This is getting really bizarre...

Aruba Police Arrest Father of Dutch Teen
8 minutes ago



ORANJESTAD, Aruba - Aruban police on Thursday arrested the father of a Dutch teen already in custody in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, the teen's mother said.

"My husband was just picked up by police," Anita van der Sloot, referring to Paul van der Sloot, said in a telephone call to The Associated Press. "I don't know what to think."

Judge arrested in Aruba case

Thursday, June 23, 2005; Posted: 3:02 p.m. EDT (19:02 GMT)

ORANJESTAD, Aruba (CNN) -- An Aruban judge, the father of a 17-year-old suspect in the disappearance of an Alabama teenager, has also been arrested in the case, a prosecution spokesperson said Thursday.

Paul Van Der Sloot is now being viewed as a suspect in the case of Natalee Holloway, a missing 18-year-old from suburban Birmingham, Alabama, Mariaine Croes said. He was arrested about 2 p.m. Thursday.

On Wednesday, Holloway's mother said more individuals "need to be pursued" in connection with the case.

Beth Holloway Twitty said she's sure the four young men in custody -- but not formally charged in the case -- have more information to divulge.

"I have no doubt that they know what and who and where and when and why and how. I have no doubt," Twitty said on NBC's "Today Show."

"The only thing I think there are some other individuals, though, that need to be pursued, and I know the local authorities are doing that and will be doing that," she added.

Twitty told CNN's "American Morning" she met Tuesday with the parents of 17-year-old Joran Van Der Sloot, one of the people in custody. He's one of the last people reported to have seen Holloway.

She said the Van Der Sloots invited her into their home, when she was handing out prayer cards in their neighborhood.

Twitty refused to give details about their 90-minute discussion.

"I think I walked away with the confirmation that we still have some individuals that we need to pursue," she said.

Holloway, an 18-year-old honors student from the Birmingham suburb of Mountain Brook, disappeared May 30 after she left a nightclub with Van Der Sloot and brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, ages 21 and 18 respectively, authorities said.

She was in Aruba with about 100 classmates to celebrate their recent graduation.

The three men and a fourth suspect, 26-year-old disc jockey Steve Croes, face accusations of two counts of murder and one count of kidnapping leading to murder.

None have been formally charged, and Twitty says she has seen "no evidence whatsoever" that her daughter is dead.

Defense attorneys for Van Der Sloot and the Kalpoes have said their clients maintain their innocence.

Meanwhile, four members of a Texas-based search-and-rescue team were scheduled to arrive in Aruba late Wednesday to begin planning their search for Holloway, said Tim Miller, director and founder of Texas EquuSearch.

Members of the group will meet with Aruban government officials and Holloway's family as soon as they arrive, Miller told CNN Wednesday.

The team has been delayed because of problems getting a charter flight and permission for their four search dogs to travel to the Caribbean island, Miller said.

All elements of the team should be in place Friday, he explained, including a side-scan sonar device that can peer 800 feet down into the ocean.

Miller founded Texas EquuSearch several years after the 1984 disappearance of his own daughter. Miller's efforts to find her were frustrated by a lack of help from authorities who thought she was a runaway. She later was found murdered in Texas, according to the group's Web site.

"I know what the Holloways are going through right now ... [we're going to] try to do everything possible to locate this child," Miller said.

There is something strange about this case, and I don't think we've yet to see the strangest thing.

That's a wild twist! I've been following this story very closely. FOX has officially turned into the Natalee Holloway Disappearance Channel.

My guess is that the son had something to do with her demise...perhaps she resisted and things got out of hand. Then, his father probably helped him cover it up. The father is probably an accomplice after the fact.

Just speculating. It's allowed here.

wow. this case is getting weirder by the minute. do you think she is still alive or dead?

wow. this case is getting weirder by the minute. do you think she is still alive or dead?
Sadly, I think she's dead. It would be a miracle if she's alive.

Wow pretty soon all of Aruba is gonna be in jail o_O No one go to Aruba, you might find yourself in the slammer....

Sadly, I think she's dead. It would be a miracle if she's alive.

I actually think that is the case, too. However, I wouldn't be surprised if she were kidnapped and taken to Columbia or somewhere like that.

That's a wild twist! I've been following this story very closely. FOX has officially turned into the Natalee Holloway Disappearance Channel.

My guess is that the son had something to do with her demise...perhaps she resisted and things got out of hand. Then, his father probably helped him cover it up. The father is probably an accomplice after the fact.

Just speculating. It's allowed here.I thought the same thing.

This case is getting awfully strange. It's like that Elizabeth Smart case. There was always something fishy there, I thought. This Holloway case is giving me the creeps. I'm going on a 9 day trip in April to Panama & Costa Rica with my Spanish teacher, and my parents are already freaking out.

I think one of two things happened:

1. She was killed(perhaps by accident) by the primary suspect. I think they got involved sexually at the lighthouse. His father, who is a judge, found out and helped him cover up the crime. They panicked and did something with the body... probably buried it somewhere where it will never be found unless they tell, or it's in the waters around Aruba, probably weighed down so it won't be seen on the surface or float to shore somewhere.

2. She was sold into prostitution or drugs(this is common down in Aruba/Bonaire/Curacao) and in Northern South America. This is believed to have happened to Amy Bradley who vanished off a cruise ship in Curacao in 1998. She was spotted about a year after her disappearance.

I think the 1st option is what happened though. I also think the Aruban government has badly screwed this investigation. Not arresting the suspects until weeks after she vanished and not searching the CARS until days after! Any physical evidence was likely destroyed during that time. It seems like here lately they've just been arresting people to be arresting people so people won't think they are trying to cover something up, but something is extremely bizarre about this.

2. She was sold into prostitution or drugs(this is common down in Aruba/Bonaire/Curacao) and in Northern South America. This is believed to have happened to Amy Bradley who vanished off a cruise ship in Curacao in 1998. She was spotted about a year after her disappearance.


I was going to propose that here, but when I suggested that to someone yesterday, she thought it absolutely preposterous. I've read several books where the characters get sold into drug rings in South America, and Harems (prostitution) in the Middle East. Fiction it is, but the books are based on reality, and there have been cases like that in previous years.

Yeah, could even be the father and son were in on something together from the beginning. It's going to be interesting when more information is released.

I was going to propose that here, but when I suggested that to someone yesterday, she thought it absolutely preposterous. I've read several books where the characters get sold into drug rings in South America, and Harems (prostitution) in the Middle East. Fiction it is, but the books are based on reality, and there have been cases like that in previous years.

I thought it sounded ridiclous at first too... but it's been almost a month with nothing significant. I thought this case would have been over a few days after it happened(i.e. killed by someone/random act and they find her, and it's done).

I thought it sounded ridiclous at first too... but it's been almost a month with nothing significant. I thought this case would have been over a few days after it happened(i.e. killed by someone/random act and they find her, and it's done).

Yeah, I was hoping they'd have at least some idea what happened that night, but I guess they don't have anything.

A 16 year old lifeguard named Molly Bish disappeared back in 2000 from a few towns over. They never found her until 2003(4?)... dead, of course. It was her bones in the woods. It was heartbreaking.

Yeah, I was hoping they'd have at least some idea what happened that night, but I guess they don't have anything.

A 16 year old lifeguard named Molly Bish disappeared back in 2000 from a few towns over. They never found her until 2003(4?)... dead, of course. It was her bones in the woods. It was heartbreaking.

Chandra Levy(remember her? the media was obsessed before 9/11 and then forgot about her) was found dead in May 2002 in a wooded area not far from where she lived.

The father of the Dutch teen suspect was taken into custody in order to make his son talk, Aruba's justice minister said Saturday.

“I think they’re trying to put some acts of pressure on the son,” Justice Minister Rudy Croes told FOX News' Geraldo Rivera in an exclusive interview.

This is a quote of an article on Foxnews.com.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,160699,00.html

Aruba Suspects in Court

Sunday, June 26, 2005

http://www.foxnews.com/images/foxnews_story.gif

ORANJESTAD, Aruba — The suspects being held in the disappearance of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway were scheduled to appear in Aruban court Sunday, as questions mounted over the arrest of the Dutch teen's father and as volunteers scoured the island.

The five suspects had been scheduled to appear before a judge Saturday to determine if there was enough evidence to keep them in custody, but the hearing was delayed until Sunday because the judge missed his flight to Aruba from nearbyCuracao.

Holloway, who reportedly spent time with some of the suspects on the night she vanished, has not been seen in nearly a month.

The father of the Dutch teen suspect was taken into custody in order to make his son talk, Aruba's justice minister said Saturday.

“I think they’re trying to put some acts of pressure on the son,” Justice Minister Rudy Croes told FOX News' Geraldo Rivera in an exclusive interview.

Croes said the detention of Paul van der Sloot — whose son Joran changed the story he told police about the night of Natalee's disappearance — could be key to solving the case.

"Any moment, we can have the solution," Croes said. "I don't think [Joran], if he really participated in the disappearance of this lady, I don't think he can hold out for so long knowing his father is detained."

Croes said Joran and two other suspects, Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, were surveilled electronically after being released following an initial round of questioning. He implied that information picked up by such surveillance led to their second detention.

"That's why, after a certain moment, they were seized," said Croes.

Meanwhile, a volunteer group from Texas arrived on the island to search for Natalee, who disappeared during a vacation on Aruba nearly four weeks ago.

The 24 volunteers, who include eight divers, arrived late Friday in the Dutch protectorate, bringing four dogs and sonar equipment with them. Tim Miller, director of Texas EquuSearch (search (javascript:siteSearch('Texas EquuSearch');)), said his team started looking for Natalee on Saturday morning.

"We are holding out hope that Natalee is alive, but we know the odds are against us," said Miller, adding that the group would remain in Aruba until it finds her.

Efforts in the United States included a concert featuring Kid Rock that raised $25,000 for the search underway in Aruba.

The 18-year-old Alabama student disappeared May 30, the last day of a five-day high school graduation trip with 124 other students. Her passport and packed suitcase were found in her hotel room. Police say they have thoroughly searched the island, assisted by residents and Dutch Marines (search (javascript:siteSearch('Dutch Marines');)).

Five men have been arrested in Holloway's disappearance, but no one has been charged. In addition to the van der Sloots and the Kalpoes, Steve Gregory Croes, a 26-year-old party boat DJ, has been detained. The suspect is apparently unrelated to the justice minister.

In an anecdote that illustrated the insular world of Aruba, Justice Minister Croes said Paul van der Sloot had recently visited him in his office after failing to become a judge, apparently seeking a position in Croes' department. Van der Sloot had also taught the justice minister's daughter.

Aruban authorities have received criticism for their handling of the case. But Jug Twitty, Natalee's stepfather, told FOX News Saturday evening he believed investigators were now making progress.

"I think they are on the right track," he said. "They’re putting the heat on [the suspects]."

As for the effort to find Natalee, media attention on the case has inspired many to take an interest in the search.

Miller said athletes in the United States had approached him about helping, but declined to say who they were or how they might participate.

Miller, who arrived ahead of his team, met with authorities Thursday to check where they had searched and plot new sites.

His first contact with police Superintendent Jan van der Straaten (search (javascript:siteSearch(' Jan van der Straaten');)) was "tense," but the two came to an agreement, he said, declining to elaborate.

Miller also would not say where the search would begin.

"If we find something that is evidence, we certainly don't want your cameras on it," Miller told reporters late Friday. He said the team would ask Arubans to help in the search within a few days.

Five men have been arrested in Holloway's disappearance, but no one has been charged. They include a Dutch teen and his father, who is a judge in training on the island.

Miller, whose team is based in Dickinson, Texas, said some of Holloway's relatives asked his group to undertake the search. He said his team might be successful because "we have the resources and equipment that hasn't been used in the ground or water."

FOX News' Geraldo Rivera, Jared Goldman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.