Natalee Holloway; July 16, 2005

According to MSNBC TV, as previously mentioned searchers today are in the area of the place where two tourists have claimed to have found bones over a week ago. Any and all leads are being investigated by EquuSearch. However, according to MSNBC Aruban police seem to be denying any such account of bones being given to them.

Transcripts from CNN’s Nancy Grace; July 15, 2005

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Tonight, live to Aruba. Divers focus on the waters just outside that Marriott Hotel. Is time running out for 18-year- old Natalee Holloway`s family? And are Aruban police giving the FBI the cold shoulder? Just one of the three suspects behind bars tonight.

Tonight, in Aruba, Natalee`s mom, Beth Holloway Twitty and the director of the EquuSearch team, Tim Miller, still searching for Natalee; in Denver, defense attorney Lisa Wayne; in New York, defense attorney Alan Ripka and psychotherapist Caryn Stark.

But first, let`s go down to CNN correspondent on the case in Aruba, Susan Candiotti. Welcome, Susan. Bring me up-to-date.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Nancy.

Well, certainly, there`s a lot of frustration all around here by the family, by authorities, certainly by the residents of that island. Everyone wanting to find Natalee Holloway. And from all accounts, there is said to be good cooperation among all the investigators.

However, something rather curious. I`m hearing from a law enforcement source close to the investigation that the FBI, who has been there from the start at the invitation of Aruban authorities — FBI has been asking for access to interviews, to evidence, to various materials that have been gathered along the way, has asked for it on more than one occasion.

And yet, they have been denied access to that information for review, as it`s been explained to me, give it some fresh perspective, for example.

Also, I`ve learned, according to the same source close to the investigation, that, for example, the FBI has provided a profiler along the way, as has the Dutch, and has given advice, among other things, on how to interview, for example, Joran Van Der Sloot, the 17-year-old son of the judge, and certain techniques.

That advice, I`m told, has not been accepted or utilized by the FBI. Now, how do we know this? Well, we know that the FBI has been allowed to observe interrogations and interviews. They have been able to observe searches. Primarily, they`re not — I`ve been told not been able to enter residences, participate in the arrests, which is probably not surprising.

I believe Beth Twitty probably summed up the entire interview and situation best when she said:

Well, Nancy, you know, my heart does go out to the Aruban citizens. And I realize — you know, as I`m watching that barrel being extracted from the beach today, this is just an all-around just tragic and terrible ordeal that we are all going through.

And, you know, I think at that point, there was just such a huge frustration level for myself and for everyone involved, I just think that that was just probably inevitable that that was going to happen. And, you know, it`s just — it`s been so difficult, Nancy.

Update: Capital News Channel 9; Another dead end in Holloway case

The most recent efforts by divers in the case of a missing Alabama teen in Aruba turned up nothing.

Volunteer divers pulled a metal barrel out of the ocean near the hotel where 18-year-old Natalee Holloway was staying. They were hoping it could lead to a break in the case, but the barrel turned out to hold no clues.

Thousands of people helped look for Holloway when she disappeared on May 30. But now, search efforts are dwindling.

UPDATE: Aruba Today – July 15, 2005
Page 1, Dutch Teen To Temain In Custody
Page 6, Watching Natalee’s Mom a “Woman of Valor”.