'Scarborough Country' for July 21 CROWLEY (voice-over): Natalee Holloway's mother announces a huge reward for information leading to her daughter. And, as the Aruban police commissioner gets ready to retire and the prosecutor goes on vacation, the family hires a private investigator. We will ask him what he's hoping to find. We've got all the day's developments in the search for Natalee Holloway.
CROWLEY: Welcome to SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY. I'm Monica Crowley, in tonight for Joe.
But, first, our top story, the search for Natalee. As authorities await DNA test results to come back, Natalee Holloway's family announces a big reward for any information that might lead to her whereabouts. In just a moment, we will speak with a member of her family, as well as a private investigator they have hired.
But, first, we go live to Aruba and NBC's Michelle Kosinski, who has all the latest developments.
Hi, Michelle.
MICHELLE KOSINSKI, NBC CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Monica.
And this is the sort of thing we have seen now with both of Natalee's parents. They are at the point where they are willing to try anything they can think of, any idea they can come up with to get to the bottom of what happened to their missing daughter. And today, Beth Holloway Twitty announced a much, much bigger reward than what's already been out there.
Also with it comes a tip line that she helped set up with local authorities. The police here in Aruba have already had a tip line. They told me today they are still getting calls on that. But this new one really is in conjunction with the reward. Natalee's mother wanted to emphasize that anybody who calls in will remain anonymous. She wants this to draw people out and draw out some information.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, MOTHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: Investigating authorities, together with the Holloway-Twitty family, in an effort to get the very much needed information on the whereabouts of Natalee and to further help the investigate of this case, are now offering substantial cash rewards to the person that provides the right information.
There will be a cash reward in the amount of United States dollars $200,000 for anyone who provides information that leads to the safe return of Natalee. For information given that leads to the whereabouts of Natalee Holloway will receive a cash amount of United States dollars $100,000, shall be awarded to that person who provides that information.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSINSKI: Today, we saw groups of people, some of them tourists volunteering their vacation time, to go around the island and hang up posters announcing that reward, many of them very touched. Tourists know the situation here. And they want to do what they can help, too.
And, also, we mentioned that police here do have a tip line. But police in Aruba just don't use rewards. It's not part of the way they do things here. So, another hope with this is that the unusual nature of offering a reward, the size of it, and the fact it's something that doesn't happen here all the time will help the situation, will help people come forward.
And this is going on while the family and investigators are awaiting test results on some hairs that were found on the island, on some duct tape. And we know that prosecutors want to compare those results with DNA samples that were compelled earlier in the week from all three suspects in this case—back to you, Monica.
CROWLEY: Michelle, quick question for you. The DNA samples were split between the FBI headquarters in the United States, as well as in the Netherlands, for analysis. When might—might we expect some results?
KOSINSKI: Well, it took a little more time than some people were expecting. Ones those swabs were done two days ago, we expected them to go right off to the labs. And when the tape was found several days ago, we expected that to go right off, too, but that wasn't the case.
Each side, both the FBI and Dutch authorities, wanted someone to hand-deliver it to the labs, one in Holland and one in Quantico, Virginia. So, that took a few extra days. We are expecting about a week from today to get those results, but it could be a little bit sooner, and it could be up to about a week later, we are told.
CROWLEY: All right, NBC's Michelle Kosinski, live for us in Aruba—
Michelle, thank you.
And we have also learned that, just yesterday, the lead prosecutor decided to take a working vacation. It's been reported she actually took the duct tape and hair evidence with her on the plane back to the Netherlands. Apparently, the vacation was planned well in advance, and, if there is a break in the case, she will return immediately to Aruba.
Meanwhile, Natalee's foam has hired T.J. Ward. He's a private investigator. And he joins us now live from Aruba.
T.J., welcome.
T.J. WARD, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: Thank you.
CROWLEY: So, first of all, how long have you been on this case on behalf of the Holloway family? That's the first question. And the second question is, have you been able to find any leads in this case that the Aruban authorities have not yet followed?
WARD: Well, I arrived yesterday, after being hired by the Holloway-Twitty family.
I was here approximately three weeks ago on—after receiving information from Ms. Janssen, who advertised that they were looking for some new technology here in Aruba to help with the investigation. We have available to us a computer program called layered voice analysis that we offered to bring here on behalf of the family.
After arriving here, we met with the Aruban government and law enforcement and demonstrated the layered voice analysis to them, which they were very excited with. And after they presented this information to Ms. Janssen, she said she was real reluctant to use the information, in efforts to—that she may spoil the investigation on behalf of the government.
CROWLEY: T.J., what is your—what is your...
WARD: And I have been here...
CROWLEY: What is your impression of the kind of investigation that the Aruban authorities have conducted so far?
WARD: Well, as we are all aware, the investigation was hampered by the police not doing what is normal in the course of a criminal investigation like this.
When they arrived on the scene after discovering that Natalee had been missing, with the van der Sloots, and at their house, the DNA evidence has been spoiled and not taken. There's nothing there now, when they should have, that night, issued search warrants and probably taken things from the home. They probably should have taken the vehicles and taken the suspects into custody right then and there and secured their clothes, so they could have pulled DNA samples off of that.
But here we are 53 days later, and now we are pulling DNA samples because of something washed up offshore called duct tape and hair, although the duct tape probably will give them a little bit more evidence than just the hair samples. They should be able to pull fingerprints and other remedies of skin or whatever from the duct tape.
This may hamper the results being taken a few more days from the FBI and from the authorities in Holland. But I think some new developments have transpired today with the new reward that is here, and in hopes that, in the course of our investigation, which we have—are going to have to start from the beginning, because, first of all, we have to find out where Natalee Holloway—what happened to her on the 29th into the 30th, much less where she is now.
So, we are here. And I have spent a great deal of time with the Holloways, Twitty family, in identifying who hasn't been talked to, what evidence hasn't been looked at from the Aruban authorities. And that's where we will start our investigation.
CROWLEY: All right. Very good.
WARD: You know, there's numerous people...
CROWLEY: Very good. Private investigator T.J. Ward, thank you so much for being with us tonight. And good luck with your efforts in Aruba.
WARD: Thank you.
CROWLEY: And now let's bring in Natalee's uncle Paul Reynolds.
Mr. Reynolds, welcome.
PAUL REYNOLDS, UNCLE OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: Thank you.
CROWLEY: So , we just spoke with T.J. Ward, who is a private investigator hired by the Holloway family. Why hire a private investigator? Have you been that dissatisfied with the investigation so far?
REYNOLDS: Well, it's another avenue that we can use to obtain information and take us closer to determining what happened and where Natalee is.
We've—you know, we have had concerns about the investigation. We understand there are new people involved in the—in the investigation, and we're—you know, we are anxious to work with them. We also think there's people out there that have information. We want them to come forward. And that's—and that's the reason for the reward.
CROWLEY: Well, Paul, let me ask you about that, because it was announced today that the family has increased the reward money. Do you think that that might bring in people, or bring people forward who might have information who haven't yet brought that forth?
REYNOLDS: It certainly might.
And, again, we do feel there are people out there that have that information. We hope this will encourage them to come forward and tell the truth and—and help us out.
CROWLEY: Well, let me ask you also about the lead prosecutor in this case. Apparently, she had a vacation scheduled well in advance for this week. She went back to the Netherlands and apparently took some of the key evidence with her for analysis.
Does the fact that the lead prosecutor took off right when a potential key piece of evidence has been discovered, does that trouble you?
REYNOLDS: It's our understanding there are people there that will continue the investigation. You know, we—we want them to keep an open mind. We want them to pursue every lead, and we think they can do that. And so we're—we are certainly hopeful, and, you know, we are going—we are going to work with them every way that we can.
CROWLEY: Paul, what do you make of the discovery of this potential piece of evidence, this piece of duct tape with some hairs attached to it? Are you hopeful that perhaps this might lead to some sort of breakthrough?
REYNOLDS: You know, we are hopeful with every, every new bit of information, every piece of evidence. We try not to get too excited about any one particular piece, because it—it does lead to the tremendous ups and downs, but we want this investigated.
We want to determine whether or not it has a bearing. And, depending on what the results are, we will move from there.
CROWLEY: Paul, let me ask you, when this case first began, it got a lot of media attention, a lot of media folks down at the island.
But a lot of weeks have gone by, and certainly the media attention has dwindled a bit. How do you feel about that, number one? And, also, what about the intention being given to this case by the Aruban authorities? Are they still as attentive?
REYNOLDS: You know, I think so. People are very interested in this. We—we all want to know where Natalee is. I think that the media has done a great deal to keep attention focused on this. Everyone is interested. We all want an answer.
CROWLEY: Well, Natalee Holloway's uncle Paul Reynolds, thank you so much for joining us tonight. And, of course, our thoughts and prayers are with you and the family. Thank you.
REYNOLDS: Thank you.
