Posted on 06/02/2005 8:02:49 AM PDT by SamFromLivingston
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — FBI and Aruban officials said Wednesday that they had flew clues to the whereabouts of a Mountain Brook High School graduate who disappeared during a senior trip to the island.
FBI officials in the Caribbean were coordinating with Aruban police and Dutch authorities, who oversee Aruba, to search for Natalee Holloway, 18, The Birmingham News reported.
Holloway joined about 125 graduating seniors and adults on the five-day trip, which is an annual tradition not sponsored by the school. Other students said she never showed up for the group's return flight Monday.
"We went to check in for our airplane, and she wasn't there, and she's been missing since then," said Jay Weinacker, a member of Holloway's graduating class.
Holloway's parents, David Holloway, of Meridian, Miss., and Beth Holloway Twitty of Mountain Brook, and several family members traveled to Aruba to aid the search, said Robin Holloway, the girl's stepmother.
"It is torture," Robin Holloway said. "It is just agony."
Aruban police said Wednesday that they had questioned and released three local men who said they dropped the teenager off at her hotel late Sunday night. Officials said the girl's parents were unable to spot her on a hotel surveillance tape.
Officials said there were few leads on Natalee's whereabouts.
After hearing of her disappearance, Robin Holloway said her husband felt compelled to search for his daughter.
"We can't just sit here and do nothing," she said. "We don't know if she is still in Aruba ... or she's been kidnapped. We just don't know anything."
Officials at Mountain Brook Community Church said more than 150 people participated Tuesday in a prayer service for Holloway.
"Word just kind of got out, and parents and students just really wanted to get together and have a little prayer service for the whole situation," said Troy Gambrell, an associate in the youth ministry.
Last I read this morning was that she "had sex" with the three guys, but that they had charged two hotel security guards with her disappearance.
Does anyone think its strange that these men had something to do with this girl's disappearance and it took them so long to arrest them? Now that they have arrested them, they can't think of a charge? I think it sounds like a LOT of information is being with held from the general public..either that or everyone over there is stupid??
Having two daughters, I was deeply saddened by the reports from Aruba about the missing teen. My daughters are now 27 and 24 and both had taken trips while in high school and college. For the high school trips, they were chaperoned by school faculty as well as parents. The trips went off without a hitch and were a good learning experience for both. They were allowed to go because they had both demonstrated personal responsibility and good judgement. If I had children that were irresponsible, they would not have gone as they had not earned that privilege My wife and I told them that as we were growing up, we were told to stay in a group and leave no one by themselves; all in the group were responsible for each other. Above all, if something, a situation or person did not feel right, get away from it. While in college, both had gone on cruises during their senior years. My wife and I were a bit apprehensive, but at that stage of the game, you have to put your trust in them. They both had good trips and on their return, both said there was the potential for compromising situations either for themselves or their girlfriends, they avoided it due to WWMADD (What Would Mom And Dad Do). They still have a good laugh about it, but it gives us a comforting feeling that they were paying attention.
The step-father was on this morning and he said so far he knows of no evidence against these 2 men. It's like she vanished.
Guys die because of a lack of porn.
Only if they are losers and so their deaths are no loss to humanity. A few less predators for innocent people to worry about ...
Whoaa, this girl's daddy has got some connections. By any chance are some of these agents currently searching their databases for contact names in..... ohhh, I don't know....let's saaaaaay......Venezuela?
Something tells me this goes way beyond Lenny & Squiggy, the two out-of-work security guards.
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