Missing in Aruba: Patrick van der Eem Says … I Know Who Threw Natalee Holloway into the Sea

According to reports from De Telegraaf, Patrick van der Eem, the man who befriended Joran Van der Sloot and got him to confess on video tape, stated … “I know who has thrown the body in sea” … “Joran had asked me 2000 euro to silence that man.”

This better not just be a teaser for a book deal. If Patrick van der Eem does actually know who dumped Natalee Holloway’s body into the ocean, one can only hope that he shared this information with the Aruban and Dutch investigators and with OM Hans Mos. At least he better have shared the individuals name with Natalee’s parents, Beth and Dave Holloway.

‘Friend’ knows who dumped Natalee

But instead he was recorded saying that he knew who had dumped Natalee’s body at sea and that Van der Sloot had asked him for €2,000 to buy the man’s silence, the Telegraaf reports.

Van der Eem was also heard saying he had known Van der Sloot for several years. On Peter R de Vries’ tv programme, he claimed he befriended the Dutch student in a Nijmegen casino in 2007.

• De Telegraaf (English)
• Transcripts in Dutch

Patrick van der Eem, I know who threw Natalee in sea  (Amigoe: 3/6/08)

ORANJESTAD — Patrick van der Eem, who lured Joran van der Sloot in the trap on hidden cameras, was self also secretly filmed.  After an interview in Aruba with a local TV-station, some risqué statements were elicited from Van der Eem, because he thought that the cameras were stopped, reported De Telegraaf today.   

“I know who has thrown the body in sea”, says Van der Eem in Papiamento to interviewer Poentje Castro.  “Joran had asked me 2000 euro to silence that man.”

The criminal undercover asserted further that he himself has organized the entire operation.  “I have thought of everything; how the environment must be furnished with microphones and plants.  From hidden mini cameras in plants to even the internet- and telephone connections that were tapped.”

Van der Eem also says that he expects to become a millionaire with this entire case.  “And I will make sure that Joran and his entire family take nose-dive.  They can better immigrate to Africa”, threatens Van der Eem. 

The interview took place late last month as a result of the book that Van der Eem is having an American journalist write.  The maker of the programme Un Dia Den Bida said before De Telegraaf:  “I have taken two cameras with me.  I had one turned off after the interview, and the other kept on rolling.  Van der Eem didn’t know that the camera was rolling and he kept answering my questions.”  The entire interview will be transmitted on the Aruban TV tonight. 

Patrick van der Eem is by now back in the Netherlands and could not be reached for comments yesterday.  Nieuwe Revu in the Netherlands had the films translated.  The transcriptions of the document are on the website of De Telegraaf.  The most important passages are in bold.