Posted on 06/02/2005 8:02:49 AM PDT by SamFromLivingston
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — FBI and Aruban officials said Wednesday that they had flew clues to the whereabouts of a Mountain Brook High School graduate who disappeared during a senior trip to the island.
FBI officials in the Caribbean were coordinating with Aruban police and Dutch authorities, who oversee Aruba, to search for Natalee Holloway, 18, The Birmingham News reported.
Holloway joined about 125 graduating seniors and adults on the five-day trip, which is an annual tradition not sponsored by the school. Other students said she never showed up for the group's return flight Monday.
"We went to check in for our airplane, and she wasn't there, and she's been missing since then," said Jay Weinacker, a member of Holloway's graduating class.
Holloway's parents, David Holloway, of Meridian, Miss., and Beth Holloway Twitty of Mountain Brook, and several family members traveled to Aruba to aid the search, said Robin Holloway, the girl's stepmother.
"It is torture," Robin Holloway said. "It is just agony."
Aruban police said Wednesday that they had questioned and released three local men who said they dropped the teenager off at her hotel late Sunday night. Officials said the girl's parents were unable to spot her on a hotel surveillance tape.
Officials said there were few leads on Natalee's whereabouts.
After hearing of her disappearance, Robin Holloway said her husband felt compelled to search for his daughter.
"We can't just sit here and do nothing," she said. "We don't know if she is still in Aruba ... or she's been kidnapped. We just don't know anything."
Officials at Mountain Brook Community Church said more than 150 people participated Tuesday in a prayer service for Holloway.
"Word just kind of got out, and parents and students just really wanted to get together and have a little prayer service for the whole situation," said Troy Gambrell, an associate in the youth ministry.
Time to start boycotting ARUBA until they solve this sad and scarry case.
Why is a class trip going outside of our borders in our current state of WOT?
HS seniors go to Mexico to drink and party. It's insane that parents pay for that madness.
Ridiculous....why would anyone, even divorced parents, let their 18 year old go out of the country without them?? Stupid.
Heck, I wouldn't even let my daughter go to Flordia for Spring Break. Of course, she's only four, but that's beside the point!
It's a very affluent area -- second in household income only to Beverly Hills.
Unfortunately, the amount of money does not always correlate to common sense. See, e.g., George Soros.
Saw the mom interviewed last night -- typical MB housewife. Tennis in morning, dinner at Highland's Bar & Grill later.
scary stuff happens on these trips. I feel for the family. If this was my daughter....
::shakes head in amazement::
Were you on the cruise with them? Have you ever been on a cruise yourself?
Shhh!! You will ruin it! How else can little Brittany and Heather end up on Girls Gone Wild videos?
'Aruban police said Wednesday that they had questioned and released three local men who said they dropped the teenager off at her hotel late Sunday night. Officials said the girl's parents were unable to spot her on a hotel surveillance tape.'
I think we may have the answers already.
"Why is a class trip going outside of our borders in our current state of WOT?"
Great point. The danger is greater than the benefits. Kids have no clue what to look for. They could have went to safer climes.
Exactly. I hope other parents learn a lesson from this. Teenagers have no business leaving the country, I don't care if it is next door, there is no place like America. However, I do pray for this child and her parents...things do not look good.
Because she's an adult?
Girls die because of porn.
Yes I've been on a cruise, no I was not with them. They have attended the same Christian School since first grade, were chaperoned by parents I'd become quite close to over the years, and they are incredibly well trained. ;-)
I'd ask the other students what she was doing with the locals. Someone from the group must have been with her,.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.