As we all await the confession from Joran Van Der Sloot as to what he did with Natalee’s body, the focus of the Natalee Holloway case has shifted the eyes of the world back onto the island of Aruba. Much to the dismay of the islanders, in particular Aruban authorities.
As I write this, Dave Holloway is meeting with officials, I can’t be specific as to who. But, before he left this morning, he asked me if we could go to the place on the map that Joran drew, indicating where he now claims he put Natalee’s body. This hand drawn map I received from Joran’s friend Jaap, right before his house was raided in the Netherlands, is the last and the latest tale from Joran Van Der Sloot as to where he put Natalee’s body. How serious are authorities taking this map??? Or do they believe this is just another one of Van Der Sloot’s lies. A wild goose chase??? Whatever the case, Dave Holloway feels it has to be looked at — and wanted to do it himself.
So off we went to the location early this a.m. Dave really just wanted to get a feel for the place, perhaps a sense of whether or not his daughter’s body was there, and to see if this location could fit into his timeline of events. He wasn’t expecting to find an answer today — and we weren’t expecting to be followed.
When we arrived, I watched as Dave just stared into the location for a few minutes, and in his deep voice he theorized what could have happened, based on the latest information from the map. Then a car pulled up, which was odd, an islander, in a silver jeep. Dave and I were getting ready to leave to grab some batteries and some breakfast. This man approached us but didn’t say a word. Without revealing too much about the location — it took him an effort to get to us — so it was no coincidence he was there. As we walked to the car, Dave said “he’s following us.” I thought at first Dave was being paranoid, a distraught father looking for his daughter’s remains, one could only imagine — it would make the strongest of us cross over the edge. As we got into the car, he starred long and hard at us. In retrospect, I should have asked him what he wanted, but I’ve learned to avoid confrontation, especially in a foreign country, and I sensed Dave’s urgency in wanting to get going. We got in our car and drove off, minutes later I saw his car in the rear view mirror. I turned right, he turned right, I stopped and spun around…he did the same. Now I realized Dave was telling the truth — we were being followed. After a few crafty moves under the stern guidance of Dave Holloway, we managed to elude our island friend. I’ll go on the record and say that if I hadn’t seen it myself I would never believed him.
I have no idea who he was/who he worked for or why he was following us or what he wanted. Dave says it’s to intimidate him, and it’s happened before. I don’t understand this. Why be mad at the father of the girl who was murdered on your island. Why not be mad at the guy who murdered his daugther instead?? Dave is not here to trash Aruba, or hold a press conference asking for a boycott. He doesn’t care. He wants one thing — his daughter’s body to take her home.
#JUSTICE with Steph Watts 
Wake up, Steph!!!!!!!!!!!
Aruban authorities are NOT going to “help” you or Dave. They are not going to do anything to inevstigate Joran’s latest claim – the Aruban authorities know where Natalee’s remains are.
Ask Dolph Richardson about what he did with certain items recovered from the ocean floor.
Next time you see your friendly shadow in the silver jeep – put a sign in the back window of your car that says
“Hello AHATA, how many of you are left from your Strategic Communciations Task Force from 2005?”
Then show him the universal single digit hand wave, and tell him that’s from America!!
Sorry Steph, one more comment. You remember Tim Miller on your radio show discussing how Aruba finally admitted to having found human remains in the fish cage Persistence located? That Aruba told Tim they were MALE human remains.
That is what my comment above referred to regarding Dolph Richardson. He personally took posession of them, and it took him 2 weeks to get ‘something’ allegedly from that cage to the FBI for testing. While you are on Aruba, that might be a great thing for you to look into. Many people would be much obliged!!
It’s finally time for Aruba to give Natalee back, Lord knows they covered this case up since the beginning. I, for one, want to apologize for all the destructive actions I have caused.
Wow.
Aruba would have given Natalee back five years ago if Aruba actually had Natalee. No police agency in the history of law enforcement has tried any harder to solve a case than Aruban police tried to solve this one. It’s tough without a single molecule of physical evidence to work with. As I have been saying for 5 years, I suspect that Natalee was on the bottom of the ocean, along with every molecule of physical evidence that may have ever existed, before anyone even knew she was missing.
Steph,
Thank you for being on Aruba to help Tim and Dave and to report on Natalee’s case. I pray we are finally getting closer to resolution on this case and especially to bringning Natalee home to rest.
While you are on the island, perhaps you’ll have time to check into what was done with the remains removed from the crab trap by the Aruban divers on January 7, 2008. Tim Miller has said that he was told by Aruban officials that tests came back to show they were male human remains. Now, that goes to show they were indeed human remains I think, but were they really male? And if so, who’s were they? Doesn’t that person’s family deserve to know what happened to their loved one? So many questions – no answers.
Thanks for what you are doing, Steph. It’s important work to a lot of us!
Steph, Steph, Steph,
You can’t trust anybody on Aruba, especially the American expats, Julia Renfro and Mark Purcell.
Now is the time to expose the coverup that
Aruba has continued since Natalee disappeared. Aruba is back in the world
spotlight.
Ask whose remains Aruba recovered from that fish trap on January 7,2008. There
is video footage of those remains being recovered. Ask to have those remains tested.
Who were the two cops that Joran says that Paulus paid off on the Greta interview in Thailand? Those things need to be made public.
Steph
I’m surprised you were surprised. Have you not read Dave’s or Beth’s books. They have both been followed.Had threats made to them. Even Beth and Greta were followed the last time they were there.
AHATA wanted it covered up, and come hell or high water, it was going to be covered up.
Open your eyes while you are down there and see what else is going on.
I believe they know exactly where Natalee’s remains are. It is time to give them back to her parents so she can be buried in her own homeland.
It is time to bring Natalee home. We need to find out WHAT was pulled from that crab trap in January 7, 2008. Maybe while you are on the island, you could try to find out?? I do know, as well, that the authorities on the island are not going to help one bit. The “covering up” on that island needs to stop and Natalee needs to come HOME to her parents. Thanks so much for your time.
Please look into the remains Aruba admitted were recovered!! Jen.. awesome post.. couldn’t have worded it better AND.. I have to say OMG to CHARLIERAT..I am totally impressed on what you wrote.. I almost FAINTED !
Bring Natalee home to her family where she can be put to rest.. praying for that for 5 years and GOD BLESS the Florez family..
Best of luck to you Steph.. don’t hold your breath for any help from officials on Aruba.. WATCH YOUR BACK to be honest.. YES the follow people.. they did it to Beth long ago.. actually IIRC there was rumors someone even took a pee in her food at a resturant.. 😦
Steph, thank you for this avenue to engage you in dialogue. I have been riveted by Natalee’s case since the day she disappeared, and have spent at least a few minutes EVERY DAY for the past five years trying to fit puzzle pieces together, connect the dots, or even just let the family know that I was upholding them.
How sad and tragic that another had to die, but the ultimate compliment to Stephany would be for her to be the catalyst for closure for Dave and Beth.
We have seen it all, Steph. Lies, misrepresentations, retractions, more lies. We have watched as seemingly “unconnected” people have trashed Natalee’s reputation, as well as those of her loving parents. Then, as relationships were revealed, we realized that those we thought were “unconnected” had personal agendas. Some of those (Julia Renfro, Dilma Arends Geerman, Rene Gielen, etc) are still trashing Natalee and Beth to this date.
I, and a lot of others, have attempted repeatedly to expose the corruption in Aruba and the abuse heaped on the families Holloway and Twitty. If there is any “one” thing you take with you, please let it be this: Mistakes were NOT made by Aruba. It was a coverup. Those persons with agendas, and the mainstream media as well, keep stating that Aruba made mistakes and couldn’t solve the case. Those are the biggest lies of all. Aruba covered up, and WOULDN’T solve the case.
Please, if you are able to look into anything,it would be helpful to find out what ARUBA did with the remains in the fish trap that were recovered from the Persistence dive. Is there any way to verify with the FBI at Quantico as to what they received from Dolph Richardson. We strongly believe that another Aruban shell game was played, and that the items recovered were not the items sent.
I would very much like to see Natalee returned home to her family. I would like to see the corruption exposed and those who perpetrated it, covered it up, maligned Natalee, Beth, and Dave to be punished, but that long ago took a backseat (in my book) to getting Natalee back to Alabama. They can have their stinking corrupt island. Just give Natalee back.
Thanks Steph. My heartfelt prayers to Dave as he continues his search for his little girl.
Tim and Dave
With respect … you do not appear to comprehend that cooperation with the Aruban enemy in the quest of justice for Natalee will never result in a positive outcome. The Aruban agenda from the getgo has been to prevent justice from prevailing by distancing Joran and Paulus from implication.
The stakes are much higher now. If the truth is revealed … those at all levels of the Aruban/Dutch administrations who were participants in the cover up that has put a family through a five year H— on Earth will be exposed.
The “powers that be” are not about to allow the house of cards to collapse.
Allow the Peruvian justice system to take its course. Protest any attempt to bring Joran back to Aruba/Holland.
Years of detainment in a Peruvian lockup could be considered justice enough for both Stephany and Natalee. By comparison the Aruban/Dutch prisons are country.
Kyle Kingman said: ”
Also in my opinion, the deni-like fabric is a match in terms of color, quantity, and structure to Natalee’s skirt.”
Dolf Richardson was in charge of the evidence which has been suppressed.
There is more evidence in that trap/cage area according to Kyle Kingman.
I don’t know anything about the above posts, but I know I hope and pray
God Blesses Dave’s heart, from another Southern Daddy from Georgia…. Peace be with him, or may he come, and Hell be with him to deal with these ugly people involved in this.
Bless the Hearts of this Family we have hurt with them….
Hi Steph,
I hope you’ll check around while you’re in Aruba and see if you can find out what happened with this report. Was it ever released? If so, can you get a copy to share here? Thanks in advance for any information you can find about this.
Google translation:
Holloway: Research on former chief completed
October 26, 2009, 14:26 (GMT -04:00)
ORANGE CITY – The judicial investigation into the actions and integrity of chief Jan van der Straten is completed. “The dot the i have yet to be put,” said Angela Ann, spokesman of the Public Ministry.
Angela reports that Attorney-General Rob Pietersz the research report has been read, but he as nothing to lose on the facts. “He asked for patience.” The study was commissioned by Justice Minister Rudy Croes (MEP) performed at the insistence of the Dutch State Secretary of Kingdom Relations Ank Bijleveld-Schouten (CDA). Croes had in fact repeatedly expressed that he suspects Van der Straten the investigation into the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway have deliberately prevented. The former police chief would have impeded the investigation to his friend Paul van der Sloot to help protect his son, the main suspect Joran van der Sloot. The former Police would der Sloot and two other suspects aware until ten days after the disappearance have taken up. The minister also said that Van der Straten then said: “I can not do my friend Paul.” Jan van der Straten has since retired.
http://www.amigoe.com/artman/publish/artikel_64282.php
I hope you will also ask some questions about the human remains found in the fish trap by the Persistence crew in December 2007 and recovered by ALE divers in January 2008.
That was two and a half years ago. It’s time for the truth about that matter to be revealed…ALL OF IT.
The Holloway and Flores families are in my prayers every day.
I’ve followed Natalee’s case since the day she disappeared, and I pray that she will be returned to her country very soon.
Thank you for all you’re doing to help find the answers!
God bless and comfort the Holloway and Flores families.
Hnag in the Tim, Dave, Steph….. The arubians are going to meet with Peru, it’s been OK’d. So “maybe” now you will get some real answers. Anita will not be going to Peru so she says, theres money issues. I don’t know if your hearing the real info, or not, so just relaying it as it comes in.
Steph –
This doesn’t surprise me one bit. The same thing happend to Dave, Tim and I when we were there in October of 2005 – everywhere we went. It’s things like this event that Dave has had to learn the hard way. His knowledge of the island and his experience from being there in the past is his advantage this time. Good luck to the three of you and be safe. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Aruba needs to come clean NOW. The country’s inaction and cover-up regarding Natalee’s disappearance is criminal and a blight on its international reputation. Personally– I will never vacation or set foot on Aruban soil until the Aruban government comes clean on what they know, which I believe is everything.
Is it true that the police commissioner during the original 2005 investigation was Joran’s very own uncle? I have been told that by Aruban citizens and that he is the one that probably disposed of Natalee’s body. Just curious b/c almost all Arubans that I have spoke with know that their authorities are corrupt and believe Natalee was killed by Joran.
YES!!!!! can you believe that
It is so OBVIOUS that Aruba has blood on their hands. I can, yet can’t believe that the police commissioner was his uncle! What is the guy’s name? Is it that Ronny BERNADINA? I don’t know who it is. Aruba is to blame for Stephany’s murder. They could have arrested him and held him up to 30 days after the FBI wire-fraud/extortion scheme. The FBI would have extorted him within that time frame and Stephany would still be alive. It is amazing how Peru got Joran to confess to quickly, yet Aruba never got a confession and/or they don’t believe any of Joran’s confessions about Natalee. ALSO, Aruba trying to block Dave Holloway’s new search in Aruba. SHAME ON ARUBA!
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