Editorial: A POX ON THE ARUBA BOOBS

Steve Dunleavy of the New York Post is never at a loss for words. This article is no exception.

“As for me – I once spent a vacation there, but I wouldn’t go back if they paid me.”

As Mr. Dunleavy managed to talk to Beth in the airport on her way to Montreal, I had the pleasure of talking to her leaving Montreal. We discussed some of the recent goings-on of the case and the one year mark. Beth stated that it was important for her to show Natalee’s room, so people could understand and see what Natalee was like. I for one as did many noticed that Natalee was focused and happy to begin college. It was obvious that she so looked forward to it. A far cry from the words that Joran Van der Sloot has claimed  that Natalee wanted to stay in Aruba.

Beth and I also discussed her new project, the Safe Travels Foundation. Her new web site is up an running. Check it out, please remember its a work in progress. Beth also discusses her web site in the following article from the New York Post.

THE memories for Beth Holloway Twitty came flooding back.

Memories of a beautiful young daughter, Natalee, whose passionate love of life vanished on the island of Aruba exactly one year ago today.

But also nightmare memories – of a frustrating, bumbling investigation on the island and ugly threats against her life.

“One of the several threats I received was that if I stayed on the island, I would be chopped up in little pieces, put in a fish trap and floated out to sea,” she said.

John Q. Kelly, her Manhattan-based lawyer, who on the stand chopped O.J. Simpson into little pieces in a civil suit, told me:

“Obviously, we don’t know exactly where those threats came from, and the police there don’t seem to care. But there is a huge back-street drug market on the island and, frankly, a lot of people don’t want Americans poking around there.

“The investigation has been a terrible example of a mixture of utter incompetence and corruption.”

Dave Holloway, Natalee’s father and Beth’s ex-husband, told me, “Three weeks after Natalee’s disappearance, the assistant prosecutor, Amalin Flanegin, quit the case.

“She indicated to me she pointed police in the obvious direction . . . and they ignored her.”

I caught up with Beth Holloway on the phone as she was boarding a flight to Montreal to expand an organization she started, Safe Travels Foundation. “It is to inform people before going to foreign places how to proceed locally if faced with a crisis,” she said.

“I’m extremely unwelcome in Aruba, so we could not even have a memorial service for Natalee one year after her disappearance. I’ll never set foot on that island again.”

“Nor will I,” echoed Dave.

As for me – I once spent a vacation there, but I wouldn’t go back if they paid me.

Is The Netherlands really an Appropriate Venue for the Natalee Holloway Case? A country that would Allow This Political Party?

As the family of Natalee Holloway waits for the NYC judges decision on their civil law suit against Joran and Paulas Van der Sloot we see some amazing, bizarre and rather eye-opening happenings taking place in the Netherlands. The Netherlands being one potential venue that the Van der Sloot’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, has stated should have jurisdiction.

On May 15, 2005 the judge hearing the civil case determined she would allow the case to to forward and take it “under advisement.”

A couple of the many issues that was put forth by the family as to why the venue should be in NYC rather than Aruba or The Netherlands was safety concerns, a majority of the witnesses were from the US (NYC area) and Aruba gains the greatest percentage of its tourism from New York state.

The majority of the American tourists come from this state (NY), about 17 percent of the total. In relation to 2003, 2004 had a growth of 13.47 percent, which dropped to 9.1 percent in the first quarter of 2005.

One could also consider whether the Holloway’s and Twitty’s could get a fair trial in Aruba or The Netherlands. We have already seen the Aruban investigation into Natalee’s disappearance botched (purposely or not) and performed in an unprofessional manner.

“Total madness”, according to a criminal law expert of the University of Leiden, Hans Nijboer. “This is a total error”.

Who is to say any court proceeding would be any different seeing that Paulas Van der Sloot had been part of the system and impartiality let alone conflicts of interest seem to be non-existent. The family and Natalee’s friends have stated that they fear going back to Aruba. Who wouldn’t? On the last night of a four day vacation they lose their best friend and then are blamed.  The family and friends have actually been blamed for Natalee’s disappearance by an irresponsible Aruban media.

How many defense attorneys in the United States have tried and successfully asked for a change of venue for their clients and got just that. Maybe attorney Joe Tacopina should be asked that very question. Just how many times when it was convenient for your client did you request a change of venue and jurisdiction?

We have already seen what the Aruban courts are capable of. The closed door, secret star chamber is hardly the answer to bring justice to a civil case where that very issue of secrecy and with holding information has created more problems and potential conspiracies. The “good old boy” network of revolving Aruban judges, many of them potentially Paulas Van der Sloots peers hardly seems like a proper or just jurisdiction. It would be a kin to having the trial in Mountain Brook, AL. Think for one second Joe Tacopina would allow that? Does one even think that Tacopina would not fight for a jurisdiction change if the venue was Alabama or the other two states that joined the boycott?

That lead us to The Netherlands. Once again we have the issue of Paulas Van der Sloot and a “home field” advantage of potential cronyism . The mere appearance would scream foul. However, one would also wonder whether The Netherlands would be a proper venue taking into account the following article that makes one’s skin crawl and need to shower after reading. Is a country that would allow paedophiles to be a political party really the proper jurisdiction for a “sex crimes” and kidnapping case? It would hardly seem so.

Amsterdam – Dutch paedophiles are launching a political party to push for a cut in the legal age for sexual relations to 12 from 16 and the legalisation of child pornography and sex with animals.

The Charity, Freedom and Diversity (NVD) party said on its Website it would be officially registered on Wednesday, proclaiming: “We are going to shake The Hague awake!”

The party said it wanted to cut the legal age for sexual relations to 12 and eventually scrap the limit altogether.

“A ban just makes children curious,” Ad van den Berg, one of the party’s founders, told the Algemeen Dagblad (AD) newspaper.

Read more

Beth Twitty is still living every parent’s nightmare one year later

Its been a year for Beth Twitty in dealing with the pain and anguish of dealing with the disappearance of her Daughter Natalee. A year that most likely seems like an eternity. Every day is the same for Beth Twitty. Ever day represents another day without answers and without Natalee. Beth Twitty is no different than any other parent of a missing child. Although in some respects, she is.

“Nobody would give up until one thing has happened,” Beth says. “Either charges have to be filed or the case has to be closed and right now we still have an active investigation, no charges have been filed. We’re doing just what any parent would do at this point.”

Beth is still living every parent’s nightmare. Last May, six hours after she got the call that Natalee was missing, she was on a plane to the tropical island, where her daughter was celebrating her high school graduation with her friends.

(Yahoo Entertainment)

Having just recently having the opportunity to talk to Beth I am reminded of the amazing strength she displays and also the enormous mountain of grief that she takes on every day. She faces every parents worse nightmare. The possibility of losing their child. Parents are not supposed to bury their children and the sad fact is that Beth Twitty can at least get a small amount of closure in doing just that.

And although she’s still working for some sort of closure, Beth says she knows she may never see her daughter again. “I don’t think any of us think that’s a very good possibility,” she says. “Of course every parent hopes to see their son or daughter alive again, but I think in Natalee’s case we know that it doesn’t look good.”

Beth Twitty battles on and fights the good fight. She is a tremendous inspiration and will be for future parents who unfortunately find themselves in the same position. I am proud that we could be a support for a family who at many times found themselves down but not out and up against the wall. 

One year ago I never knew who Beth Twitty, Dave Holloway, Jug Twitty, Robin Holloway, Paul Reynolds, Tim Miller (TES), Joe Mamana, so many others and more importantly who Natalee Holloway was. One year later after a roller coaster ride of our own and through the support of the internet, both commenters, readers, lurkers and faithful Monkeys we are all better for having known them and showing them our support.

One year later by witnessing Beth Twitty’s unwaivering strength as an example to us all, I am proud to know this brave family of people as simply Beth, Dave, Robin, Jug, Paul, Tim, Joe and Natalee.   

One Year Reminder, Who is a victim and who is not in the Natalee Holloway disappearance

One year later and we need to remind some as to who are the victims in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. Some ten arrests later in Aruba and in the Netherlands and we seem to be no closer than we were on day one.

Although it is sad that some would need reminding, it would seem that some do and that there needs to be some focus on who actually are victims in the case of the missing teen from Mountain Brook, AL … Natalee Holloway.

Natalee Holloway would be a victim.

Joran Van der Sloot would not.

Anyone who would tell so many convenient lies both in and out of jail can hardly be considered a victim. Even if one was ever to believe what comes from his mouth, his lies not only implicated others in Natalee Holloway’s disappearance, but also wasted valuable time and recourses in the initial stages of the investigation.

According to Joran Van der Sloot, he lied to his parents, snuck out of his home without his father’s permission and was complicity in the lie that the three main suspects (Deepak, Satish & Joran) left Natalee Holloway at the Holiday Inn. The lies continued in jail as to who he claimed picked him up from the beach. Or where ever he really was.

Once again just as a reminder, the following individuals are victims:

THE FOLLOWING BELOW ARE NOT VICTIMS

Joran Van der Sloot has admitted that he and his friends make a practice out of going to the bars and picking up American female tourist. Joran admitted he has done so at least 20 times and that might be an understatement.

“it was a normal… it was a normal thing for us to do, you know, go to our friends, go to the beach, talk to American tourists, you know, then go out with them and have a good time and, you know, nothing… nothing ever bad has ever happened. I mean it’s happened probably 20, 20 times nothing has ever gone wrong.” (Fox – Greta Interview part 2)

As we have asked earlier, Why Do Three Boys Go to Carlos N’ Charlie’s One Half Hour Before Closing when Mountain Brook Teens were there on their last night in Aruba? Gee, I Wonder?

We are supposed to believe that Joran Van der Sloot who’s sole intention was to go to Carlos N’ Charlie’s in the last half hour and find an unsuspecting American tourist to have sex with like he has in the past on at least 20 different occasions became the pursued? That Natalee Holloway pursued him when all reports state otherwise. Natalee Holloway, an Alabama teen who was not wise to clubs was the aggressor? Joran Van der Sloot, who has admitted he makes a practice of pursuing American tourists is the victim? HARDLY! Joran Van der Sloot goes to C n’C to pick up a tourist and have sex with her and somehow forgets a condom, because he never has sex without one. Somehow this is a believable story? HOW?

Once again, these are victims:

The Following are NOT!

Why does one lie to create an alibi?

VAN SUSTEREN: You don’t know this guy? (Steve Croes)

VAN DER SLOOT: I don’t know this guy and I never talked to him before in my life.

VAN SUSTEREN: Do you know if Deepak knows him?

VAN DER SLOOT: I don’t know if Deepak knew him. All that happened this one day he called me and he said, you know, “I got the jackpot” and I was like “Yes, what happened?” He’s like, “Oh, don’t worry. I’m going to come — I’m going to come to your house and tell you.”

(from secretly recorded police transcript:  Joran says to the brothers: You called by telephone saying that ‘I’ (the ‘I’ here is referring to one of the Kalpoe brothers) hit the jackpot. You said by telephone: “I hit the f****** jackpot.” You forgot that the telephone was tapped.)

And then he came to me and he said that someone had come up to him and said that he saw us, that he’d seen us drop the girl off at the Holiday Inn and that he would — and that, yes, if there was anything he’d testify to that to police. That’s what Deepak told me. So, I was like, you know, OK. That’s great.

It had been a concern from the beginning that Paulas Van der Sloot would be advising his son on what to and what not to say. And the famous “no body, no crime” statement that Paulas claimed he never said. It appears it was true as Joran says, “the only thing he (Joran’s father) said that if there’s no body there don’t have a case.”

S says to J: I didn’t declare anything.
J says to the brothers: Of course you did.
S says to J: What did I say / against your father?
J says to the brothers: You said that he (Joran’s father) said that if there’s no corpse there’s no case, or I don’t know what more sorts of shit.
J says to the brothers: That’s not true, the only thing he (Joran’s father) said that if there’s no body there don’t have a case.
D says to J: That’s true.

One Year Later after the Disappearance of Natalee Holloway, Dave Holloway Speaks Out

On the one year anniversary of the disappearance of his daughter Natalee Holloway, Dave Holloway discusses some of the many trials and tribulations of the roller coaster ride that Aruba has put the family through in what is called an investigation. The anniversary to Dave and the family is much like every other day; a day without his daughter.

Dave Holloway: A lot of people have asked me about that — what am I going to do? It’s not going to be a celebration, obviously, for me. We’re just going to spend time with family and that’s it. It’s just another day for us.

One year later and all critical eyes are still on Aruba and the investigation to get answers for the Holloway’s and Twitty’s. One year of excuses, incompetence, corruption and blaming a victims families for their shortcomings. All this while people react to what they see for themselves as Aruban tourism nose-dives.

Holloway: For the most part I think people can look at the case and make up their own mind whether or not they want to go down there and support the economy. I’ve heard tourism is down about 15 percent. So it’s had an impact.

If this had happened in a country that didn’t rely on the U.S. dollar, you would have never heard anything more about this.

The Meridian Star has a great article where they sat down with Dave Holloway and discussed many issues from he has dealt with the investigation to the writing of his book to his feelings as to whether the investigation has been one of incompetence or corruption. One tell tale sign from the beginning should have tipped us off as to what the family and the American public would be in for with regards to the investigation in Aruba. Dave Holloway states one of the reasons why he wrote his book and when he first began taking notes.

Holloway: I started keeping notes within about a week to 10 days because one person would say one thing and somebody else would say another. Somebody would say something and then turn around and deny saying it.

So I started taking notes on who we talked to and what they said and where the investigation was headed. Every day I kept a journal of who said what and what was going on.

Beth kept notes as well. I decided I better keep notes, too, because things weren’t working the way I thought they should work. It seemed like they were always trying to close the investigation.

Other questions referenced in the article: Are you convinced this is a case of corruption rather than incompetence or a combination of the two?

Holloway: I think it’s a combination of both. Aruban police officers have told some of our people that they don’t know who to trust in the police department. That’s serious. A lot of weird things or strange things have happened. Even a Dutch law professor in Holland looked at this case and made the comment, just recently back in April, that this was one of the most strange and unprofessional police investigations he’d ever seen.

As we do today on the one year anniversary and every other day; we pray for Natalee and for the family so that they may get answers to end one aspect of this terrible, tragic event.

Read the full article from The Meridian Star