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Published January 25, 2017
This is a partial transcript from "On the Record," June 8, 2005, that has been edited for clarity.
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, HOST: At this hour, two men are behind bars in Aruba, suspected in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. But tonight, the common-law wife of one of the suspects says he has an alibi. He was sick at home with her the night Natalee disappeared.
Joining us live from Aruba is his attorney, Chris LeJeuz. Chris, in terms of the custody, how is it that these two can be held and apparently have not been formally charged?
CHRIS LEJEUZ, ATTORNEY FOR ABRAHAM JONES: Well, our system is slightly different from yours. They have been formally accused but not formally charged. Formally charged is where you have to go to the trial, and the trial date has not been set yet, if there is ever going to be a trial.
VAN SUSTEREN: All right. So how long can they be held before this formal charging occurs?
LEJEUZ: Well, if they remain in detention, it can take up to 116 days in the normal procedure. If they are not in detention, if they are released and they still go ahead with the criminal case, it can take up to two years before any formal charges are filed against them.
VAN SUSTEREN: Did you originally represent both of them and now only one of them?
LEJEUZ: That's correct. Originally, I represented both of the security guards. Now I represent only one of them. I have done this upon request of the prosecutor's office. They called me and they requested me to resign in one of the cases. They told me that they find that the statements that they were giving were not exactly the same. I must say that after reviewing the evidence and speaking to my client and hearing what they said today to the prosecutor and to the judge of instructions, I find that there is no conflict of interest between their statements.
VAN SUSTEREN: There's no conflict, did you say?
LEJEUZ: There is no conflict in their statements. There has been a slight adjustment because one of them stated that he did not visit the Holiday Inn hotel on that Sunday. Later, he remembered that there was a beach party and that he did go to the hotel area in the morning. Now what they say now is clearly the same.
VAN SUSTEREN: All right. Do either of them admit to the police to having met or had any contact with Natalee Holloway?
LEJEUZ: Both of them categorically have denied that. They don't know her. They never spoke to her. They've never been in her vicinity. And they say that they only know her from the press. They've seen her photo in the newspaper and they've seen her on the TV here in Aruba, and they don't know anything else about her.
VAN SUSTEREN: So why were they arrested, then?
LEJEUZ: They arrested them possibly based on very circumstantial evidence, which I believe would never hold in a court case.
VAN SUSTEREN: What is that circumstantial evidence, sir?
LEJEUZ: Well, there is one boy, kind of a beach bum, who stated that he saw them walking around the pool area around the time of night that Natalee must have disappeared. And there is another employee of the hotel who stated that he saw two security guards walking the area around that time. But they have not been positively identified by these people.
VAN SUSTEREN: All right. Was there a shirt seized with blood from either one of them? I saw some sort of report. Do you know anything about that, sir?
LEJEUZ: A blood test?
VAN SUSTEREN: Yes, have they been seized with any blood? One of the early reports said there was something was seized with what might be blood. Any truth to that?
LEJEUZ: No. In the beginning, they found a mattress with some blood on it but the FBI checked it and it turned out to be dog's blood.
VAN SUSTEREN: All right. So that answers that issue. All right, thank you, sir. Appreciate it.
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