Aruba officials believe Alabama Teen was murdered!

Aruba Authorities Detail Murder Suspicions
Friday, June 24, 2005

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ORANJESTAD, Aruba — For the first time, Aruban authorities on Friday detailed their suspicions in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway (search), saying they believe the Alabama teen was murdered.

Joran van der Sloot (search) and his friends Deepak and Satish Kalpoe are being held under suspicion of murder and kidnapping as well as being an accessory to murder. A fourth man, party boat DJ Steve Croes, is being held under the same conditions.

The fifth man, Paul van der Sloot (search) — the father of 17-year-old Joran — was being held on suspicion of complicity to pre-meditated murder, complicity to kidnapping and murder and kidnapping. Under the Aruban system, complicity is a lesser charge.

None of the men have been charged with a crime, but all are in police custody. An Aruban government spokesman confirmed the allegations.

Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoes were arrested 10 days after Holloway disappeared. Police say Joran van der Sloot met Holloway at a casino two days earlier. The last time anyone saw her alive was May 30. The 18-year-old Mountain Brook, Ala., woman was celebrating her high school graduation with a trip to Aruba with other students, who realized she was missing on May 31 as they were getting ready to return home

Deepak and Satish Kalpoe first told police that they dropped off Holloway at the Holiday Inn where she was staying because they had agreed on that version of events with Joran van der Sloot, said Nadira Ramirez, the Kalpoes' mother, in an exclusive interview with FOX News' Greta Van Susteren.

Ramirez said that on the day of Holloway's disappearance, Deepak, 21, and Satish, 18, picked Joran and Holloway up somewhere on Aruba after Deepak got off work at an Internet cafe. As they drove, the two brothers sat in the front seat while Holloway and Joran kissed in the back.

"[Deepak] said he was getting a little upset” that they were doing that in his car, said Ramirez.
But she said her sons told her they didn't even know Holloway, who they said had been drinking that night and wasn't walking steadily.

"They don't know nothing about her. Only they know that she was with Joran. ... She didn't even introduce herself to them."

Joran's story is coming under even more scrutiny now that his mother, Anita, has acknowledged that Joran has changed his story about the night of Natalee's disappearance. In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, his mother said Joran now admits to being alone with Holloway on a beach but that he still denies hurting Holloway.

Complicating things further for the van der Sloots was the Thursday arrest of Joran's father, Paul, a judicial official on the Dutch Caribbean island.

Before his arrest, Paul van der Sloot told FOX News that he was sure his son had nothing to do with Holloway's disappearance.

"We still believe in Joran," said Paul van der Sloot.

Beth Holloway Twitty, Natalee Holloway's mother, has insisted that Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers know what happened to her daughter and that police should press them harder to tell the truth. She has asked why the three were initially released after only a couple of hours of questioning, and arrested more than a week later.

Anita van der Sloot also questioned that tactic. She told FOX News: "Joran should have been interrogated from the beginning. But they let the kids go."

Separately Friday, a source familiar with the investigation told FOX the FBI only has three agents in Aruba working on the case, down from seven. The source, who requested anonymity, said the team has been reduced because there is not much to investigate now that arrests have been made.

Re: Aruba officials believe Alabama Teen was murdered!

It's so sad that after 4 weeks they still have no answers as to what happened to her. The island ain't but so big you would think they would have more leads.

Re: Aruba officials believe Alabama Teen was murdered!

I cannot believe they haven't found out the truth yet....

Re: Aruba officials believe Alabama Teen was murdered!

that's so sad i know when her mother is one the news, she says she's not going home until they find her. i hope the family could get through this hard time

Re: Aruba officials believe Alabama Teen was murdered!

I was watching Bill O'Reilly the other day where he talks with 2 of her friends...

What astounds me is that some SAW HER leave with the guy they have in custody. Bill asked them..."and you thought that was ok?" And he said "yea I had gotten a ride from them". He seemed ok...Something like that. I understand that they hung out with this kid (vandersloot) a few times and they say "they heard he was a good guy" BUT COME ON....You are on vacation and you start trusting people THAT EASILY??????????

And how were these chaparons supposed to be able to watch all these kids? Kids who were drinking, coming and going as they pleased....

What was the point to even having them be there!...

IMO this is a truly sad situation..

Re: Aruba officials believe Alabama Teen was murdered!

Re: Aruba officials believe Alabama Teen was murdered!

Re: Aruba officials believe Alabama Teen was murdered!

Watching the news and hearing about the 3 young boys in the trunk of the car it made me think, Although aruba is not that big.. who would ever think to be searching inside car trunks?
There are so many places she could be, I mean it just might be possible they may never find her...
I pray they do...

Re: Aruba officials believe Alabama Teen was murdered!

I just came back from my HM was there for 11 days, and it truly is sad. Flyers everywhere- we rented a jeep so we traveled the island so we saw news casters, at night on the beach the police would drive up and down shining a light into the water to see if anything washes up. The locals are really worried about what this is doing to their tourism. the locals are really really nice people, very friendly- I dont know if thats how they are NOW but you can def see the fear in their eyes that this may hurt their economy. The local paper everyday had an article, we watched the news to see they were filming 2 hotels down, it was a bit creepy. I pray for the family, we went to the chapel - very beautiful and said prayers and lit a candle.

Re: Aruba officials believe Alabama Teen was murdered!

heartbreaking...I thought they released the father and DJ because of lack of evidence to hold them???