Posted on 07/04/2005 6:39:22 PM PDT by TexKat
Mountain Brook High School graduate Natalee Holloway went missing May 30 during a senior trip to Aruba.
AP photo
You may be right about Natalee being an outsider. Maybe it was cause enough for her to go, when her best friends did not. She had everything going for her, so it's understandable that someone could be envious of that.
But I doubt they would hold back now if there was a chance of helping her.
What a magnificent, eloquent post,
a Palladin winner for sure.
Natalee's fairweather friends are just toast...
none of them worthy of her.
Dudette..I have news for you....re: my next door neighbor..she's a LOT of things..but female ain't one of them..
My sister-in-law grew up on St Thomas. She knows the islands like I know Dixie.
As much as she loves the Islands and would love to go back, she will tell you...most of the local governments are corrupt and drug money is at the heart of it.
She is not talking about the everyday, workaday person. She is talking about those in power. But make no mistake, corruption is the rule, not the exception.
Did you happen to see Shep's show? The portion where Beth apologized? My heart breaks for her.
Truly, that was reported early by one of the girls on TV and posted somewhere also. Now whether or not it can or has been verified is typical of the problem with so much of this case. But, I also do recall that it was stated. Who can read through all the thousands of posts on here or other sites anymore, however?
I do not think that it reflects on her in a bad way. Kids do that all the time on these trips. However, it does now appear, as we are reflecting on the situation, that it would have been beneficial if a bit more accuracy about one's intended place to be sleeping for the night had been stated. Which is why all kids are warned not to do "room hopping," still they all do. Perhaps now some will be inclined not to do this when they are traveling with their groups. And chaperones will be more vigilant about bed checks. Sigh :(
What a sad series of unfortunate decisions have earmarked the events leading up to Natalee's disappearance. None seemed harmful at the time, but all were part of the groundwork upon which this case took shape. Hindsight, hopefully, will make all more awares in the future.
Pray for Natalee.
Both drinking and driving age is 18 there, J's only 17.
But that silly law didn't stop him from drinking, so I can't imagine he didn't take the wheel from time to time as well.
Hey, that is nice! Usually nobody acknowledges anything.
I guess I am hypersensitive to the kinds of speculations about Nat. If I were her Mother, it would wound me to the core. We speculate so much here, it is par for the course so this just gets to me.
They do that in the states, too.
I agree and you stated it succinctly.
I think the roomies were not her friends, her friends stayed home. And maybe kids did sack out in each others rooms. And maybe they assumed she went willingly and spent the night with this guy.
Good friends, know what to expect of you. Ones who aren't so close either don't know, get glee out of it and fodder for gossip, don't care or just dont notice. They were all up very late, I read 5 am for some.
It goes to show that if no one personis responsible, then nobody is.
And I do thinnk from raising three girls that they don't tell each other what to do as much as some do. Grown women who travel together know the rules, you tell everyone where and when you go and will be back. But teenagers, fresh out of high school, they don't. And they don't act like each other's mothers. They all act "cool". Even college girls do the same.
They may be covering for their inattention, their lack of concern and their youth. But they aren't the criminals here. They are just kids.
She's losing it, onyx, even tho we think she is steel. She has to have closure to this. But that may not happen.
EVEN if by some small miracle, Joran were convicted, he STILL wouldn't tell Beth where Natalee is, and that's all it's come down to for Beth.
sw
Thank you for your earlier explanation on this.
I agree with you and I have had questions regarding her roommates and the chaperones from the beginning. As a female in college, we didn't moralize with one another but we had an agreement to advise the room if one wasn't returning. That's how we all looked out for each other. I can't say we would have stayed up at night waiting for someone who didn't call or let us know...we certainly would have been in search mode come morning.
I don't know how it all transpired for this group. I know that there was officially trouble when she didn't meet the group gathering to leave. I'm not sure that the concern didn't begin earlier or if the girls got up late and were rushing around, assuming that Natalee too would be rushing in soon.
I think there could be an innocent explanation though, given that it was the last night and I have the impression that the kids were staying up and hanging out much as they do in the HS sponsored all night graduation parties that I'm familiar with. If Natalee was as organized and punctual as her mother has described maybe nobody gave it a second thought and figured she'd swoop in, grab her stuff and be ready to go.
The Arubanians rarely CARD anyone, even their own. There don't seem to be any boundaries for the teens, and they know it. Can't blame the kids, but if the parents from the US learn anything from this horrible tragedy, it's not to let their kids convince them it's OK to go to a place where they can literally get away with murder.
Most of these kids were from sheltered environments, and the temptation to drink and gamble is just too strong. In fact, peer pressure dictates it. It's all hindsight, cajungirl. Sad as it is.
The law in Aruba is protecting the lawman there who assisted JVDS and PVDS in hiding the body. This is scary, but I still think someone made a bad mistake by announcing that a body had been found. This person was admonished, I am sure. Why would someone say a body had been found if it were not so? It was retracted within hours. Quick thinking for the corrupt. They are use to it. So the corrupt lawman and PVDS disposed of Natalee. Where, who knows. I know, I know, you think I am Wacky. Could she be buried with the headless cadaver? Have the dogs checked the cemetary? Or was she taken off shore? I would not post this on thread 6. I would be shamed off. I am serious about this, Beth KNOWS other adults were involved. Who was the lawman that retired? Why?
Oh, I saw the clip... was shown about 45 minutes into Shep's show I see at Noon here. Beth is finally showing the wear and tear on her. I'm heartbroken. She's such a strong lady and she deserves answers.
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