Real Crime/Paranormal/Conspiracy Theories Book III

The Disappearance of Natalee Holloway

Natalee Ann Holloway (bornOctober 21, 1986 – disappeared May 30, 2005) was an 18-year-oldAmerican woman whose mysterious disappearance made international newsafter she vanished on May 30, 2005, near the end of a high schoolgraduation trip to Aruba in the Caribbean. Holloway lived in MountainBrook, Alabama, and graduated from Mountain Brook High School on May24, 2005, days before the trip. Her disappearance resulted in amedia sensation in the United States. Her remains have not beenfound.

Holloway was scheduled to fly home fromthe Caribbean island on May 30, 2005, but she failed to appear forher flight. Her classmates last saw her outside of Carlos'nCharlie's, a restaurant and nightclub in Oranjestad. She was in acar with local residents Joran van der Sloot and brothers Deepak andSatish Kalpoe. When the three men were questioned, they said thatthey dropped off Holloway at her hotel and denied knowing what hadbecome of her. Upon further investigation by authorities, Van derSloot was arrested twice on suspicion of involvement in herdisappearance and the Kalpoes were each arrested three times. Due tolack of evidence, the three suspects were released each time withoutbeing charged with a crime. Holloway's parents criticized Arubanpolice for the lack of progress in the investigation andinterrogation of the three men who were last seen with theirdaughter. The family also called for a boycott of Aruba, which gainedAlabama Governor Bob Riley's support but failed to gain widespreadbacking.

With the assistance of hundreds ofvolunteers, Aruban investigators conducted an extensive searchoperation. American special agents from the FBI, 50 Dutch soldiersand three specially equipped Dutch Air Force F-16 aircraftparticipated in the search. In addition to the ground search, diverssearched the ocean for Holloway's body. Her remains were neverfound. On December 18, 2007, Aruban prosecutors announced that thecase would be closed without charging anyone with a crime. TheAruban prosecutor's office reopened the case on February 1, 2008,after receiving video footage of Van der Sloot, under the influenceof marijuana, saying that Holloway died on the morning of herdisappearance, and that a friend had disposed of her body. Van derSloot later denied that what he had said was true, and in aninterview said that he had sold Holloway into sexual slavery. Helater retracted his comments. In January 2012, Van der Sloot wasconvicted of the May 30, 2010, murder of 21-year-old Stephany FloresRamírez in Lima, Peru. At the request of Holloway's father, Alabamajudge Alan King declared Holloway legally dead on January 12, 2012.

Background

Holloway was the first of two childrenborn to Dave and Elizabeth "Beth" Holloway (1960–)in Memphis, Tennessee. Her parents divorced in 1993, and she and heryounger brother Matthew were raised by their mother. In 2000, Bethmarried George "Jug" Twitty, a prominent Alabamabusinessman, and the family moved to Mountain Brook, Alabama. Holloway graduated with honors in May 2005 from Mountain Brook HighSchool, located in a wealthy suburb of Birmingham. She was a memberof the National Honor Society and the school dance squad andparticipated in other extracurricular activities. Holloway wasscheduled to attend the University of Alabama on a full scholarship,where she planned to pursue a pre-med track. At the time of hisdaughter's disappearance, Dave Holloway was an insurance agent forState Farm in Meridian, Mississippi, while Beth Twitty was employedby the Mountain Brook School System.

Disappearance in Aruba

On Thursday, May 26, 2005, Holloway and124 fellow graduates of Mountain Brook High School arrived in Arubafor a five-day, unofficial graduation trip. The teenagers wereaccompanied by seven chaperones. According to teacher and chaperoneBob Plummer, the chaperones met with the students each day to makesure everything was fine. Jodi Bearman, who organized the trip,stated, "the chaperones were not supposed to keep up withtheir every move." Police Commissioner Gerold Dompig, whoheaded the investigation from mid-2005 until 2006, stated that theMountain Brook students engaged in "wild partying, a lot ofdrinking, lots of room switching every night. We know the Holiday Inntold them they weren't welcome next year. Natalee, we know, she drankall day every day. We have statements she started every morning withcocktails—so much drinking that Natalee didn't show up forbreakfast two mornings." Two of Holloway's classmates, LizCain and Claire Fierman, "agreed that the drinking was kindof excessive."