Natalee Holloway's stepfather reacts to discovery of new clues
New Clues in Holloway Case? - Greta's On The Record Transcript 7/18/05
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, HOST: Four strands of long blond hair washed ashore on duct tape in Aruba. Is it Natalee's? Joining us live in Birmingham, Alabama is Natalee Holloway's stepfather, George "Jug" Twitty.
Welcome, Jug.
GEORGE "JUG" TWITTY, NATALEE'S STEPFATHER: Hello, Greta.
VAN SUSTEREN: Jug, the hair that's been found — how did you learn about this?
TWITTY: You want to know the truth? I actually learned about it from Craig Rivera.
VAN SUSTEREN: And Craig Rivera being the brother and producer of my colleague, Geraldo, is that right?
TWITTY: Exactly.
VAN SUSTEREN: I guess that speaks pretty loudly, Jug, about the level of communication between the police and you and Beth and everybody else, right?
TWITTY: I tell you, Greta, it is so frustrating. It's just unbelievable. And that's why I tell Beth — and it's hard because I'm in Birmingham and she's there, but I know her frustration levels are high, but when you get back here and you see all of it, it really, really starts to get your blood flowing.
But you know, we don't. I mean, as you know, Van der Straaten is now retiring from this case, and Van der Straaten and the Jug Twitty have not seen eye-to-eye from day one, even though I went in and had a long conversation with he and the man that was going to take over the investigation. And I thought we had things worked out because I basically said, Well, I don't understand why you won't call me directly and, you know, give me the information directly. And we shook hands, and you know, but it never happened.
And so I'm concerned because Van Der Straaten is leaving the case and we're bringing in somebody new. I think his name's Erik Zuma (ph). He's been there about three days. Sandbo's (ph) had some heart problems. He's going to have to have a bypass and go to Holland or the United States. So you know, it concerns me who's taking over the investigation. Somebody asked me, Was I concerned? But you know, honestly, Greta, I think that may be good. You know, we've made so many mistakes in the beginning and everybody in the world knows that they've made mistakes, and now this guy is coming in to take over, and maybe he can shake some things up and get some answers.
VAN SUSTEREN: And for reference, for those who — I think everyone pretty much does know the story — but Van Der Straaten is the police commissioner who's been in charge of the investigation.
Jug, I know the frustration. I've spoken to you, and you've been back and forth to Aruba, and you and I have spoken many times. Are you bringing a private investigator in to sort of supplement or to try to avoid the problems you have felt so far?
TWITTY: Absolutely. Hired a private investigator this weekend, has a team of ex-FBI personnel. And you know, my goal here, Greta, is to get somebody down there on the ground that will give us answers. And I understand that they're, you know, doing an investigation their way in Aruba, but they won't talk to us. And everybody knows it's frustrating for the family when we have to hear things from the media, and I want a guy on the ground that can dig and try to get us some information and you know, can communicate with us every day.
VAN SUSTEREN: And I take it that it doesn't help that you have to keep running back to the United States to attend to family business. I mean, and other family members have the same sort of struggle, back and forth, back and forth, and no information, right?
TWITTY: It's hard. I mean, even when I call Beth down there, you know, the phones are ringing like crazy and, you know, trying to get information of what's happening because I have to do the shows or whatever, and I need to know what to talk about.
But I will tell you, Greta, that back here, it's unbelievable. I come home from work and turn my answering machine on, and I think it holds 25 messages, and probably 15 of them are on there, Ask Greta this, Ask Greta that. And you've been a tremendous help to my wife in staying with her, and she trusts you as a friend, and helping us try to find an answer to this story. And I think everybody in the United States knows that you're trying to help us.
VAN SUSTEREN: And I think that, Jug, is also true of, you know, my colleagues and all the news services, you know, because everyone has been down there.
TWITTY: Oh, absolutely. I'm not leaving out anybody.
VAN SUSTEREN: And it's been trying...
TWITTY: Yes, I'm just saying that I know my wife really trusts you, Greta, and knows that you're helping push. But the whole FOX network — as people have said before, if it hadn't been for FOX and for my family and friends, this would just have been another little girl that would have been swept under the carpet, you know, a week-and-a-half after.
VAN SUSTEREN: What's going to be the mandate for this investigator that you've hired? I mean, what are you telling him to do or what's going to be his plan?
TWITTY: I think he's going to get down there and start asking questions. I mean, there are so many things that went wrong in the beginning. And probably people know by now, Beth said the other night, we had an agent there on the ground when we got there with a chaperone, and we didn't find out until two days ago that this is an American — I think he was a DEA agent. I think he was just there vacationing, though. But anyway, he helped us that night, and he also waited and said, Wait before you go to the judge's house. I want to go with you.
And I find out two days ago that the Aruban authorities never took this man's statement. Beth and I are going, It's unbelievable. But you know what? They didn't take my statement until 30 days later, and I sat there and talked to the man for two hours, and his son. And they didn't take any of the statements from the people that were there. I probably had seven people in my so-called search party that night that we hit the ground, and it took them 19 days to take their statements.
So you know, if I had it all to do over again, Greta, when we got to that judge's house that night, we would have taken — we had three vans. I would have blocked that car in, and if I didn't think, you know, that the police were going to do anything the next morning, I would have parked those cars there and let them tow them away until I could open that car, open that trunk and look in that silver car the next morning.
VAN SUSTEREN: Jug, thank you. I'm sure that we'll be talking about this again until we can finally get some information.
Thank you, Jug.