the staying power of the Natalee Holloway story helped put pressure on Aruba to get to the bottom of the disappearance, it has also brought light on many other missing persons cases in the MSM. The media has understood that viewers are interested in missing persons cases and the media exposure putting out missing stories cases helps helps in the process. It can be a win-win, if none correctly.

The story is not going away unless it is solved and even then Natalee Holloway will have a legacy. This month Beth Twitty begins her “Stay Safe” program which kicks off at Natalee Holloway’s high school. It will reference her daughter missing in Aruba. In April Dave Holloway’s book, ‘Aruba : The Tragic Untold Story of Natalee Holloway and Corruption in Paradise’ will be released. At the end of May will be the one year anniversary of Natalee’s disappearance.

Going away? Viewers losing interest? Hardly. There is only one way that this story loses interest; justice and the prosecution of those responsible. The sooner the searches on tips and leads are done by the ALE. The sooner that Aruba prosecutes those responsible. The sooner this case will diminish.

However, the coverage of missing person cases by the media will never be the same.

Michael Posner Upset over Excelsior casino Security Tapes to ABC

Add just a couple more strange circumstances in to the mix to the ABC Prime Time interview with Joran Van der Sloot. It was reported that Joran, Natalee Holloway and other Mountain Brook students were at a black jack table in the Excelsior casino. This was presented in exclusive security film footage provided to ABC by an anonymous source.

It has been reported in the past that Michael Posner runs the casino operations and his past ties to organized crime. However, ABC affiliate out of Chicago is once again reporting the same news: Aruban casino boss had ties to Chicago mob, Missing Alabama teen last seen at casino. This is a little bit misleading as Carlos N’ Charlie’s was actually the last place that Natalee Holloway was ever seen. However, they do go into detail of Posner’s past affiliations and the fact that the Aruban government still saw fit to have him run and manage the gaming operations at The Excelsior.

Authorities on the island of Aruba have not been able to solve the mystery of what happened to Alabama teenager Natalie Holloway. She disappeared while on a high school trip last spring. The ABC7 I-Team has learned new details about the casino where Holloway was last seen, an Aruba casino run by a convicted high-ranking Chicago mobster.

However, through his attorney Posner states that he has been clean for quite some time and that he was not in Aruba at the time of the disappearance. Posner also claims he does not know Van der Sloot or ever giving him credit.

Casino boss Michael Posner denies that he knows van der Sloot and denies ever extending him casino credit. Posner’s lawyer Allan Ackerman says Posner was in Chicago when Holloway vanished and returned to Aruba the day after.

Adding more intrigue to the mix is the fact that Posner is furious that security tapes from The Excelsior that he volunteered to the ALE for the Natalee Holloway investigation wound up in the hands of ABC. Posner, according to his attorney is looking into legal action to whoever turned it over to ABC. Nothing like evidence from private surveillance videos given to the ALE showing up in the media. How does evidence make it into the hands of the media? Maybe the ALE would like to share the statements as well from the three suspects with the MSM for all of us to see as well?

Natalee Holloway’s Parents To Attend Fund Raiser for Kristen Foundation

Kristen Modafferi has been missing since June 23, 1997. She was last seen leaving Spinelli’s Coffee Shop in San Francisco, CA.

Kristen Modafferi had just finished her freshman year at North Carolina State University when she headed to San Francisco for a work-study program. She enrolled in photography courses at the University of California at Berkeley and got a job at Spinelli’s Coffee Shop downtown.

It was while she was in California that the college student vanished without a trace.

The last people to see Modafferi said they watched her leave her job at Spinelli’s on June 23, 1997. She hasn’t been spotted since.

(News 14 Carolina)

The Kristen Foundation, which started in 2000 for Kristen Modafferi. It has also helped many families of missing persons. The parents of Natalee Holloway will be attending the Crystal Ball held in Charlotte the first weekend in March. The 6th annual Crystal Ball will be held on March 4th, 2006

Kristen Modafferi is Still Missing, web site.

• Missing since June 23, 1997
• 5’8″ tall, 140 lbs.
• Dark Brown Hair
• Dark Brown Eyes
• Distinctive Dimples
• Student from North Carolina State University
• Born 6/1/79.

Missing Persons in the News

Norma Perales, 42, suffers from schizophrenia is Missing

Texas Equusearch conducted a search on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 by 4-wheeler in Mason Park in Houston, TX where Norma’s car was found with no result.
(For more on the story)

18-year-old Carole Carney and her 16-year-old friend Kristen Lindquist Missing

Carole Carney, 18, and her friend Kristen Lindquist, 16, have been missing since Sunday.
(More)

Kelly Ann Monahan, 25, vanished into thin air on Valentines Day

Kelly Ann Monahan, 25, was last seen February 14, Valentine’s Day. Her dad, Joe Monahan, said his only child “has vanished into thin air.”
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