Natalee Holloway Aruban Investigation: What ever Happened to the Evidence?

What has become of the evidence and how was it handled?

(Vanderbilt – ‘06)

Many have speculated that there is no evidence to convict the three primary suspects, Joran Van der Sloot, Deepak and Satish Kalpoe of a crime against Natalee Holloway. Maybe the problem is no one knows where the evidence is.

What ever happened to all the evidence that was found, turned over to the ALE and to Holland for forensic tests?

What has become of the computer hard drives of these three suspects? The cell phone records and text messaging evidence? Surely such evidence clearly points as to who called who, when and where and which stories match what has been provided in statements by the suspects.

What has become of all the evidence that has been discovered? Are we to believe that testing has ever been done and if so, if it believable? Is there information that the police are holding back? Why was it said that a suspect confessed and then was retracted? Can any of it be believed?

Add more to the list of evidence that should likely lead to the arrest and prosecution of the three suspects in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

(Click on map to enlarge)

Bloody Mattress found: Sunday June 5, 2005

Painting of Rocks: June 10–11, 2005

Items found on June 14, 2005

  Charles Rafini, the Aruban teen who says he found the underwear and condoms in the brush, as well as duct tape and a string cut from a bikini or halter top, at a location commonly known to locals as a make-out spot, described the underwear he found as pink with flowers on them. He told FOX News on Wednesday that the location of the findings “is not too far” from the Marriott hotel. When Rafini hand-carried the articles to police, he said, “they told me, ‘nice job’ … and they will go figure out what’s going on.”

Duct Tape

Condom

Panties

String cut from Halter Top

Aruba Cops Search Dutch Suspect’s Home: June 15, 2005

Teen Suspects homes searched and cars removed: June 15, 2005

Snorkeling in shallow water and came across two bones that they took to the Aruban Police station: July 16, 2005

Aruba: Conflict of Interest

ARUBA: CONFLICT OF INTEREST FLOW CHART

(Hat Tip: Klaasend. Click on chart to enlarge)

Some stories do not need words. The pictures and subsequent connections tell the story.

Gerold Dompig Officially Resigns From Aruban Police … ALE Suffers Brain Drain …

Commissioner Gerold Dompig is also abandoning ship know as the SS Aruban Police Force. Chief Commissioner Bernadina had earlier announced his plans to leave the ALE as well. Of course many of us that have been witnessing the lack of an investigation in the Natalee Holloway case had suspected that they may have quit sometime last summer. Now comes Dompig’s turn. First he was taken off the Holloway case and now out the door altogether.

It seems to be a pattern of all those who were in charge of the Holloway case are finding early retirement.

(AM Digital: Click on article to enlarge)

From this AM Digital article come some rather interesting and peculiar comments. First, which may have to be one of the more humorous comments of the article. Unless they were using sarcasm, that unfortunately I believe that was not the case.

We commented to Dompig that we are seeing a brain drain in the police force with the resignation of the Chief Commissioner and now his own.

With the investigation that was put forth and curious departure from normal police and investigative work with regards to Natalee … Aruba may wish to keep that drain open a bit longer.

What was even more interesting were the comments that Gerold Dompig made regarding the Chief of Police position presently held by the departing Bernadina. How much of the term “political” can be interchanged with “preferential treatment” or “cronyism”?

“Unfortunately in Aruba to much politics is involved which makes it difficult for a Chief Commissioner to function as he wishes to.” (Did those very politics that Dompig refers to play into the lack of investigation 101 in the Natalee Holloway case?)

Who the new Chief Commissioner will be is unknown to Dompig but he hopes that the Government will not again bring in somebody from the outside. (One wonders how often Dompig’s strings were pulled during this investigation? All to often he would make a positive comment only to contradict it with nonsense like in the Vanity Fair article.)

“When will we mature? When will we trust our own people”?

Bringing in a Dutch Chief again will not contribute to the progress of the police force.

Think there is not an issue and a power struggle between Aruba and the Dutch? One wonders how they solve any problems when there is obviously a greater issue simmering below the surface. Think Arubans are tired and frustrated with the Dutch dominance? Seems that way, at least according to Dompig.

Gerold Dompig To Solve Overtime Issue in Aruba; Isn’t that Priceless

Gerold Dompig to the Rescue

(AM Digital, click on article to enlarge)

Gerold Dompig has been absent for some time. He’s baaack … Out of the wood work he comes with this classic comment … 

“on the issue of overtime, Too much is expected from the Police force”.

“If organizers of events albeit local or international, that wish to have police presence at their event(s) in the future must pay for that presence.”

The question that I would put forth to Commissioner Dompig is what could possibly have the Aruban police so busy that they could not provide security to tourism events in Aruba? I thought there was no crime?

How can there be such an overtime issue on Caribbean island with supposedly no crime? Seeing that tourism makes up 70 – 75% of your economy, it would almost make it mandatory that you would in fact be present at public functions where tourists would congregate.

The Aruban government makes money off the tax revenues of the venues formed by the Aruban Tourism Authority. Of which one would think that those taxes dollars would go to paying for the police. What a dangerous game they are playing on Aruba is sacrificing police safety of the public and the tourists. It is hard to imagine that these people do not understand they are one crime away from being perpetrated on another tourist from having tourism discontinued all together for many years to come.

The safety issue in the Caribbean is on everyone’s mind and Aruba wants to make paying police or else striking an issue. Not the game of chicken one should be playing these days.

However, I am sure Gerold Dompig will get to the bottom of the great Overtime mystery, just as he did such a stellar job with the Natalee Holloway case.

Aruba Take Notes, This is how you treat victims and criminals and Do Damage Control

Aruban authorities and government officials may want to make a phone call to the Prime Minister of St Vincent to understand how one is supposed to act following a horrific crime. Aruba take notes:

It was reported earlier that four men were arrested in St Vincent for the rape and beating of two Florida teenagers and their mother. The horrible event was condemned by the Prime Minister as being just that, “dastardly criminal acts.”

Aruba take a good look at how people are supposed to act when they care about the ramifications of a crime and how it may impact them.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves and Leader of the Opposition Arhnim Eustace expressed sadness over the incident and urged the family to make themselves available to give evidence in the trial.

(Dr Ralph Gonsalves)

 

Gonsalves last week described the alleged incidents as “dastardly criminal acts” even as he identified a need for some damage control. Gonsalves told reporters last week that government had offered to have the alleged victims return to St Vincent for every stage of the trial, at the expense of the state.

 

Aruba, imagine if you had taken this tact from the very beginning, middle and end of the investigation. Treating criminals like criminals and victims like victims. Imagine if you had not blamed the family of Natalee Holloway or even Natalee Holloway, as Gerold Dompig did, stating she died of an accidental overdose. Look at the reaction that Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves received from the victims in this heinous crime. Aruba, you have much to learn in people skills as how to treat such a delicate situation like a family losing their daughter.

Gonsalves last week described the alleged incidents as “dastardly criminal acts” even as he identified a need for some damage control. Gonsalves told reporters last week that government had offered to have the alleged victims return to St Vincent for every stage of the trial, at the expense of the state.

 

“The victims acknowledge that our country is peaceful and law-abiding but that there are a few persons who are seeking to disturb our peace and tranquillity and who are criminally minded,” Dr Gonsalves who is also Minister of National Security said.

He added: “And we have to stamp out those elements and get them on the straight and narrow and where they are not coming on the straight and narrow they must be in the prison, away from law abiding people.

Gonsalves told reporters last week that government had offered to have the alleged victims return to St Vincent for every stage of the trial, at the expense of the state.

“This paramount act of criminality offended the sensibility of all right thinking people.”

• Tell Dave Holloway to go to C&C’s, have a beer and she will show up
• Blame the family for their involvement for the cases initial failures
• Not bother to consider what occurred as a crime and not investigate
• Blame the victim for her own death
• Blame the family for your declining tourism
• Blame the media for bad coverage
• You don’t provide insults, you provide compassion

Take some responsibly for what happened, other Caribbean islands seem to. You wonder why Americans feel the way they do and have decided to not return?

 What a difference an island makes.