Teens on Aruba trip urged to cooperate in the Natalee Holloway Investigation

Following the meeting of the Aruban delegation and Congressman Bachus the following comment was made by the Alabama US Representative, “Officials should be able to talk to students about disappearance.”

I do not think that anyone should be above not cooperating in finding the truth to what happened to Natalee Holloway. Many had wondered from the beginning why the teens from Mountain Brook were not questioned more regarding the events of the last night that Natalee Holloway was seen. It is not like the teens from Mountain Brook have not been questioned though. Personally, the lack of questioning in the initial stages of this investigation by the Aruban LE just further shows the lack of seriousness that they took in Natalee’s disappearance. After all it was the LE that stated initially that Natalee would just show up. What was it that they told Dave Holloway to do when he talked to the ALE regarding Natalee when he first came to Aruba? As Dave repeated what he was told, “Go to Carlos & Charlie’s and have a beer and she’ll show up.” That seems like the mark of a serious investigation.

As much as it is important to question the MB teens as to what they may or at this point may not remember. The Aruban authorities have to remember one key point in placing so much emphasis on questioning the teens that accompanied Natalee on this post graduation trip. It is the three primary suspects last seen with Natalee Holloway that have continually lied and changed their stories.

“These kids can help us with the bits and pieces,” Deputy Police Chief Gerald Dompig said recently. He told The News last month, for example, that police have received conflicting information about Holloway’s level of intoxication.

There is a reason why parents of the Mountain Brook students are most likely hesitant of allowing their children to talk to anyone within the ALE regarding this investigation. Its not that they want obstruct the case, its that they see how its been conducted. So when Bachus makes the following comment, he should not so much listen to a one sided conversation from an Aruban contingent whose purpose is unknown as to who they represent, the Aruban government or the Aruban hotel and tourism industry.

“There are people in my district who have said, `I don’t want them coming up here and talking to my son or daughter’ but in a criminal investigation where there is a missing young lady, you talk to the people that were around her the last few hours,” Bachus said.

Bachus met privately with a delegation from Aruba and said afterward that their request to talk to American witnesses is reasonable.

Congressman Bachus is it reasonable though when we now know its OK for a suspect to lie in a statement as well? Exactly how is a parent going to trust an investigation that has been nothing short of a disaster? Suspects are allowed to lie, yet the focus it on Mountain Brook teens? Yes they should talk, but how about getting your suspects to actually come up with one story?

At that point maybe Mountain Brook parents may trust the situation a little more.

From The Birmingham News, Teens on Aruba trip urged to cooperate