Family frustration met by Aruban resolve

Martin Savidge Correspondent • Profile

PALM BEACH, Aruba — The investigation into the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, a young American student vacationing in Aruba, is now two weeks old and appears to be at somewhat of a standstill.

NBC News' Martin Savidge, who has been following the investigation, reports on the frustration of the young woman's family, as well as the perseverance of the Aruban people to resolve this difficult case.

What is the latest in the investigation into the disappearance of Natalee Holloway?
Well the investigation, at least from an outside appearance, appears to have stalled, or certainly slowed in progress.

The investigators continue to focus on the three young men who were arrested last week.

It appears, from their interrogations, that they are all telling different versions of the same event and what separates those stories is that each one is implying that they were not there when Natalee Holloway was with the others. So, they are trying to exonerate themselves from the investigation.

Now authorities know that, of course, all three of them could not have been there. Somebody was there and they are still trying to determine who that is.

Now, because of that slow progress, the family is growing increasingly frustrated. They believe that those young men know exactly what happened to their daughter and they believe that more pressure needs to be brought to bear to make them reveal it. 

Beth Holloway Twitty, the mother of Natalee Holloway, spoke with Katie Couric on the 'Today' show this morning about her frustration with the search in Aruba and her belief that three young men that are suspects know what happened. What’s going on?
Well, I think that the family doesn’t feel that they are fully in the loop as to how this investigation is progressing. I suppose you could argue right or wrong that they be told every nuance and detail about a police investigation. The authorities here in Aruba say that they do keep the family well apprised of what’s happening. 

FREE VIDEO Aruba probe June 13: There is still no trace of missing American teenager Natalee Holloway, and the focus in Aruba is on three young men who allegedly were with her before she disappeared. NBC's Martin Savidge reports. Today show

But, you also can understand how a parent who is going through the worst possible event of a lifetime when it comes to a child — that is losing a child. You are never going to get enough information. You are never going to fully understand until that child is somehow recovered and found.

I think that they are frustrated because the suspects have been in custody for a while — they have been questioned for almost two weeks. And, yet the family has almost no more answers as to what happened to their daughter than when she first vanished on that Monday morning.

There were a lot of rumors about Holloway and the investigation reported over the weekend. How damaging are the rumors to both the family and the investigation?
Well, they are damaging in a sense to the family because they just add a greater emotional burden and also a physical one.

Every time they hear of a rumor that their daughter has being found, or there has been a confession, or there is a body — that means they need to know, of course. Phone calls have to be made, officials have to be contacted and it can become a vicious cycle of just calling and confirming that no nothing has been found. Then, someone else reports something, and five minutes later you are calling the same individual you just called to verify something before.

So, it becomes a very painful round robin for family members and those who are assisting them in communicating with government officials.

As far as the investigation goes, well, it distracts authorities.

They need to focus on either finding this young woman or talking to the people who may know where she is. But, if they have to constantly be responding to the media — and there is a lot of media on this story — answering the phone every 30 seconds is not a way to proceed forward on their case. So, that’s how it is harmful. 

MORE FROM CRIME & COURTS

Crime & courts Section Front

1 shot in Md. hotel machine-gun shooting Knox upset, tired; gets family visit in prison Ohio inmate to get one-drug execution   Remains of 43 horses removed after Ohio fire Student charged in Binghamton U. professor's death Teen pleads not guilty in killing of brother Delayed Va. Tech alert ‘inexcusable’ N.Y. prof wrongly ID’d as suspect files suit Crime & courts Section Front   Add Crime & courts headlines to your news reader: