http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13065649/
'Rita Cosby Live & Direct' for May 30
Guests: Lorie Dunfield, Jeff Lanza, Deann Smith, Lawrence Kobilinsky, Gail DiSabatino, Jim Souers, Timothy Fuhrman, Rick Segall, Fawn Broadbent, Flora Jessup
RITA COSBY, HOST: And good evening, everybody.
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And one year after Natalee Holloway vanished, we will show you how the cops bungled it all along. Plus, I will ask her father about his next move.
He‘s coming up live and direct.
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And next, it‘s hard to believe that Natalee Holloway‘s parents have been going for a year without answers in her disappearance. Tonight, I will ask Dave Holloway where he‘s heading next in this case.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSBY: Well, it may be hard to believe, but today marks exactly one year since the disappearance of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway. The high school senior vanished without a trace during a trip to the island of Aruba last May. Since then, this case has taken so many twists and turns, but there is still no sign of the 18-year-old.
MSNBC‘s Alex Witt takes a look back at this troubling investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX WITT, NBC CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mystery in paradise.
May 30, gone without a trace, a desperate search under way on the island of Aruba, after 18-year-old Natalee Holloway fails to show up for her flight home to Alabama.
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, MOTHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: Natalee‘s bags were packed, and she is ready to come home.
WITT: Natalee was last seen getting into a car with three men outside a local nightclub. She was out with friends, wrapping up a trip to the Dutch island to celebrate high school graduation.
TWITTY:
She‘s an amazing 18-year-old girl and Natalee is truly an angel.
WITT: Five days after she vanished, the three young men who picked up Natalee tell police they left her at her hotel around 2 a.m. Hotel workers say security cameras did not record her return. Less than 24 hours later, two former hotel security guards are under arrest, the first official suspects in Natalee‘s disappearance.
VIVIAN VAN DER BIEZEN, ARUBAN SPOKESWOMAN: We have two suspects detained, and that doesn‘t exclude the possibility that others will follow.
WITT: June 9, 10 days into the mystery, more arrests. Joran Van Der Sloot, the son of an Aruban legal official, and brothers Satish and Deepak Kalpoe, are arrested and questioned about Natalee‘s disappearance.
ANITA VAN DER SLOOT, JORAN VAN DER SLOOT‘S MOTHER: I believe 100 percent in my son. Yes, I believe he‘s innocent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you talk to us about this morning?
WITT: Just one day later a possible break in the case.
One of the three men allegedly admits something bad happened to Natalee the night she vanished but still no sign of the teen.
June 13, the first two suspects, the hotel guards, are set free. Four days later police arrest local party boat disc jockey Steve Croes. He knew one of the Kalpoe brothers, already in custody.
JUG TWITTY, NATALEE‘S FATHER-IN-LAW: All I want is answers, and I want them now.
WITT: June 18, it‘s Joran Van Der Sloot‘s father Paul who‘s brought in for questioning, and within a week he, too, is behind bars.
A. VAN DER SLOOT: So bizarre that my husband is taken like this without any evidence.
WITT: After three days in jail, Paul Van Der Sloot is set free along with the deejay, Steve Croes.
ARIE SWAN, PAUL VAN DER SLOOT‘S ATTORNEY: There is no sufficient suspicion for guilt.
DAVE HOLLOWAY, NATALEE‘S FATHER: Everyone was surprised. Even Paul Van Der Sloot himself was probably surprised by the verdict.
WITT: July 1, the investigation is a month old, and Aruban prosecutors say Joran and the Kalpoe brothers could be charged with murder, even though no body has been found. Natalee‘s family is becoming increasingly frustrated.
TWITTY: We will do whatever it takes. As I said from the beginning, I‘m not leaving Aruba without her.
WITT: Three days later, July 4, a judge releases the Kalpoe brothers but keeps Joran locked up.
ANTONIO CARIB, JORAN VAN DER SLOOT‘S ATTORNEY: Today he is continuing to maintain his innocence.
WITT: July 25, Natalee‘s family announces a $1 million reward for her safe return.
B. TWITTY: Given the sensitive nature of this case, the person who gives the information will remain anonymous.
WITT: And the very next day two new witnesses come forward. One said he saw Joran Van Der Sloot drive to a local tennis club, trying to hide his face. Immediately, police pump a large pond near the Marriott Hotel, hoping to dig up any clues.
J. TWITTY: It makes me feel better that we‘re bringing in more dogs, more radar equipment, everything. And everybody‘s been down here searching.
WITT: July 28, the other witness takes authorities to a landfill where he claims the 18-year-old‘s body was left.
A month later, on August 26, the police make another big move. The Kalpoe brothers are again under arrest. Another man is also in custody,. Joran Van Der Sloot‘s friend, Freddy Arambatzis.
ELGIN ZEPPENFELDT, ATTORNEY FOR FREDDY ARAMBATZIS: Only in Aruba is this possible.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you sure he‘s innocent?
ARAMBATZIS: Of course I am. This is nonsense.
WITT: But then, by the beginning of September, a dramatic turn of events. On September 3 all four suspects in the Natalee Holloway case are released, this after lawyers argued there wasn‘t enough evidence to hold them. Despite media attention, the case goes nowhere.
B. TWITTY:
I certainly hope the fight for justice for Natalee has not ended in Aruba, because it‘s just beginning for our home front in the United States.
WITT: Fast forward to February, 2006. Aruban investigators quietly visit the U.S. to reinterview Natalee‘s friends, looking for any clues.
B. TWITTY: I think what they‘re trying to do is just close some holes in some of the statements that they said that some of the students gave.
WITT: February 16, Natalee‘s parents slap Joran Van Der Sloot with a civil lawsuit in New York. The suspect was traveling to the Big Apple to tape a TV interview.
One week later, the Van Der Sloot special airs. The teen once again professes his innocence.
JOE TACOPINA, JORAN VAN DER SLOOT‘S ATTORNEY: When he came here after nine months of being called everything from a murder to a rapist to a predator and he came to defend himself.
WITT: Aruban deputy police chief, Gerald Dompig, takes to the airwaves. He say he believes Natalee may have died of a combination of alcohol and drugs.
HOLLOWAY: Natalee did not have any history of using drugs. Not did she use drugs. And none of her friends admitted that.
WITT: Days later, a new investigator officially takes over the Holloway case. Gerald Dompig goes back to his old job.
April 11 a Dutch TV show airs a special re-enactment about Natalee‘s disappearance. It airs in both the Netherlands and Aruba. The program reports getting new tips.
B. TWITTY:
The toughest thing for me during this nightmare is when I saw the surveillance tape of Deepak‘s gray Honda. You know, I know that she‘s in there.
WITT: In that same week, yet another arrest. Geoffrey Van Cromvoirt is behind bars for his alleged connection to the Holloway case. He‘s also facing drug charges. He stays locked up for nine days before being released, but police say he remains a suspect.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did your client know Natalee Holloway? Did they ever meet? Do you know?
ELINE LOTTER-HOMAN, GEOFFREY VAN CROMVOIRT‘S ATTORNEY: No, they never met.
WITT: May 17 Natalee‘s parents go to court to tell a judge why their civil case against Joran Van Der Sloot should remain in New York.
B. TWITTY: It would be the best chance at Natalee getting justice that we will ever have. And that‘s why we want it here.
WITT: That same guy, 19-year-old Guido Wever is locked up in the Netherlands. The friend of Joran Van Der Sloot faces a return to Aruba for more questioning.
But six days later he‘s also out of jail, leaving the case in limbo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSBY: And there‘s been no shortage of theories about what happened to Natalee and for her family. They are not ready to give up. We‘ll hear from them right after the break.
And also how “America‘s Most Wanted” is now helping in the case even more. And speaking of most wanted, polygamous cult leader Warren Jeffs. We‘ve got a big update. That‘s coming up next.
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COSBY: We‘ll tune you in just a minute from now.
And more now on the first anniversary of the disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway. It was one year ago today that the high school senior went out to a bar with friends during a trip to Aruba and then suddenly vanished. Even though no one has been held responsible,
“America‘s Most Wanted” is stepping up their effort this weekend, by featuring the Holloway investigation.
Live and direct right now is Natalee‘s father, Dave. And also joining us is reporter Rick Segall with “America‘s Most Wanted”.
You know, Dave—you know, it‘s been a year. Do you have any faith that this is going to be solved still?
HOLLOWAY: Yes, I‘m just about to give up on the Aruban judicial system. But you know, you always think that just right around the corner we‘re going to get the answer. And we‘ve been thinking that for a year now, and I just hope that, you know, if we keep our faith and keep on plugging away that we‘ll get the answers one of these days.
COSBY: How frustrating to you has it been? You and I have talked so many times. Here it is a year later and still no one held responsible.
HOLLOWAY: You know, yesterday I was looking back on the case. And you know, it was Memorial Day weekend. And in fact she disappeared on a Monday, and you know, it‘s kind of deja vu all over again. And we received the call and then made arrangements to go to Aruba.
But one of the things that really stands out in my mind is how the lead investigator initially handled the case.
Basically when I met him, he steered us off: “Go to Carlos ‘n‘ Charlie‘s and she‘ll show up, you know, one of these days.” And that never happened, you know, he kind of steered us away from, really, the real meat of the investigation. That was these three suspects, and you know, they had all the time in the world to cover their tracks.
COLMES: You bet. And, you know, that‘s one of the things, Rick, that you‘ve been looking at on “America‘s Most Wanted”. Why did you think it was important to profile it this weekend? Are you hoping maybe you‘ll get some tips, maybe some calls might come in?
RICK SEGALL, “AMERICA‘S MOST WANTED”: You know, watching your time line here, a great time line, over the course of the past year, emotionally exhausting. And we weren‘t even the ones who lived through this. It was Dave and Beth and their families.
We‘re taking a little bit of a different approach this Saturday. Dave and Beth have done an amazing job keeping Natalee‘s case in the spotlight. And I think they would both admit that Beth has sort of been the face for the family here a little bit more than Dave has.
So after talking to both Beth and Dave, we decided that we were going to focus on what it‘s been like as a parent to go through this past year, to do it from Dave‘s perspective, as well as talking about to a classmate who‘s never done any interviews with the media before. She‘s coming forward.
COSBY:
Rick—what did—what did that classmate say and why is she finally talking now after all this time, Rick?
SEGALL:
She had an awful lot of anxiety and said that the thought of doing it in the past has sort of put her in tears. And she‘s finally at that point, I think, after hearing rumor and speculation, helping us to put some rumors to bed, to set the record straight on exactly when Natalee met Joran, things of that sort to sort of set, as I said, some speculation to rest as well as hoping that by coming out, telling her story perhaps it‘s going to help jog somebody‘s memory and to help the Holloway family.
COSBY: You know, Rick, you guys have covered so many cases, I think better than anybody. And if you look at it today how bungled do you think the cops—you know, that investigated this case in Aruba, how much do you think they messed up the investigation? Is it repairable at this point?
SEGALL: At this point, at the one-year point,
you have to look back at all of the missed opportunities, the things that could have been done in the first hours, the first days, the first weeks. And you know, it makes your head reel. But unfortunately, there‘s nothing that can be done about that right now. You have to focus on, as of today, what can be done.
So we‘ve always said at “America‘s Most Wanted” it only takes one tip and getting information out to the right person to provide the tip. In Saturday‘s show we‘re going to be directing people to “Opsvering Versadt” (ph), the Dutch version of “America‘s Most Wanted”. We‘ve got transcripts from their show. We‘ve got clues. We‘ve got information from them we want our viewers to see and take a look at as well. And we‘re still hopeful. Perhaps in a month or so a deep water search can yield more information.
COSBY: In fact, we‘re putting u p—I want to show to our viewers. This is a sketch of one of the guys who exposed himself on the beach to somebody else soon before Natalee disappeared.
You know, Dave, as you hear all this—and let‘s just pray, because “America‘s Most Wanted” gets all these tips that come in. Are you still hopeful that maybe somebody might come forward? Or do you think they would have by now?
And this is also—
this is the surveillance video as she left Carlos ‘n‘ Charlie‘s.
Did you hope that someone‘s going to still come forward, or do you think it‘s behind that point?
HOLLOWAY: Well, there‘s always a possibility that someone will come forward. You know, these three guys were the last ones seen with Natalee, and there are still witnesses out there I believe could help us out.
COSBY: Dave, what do you say to people that say it‘s been a year, maybe it‘s time to move on? How do you feel when you hear that?
HOLLOWAY: Well,
if you have children you‘ll understand a lot more, that you don‘t give up on your kids. And you‘ll go and keep swinging the bat even if you‘re down and out. You‘ll get back up and look at the picture on the wall or whatever it may be and then go back again after them.
COSBY: You bet. If it was someone I loved, I‘d be fighting the same fight. Dave, thank you very much.
HOLLOWAY: Thank you.
COSBY: And Rick we hope that you get some good results. Please come back and let us know what you‘re getting. Thank you very much.
