Holloway Stalemate?

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I spoke to Beth Holloway Twitty (search) over the weekend several times. She is still hopeful she will get answers — but I am growing less optimistic. I am not confident that the police are any further ahead in this investigation than they were three weeks ago... but I could be wrong. Perhaps the police know a great deal and are simply playing it "close to the vest" — I sure hope so.

We tried very hard to get information last week and we had some progress. We spoke to people who could give us bits and pieces of what happened — but so far no conclusive answers. We had many "surprise visits" (it was sort of funny how two lawyers ducked from us... one went running into the back of the office upon spotting me walking in the door!)

What "sticks" for me is that Joran van der Sloot had a false story (a cover) so early on in the case (3 a.m. on May 31) — before the fact that Natalee was missing even hit the news. Moreover his story was somewhat elaborate (she stumbled getting out of the car at the Holiday Inn) which suggests to me either a very fast mind or a carefully thought out story. While this is not conclusive of guilt, it is a red flag for me. I am having a hard time figuring out why he needed a "cover story" so soon when he claimed not to know she was missing when first asked at about 3 a.m., May 31. Maybe there is an innocent explanation... I am "all ears."

If I were running this investigation (and I am not), I would make sure the Natalee's parents were REALLY briefed daily — that would be the humane thing to do. It does not seem right to keep them in the dark when they are so desperate for information. The parents can keep secrets — their goal is not to impede the investigation but to get it done thoroughly. (Of course if they did tell the media, then the police could halt the flow of information to them.)

From a tactical standpoint, it also makes sense for the Aruban authorities to keep information flowing to the parents. The last thing they want is for the parents to get on TV and announce to the world their frustration… and that is coming through the TV screen loud and clear. The government's spokesperson who was on our show Thursday agreed with me... but the government does not run the police department.

At this point we are all in mystery... what happened to Natalee? Do the police really "have the goods" on the three in custody? Are the three in custody really responsible for the disappearance or are the police so desperate to resolve this that they 'rushed to judgment?' Could her disappearance be an accident (swimming alone in the ocean after Joran left as he claimed) and not foul play? Why can't the family know more? Why won't the police answer simple questions like our police do in the United States? (Our police do answer some questions and do solve cases... so it can't be fatal to an investigation to answer some questions.)

I am most anxious to find out if there was e-mail traffic or phone traffic among the three in custody in the early morning hours of May 30. I am also curious whether Paul van der Sloot used his phone between midnight and 7 a.m. on May 30. He told me no... he told the Dutch TV correspondent on camera no... but after the interview with the Dutch TV correspondent, he pulled him aside and said maybe he did make a call and that he was not sure. Honest mistake or does he fear to be in conflict with phone records now in custody of the police? These questions answered would be, in my mind, a huge jump forward in trying to sort out what did or did not happen.

As in any crime, there are also the unintended victims. In this case, there is a collection of very, very, very decent mothers... all with broken hearts. Of course Beth Holloway Twitty's situation is worse than the other mother's situations — but each other mother independently said to me that she realized that as bad as she has it, at least she knows where her child is.

Some random e-mails… no pictures today but will have some on Tuesday:

E-mail No. 1

Greta,
My wife and I are loyal fans but are both wondering why on your Aruba story you are always wearing long sleeve shirts. Aren't you hot?
Tom Halle
Sand Hollow, ID

ANSWER: It IS hot outside here... boiling hot! But here is my problem — inside the buildings the A/C is so high that I freeze! So, no solution is a good one...

E-mail No. 2

Get on a new story, this is a total disgrace, get a life, cover the military, find a real person and write and speak about that, you are losing it.
Polly Minick

E-mail No. 3

I just looked at what you call a photo essay and had to write to let you know that I find these absolutely ridiculous… how many pictures of Greta sitting next to a man explaining weather details to her are really needed for the public to understand that she is sitting next to someone explaining weather to her?
And the stupid ass pictures of the police station then the policeman and yet back to the side of the police station.
If you can't look at what you put out and see that they suck beyond belief then something is wrong and it's not with anyone but yourself... damn I wasted my time looking at those and reading the nothing I read... I will never be back to see what crap Greta has for the public... and the funny thing is I saw her compared to Nancy Grace… HAHAHA! What a joke! Nancy Grace runs circles around the crap you posted.

E-mail No. 4

I pray for the mother of Natalee everyday. I have a daughter and I just could not imagine what she is going through. As a mom I would never leave the island without my daughter or any other family member in those circumstances. Greta you and all the other reporters are fantastic my prayers are with you also.
God bless,
JoAnn Profita
NJ

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