Volunteers Look for Missing Teen in Aruba

AP via UK Guardian ^ | Monday June 6, 2005 10:16 PM | MICHAEL NORTON

[Lokibob]

ORANJESTAD, Aruba (AP) - About 700 volunteers joined police, soldiers and FBI agents on Monday, combing scrubland and beaches on Aruba's southeastern tip in an unprecedented search for an Alabama teenager who vanished a week ago on a trip to the Dutch Caribbean island.

Aruba's government let 4,000 civil servants off work early at 2 p.m. to hunt for Natalee Holloway, 18, of Mountain Brook, Ala. The expanded search began a day after police charged two men in her disappearance.

The honors student vanished May 30 while on a five-day trip with more than 100 classmates celebrating their high school graduation. About 40 adults, including seven chaperones, accompanied them.

Kenneth Angela and three co-workers from Aruba's lottery company were among the hundreds who boarded 10 buses in the community of Santa Cruz, about six miles from the capital, Oranjestad, to be taken to the search site.

``It's the first time Aruba has done such a big search,'' said Angela, a 31-year-old lottery supervisor. ``We want to keep Aruba's name good. That's why we're here, to help find Natalee.''

[Lokibob]

I'm beginning to suspect the white slave trade in this.

Aruba isn't that big, and is so tourist friendly that hiding an act like this is difficult.

[andyk]

I'm beginning to suspect the white slave trade in this.

From the first day she was missing, and I saw her picture, I figured one of two things happened. She was either on her way to the middle east, or she was dead. I sure hope I'm wrong.

[maestro]

Exactly!

[injin]

here's to all the nice American moms and dads that raise their children to be so 'color blind' to the point of not being able to exercise due caution when due caution is called for.
Especially curious from an Alabaman .

[KateatRFM]

That is exactly what I thought when I saw her. She was brought up to be so left wing colour blind that she could not dare refuse a black man anything. My Auntie is the same way and her family have to stand guard over her property every minute as she won't even lock her door unless they stand over her.

I believe she is dead and was tossed off a cliff; if her body is ever recovered at all, I will be surprised God forgive all those who failed to teach this child the facts of life.

[ASOC]

Local TV here (AK) reporting an FBI dive team has been called in.

[FrdmLvr]

I'm beginning to suspect the white slave trade in this.

That's exactly what I've thought. She's been drugged and smuggled to who knows where. It's not that uncommon, it happens in the US as well. They end up in snuf films, or "Shanghied" to a foreign country--missing persons when no body shows up, it even happens with children. There's lots of smugglers in Aruba, too.

[mel]

I was out of town and lost a bit of information on this story. Was the girl not missed until time to get on the plane to go back home? Did she not have a room mate who would have noticed that she was not in the room in the morning? She left with three guys and was supposedly returned to the hotel by two different men?

[GarySpFc]

There are far too many things which are not connecting in this story. For one thing this girl is not the type to go have consensual sex with three men. Today I found a letter from a mother of one the girls mother who was there when Natalie left. The letter follows below.

http://bb.visitaruba.com/showthread.php?t=2244&page=2&pp=25

Elaine,

That is the part that is confusing to me, too. The newspaper report is different from what I heard from my daughter.

My daughter ACTUALLY WITNESSED Natalee right outside the entrance to Carlos & Charlie's at around 1:00 a.m. Monday morning. (The paper says she left at 1:30.) My daughter was leaving the bar with two friends, and they were right behind another group. She called to Natalee and asked if she wanted to walk with them (I forget now if my daughter was headed to the hotel or the bar across the street; I think the latter). Natalee cheerfully said no, she would catch up to the group right ahead and walk with them (implying she would be along in a few moments). My daughter had no idea she would not see Natalee again.

This part my daughter didn't see, but was told by her friends: That Natalie passed them on the road a short while later, and that she was a passenger in a taxi with another person. She clearly did not know she was in danger; she leaned out the window and shouted something like "Aruba!!! WOOHOO!" Still having a wonderful time.

I have read and heard other versions since then -- that she was actually seen getting in a car with three men; that she was alone with the guy in his car; that it was a grey car; that it has been impounded by the police. I don't know which is the accurate account.

The kids she passed assumed she was headed back to the hotel complex. No one thought there was any danger; obviously Natalee did not think so either.

That's the only bit I know was witnessed by my daughter or her other friends. But it is agreed that the guy misrepresented himself, and that she got in willingly. Also, I assume everyone in the bar had been drinking, but none of those who passed Natalee had the impression that Natalee was falling-down-drunk or anything like that. I mean to say, probably she had been drinking and wasn't exercising good judgement, but she wasn't bad off enough to cause concern, or someone with the group would have taken her back to the hotel. There were chaperones there, the kids were of legal drinking age, and no one realized there was any danger.

I'll post if I hear any more news, and now that the media is covering this, I'll very much appreciate reading anything that you guys find out.

Thanks, all!

[BluH2o]

Was the girl not missed until time to get on the plane to go back home? Did she not have a room mate who would have noticed that she was not in the room in the morning?

Those are questions any reasonable adult might ask ... after all the girl was only eighteen. What seems to be emerging here, put together from several sources ... the three individuals she left with raped her ... although they're saying it was consensual. The two individuals who were, it seems, responsible for her disappearance got in on the act after the fact. They had their turn then murdered the girl ... not a scenario any one, at this point, wants to admit to ... but the direction this whole seamy episode seems to be going.

[injin]

this poor little girl , it breaks my heart ....
Like a lamb to the slaughter most likely .
Who can say what kind of upbringing she had , or what values
she was operating under , but I think it's a sad outcome.
What kind of rationale causes a young blond girl to go off in a car in a strange country with men not of her race at 2 in the morning? Something doesn't compute. Perhaps she was drugged ?
If that's the case where were the so-called chaperons for this group? And why wouldn't they insist that all members of the group leave together when it was time to go home for the night? Poor Natale was left at great risk by those delegated to protect her I'd say.
Now if I had a young daughter , she'd be a black belt in tae kwon do and would be coached to never drink anything that she was not in close attendance to at any time , no exceptions....

[Former]

Thank you for writing such a nice post about Natalee. I knew Natalee's mother in High School, we were good friends. She was a sweet, quiet girl, who was very conservative. I was with her for our 10 year reunion, but haven't seen her since then. We should be repectful of people in their darkest hours, regardless of how stupid we think their decisions are. Let us pray for the family and Natalee's spirit and/or safe return.

[ladyjane]

One of the three who supposedly took her back to the hotel is the son of a judge. There is no video at the hotel to support his allegation.

They'll pin the murder on the security guards and the son of the judge will get off scott free.

[au eagle]

Especially curious from an Alabaman .

You've not been to Alabama, I presume? Or at least, you've not visited a high school in Alabama. Times, they have a-changed.

[injin]

"Times, they have a-changed."

what a pity...
let's roll back the clock

[Palladin]

That's an interesting theory. What about the reports that the first three (which included the judge's son) were well-known drug dealers?

I think the girl was drugged. No sane and sober young lady with such a background would take such an enormous risk.

[au eagle]

This was posted by the mother of a daughter on the trip: http://bb.visitaruba.com/showthread.php?p=18294#post18294



Elaine,

That is the part that is confusing to me, too. The newspaper report is different from what I heard from my daughter.

My daughter ACTUALLY WITNESSED Natalee right outside the entrance to Carlos & Charlie's at around 1:00 a.m. Monday morning. (The paper says she left at 1:30.) My daughter was leaving the bar with two friends, and they were right behind another group. She called to Natalee and asked if she wanted to walk with them (I forget now if my daughter was headed to the hotel or the bar across the street; I think the latter). Natalee cheerfully said no, she would catch up to the group right ahead and walk with them (implying she would be along in a few moments). My daughter had no idea she would not see Natalee again.

This part my daughter didn't see, but was told by her friends: That Natalie passed them on the road a short while later, and that she was a passenger in a taxi with another person. She clearly did not know she was in danger; she leaned out the window and shouted something like "Aruba!!! WOOHOO!" Still having a wonderful time.

I have read and heard other versions since then -- that she was actually seen getting in a car with three men; that she was alone with the guy in his car; that it was a grey car; that it has been impounded by the police. I don't know which is the accurate account.

The kids she passed assumed she was headed back to the hotel complex. No one thought there was any danger; obviously Natalee did not think so either.

That's the only bit I know was witnessed by my daughter or her other friends. But it is agreed that the guy misrepresented himself, and that she got in willingly. Also, I assume everyone in the bar had been drinking, but none of those who passed Natalee had the impression that Natalee was falling-down-drunk or anything like that. I mean to say, probably she had been drinking and wasn't exercising good judgement, but she wasn't bad off enough to cause concern, or someone with the group would have taken her back to the hotel. There were chaperones there, the kids were of legal drinking age, and no one realized there was any danger.

I'll post if I hear any more news, and now that the media is covering this, I'll very much appreciate reading anything that you guys find out.

Thanks, all!

[Palladin]

It is so strange. So many conflicting reports.

I hope they find her soon.

[MarMema]

She called to Natalee and asked if she wanted to walk with them

Hard not to see God's hand in this one, for me at least.

[MarMema]

Police spokesman Edwin Comemencia said that authorities have not ruled out the possibility that other people are involved.