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.
Local Aruban guy chats her up, convinces her to go to a "cooler" club nearby.
She drunkenly wanders off from the group, gets groped by the Aruban guy and his friends at the local bar and demands to return to her hotel.
Along the way they have their way with her, kill her, dispose of the body and tell the cops they actually did drop her off like she requested.
The cops accept this explanation, let them go, and watch them.
She could just as easily left a nightclub with 3 scumbags in her home town. Where, isn't the problem. It's the age-old story. Girl is seen leaving with someone she just met and doesn't know.
Well, the transvestites wouldn't be much threat to young girls, at least.
I wonder if the 18 year old paid for this trip herself? I highly doubt it. If the parents hadn't doled out the money, this would not have happened.
The kids had a fabulous time and are constantly asking that we plan a family cruise. Since they are both going off to college this fall, I may have to rob a bank over the summer and oblige them. ;-)
My sister went to Europe with her class and had no problems and she was seventeen.
"Saw the mom interviewed last night -- typical MB housewife. Tennis in morning, dinner at Highland's Bar & Grill later."
I wish I could provide a life like that for my wife.
Yes provided she was sober. A tv show recorded drunken girls being led by men at 2 in the morning. If the cameraman didn't go over and tell the guy to beat it, who knows what would have happened?
Where was it mentioned that she was drunk?
It's supposed to be one of the safest islands to visit. One of my mom's friends sent her daughter there with all her school buddies with no problems.
I just had a sick feeling she was a blonde. A lot of countries (Mexico, Spain etc.) seem to have elements that seek out the blondes since they're rare in their own country. Blondes stick out in a crowd big time. This young lady is very attractive. They should be watching these girls like hawks.
Yeah. . .you are right. . .must have been stone sober from all that partying at a bar. . .it's the drunk ones that don't do that.
I don't think it says that in the article. However, kids do strange things when they're away from their parents.
If she were sober.
It's positively frightening what a drunken teenager can be convinced to do.
EXACTLY.
On the otherhand;
Did she have life insurance, with democrat parents that are having cash flow problems in their business.?.
It may have happened anyway, but instead of Aruba, we would be talking about Atlanta, New Orleans, or Orlando.
BTW, the problem is not that mommy or daddy may have given her the money, but that at 18 years old she is still unable to fend for herself. If that is in fact the case, then there is no one to blame but mommy and daddy and society itself, which has apparently condoned the raising of children to be children their entire lifes, rather than allowing them to grow up and take responsibility for themselves.
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