Natalee Holloway And Cable News: A Season Of Fraud

Bumped: For all the talk of Rather-Gate and now the recent inaccurate reporting around Hurricane Katrina, the largest fraud ever perpetuated by the MSM is likely to go un-noticed and unchallenged. The cost may be millions of dollars and possibly even lives, but most elite media watchers and even bloggers won't care because of the topic involved - the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

For an entire summer all of the major cable news outlets passed off lies, unproven innuendo, false allegations, manufactured "evidence" and misrepresentations too numerous to even recall in the chase for ratings. I have researched the Natalee Holloway disappearance as much, if not more so than any other credible journalist and there is absolutely no excuse for what the Cable News outlets did.

It was unethical, misguided and flat out wrong. Had the subject matter been political or business-related, it is likely the result would have been Congressional hearings due to malfeasance through a betrayal of the public trust by the media. And it persists to this day, as a protege, Dr. Phil, of one of the largest talk shows in America, Oprah, recently called for a boycott of Aruba based upon a manufactured story during his show, Dr. Phil.

Now, A Current Affair and all the Cable Networks are trying to milk the beast right on into the ground regardless of the unethical nature of their reporting. Finally, it is time to clear the air.

There is no other way to write and unravel this complex tale other than to walk through it step by step. That is what I intend to do and it will take some number of entries. To date, I have written approximately 450 stories on the disappearance, as well as having hosted over 500 chat forums. Another half dozen posts to set the record straight while bringing the story up to date isn't too much to ask.

I'll begin with Joran's "Lies" as that has been the subject of recent news. The fact is for all the hyperbole there has never been more than one and possibly two minor contextual lies. It's alleged that Joran lied to Natalee and perhaps others from Mountain Brook as to his identity as a student from Holland. Big deal. The fact is, even I can remember evenings down the shore with male friends when I was from 17 to 18 when we thought it was cool to present some phony name or identity when hitting on young women down the shore.

It's a laughable practice likely engaged in by many teenage boys looking to pick up girls and rises to the significance of a version of some old beach movie like, Where The Boys Are with Connie Francis. It isn't even worth addressing because there is no other pattern of deceit or lying to suggest it was anything sinister. Like it or not, it's 2005, fully 30 years since my days as a teenager and the practice went on then, just as it does today. Young boys somehow think they are accomplishing something by dressing up their personae somehow to pick up a girl, most likely for a short term or one night fling.

Now, I'll explain the one significant lie of Joran Van der Sloot in context and then discuss the actual illegal and unethical behavior with which the MSM was fully complicit as they sought to prop that portion of the story up through actions which can only be termed fraud.

In all probability, Joran Van Der Sloot left Natalee Holloway alone on the beach that night just as he has insisted for the better part of four months. The original lie as regards having dropped her off at the hotel came to be in the following, mostly innocent manner - innocent as regards any serious crime, anyway.

By the way, contrary to what many have been led to believe through bad reporting, after leaving Natalee at the beach Joran managed to get home, get some sleep and catch his school bus the next morning at approximately 6 AM and arrive at school on time and perform reasonably well on his exams. A far cry from what one might expect of some would be murderer.

Having completed his exams he went to the casino that evening with Deepak Kalpoe as there was a poker tournament going on he had been playing in. Also of note, Paulus did not attend casinos with his son regularly, as has been alleged, but basically attended once or possibly twice only to observe his son playing in the tournament. It was a fairly new activity for the boy and Paulus is said to have wanted to see what precisely was going on.

While at the casino Joran received a cell phone call from his Father that the authorities and the Twitty family were at the Van der Sloot home looking for a missing girl, the girl he had left alone on the beach - Natalee. If you recall early on when Steve Croes became involved he, at one point, mentioned over hearing a phone call: that is the phone call which Steve Croes over heard and subsequently became party to a conversation between Joran and Deepak on the matter.

In essence, Joran had left Natalee on the beach and Steven Croes, DJ extraordinaire and likely not too bright from all observations sought to play the wise counselor to the two younger boys. His advice was that whenever you score with an American girl, which Joran had not claimed, by the way, you always walk them all the way back to the hotel and into the lobby to avoid any future hassles or complaints.

Now, whether or not Americans like to believe it, some number of usually college age young American women having been weened on too much MTV, Real Life. The OC and any other number of mostly decadent teenage TV fare, do regularly vacation in Aruba, get to partying too much with someone, local or otherwise, and miss the plane for their trip home. It simply is not an unheard of happening on the island. And the boys all had assumed that is precisely what happened to Natalee at that time.

The ride to Joran's house gave Joran and Deepak the time needed to decide to go with the "we dropped her at the Hotel" story as they foolishly thought it was the best thing to say. As Joran hadn't done what Croes had suggested as the best thing, they simply re-created it, assuming Natalee would turn up in a day or so and the entire incident would be forgotten. Obviously, and unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way at all.

That is also why Steve Croes, in all his abject stupidity, walked into the police station in support of the story, interjecting himself into a criminal investigation and perhaps the largest media circus the world has likely ever known.

Eventually, as that lie was torn down through investigation, Joran reverted to the truth, that he had left Natalee at the beach and so far as I can ascertain, he has not changed that story one time. Which leads me to the most egregious conduct of the media, including Greta Van Sustern of Fox, a trained lawyer - and the rest of the ratings chasing media who decided to sacrifice truth for ratings and perpetuate a fraud on America the scope of which we likely have never seen before.

I have personally interviewed credible individuals who have known Joran Van Der Sloot for any number of years, including a stand out American college student originally from Aruba with no bias or axe to grind either way. What you find is an average seventeen year old boy, perhaps with the ego and an eye for girls just like any young accomplished high school athlete in America. If anything, his previous girl friends tend to characterize him as sweet as well as sensitive without an overly-aggressive bone in his body towards women he dates.

Keep in mind it was Geraldo Rivera who broke news of alleged pornographic video tapes featuring young girls made and sold by the boy. That was an out and out falsehood which should have never been reported and began the theme of Joran as evil perpetrator the media required to perpetuate its tremendous fraud on America.

I myself was brought on to Fox News and asked to characterize an image of Joran involved in horseplay with another boy including a leather belt. They inquired as to whether or not it reminded my of Abu Ghraib. Can journalism be anymore ridiculous considering the image was likely taken by Joran's Mother and involved harmless in home horseplay with another boy?

Yet, on and on it went, the media characterizing a young man of seventeen still not proved to have ever committed any crime, as the sinister perp they needed for their ratings driving coverage through out the course of an entire summer. Were it an American boy that was done to I have no doubt there would be law suits flying everywhere - as there should be. The level of irresponsibility to which the media coverage sunk cannot be over stated. It was vile, cruel and destruction, whatever its target, let alone a minor from a small island which couldn't hope to counter the disinformation being gleefully conveyed to the public by the American media.

Enter Jossy Mansur in the next installment and we'll see that even the claims being made right this minute on Fox News with Geraldo have no basis in fact and are only a part of the on going media fraud.

There are no statements from Joran to support any of the allegations being hurled at him from ace reporters like Geraldo, O'Reiily and Van Sustern - and anyone who knows the inside story knows that is completely accurate from a journalist's point of view. Even this week O'Reilly was talking about the Father of the boy Paulus as a Judge, which has never been true and is only intended to foster the notion of some grand cover up which never existed as it has been alleged. Apparently no one in the Cable News business cares a bit for truth and accuracy, their being willing to say anything and perpetuate any falsehood for the sake of a ratings driving story. Frankly, it's pathetic.

And no one cares because it's just another missing pretty white girl story to media watchdogs. But the principles being violated daily by our media in the Natalee Holloway coverage are the same ones they violated when they put forth fraudulent documents to skew a Presidential election and exaggerated stories of looting, rape and murder in New Orleans to smear an administration. If we don't pay attention to every poor performance of the many we have seen lately from a media which is in essence willing to lie to perpetuate ratings, we will never again have a MSM in this country we can trust in the slightest regard.

Ultimately, it is only because more established news outlets like ABC, NBC and CBS would not play ball with what was a rigged story from the start and chose to ignore the story altogether, that the cable news outlets have been allowed to get away with the most unethical farce in journalism we've seen in our lifetimes.

In future installments over the next week or two I will address the so-called statements of Joran Van der Sloot which never were, the witholding of pertinent and telling information by the MSM media to ensure their ratings stayed and continue to stay up as long as possible - in short, the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so far as it can be ascertained by any one journalist.

Update: Edited Correction. Connie Francis was in Where The Boys Are, not Sandra Dee.

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Comments

[c]

Posted by: frank | Oct 2, 2005 10:42:02 PM

is it ok for her to hurt the Kalpoe family and Vandersloot family, don't you think that is sadistic......

I understand that she has lost a very important piece of her life, but how long are we going to continue tolerating the false information that she is providing, which has not validity.....

[olddirtybastard]

Dan,

This is a EXCELLENT!!

Finally, someone is able to muster the COURAGE to state things as they are.

The detractors can HANDLE the TRUTH!!

Bring on the rest.

[jrb]

Good post Dan. Thank you. I don't agree with you that the Holiday Inn story was an innocent lie. I understand you're speaking from your experience along the shore and it is imaginable and perhaps believable...until you also keep in mind that 2 gentleman were jailed for ten days because of that story. The gentle Joran which his mom and prior girlfriends attest to would have certainly feased up at that point--done the honorable thing and got those two guys freed--unless...unless...something happened he didn't want to be held accountable for. IMHO.

Now, that's no reason to hang Joran or either of the Kalpoes as some seem almost gleeful to do. A few of you might want to buy some Skittles to go along with anice double feature: 'Hang 'em High' and 'Bad Day at Black Rock.'

It's one thing to try and paint a probable picture about what may have happened...try to reconstruct and eliminate alternative scenarios...based on what we believe to be true--based on 'evidence' that ought to have been released or discounted by the children of Edward R. Morrow. Instead we have crap. And, Beth is not doing Natalee's cause its best justice by stooping to McCarthyism and waving unverified documents around. (Then again, there were indeed communists in the State Dept, go figure.)

So, although I'm not for raising a lynching party--we do have a number of words from the ex-suspects own mouths...and the mouths of their lawyers and families...that are inconsistent so say the least. Maybe somebody in MB did something bad, as has been suggested here. Let's explore whatever evidence points in that direction...But that doesn't mean it makes sense to stop digging in and around the last people known to have been with Natalee Holloway.

Keep up the good work, Dan.

jack

[iiiangelgirliii]

Sorry, y'all, but Sandra Dee was not in Where the Boys Are. Connie Francis and Paula Prentiss were. If the abandoned well on the van der Sloot property is searched and absolutely NOTHING is found, I might believe Joran's atatements. All 22 of them. He can't tell Current Affair one thing and the police another. Y'all needto grow up and accept the fact that he had something to do with Natalee's disappearance.

Posted by: punkingale | Oct 2, 2005 9:41:54 PM

joran didnt have 22 statements

[Sam]

ok....I am dumb....what is MSM?

Posted by: LALady

Sorry no one answered you sooner. Main Stream Media .
Sam

[Betty]

I found an article that might be of intetest for everyone to read about Natalie Holloway. I have been saying she is on another island for the past four months. (http://getagripmonkey.blogspot.com/
Scroll all the way down till you come to "A call from Boston". This could change alot of minds!
I know this could happen, because I live in Illinois and I was calling my grandson in California and I could hear his conversation with someone else he was on the phone with as I dialed his phone #. I will still say that Natalie is alive. It's time the family starts looking in Columbia!
Thanks for your post Dan..you make alot of sense.

[guess]

For ten days the 'boyz' let their original lie stand.

Aside from letting two innocent men languish in jail based on a false story--

If Joran HAD left Natalie alone on the beach that night, TIME WOULD BE OF THE ESSENSE TO KNOW THIS IN ORDER TO FIND HER.

Every ticking moment that went by (after her disappearance was taken seriously)could count in saving her life if she were in a predicament. ANY adult of PVDS' maturity would know this. It would be important (in order to save her life) to pinpoint the exact time and location she was really seen ASAP.

[c]

Posted by: guess | Oct 2, 2005 10:57:59 PM

u do have a very valid point there.....

[*flo*]

RE:
Joran managed to get home, get some sleep and catch his school bus the next morning at approximately 6 AM and arrive at school on time and perform reasonably well on his exams. A far cry from what one might expect of some would be murderer.

I'm must be out of the loop, what happen with Paulus taking Joran to school late the next morning? Jug stating on Fox, his friends were hanging posters up around the International school and then called into the office, being told by the master, Joran arrived to school late? Was this a different day or a lie?
Always had a problem watching news on TV...

[nursemind]

Dan, thank you. I personally emailed FOX this evening and told them why I no longer watch them after being a faithful viewer for over 5 years. One of the reasons I gave was that I refuse to watch any show that features Beth Holloway Twitty spewing forth whatever she believes without one question of integrity offered by any FOX person.

Another problem people like JW have, is that they have picked one or more of the MSM/Beth lies, and simply run with it as if it were the truth. Like the statement, 'something bad happened.' We do not have proof that anyone actually said that other than the MSM.

Posted by: DrTar&ProFeather | Oct 2, 2005 9:31:46 PM

Great idea......everyone should e-mail Fox and all the other cable channels that assume we're such dummies that we'll believe all the crap they feed us. Thanks Dan for all the info. Some will still be blind and continue with their Joran vendetta but many of us can actually think and reason.

[OPRAHFAN]

OPRAH WINFREY??????????????????????????????
"Oprah Winfrey, recently called for a boycott of Aruba based upon a manufactured story."
NOOOOO WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
DID YOU MEAN DR PHIL?????????

[Isanah]

Thanks Dan! It must be very difficult to read so much speculation spewed forth as facts based on many posters assumptions on your blog! I look forward to your next posts.

[nursemind]

He can't tell Current Affair one thing and the police another. Y'all needto grow up and accept the fact that he had something to do with Natalee's disappearance.

Posted by: punkingale | Oct 2, 2005 9:41:54 PM
Problem with your thinking.....you don't know what he told the police. You need to accept the fact that you've bought into all Beth's statements whether they're true or not.

[lu lu]

They are all guilty and I hope everyone that is their fan club, gets a reality check...SOON !!!
I will continue to watch FOX NEWS and believe Joran is a guilty PUNK..as well as the Camel toe brothers and Poppa-sweaty-SLOOT!

[Another Observer]

Dan - You are such a hypocrit and now appear so pathetic. It's ironic I jumped on this site after a month to find your post.

You yourself were caught up in and disseminated the hype that you're now attacking the MSM for spreading earlier. I remember all your theories. If you knew the media was completely b.s., why did not you say so earlier (instead you kept saying that the Aruban people are upset at the media -- hiding behind them).

I don't know what to believe, but I know the truth lies somewhere between what the HOlloways said and what the VDS family said.

You've taken almost every side on this issue that your opinions now are not credible.

In what part of the county are pursuing your journalism career (DC or NY I assume). I once respected your work but now will work against supporting your success.

[olddirtybastard]

Dan,

The reaction of folks that got taken by all the LIES is denial, and attack.

Don't worry. The TRUTH redeems.

[c]

It's ironic I jumped on this site after a month to find your post.
Posted by: Another Observer | Oct 2, 2005 11:08:35 PM

I have been following this for a long time, I do agree that Dan was agreeing with MSM for a while, but he did stop after sometimes and provided information that in this blog which clearly was totally different than what MSM were saying ...

ready this:Posted by: HenriLaFleur | Oct 2, 2005 10:47:27 PM

he put it very eloquently...

Also if you donot agree with me, just check the old blogs u will see what I mean

[HenriLaFleur]

Another Observer: dont let the door hit you in the ass son; I admire a man or woman who is willing to reexamine their position on an issue when the facts demand it; You want a pandering site, start your own!

[Joyce]

Dan, Have you gone soft on us? I thought it was verified that Joran did NOT TAKE THE BUS to school that morning - that he dad TOOK HIM TO SCHOOL AND THAT HE WAS LATE.

Please advise.

[loyo]

I've been following the NH blogs by Dan for some time. In the beginning it seems as though he was the middleman with the readers, from independent coverage to the MSM, oftentimes citing Fox as a source, but also cross-referencing info with his secret sources. He even appeared on an MSM, (Fox perhaps)? I even got a slight impression his sentiments were pro-Holloways/BT.

Although I am on the fence about Joran's innocence due to lack of evidence, for some reason I view Dan's recent posting as hypocritical. Why didn't he come out with these opinions earlier as the mistruths were being reported? And then he cites talking to reliable sources without explaining what was talked about.

I still respect you, Dan, in your attempts to remain unbiased and I very much appreciate your site regardless.

[nursemind]

They are all guilty and I hope everyone that is their fan club, gets a reality check...SOON !!!
I will continue to watch FOX NEWS and believe Joran is a guilty PUNK..as well as the Camel toe brothers and Poppa-sweaty-SLOOT!

Posted by: lu lu | Oct 2, 2005 11:07:21 PM
There's medication for people with your condition. LOL

[oldtimer]

Sorry Dan still too many lies, and JVDS leaving Nat on the beach and lo and behold she vanishes,maybe in a fairytale.

[pathenry]

......You know Dan, what you are saying is crystal clear to me.....

[edward]

IF.. the news was fed false info then that info came from Aruba.
Let us not forget that.
I myself always felt that only Greta could be counted on for accurate reporting and admittance of wrong reports.
She was there in the streets interviewing.
Not sitting in New York.
Again any lies started in Aruba.

[Janine]

Kudos for stating the obvious. Although, it appears to have made the sheep restless.
Good luck with that.

[George]

I see a major difference between approach by Dan and MSM. Although Dan has been little slow to get that Beth's ramble cannot be accepted as a truth, and that Jossy Mansur utterly lied pursuing his own [criminal] interest, Dan has stopped to peddle their drivel as soon as he got it. So did ABC and CBS.

As to FOX and CNN, they still profess Beth even now when in order to believe her ramble one must be a crack nutcase.

[Another Observer]

Another Observer: dont let the door hit you in the ass son; I admire a man or woman who is willing to reexamine their position on an issue when the facts demand it; You want a pandering site, start your own!

Posted by: HenriLaFleur | Oct 2, 2005 11:17:25 PM

Dude, I completely support someone reassessing their position AS NEW FACTS ARE RELEASED. But I did not see any release of facts suggesting this flip flop of positions. And Dan's post is not just another opinion -- it's stated vehemently as fact and complete belief. When you start presenting all kinds of theories, you become another Jossy Mansour -- is that what is strived for here?

[dadreamer]

A few things come to mind here. Cheers to Dan for demanding something better from our Media. I see a deeper problem, too -the willingness of the American people, myself included, to keep being hungry for the sometimes BS we are being fed. Really, in the end, we drive the ratings. They feed...we eat. Maybe we all have some accountability.

As for Joran and company, I don't know of his guilt or innocence. Like a few others though, I can't get past the failure to be honest as soon as it was apparant Natalee did not return. His reputation was more important than helping to find a missing girl? He stopped the evidence trail by concealing the real location where Natalee was last seen. Even worse, letting the security gaurds sit in jail to protect his reputation really stinks. That doesn't make him a murderer, but it is inexcusable, and far from innocent in my opinion.

Looking forward to more from Dan on this story.

[tennesseetraci]

My, my, the worm has turned. I've been reading here since June, and correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Dan used to be on the "coverup, corruption, guilty" bandwagon?

[usmcmom]

If you recall early on when Steve Croes became involved he, at one point, mentioned over hearing a phone call: that is the phone call which Steve Croes over heard and subsequently became party to a conversation between Joran and Deepak on the matter.

In essence, Joran had left Natalee on the beach and Steven Croes, DJ extraordinaire and likely not too bright from all observations sought to play the wise counselor to the two younger boys.

Posted by Dan in Natalee Holloway | Permalink

Dan,
This information, as far as I can recall, is new. It had been posted and discussed on MSM and here that SCroes overhead Deepak in conversation at the Cybercafe were Deepak works at. If your information is correct here, that SCroes was at the poker tournament and that is how he got involved in this whole thing it would explain a great deal as to how/when Joran and Deepak came up with the Holiday Inn lie so quickly that first evening. Also, there is a discrepancy in the various MSM and posters as to what morning Monday or Tuesday that PVDS drove Joran to school. That one really needs to be cleared up.

[pkt]

Dan. You're a hypocrite. You are just as guilty of peddling unsubstatiated rumors and innuendo as FNC or CNN. I started coming to you site at the beginning because it had a lot of info on this case. However, many of your claims and theories weren't backed up by hard evidence either. Frankly, it would be hard for any news outlet to come to grips with this case because there is so little evidence in this case out there. That said, you have no right to adopt such a "holier than thou" attitude when you've been riding the publicity wave of this case. You seem like an idiot for one moment going on to Fox News to get exposure and then criticizing Geraldo, Van Sustern, etc. for being ratings whores...

[Flip]

Dan, I admire you for your courage. And whatever happens, heads may roll, reputations be smeared, you've kept the only thing important IMO and that's your integrity.

[nancy]

Can anyone explain why the two security guards were arrested in the first place? I thought they were arrested because of the lie that the boys told. And why did the police search their homes & confiscate some of their stuff immediately. How long did it take them to arrest the three boys ? How long did it take the police to search the Van Der Sloot home? How long did it take them to search & confiscate Deepaks car?

[oneyka]

Dan has changed his tune now. He could work for the FBI and solve thousands of cases.
I also check this blog because it shows last minute findings, news, etc.
But this sounds defending the criminals, detail by detail.
So sad for Natalee's family! People belittle the mother, the stepfather, Joran is a jerk, not a normal 17 year old kid, I don't care what Dan says. I bet when he was 17 and went to the beach, not a girl dissappeared. In this case ONE did, in company of the three jerks. No matter how detailed investigation it is, those are the facts, those THREE were the last one to see Natalee alive!
Thanks and to Scared Monkeys now.

[Another Observer]

My, my, the worm has turned. I've been reading here since June, and correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Dan used to be on the "coverup, corruption, guilty" bandwagon?

Posted by: tennesseetraci | Oct 2, 2005 11:38:41 PM

Agreed. You can't run a blog feeding on MSM (and the story itself), and then attack the MSM and the people's hunger for news on this story.

[Texasnurse]

Great work Dan!! Its about time all the statements from Joran Van Der Sloot is going to be put in proper perspective!

I also think that all the Statements from Beth Holloway Twitty and the media lies need to be exposed as well!

And while you/we are at it, lets re-post all the statements from Natalee's friends and classmates again and compare and lets see how many different versions of the same stories there are!

During the interview with Joran the other day, he exposed alot of Beth's false allegations and some of the false allegations of Natalee's so called friends and classmates and he described things the way that they actually occured!

Obviously, Natalee DID NOT have any real true friends cause if she did, they would have come forward months agao and told what actually occured in Aruba all week and especially everything that went on at Carlos and Charlies;instead all we have got is very little information at all and then when they did say anything, it was only lies and maybe half-truths and then there are two or three different versions of each statement!

[frenchymom]

Dan,
Nice job on saying what many other's (MSM) fear to say. They made mistakes and they cared more about ratings than they did about the people whose lives they were covering.

Thank you Dan for an honest and insightful opinion.

[nursemind]

My, my, the worm has turned. I've been reading here since June, and correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Dan used to be on the "coverup, corruption, guilty" bandwagon?

Posted by: tennesseetraci | Oct 2, 2005 11:38:41
It's called thinking and basing things on the facts as you get them, not on emotions.

[nancy]

I can't believe after a few months so many people are now ready to believe everthing that Joran has to say is the truth and everybody else is lying. Give me a break already. Also, has it been proven as fact that the statements that Beth has aren't signed by Joran?

[nursemind]

People belittle the mother, the stepfather, Joran is a jerk, not a normal 17 year old kid, I don't care what Dan says. I bet when he was 17 and went to the beach, not a girl dissappeared. In this case ONE did, in company of the three jerks. No matter how detailed investigation it is, those are the facts, those THREE were the last one to see Natalee alive!
Thanks and to Scared Monkeys now.

Posted by: oneyka | Oct 2, 2005 11:51:05 PM
We belittle the mother? And what is calling Joran a jerk? Being nice????

[olddirtybastard]

Posted by: nancy | Oct 2, 2005 11:59:30 PM

Easy; Have her show the statements!!

[mom]

"While at the casino Joran received a cell phone call from his Father that the authorities and the Twitty family were at the Van der Sloot home looking for a missing girl, the girl he had left alone on the beach - Natalee. If you recall early on when Steve Croes became involved he, at one point, mentioned over hearing a phone call: that is the phone call which Steve Croes over heard and subsequently became party to a conversation between Joran and Deepak on the matter."

I also understood that Croes was at the Internet Cafe when he overheard this conversation, not the casino, and he claimed to police that he didn't know any of the suspects...

[pkt]

Bashing Natalee's mother certainly puts you in the same company as Joran...

According to NE...

"Speaking about his involvement in the case that has gripped America, Joran van der Sloot, 18, laughed as he swigged beer, smoked menthol cigarettes, and confessed: "I'm guilty — but only of leaving her on the beach." In a series of shocking disclosures, van der Sloot:

# RAGED viciously at Natalee's heartbroken mother, Beth Holloway Twitty
# INSULTED Natalee by claiming she was "twisted" and cruelly blamed her for his arrest.
# BOASTED about having sex on the beach with Natalee
# TALKED of his hatred for Americans and called them "bitches"
# CONFESSED he lied to police
# BRAGGED about how to dispose of a body in Aruba"

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/crime/63326

Apparently... this article indicates they went to his house first, then to the Holiday Inn, and then to the beach.

[gagal_05]

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/crime/63326

Apparently... this article indicates they went to his house first, then to the Holiday Inn, and then to the beach.

Posted by: pkt | Oct 3, 2005 12:14:39 AM

You believe a rag tabloid. Very sad

[loyo]

reference NE by pkt

are you joking?

[nursemind]

Posted by: pkt | Oct 3, 2005 12:14:39 AM
Do you really put any faith in what the National Enquirer says? I have some swamp land for you.

[pkt]

"By the time of the 1994 Nicole Brown Simpson-Ron Goldman murders, the Enquirer truth machine had become so good that reporter David Margolick was toasting it in the New York Times for scooping the competition"
http://slate.msn.com/id/2102303/

Compare to recent bad reporting by the main stream media (e.g. Superdome during Hurricane Katrina), NE's batting average has been pretty good.

[pkt]

"Do you really put any faith in what the National Enquirer says? I have some swamp land for you."

..I'm sure Dan Rather could say the same thing... I have some swamp land for you.

[tennesseetraci]

Nursemind, I agree with another observer, to pick up and run with what the MSM reports and then turn around and bash it seems a little hypocritical. Thinking and facts? Well, I don't know what exactly happened, I wasn't there. There are not many facts, but fact is 2 innocent men were arrested and held. The police chief Van der Stratten was supposedly Papa's best friend and Joran's godfather (and Dan reported this also). It doesn't take a rocket scientist or a big leap in logic to conclude that SOMETHING is wrong with that picture!! It is also a fact that the suspects were given TEN days from the time they were questioned to the time they were arrested...again not a big leap to conclude there was SOME kind of coverup..giving them 10 days to clean up and get rid of any evidence. I also went to college and have a degree in the sciences..I do know how to think critically and draw logical conclusions based on the few facts that are a given!

[nursemind]

Posted by: pkt | Oct 3, 2005 12:26:37 AM
Sound defensive. Do you work for them?