Natalee Holloway Suspects Identified: Dutch Authorities And MSM Not Telling Full Story

A report in the Birmingham News has tentatively identified the two suspects arrested and expected to be held over on suspicion of the murder and kidnapping of Natalee Holloway.

A security guard from the casino attached to the hotel identified one of the detainees as Mickey John of Granada, and the other only as Elvis from the nearby island of Bonaire.

Also, a Georgia resident known only as Lisa is said to have spoken to the FBI regarding an encounter with one suspect during a recent trip to Aruba. She claims to have seen him near her hotel on more than one occasion before being approached one day while jogging. The man allegedly first offered to sell her marajuana before propositioning her.

The conflicting stories emanating from Aruba are unprecedented, important facts are going unreported, at least for the present, and additional information as regards a less than safe Aruba is surfacing.

A Current Affair is identifying, Joran Van der Sloot, the son of a dutch judge, as one of the individuals with whom Natalee Holloway is reported to have left Carlos And Charlies at approximately 1 AM on Sunday night. The young man appears to be active athetically, as well as with the ladies judging from his group of friends at tickle.com. Comments and other research point to a nice young man and solid student, nevertheless, he and his friends total absence from the reporting in light of their obvious connection to the Dutch elite of Aruba might not do much to put the skeptical at ease.

Conflicting stories as to whether the judge's son and his two friends have left the island are also being reported. At the same time, some sources suggest the search for Natalee Holloway is slowing down, while others suggest just the opposite. What is certain is that every Aruban involved in the case seems to be making it a point to reinforce what a safe and crime free island Aruba is.

Yet, WCVB-TV in Boston is painting another picture of the tiny island.

A common thread links the Holloway case to a pair of Massachusetts women who say they were sexually assaulted on the island after leaving the popular nightclub called Carlos and Charlie's.

The North Shore woman, who does not want to be identified, said that she came forward with her story as a warning to others. She said that two years ago in Aruba, she befriended a hotel worker, who she says turned against her.

"On my last night there, I decided to go out on a date with him. I thought it would just be a friendly, harmless affair, and it turned out to be a disaster," she said. "He took me to the local bar in Aruba, Carlos and Charlie's. He bought me drinks, and after we left the bar, he proceeded to take me to a parking lot where he assaulted me."

And yet another TV report states there is an additional young American woman missing from a cruise off Aruba since back in 1998.

As reported extensively here, there are many issues involved in this case yet to be made known, let alone explained.

An attractive Alabama teenager left an Aruban hotspot with a self-proclaimed reputation for heavy partying in the company of a judges son. Purportedly he and his friends claim to have driven her to a light house, had relations with her then left her at her hotel all within an hour of leaving the club. But no security cameras have yet to verify her arrival and somehow between the curb and the door she allegedly became victim to two unemployed individuals purported to be drug dealers and "known" to the police.

And much of this we learn from a Dutch Justice Minister who presumeably has at least a professional relationship with one of the first group of boys' Fathers.

On June 4:

Justice Minister Rudy Croes said police questioned and released two Surinamese nationals and a native of the Netherlands who said they dropped Holloway off early Monday at the Holiday Inn where she had been staying, rectifying police reports that the three men had been Aruban students. He said the three men were residents of Aruba.

And June 7:

Accidental Death Not Ruled Out in Case of Missing Alabama Teen

Authorities told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday that one of the three is the son of a Dutch justice ministry official who has lived on the island for more than 10 years and is studying at a school there.

In an important reversal, officials also said the two arrested men have not been charged as had been announced previously. Attorney general spokeswoman Vivian Van Der Biezan said authorities initially misspoke while trying to explain the situation to foreign reporters in English, a second language in this Dutch territory.

Noone should want to queer an investigation for the sole purpose of sensationalizing the news; however, at the same time, noone should want the powerful elite of a small island nation to go light on the details simply to preserve the island's reputation among potenial tourists, or even worse.

Hopefully the days ahead will clear up this growing mystery; but can an America who has experienced a Chappaquiddick afford to turn a blind eye to anything but the clearly communicated truth in the case of Natalee Holloway?

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Comments

[AUA]

I love how you can search for a boy that is not even a suspect and post his picture. By picking one out of his collection of pictures in a pose that people will start thinking how sick minded this kid is....... But the funny thing is he is wearing a UCF (as in University of Central Florida ) graduate shirt.... funny/.... and you ask what about these where about?? So tell me what about the witness as of the chaperone and the rest of the students that were there with NAtalee?? Where were they ???

[Dan]

The image in question was displayed on American television by a major network, perhaps you need to consult them. Additionally, assuming you do text and not just pictures, simply read my reporting on him: "Comments and other research point to a nice young man and solid student,"

I stand by my story and if people wish to judge someone by the images they choose to display of themselves in public, that is their issue, not mine.

[JAck]

There's also something like PRIVACY. That guy is not even a suspect and even if he's a suspect, I don't think it's nice to show his picture on television.

As for the Aruban authorities: you talk like the people there might be corrupt. Well, Aruba is not a banana republic. The system there is based on the Dutch system. Aruba is a very nice, peaceful island and is probably safer than New York, LA, Miami, etcetera.

[JAck]

By the way: I agree with AUA. Picking out that picture out of his collection of pictures...
DISGUSTING.

[Dan]

Tell you what guys, drop in the the FBI post, link below, where I have to delete comment after comment of Natalee bashing and rtace baiting and take a stand on that if you want to be "outraged." And note I also reported the AM story that claimed she had consensual sex with the boys.

What I write are facts, if you don't like the facts, dispute them. If you want to judge me - well, get your rest because you'll be up all night howling at the moon.

[betje]

Hi, ARUBA is a great place, peaceful island, but things happen! So let we pray for Natalee where ever she is.

[JMA]

Thanks for all your posts Dan, seems you have the inside scoop on everything relating to this story...keep up the hard work. Don't pay attention to the others, they clearly are biased - probably friends of Van Der Sloot - and recent events prove them wrong....like you said, the picture is how this individual chooses to present himself to others, so why should you hide it for his sake? Hopefully justice will be served harshly to the guilty parties, and Natalee will be found safe.

[tonia]

thanks dan for keeping us updated, am i right that they have the judges son in custody now? and why werent they held at first? whats the justice system like over there? oh and one other thing to all the pro arubans out there, yes the U.S. has alot of crime and much can be said about it, and it is talked about, news coverage, the press their always looking for a story, and the more gross and upsetting the better the story is,and of course we have crooked judges and so forth. however, we dont talk about how safe and how friendly everyone is and we dont brag about being crime free, it astounds me that anyone can talk about how wonderful and friendly and safe the island is, thats a fairy tale, no where is safe anymore, not completely.

[N/A]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to say that I am also a student who goes to school with this "Dutch Suspect," and it seems a bit improbable that he would do something like this; I mean he is only 17; but hey what do I know. I just wanted to know where i could see the pictures that they posted of him. Maybe someone can provide a link?
Thank You

[ev]

This is answer to N/A if you go to school with him why would you need a picture. You were not with him when he took Natalie in the car. So please keep you comments to yourself.

[theory]

Drinking in moderation is paramount whenever you go out (especially for women) there are guys who make a living off of getting laid by ramblingly drunk and attractive women. It happens any place were the average age of tourist is 25 and under. Everybody loves sex and it seems that Caucasian women are more vulnerable to the act in these places (when drunk) for no other reason than having the privilege to travel to such exotic places at young ages.

It’s funny how no one seems to be able to locate pictures of the Dutch & Surinamese suspects while the two Black guys were visible the day of there arrest.

God rest her soul but the truth is that if she were a minority, things would be considerably different.

Hoping she is found for her family’s sake.

keep up the good work D, your articles lean fair and to the point.

[Ramone Parez]

Now there "theory" let me ask you one thing. Why the heck do you have to bring race into the whole picture here eh? A girl is missing and everyone wants her found and all you can think about at this time is "race" . Why dont you get your head out of the gutter where it really belongs and start thinking constructively. You could help in looking for the girl instead of thinking of some more racist comments.

[chloe]

I was trying to find Van Der Sloot's web site about himself--? Anyone know? I have been foloowing Nancy Grace on this topic and of course the news. Nancy showed some pics of the fello and said they were on his web site. I wanted to see what contents may accompany the pics she showed. It has seemed fishy since the beginning, and still does. I pray she has only been taken off the island, but is alive. They don't even reveal anuf info to let us know what they *think* may have happened.
Great blog site, I have read this a few times to, staying utd on this.

[chloe]

I was trying to find Van Der Sloot's web site about himself--? Anyone know? I have been following Nancy Grace on this topic and of course the news. Nancy showed some pics of the fello and said they were on his web site. I wanted to see what contents may accompany the pics she showed.

This has seemed fishy since the beginning, and still does. I pray she has only been taken off the island, but is alive. They don't even reveal enuf info to let us know what they *think* may have happened.

Great blog site, I have read this a few times to, staying utd on this.

[UnderAge?]

>>I was trying to find Van Der Sloot's web site about himself--? Anyone know?

He had an MSN Blog site with all the photos the media is using. Comments to his site went from 16 to over 500 overnight (people were not saying very nice things about him) and MSN took the site down.
http://spaces.msn.com/members/joransloot/PersonalSpace.aspx?_c

[sat]

i wanted to say u guys what kind of systeem dus Aruba has bla bla..... but do really think if an Arubian wa lost there in America they would get the service that natalee's family got???

[Sue]

I have to agree with some of the comments on CNN on Sunday. Why were there soooo few chaperones for 124 kids? Where was the buddy system that is suppose to be instilled in these high school groups going off to places unknown. These Islands are not safe. A pretty young female.....naive...get her drunk and anything can happen. My hubby and I chaperoned three high school functions back in the eighties. There was one chaperone for every 8 kids. And by Golly we knew where they were at all times. 7 Chaperones for 124 KIDS!~! Lets get real! I blame the chaperones...Where were they?

[theory]

Ok, Ramone,
I’ll answer your question if you answer a few of mine also ok?
I’m mentioning the race card because before Mr. Van der sloot (I say mr. So the authorities can properly identity & process this sicko as an adult) was identified, the first pictures the world saw as the possible murders, rapist or evil doers over and over on the news were two unemployed men of color. The pictures and assumptions of those two horrible black men who attacked, murdered or raped this upstanding “blond haired blue eyed honor student” was shown for a few weeks doing more than enough damage to those poor minorities who already had enough to worry about because of being poor on that island. So while all this damaging propaganda was going on about the two unemployed security guards who’s faces we’ve all seen so many times. Mr. Vander sloot Sr. is using his privilege to make sure his son gets the best treatment and whatnot.

So tell me why you think it took so long for Vander Slueth to be identified ?
Why did it take such a long time for pictures of him to come out in the news?

I really do hope she's just locked away somewhere instead of the more horrible possibility but who knows.

[lee]

since they've closed down his msn spaces website, does anyone know what was on it and like what kind of stuff he had posted about himself?

[Scott]

This may be old news, but here is the google cache. If anyone can figure out what the personal site is or knows the URL google will have cached it.

http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:N4eKvuF0RSEJ:spaces.msn.com/members/joransloot/PersonalSpace.aspx%3F_c%3D+%22spaces.msn.com/members/joransloot/PersonalSpace.aspx%3F_c%22&hl=en

[CruiseShipStory]

I had a frightening experience on Curacao in 1982 or 1983 when a cruise ship I was on docked in port and I went into town. I was traveling alone-and I am a very experienced, careful, alert and aware single traveler.

I shared a taxi with a group of people leaving from the cruise ship to go to downtown Curacao to shop and see the town. The cab driver was amiable and chatty and told us if we would like him to pick us up in the afternoon to take us back to the ship, he would be at the same place he dropped us off downtown--I think he suggested a time of 4 or 5 p.m., our choice. I thought that was a great convenience.

I was there at that time, but none of my "shared" riders from earlier that morning were. I was not as concerned as I should have been about getting into the cab with him alone because I had already had a positive experience with my ride into town with him, earlier in the day, and other people had been with me.

He met me at the appointed time and remarked that nobody else was there to ride back to the ship--it was just me. He was friendly and amiable. He got out of the cab and opened the front passenger door for me, not the back door. I got into the front seat and sat beside him.

We got a little outside the downtown area.

He asked me, "Are you traveling alone? Are you on the cruise alone?"

My instincts were immediately on high alert. I said, "No, I'm 'shopping' alone. My husband and our friends are in the casino on the ship doing what they want to do. They're expecting me back now."

He looked at my left hand and said, "But you are not wearing a wedding ring!"

I said "I don't wear jewelry when I travel."

There is a large bridge that spans two parts of the island of Curacao. I always read up on a destination before I visit, and I knew there was nothing for me to see on the other side of that bridge. The cab driver was heading for the bridge.

I said, "Where are you going? I want to go back to my cruise ship now."

He told me he would give me a tour of the island, show me the island, at no charge.

I said, "NO, do NOT go over that bridge and I do NOT want a tour of the island. I want you to take me back to my cruise ship RIGHT NOW. Turn around NOW."

I am pretty level-headed even in crisis. I pay attention to my surroundings and the situations I'm in. I could tell that even while I was acting in control, my "self" was sensing real danger here. I could smell my own fear-I was definitely reacting to perceived danger and I think it was very REAL danger.

But I was still in control and he was not.

He did not have me in a place (yet) that was away from others and if/when I deemed it necessary, I could jump from the cab or signal passersby or scream. He did not yet have me in his control.

He said yes, OK, he would take me back to the ship.

Now I am paying VERY careful attention to where we are going. We head back towards the port but it is not the cruise ship part of the port he takes me to, it is the cargo ship part of the port. I tell him I want to go back to my CRUISE ship and he tells me he just wants me to "see" more of his island, he is still giving me a tour. Well, what I saw was that cargo ship part of the port was not a safe place to be-isolated, industrial, and there didn't seem to be a lot of people around.

I get demanding and vocal and tell him to get me back to my cruise ship RIGHT NOW. I suspect he can tell that I am not complacent and I will be a problem for him if he is trying to do anything against my will. (And if you haven't garnered this yet, I'm not thinking he was going to violate me for his personal reasons as his highest motive, but that he was going to spirit me off the island for prostitution or slave trade.)

He tells me OK, he is taking me back to my cruise ship, and thankfully he does. I am trying to look cool and in control but am concealing a lot because I am very, VERY nervous and frightened and believe I have just avoided a major life catastrophe and only want to get out of the cab and away.

Before I get out of the cab he leans over and grabs me and pulls me across the seat to him and forces a hard kiss on me, and says "You are afraid of me and that hurts me because I would never hurt you! You have made me sad." Well, the grabbing and the hard kiss were violation and I don't know what else was avoided because I was alert enough to be paying attention and had some foreknowledge of what the island of Curacao was like-because I like to know the terrain before I go, to get around-so I knew almost immediately when I was being led away from where I needed to go, to return to my cruise ship. I might have made him "sad" by his standards, but I think he had much worse in mind for me.

When I got out of that cab and safely back to the cruise ship, I stank of my own sweat from fear and was weak knowing that I had avoided catastrophe and managed to return to safety. I know that cab driver meant catastrophe to me-that was his intent.

I am dismayed by Natalee's disappearance and the lack of resolve in the case, and my heart breaks for her mother and her family and all those who know her and love her and care about her. Whatever may have happened, I hope she is still alive and hope for hope, hope for a chance that she is still with us.

I did not know about the "Amy" case in Curacao previously-I read about it while following Natalee's story-- and I guess that's why I'm writing my Curacao experience from much earlier to this board. Amy may be where that cab driver was taking me in the early 80s when I was still young and gorgeous, and traveling alone. Maybe, so is Natalee there or someplace like it. And if so, maybe we can find her, and maybe we can find Amy, too.

[DABRONX]

Well like Natalee, your first mistake was getting into a cab alone. I'm glad that u were not harmed but just because you believe u were in control I hate to tell u, if this creep wanted to take u somewhere he could have. U got luck. Also if u did research u would know that Curacao is not that safe outside of resort boundaries or off your cruise ship. I've been going to Aruba for 20 years and it is safe there, but like anywhere else in the world there are still bad people and u do need to be aware.

[CruiseShipStory]

Dabronx, young women DO make mistakes and sometimes, as for Natalee, have more serious consequences than I did. I am lucky I got away and I don't think "I" was in total control, the point was that "he" was also not in total control "yet", because he had not been able to isolate me--yet. And I did help with that and believe I contributed to the end, safe result. Sure, he could have whisked me away at any moment, and he didn't and there's a reason for that--I was too much trouble and too aware, early-on. FYI, I do not recommend to any young woman to count on that happening. I recommend exercising EXTREME caution and awareness before getting into the potentially very dangerous situation I found myself in.

I posted this story to show what did happen as long ago as 20 years , when the world was arguably somewhat safer than today--to illustrate what may have happened to Natalee and apparently DID happen to Amy.

Please don't armchair-quarterback my actions or decisions of 20 years ago.

I hope posting my experience helps other young women know to exercise better caution than I did, even when if what's happening appears to be "OK". The world is a dangerous place and young women need to know that--hopefully without going overboard--but certainly exercising EXTREME caution while traveling is a MAJOR requirement.

[Hiya]

Ok Aruba hs HISTORY of kidnappings and many of the girls end up raped, dead and raped, or in one instance found offr the coast of Colombia working in a brothel. So dont try to cover up that aruba is safer than NY, i mean seriously??? get real its not america, and if it were this garbage wouldve been figured out weeks ago. So that makes it Much Much Less safe than Ny. Live and learn.

[Terry Winterman]

I get a kick out of people who point out that this is a "Peaceful Island" and a wonderful place that has a justice system built on the Dutch system. This is an Island where the Judge is corrupt and covering for his godson. Get a clue .. they are refusing outside help and no one is talking. Pray for the people who are trying to solve this case with the parents. It is too late for Natalee. Pressure should be put on the corrupt gov't to allow outside help in this investigation.

[CruiseShipStory]

Political and police corruption in the Caribbean islands is common. In addition to traveling throughout the Caribbean--including my forementioned frightening trip to Curacao as a port stop--I lived in the American Virgins for a while. Although an American territory, it is really a third-world country and the corruption is rampant. It's also a very "closed" society with the natives ("have-nots") against the mainlanders ("haves"). The police think it perfectly OK for natives to burgle and rob the mainlanders, the "haves", because that gives back to the island and their population. It is almost impossible to get action on a robbery or burglary if that's the extent of a crime against a mainlander--a "have".

Political officials live well above their official salaries and there is speculation about where the income comes from.

Native son kills native son (and others) as easily as crossing the street.

Murder is very "in your face" because it is only a 39-square mile island and impossible to be away from.

In 1988, the United States Navy pulled out of St. Thomas as a port of call because it was too dangerous for their sailors and officers. They were being robbed, attacked and murdered on the street. Now, if the U.S. NAVY thinks it's too dangerous for their trained military personnel ... well, there's a lesson there.

I heard similar stories about all the Caribbean islands and subscribed to the Virgin Islands Daily News for years after returning stateside, and the section that carried news of other Caribbean islands was always filled with murder and mayhem stories.

We want to believe the Caribbean is safe because it's beautiful, I think, and because there is a huge tourism business that caters to us.

It's a dangerous place.

[FloridaPatty]

CruiseShipStory you were so lucky. I'm very glad for you that you were on high alert for your own safety. A good practice to live by.