I believe it would be beneficial to have some quotes taken from interviews Beth, Dave, and others did, just to refresh our memories.
I am going to attempt to post quotes from an interview each day, as time permits.
Todays quotes are from an interview on
11-14-05 Rita Cosby Live
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10050337/
COSBY: And tonight: The father of the key suspect in the Natalee Holloway case is off the hook, but some people believe he should not be eliminated as a suspect. And our next guest says he may soon have some proof. Late Friday, an Aruban judge said Paul Van Der Sloot is no longer a suspect in the search for the Alabama teen. In fact, Paul Van Der Sloot could even receive damages from the government of Aruba after being held for three days in an Aruban jail.
Joining me now is private investigator T.J. Ward, who has been working hard on this case. T.J., why do you think they sort of let him off the hook too soon?
T.J. WARD, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: Well, we really don‘t know. We‘ve been running a parallel investigation after finishing up our assignment with the Holloway-Twitty family in August and returned to Atlanta, and we have incorporated several retired FBI agents through my associate, Harold Phipps, with the Norcross (ph) Group. We sent an e-mail out and got a great response with about 12 federal agents who are familiar with the area down there, who‘s assisting us, and information that we have that he‘s directly involved with this investigation. And we‘re sorry to see that the Aruban government has let him off the hook at this time.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10050337/
COSBY: Now, is this information that the Aruban government has, as well, you believe?
WARD: I don‘t believe they have this information. Or if they do, they‘ve got some other source or plan or direction they‘re going in. But the information that we‘re receiving and in the case that we are building all the way from the beginning of us being in Aruba in June, ties Paulus Van Der Sloot directly involved in this case.
COSBY: And T.J., how credible do you believe this information is?
And is it witnesses? Is it evidence? Is it a combination?
WARD: There‘s witnesses and interviews that we‘ve done and information that we have received, most recently as last week, that gives us information that he—there‘s a possibility, a very strong possibility, that he‘s involved.
COSBY: When do you think that all these pieces are going to come together for what you‘re look at T.J.?
WARD: Well, probably within the next month, we will have some good
solid information, and go forth and go public with it, and then we will
turn our information over to the Aruba Government and the FBI
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10050337/
COSBY: Are the indications that you are getting that he may have played a role in the crime, the cover up or which aspect?
WARD: We think he has played a role in the cover up of her disappearance.
COSBY: How strong do you also still believe that the three boys played a role too from everything that you are getting?
WARD: We believe the boys are directly involved. And again, our theory is that something happened to Natalee, either where she stopped breathing, had a heart attack or whatever.
And in the course of that happening, we think Paul Van der Sloot played a part in the after effect of that in the removal and concealing of Natalee Holloway.
COSBY: Do you believe, real quick T.J., that what you have, could blow this wide open?
WARD: Yes, I do.
COSBY: And you think maybe within a month?
WARD: I would say within the next 30 days, we should have some good solid information that we will be able to go public with it.
COSBY: All right, T.J. please keep us posted. Thank you very much.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10050337/
Aruba Web-cams:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1595127/posts?page=1443#1443
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1516416/posts?page=2632#2632
I believe it would be beneficial to have some quotes taken from interviews Beth, Dave, and others did, just to refresh our memories.
I am going to attempt to post quotes from an interview each day, as time permits.
These quotes are from an interview on
7-01-2005 Scarborough Country
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8485048/
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, MOTHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: Natalee deserves to return to her country. She deserves it. And everyone knows it, Martin. Every single person, every single person knows that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8485048/
MARTIN SAVIDGE, NBC CORRESPONDENT: Well, you're right, Joe. There are a lot of things going on.
Let's talk about Senator Richard Shelby and the letter that he wrote to Condoleezza Rice. As you may remember, he's demanding that FBI have a more active role in the investigation down here. He wants the secretary of state to make that quite plain to the Aruban government. The response from the Aruban government is to say, look, if the U.S. wants to send 100 FBI agents additionally down here, they are welcome to do so, as long as they are assisting in the investigation.
If the senator wants the FBI to take over the investigation, that's a different matter. And, no, the Aruban government would not allow that to happen.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8485048/
SAVIDGE: They looked at an area around the airport, but did not find anything. And then you have the Dutch government announcing late this afternoon, it is sending three F-16 fighter aircraft, it says, to assist in the search for Natalee Holloway. It's not clear how high-performance military aircraft would help, but they should be here probably on Monday.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8485048/
SAVIDGE: I sat down and talked to Beth Twitty and George Twitty. That is Natalee Holloway's mom and stepfather. And the first thing we started talking about was this letter from Richard Shelby, the senator, as to how they think this pressure could help.
HOLLOWAY TWITTY: You know, Martin, I think it's just a prime example of showing that not only the frustrations that Natalee's family has had in dealing with this situation, but the frustrations that they are beginning to feel now in the United States. You know, now they are—after a month, they are seeing and experiencing the same frustrations that we have been experiencing since May 31.
GEORGE TWITTY, STEPFATHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: Senator Shelby is pushing this and the United States is pushing this. And they want to send in more people. And he basically said, you can send in 100 in here if you want to. They are welcome in here tomorrow. But they can't do anymore than they have already done.
So, I mean, it's almost like a slap in the face. To me, it's like they are not trying to help us. It's like they don't want our assistance, you know, so...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8485048/
SAVIDGE: But what would you like to see them do specifically?
(CROSSTALK)
TWITTY: I would like to see somebody come in here and get involved in the investigation and—and go back and maybe try to sort out some of the things that have happened, like, the first six or seven days that passed before they even arrested the guys, because there's a lot of stuff in there that's very important.
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SAVIDGE: And there is grumbling coming from the states of perhaps ineptness on the part of investigators here and even something more, of perhaps a cover-up. Do you sense that? Do you feel that?
HOLLOWAY TWITTY: Martin, on June 11, I have it documented in a journal that I've been keeping, that I specifically asked, could a cover-up be involved?
And when you think—when you think back on it now, I must have been
· I must have been on to something and was on to something even earlier than that, but was able to document it in a journal on June 11. And now, when I think of June 29 and I'm hearing the judge saying that, if there's no body, then there's no evidence, you know, what was transpiring during those initial nine days, Martin? What was transpiring?
Who was helping who? Who was coaching who? Who was covering their tracks? You know, it can only now just raise just huge frustration and anger in me now, when I look back on it. And you know what will be even further, to me, damning is when we find out how well—OK. We've got a 17-year-old male sitting in jail.
How—how supported and well-connected is he? It branches out from the three individuals are tied—they are woven into such a tight braid. We've got the father. Now, how much farther does it go from there, Martin? How much more of a net of involvement is going on with this group of individuals? That's what my gut feeling is telling me, that it is far more reaching than just this father and these three individuals.
Now, they had to have additional help, if he's already discussing disposing—or no body? No body is recovered, there will be no evidence? I mean, you know, who all was involved in that?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8485048/
SAVIDGE: Are you worried about Monday, Monday, the hearing?
HOLLOWAY TWITTY: Oh, absolutely.
TWITTY: Absolutely.
HOLLOWAY TWITTY: I'm sick. And I will be physically sick for the next three days, because those three individuals, like I said, it's like three cords woven so tightly together in this.
They—I will be—I will be sick. And, Martin, the things that we have been through during this ordeal would shock and amaze Americans.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8485048/
SAVIDGE: What is your fear? What is your nightmare, Beth...
(CROSSTALK)
HOLLOWAY TWITTY: My worst nightmare, that these individuals will be let—will walk and we will still not have any answers.
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SAVIDGE: You think that is a possibility?
TWITTY: It's a possibility.
And that scares me, too, because these three kids are predators. If they let them walk on this island after what Beth and I know, there's a lot of information that we have that we cannot share, because it would jeopardize the investigation. But if they let them walk, we can share it. And it would be devastating.
The United States, the world will be amazed.
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SAVIDGE: Do you still believe she's alive?
HOLLOWAY TWITTY: You know, Martin, I always have my hope that she is.
I always have my hope.
But there it goes right there. We have to demand and expect that we will get her. That is not an option. Natalee deserves to return to her country. She deserves it. And everyone knows it, Martin. Every single person, every single person knows that.
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SAVIDGE: You know, Joe, as you listen to that interview, especially at the end there, you see the great strength that—that Beth Twitty has. And yet, at the same time, you see the fragility of it, as it begins to break just at the very end, as the emotion wells up in her.
And she really does ride a very difficult and very painful emotional edge over these past weeks. Joe?
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SCARBOROUGH: And, you know, Martin, she is such a strong woman. I don't know how she's been able to stay as strong as she has over the past several weeks.
But I want to ask you, I mean, looking at that interview, it seems to me that this family has completely given up hope that they can trust the Aruban government or the Dutch government. They seem very embittered by the entire process. Is that your take?
SAVIDGE: Well, I wouldn't say that they have totally given up hope. I mean, they do believe that there are many great people who are working on their behalf. They always extol the virtues of the Aruban people, who have been tremendously supportive and part of the strength that they have had to continue to hold up, as the family has.
They also believe that the prosecutor is probably working her best, Caren Janssen. But then there are others that they have their doubts about and they worry about whoever the judge may be on Monday and the decision that may be handed down, especially in that decision is to let any of the suspects go.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8485048/
Let's go back to Aruba right now and bring in Ruben Trappenberg. He's the spokesperson for the government of Aruba.
Ruben, thank you so much for being with us. This is one of these times when we in America need your help in decoding what's going on down there. Earlier the AP was reporting that the attorney general in Aruba had claimed these young men had already been charged with murder in the case from the earliest days. Now we understand that's not the case, but they may be charged on Monday. Can you clear it up for us tonight?
RUBEN TRAPPENBERG, ARUBAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON: Yes, Joe.
It's—the attorney—it's not the attorney general—it is the chief prosecutor not being careful enough in her wording of the suspicion. And we have tried to do so from the beginning. The reasons they were suspected, meaning the murder charge—but, again, you get into these words of charge. And that means something in the U.S. It means something different here. And that is where the difficulty comes in.
I know that the AP wire had—you know, it was accurate what they were saying. It's just that, in the semantics, it gets lost. It's a reasonable suspicion. That's what they have. They have a suspicion that these guys did number one, two and three. And that is what they are being held on. That is all it is.
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SCARBOROUGH: A powerful U.S. senator, Richard Shelby from Alabama, Natalee's home state, has been writing letters to the secretary of state, also to Dutch officials and Aruban officials. He's saying this investigation has reached—quote—“a dead end.”
Do you agree with the senator or do you think that there is still progress that could be made in finding Natalee?
TRAPPENBERG: We understand the concern of the senator. It's just that he doesn't have all the facts.
The chief prosecutor just said a day ago that, no, their—the investigation has not hit a dead wall. They are making good progress. And when there is all this talk about, let's get the FBI more involved, the FBI have been here since day one. And that is important to note. And there—maybe he does not have all the details in this case.
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SCARBOROUGH: And, friends, let me just start by saying right now, all of my sources in Washington, D.C.—I'm sorry. I've got to bring this up. All of my sources in Washington, D.C., are telling me that, yes, the FBI officials have been down there from the very beginning. But they've not been allowed to do anything.
Senator Shelby's office not commenting to me, but those letters that they sent out, in the letter that they sent—I think their harshest letter actually was sent to the Dutch ambassador, basically saying there has been a stonewalling down in Aruba. This investigation has been sidetracked from the very beginning. You all need to help us. It's not happening yet.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8485048/
Linda, thank you for being with us tonight.
LINDA ALLISON, AUNT OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: Thank you, Joe.
(SCARBOROUGH:?) Obviously, Beth is very concerned about the hearing on Monday. She believes this government has been involved, possibly involved in a cover-up from the very beginning. What are your concerns about the Monday hearing?
ALLISON: Well, and, again, as you heard this explanation earlier about how the Dutch law works, it makes it very difficult for us to understand, when you bring somebody in for reasonable suspicion and turn them loose three days later—and I'm referencing to Paul van der Sloot—it's really difficult to understand what—what we're dealing with here.
And again, I explain this—the only way I can understand it is the prosecuting attorney only plays as few cards as possible, so that it doesn't divulge what evidence that they do have.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8485048/
SCARBOROUGH: Linda, let me tell you what it looks like from here in America, from our vantage point. It actually looks like you have a prosecutor down there who is being fairly aggressive in some ways, but possibly she may be facing roadblocks from other government officials down there.
Do you sense that? And do you think the prosecutor's office has been aggressive enough? You think there are other roadblocks coming from the Aruban government or possibly the Dutch government?
ALLISON: Well, you have our family attorney that is giving us advice.
And we actually spoke with her this evening before I came on air, just to kind of understand about the report that the AP had said, that there were formal murder charges being brought at this time against the three suspects. And, again, those were charges that were initially brought against these three suspects.
Kind of as a shotgun approach, is the only way I can understand that in layman terms, is, you list all the possible charges that there might be out there. And it could just be kidnapping. And, as more evidence comes in, then you can eliminate some of the other charges. So, it's difficult.
And I think, if there were a lot more communication going on, that we could maybe appreciate and understand what they are doing in the crime—
I'm sorry—in the prosecuting attorney's office. And we are getting a lot of information from the prime minister's office. And, again, there's a separation of governmental agencies, if that—if you will refer to them as that.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8485048/
ALLISON: The prime minister doesn't have any control over the Dutch Marines. The police investigators, the police department or police authorities have that control.
And one thing that has bothered me in all this is that, when EquuSearch and the family requested the Dutch Marines to come out and do a joined effort with the EquuSearch, then here, on Thursday, then van Straaten, the police investigator, decides to conduct his own search after three-and-a-half weeks. So, yes, that is a little frustrating from that perspective.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8485048/