Calls to Aruba

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Feeling a bit "land-locked" Tuesday, I made a bunch of phone calls to Aruba to get more information. I spoke briefly — very briefly – with Police Commissioner Jan van der Straaten (search). He was not very "chatty" when I identified myself as part of the media, but he was polite... very polite.

Getting information out of the police commissioner is a bit like "pulling teeth," but when I confronted him about the report in the Aruban paper (that Joran allegedly said in an interrogation that he buried Natalee), he said, "I don't recognize it." I replied, "Does that mean it did not happen?" He responded, "I don't recognize it." Thinking he had not heard me, I tried again and he again said, "I don't recognize it." I then said, "Would you know if it had happened that way? Would you know if Joran said in an interrogation that he buried Natalee?" He then responded, "Yes." Our conversation ended there.

So... I report what I hear, but leave it to you to decide how much weight to give the newspaper article and the commissioner's remarks. The Aruban paper claims to have good sources. Tuesday night the managing editor of the paper was on our show and he insists his information is good.

I also reached the chief prosecutor on the phone yesterday. She tried to get me off the phone as fast as she could (I would not described her as "chatty.") I asked her a series of questions about procedure — and learned that she did not argue the case yesterday since it is an appeal. Her senior handles appeals. The judges who will decide the detention issues for all three are from a neighboring island —- and there are three judges, not one, who make this decision.

One of my FNC colleagues, Brian Wilson, has started a new blog (I think this is day 3.) You can read his blog, "Wilson Watch," by clicking here. (By the way, if you e-mail Brian about his blog, make sure you tell him that you expect him to put some of his music and singing on his blog site from time to time. Yes, my colleagues at FOX can do more than report... Did you know that Adam Housley, an FNC correspondent in California and a former professional baseball player, also has a vineyard? If you don't believe me, click here. The link is to his vineyard.)

I received an e-mail last night from another colleague who is in Florida working on our coverage of the shuttle launch. She has a point and shoot camera like mine so I asked her to get as close as she can and take some behind the scene pictures that I can then post here on the blog. I assume you are curious because I am. If I don't post the pics, don't blame me... she has promised and I await the pics to post for you.

And a quick question: If we post the audio from our show on the website, and if you miss the show the night before, are you likely to download the show on your iPod (search) or other recording device and listen to it? Before I jump through a bunch of hoops to try and make this happen, I need to know if there is any interest...

Here are some random e-mails:

E-mail No. 1:

Greta:
It is insulting to my knowledge when last evening you stated to O'Reilly you have pushed the enveloped to obtain the evidence on the Halloway case when you failed miserably at the Scott Peterson case to find Laci’s DNA in and around Modesto. It’s there. Your coverage created illusions to create numbers benefiting FOX. All of you TV coverage addicts are driven not by honesty.
Robert White
Livingston, Montana

E-mail No. 2:

Greta,
Do you ever get fed up with these stupid e-mails? Pinya needs to stop being such a pinhead. If Beth Holloway Twitty (search) truly found your questions shallow and an inconvenience, I think she might stop granting you interviews, right? The other thing Pinhead Pinya doesn’t seem to get is that you are reading and answering these e-mails yourself. She sends it like she is sending it to your producers and not you directly. Some people need to get a life and a clue. I didn’t see last nights show because I have a class Monday and Wednesday, but I watch you every other night, and your show is really great. I did see a portion of your interview with Beth on Fox & Friends in the morning and I thought it went pretty well. Keep up the good work!
Cheryl Assaf
San Bruno, California

E-mail No. 3:

Hi Greta—
I get so steamed when there are people in this world that think Natalee's mother loves the limelight, and that she is nuts. Beth is nothing more than a dedicated mother, who would do anything for her missing child, and it is very apparent that Beth is tremendously broken up over the disappearance of her beloved daughter.
I am a mother too, and I think if I were in Beth's shoes, I could not remain so dignified, and show so much class.These people, the critics of Beth, whomever they are, should not even criticize this distraught mother for being a devoted mother, who loves her child more than anything. Beth to me is the epitome of class under extreme duress, and she has more class in her little pinky than these critics who criticize Beth's every move.
These critics should be ashamed of themselves and their accusations of Beth enjoying the media attention… these critics should focus on themselves... maybe they just want 15 minutes of airtime!
Paula McNally
Scarborough, Maine

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