This seems to be a very controversial topic - how I hate those. : ) Many question how I can joke about something like that. Fair enough, I'm happy to explain.
The tragic disappearance of Natalee Holloway has gone unresolved for months. Suddenly we learn of this mysterious tape which allegedly has serious implications for the investigation.
But do we hear about it through the FBI, who certainly have every means to safeguard, as well as analyze the tape? No. We learn about it on daytime TV of all places. Confusion reigns, as normal, talk of required appearances of ALE on TV to get the tape - denials from the producers; yet the tape was still not in the hands of any LE agency.
People question why I make fun of that? Why I have a hard time buying it? You can't be serious. Well meaning people who can and do get involved with something like this to help do not play such games. They simply do not.
It allowed for confusion and pumped up emotions to dominate the scene once again. It has fed the nightly on-topic cable news casts for a week and still no one has a clear picture of what it is all about. Who does that benefit exactly? Not Natalee Holloway, or her memory, that's for certain.
In life you learn to judge people by their behavior, not their words - by what they do, not what they are claiming to be doing. No matter the outcome, this cannot be anything else but a cruel media ploy even if the tape is real because of how it was handled. How anyone can tolerate TV producers as opposed to FBI agents being the middle man in something like this is bizarre.
Time and again we have found ourselves in the position of being asked, even compelled to jump to conclusions before we are given access to the facts. That is the same game Jossy Mansur played. I don't trust it. I certainly can't respect it. Consequently, I am more than comfortable to deal with it as nothing more than a joke, as that is what it appears to be.
If the tape is real and helps the investigation - fine. So be it. I have always said that if you give me evidence against anyone in this case I am all for it. But the same people, media and otherwise, have played so many games and made so many claims they could not later support - the tables have changed for me.
If you want me to believe something of this nature, fine, prove it. The manipulations which have gone on for so many months in the media lead me to believe that there is no other option to deal with this craziness anymore than to demand facts and supporting evidence before I invest my serious emotions into believing anything they tell me any more. That's their fault, not mine. And I have no intention of apologizing for their lack of integrity and principle in dealing with this tragic case. There is no excuse for it, unless of course you value TV ratings over and above a young girl's life. And that simply is not, has never been, and will never be me.
I honestly believe that these media people, now including Dr. Phil, can't possibly have an ounce of shame in their souls for the way they have behaved.
I hate skeeter, if that man tried to pull that crap here, he would be slapped with the biggest lawsuit. Does anyone know, if that can happen under Aruban/Dutch law down there?
Posted by: Smokey | Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 10:59 PM
Wow. This case is a complete mess. I have often seen the Deepak interview referred to on various shows as having been taped recently. Or at least alluded to it being recent. Why has no one asked Skeeters why he sat on it for so long? The mind boggles....
Posted by: chance | Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 11:03 PM
Dan, people like Jossy, Geraldo, Dr. Phil & Skeeter deserve to be made fun of!! They have no conscience! There are so many media people that should be sued in regards to their conduct throughout this case! None of them are doing justice to Natalee or her family. If life were only fair........
Posted by: donnaanna | Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 11:06 PM
The only ones with no conscience are those who took Natalee (Joran, The Kalpoe Brothers and Paulus) They are all sick and need serious help.
Posted by: Amy | Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 11:10 PM
If my daughter was missing and I had something that explosive, I would not have waited for a talk show 2 months later. I would have RUSHed itto Le BEFORE the JK2 got released. There is no excuse for the excuse LE is corrupt. Id rushed it straight to FBI and had back up copies made, took it to LE and said do something or I will expose this tape to the whole world.
Since they game was played out for tv ratings , supposedly FedExed a week or so ago and not yet arrived, that tape has turned into nothing but a joke and the people playing the game are sick.
If that were my daughter missing those sick Bastards wouldnt be getting ratings, book deals or becoming heros at my daughters expense.
Posted by: doesanyoneremembernatalee | Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 11:16 PM
It is we the viewers who are making these people money, if you want it gone stop watching, and giving Cable News all the damn ideas of how to make it even more sensational then the last day.
Posted by: Smokey | Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 11:26 PM
Correct me where I am wrong - we saw this tape on Phil about the second week of Sept right - and I thought I heard someone say that it was taped in July - or at least by mid August - I know it was supposedly done well before Joran was let out and the K brothers were let out a second time - I have heard it said if the tape would have been turned over right away they never would have been let out. so what the heck is going on here - it is now mid October - I mean when was this tape made - we could be talking a couple months - I do not understand - it is like there is someone orchastrating the evidence - back then were they so excited and sure they were going to win with the rape girls coming in and Jossy's big time landfill guy so they did not need Skeeter - then the hurricane came and this tape is what was going to get them back on the nightly news. And are people not sick to death of hearing this every nite like it is brandnew news - what is with that? How many times am I going to see "breaking in Aruba - the shocking tape that is going to bring J2K back in for charges" Dan is right - this is absolutely disgusting - and I am appalled at our media for even covering it until and when it really becomes true factual evidence!
Posted by: Jan | Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 11:28 PM
LOOK - If they were'nt reporting it,Natalee would have been forgotten about 3-1/2 months ago!
Posted by: deb | Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 11:36 PM
It is we the viewers who are making these people money, if you want it gone stop watching, and giving Cable News all the damn ideas of how to make it even more sensational then the last day.
Posted by: Smokey | Oct 16, 2005 11:26:11 PM
I have stopped watching.
Posted by: Splash! | Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 11:48 PM
LOOK - If they were'nt reporting it,Natalee would have been forgotten about 3-1/2 months ago!
Posted by: deb | Oct 16, 2005 11:36:37 PM
If it had not played out on tv with such pressure from Beths certainty on who it was and all the media hype, the case might be solved already.
Posted by: Splash! | Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 11:49 PM
I knew the minute I heard the tape it was a fake, or they would have turned it over immediately after taping it. Skeeters reference to the gardner burying them let me know how old the tape was, then the uneven answers to some of the questions and the questions being so leading and Deepak's answers so short sometimes only one word. I knew the tape was doctored. The tabloid cable shows waited over two weeks before jumping on the band wagon, I think this was because they were waiting for the legal fallout and checking with their own lawyers before playing it themselves like it was brand new breaking news. Totally disgusting.
Posted by: Sharron | Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 11:52 PM
Splash! Sorry, but IMHO I think Aruba was very eager to get on with their tourism.
Posted by: deb | Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 11:53 PM
People that hang their hopes on something that sounds too good to be true...are likely going to find themselves disappointed.
I certainly consider myself as someone who jumped on the validity of that tape from the get go. Sure...I got flamed a-plenty at other forums, but I know a thing or two about both audio and video editing, and I red-flagged that tape the minute I heard it.
If I had a buck for every....
'How could Dr. Phil...blah blah blah...he's a credible guy...blah blah blah...why would he risk his reputation...blah blah blah..." retort aimed my way, I'd be in Aruba right now taking a week off work.
But, the fact is this. He and every other media whore will do anything that brings them ratings and adoration from the legions of fans wearing rose-coloured glasses.
To his fans, the guy can do no wrong.
But, to the objective viewer, there was plenty wrong with that tape...and it seems the truth about the tape 'may' be coming to light...as it seems to be taking a suspiciously long time to make it's way to Aruba LE...
which makes you wonder why, when it was such a case-breaker according to the fans of Dr. Faux and the and the Faux Doctor himself.
Posted by: Not a Hand Wringer | Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 11:56 PM
BINGO Deb! Some of the comments from Arubans I've read in various forums really make me question their morality. Many do seem more concerned with their own little space than with a human life, and that's very sad!
Posted by: calrep | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 12:00 AM
Who in their right minds would thin DR. Phil is a credible missing persons anything?
Is this how naive america is, that some talking head with a TV show, which is nothing more than a tamer version of Jerry Springer, can really influence a possible murder case.
Does anybody go to Jerry about disappering kids, or murder victims? No, so what the hell makes Dr Phil so different? Maybe because of his gay, butt-munching Mustache? Thats the only thing I can think of.
Posted by: Smokey | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 12:47 AM
*think
Posted by: Smokey | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 12:47 AM
LOOK - If they were'nt reporting it,Natalee would have been forgotten about 3-1/2 months ago!
Posted by: deb | Oct 16, 2005 11:36:37 PM
WRONG - nobody woul;d have forgotten her after all - how could they have?? but now they certainly and sadly want to because of the antics of beth - nobody even wants to hear about the case anymore because they knwo it will mean moreof beth on tv and her ridiculous behavior and made up stories and shady associations - if everyone forgets natalee I can blame her own mom for it - she drove people away
Posted by: truthbetold | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 01:37 AM
I'd say a lot of people still want to hear about the case...or else they wouldn't be reading these blogs all the time no???
Posted by: Linda in L.A. | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 02:00 AM
Honestly, the thing that bothers me the most is the fact that they had this tape, while the subjects were still in detention, and they didn't run right over with it and give it to the prosecutor. If this tape is going to blow the case wide open, then it could have done just that at that time. I don't understand? I realize that they must be doing all of this according to a plan. Are they trying to show that the aruban prosecutor is corrupt. Are they trying to prove that the statements that they have referenced existed and now they don't? What is the point? Isn't the primary task of everyone to find the missing woman, not to assume that she is no longer with us but to actively search to find her? Does her family know definitively what happened? It seems to me that we are going off the track. Hello, everyone, shouldn't everyone be looking for the young woman and if they believe she is not alive, shouldn't they be looking for her anyway? If anyone can answer my queries...I would really appreciate it.
Posted by: b | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 02:04 AM
If my experience is the norm, noone is interested anymore and how many of us are still reading the blogs. Word at the coffee station is that people are not watching cable because they have become tedious. They are going to the internet for news, talk radio, the newmagazines on the MSM and the newspapers. Rarely, if ever, do any of them cover this anymore. So, to answer your question, there are the remaining blogs and the people who read them and maybe some on the outside and that is it. A coworker commented, wait until the miers confirmation hearing and the Saddam trial are on cable, then this story will be knocked out of the box for good. Now, i vociferously took exception to the comment when it was made, but, reality rears its ugly head...he is probably correct.
Posted by: b | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 02:10 AM
Beth should also be ashamed of the way she has acted. She is the one who continually goes on every program that will have her and lies about the transcripts, what is on the tape(obviously forgetting that it was played to the public)and what the boys have confessed to. The media is playing her, but she is a very willing participant.
Posted by: jody | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 02:34 AM
If my child were missing and I had access to a tape like this, the first thing I would have done is take it to the FBI to secure line of custody and then have them take to the Aruba PI. Beth said she had known about this tape for awhile. If this is true, why didn't she make sure the Aruba PI saw it? Deepak was arrested again AFTER this tape was made, and then let go. This tape just cannot be legit (meaning that the spicing and such was intended to misrepresent what Deepak said.) If it were legit, any parent of a missing child would have made sure that it was given immediately to the investigation. And for the PI have to try and obtain it after it was aired? Why did they have to ask for it? It is illogical that a parent or an external investigator sincerely interested in supporting the Aruba PI in solving this case would just sit on this tape for awhile then air it on TV, ensuring that it definitely then could not be used as evidence.
Something is very dishonest about this tape.
Posted by: shonane | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 02:51 AM
I fail to understand why there is continuing discussion about possibility to use Skeeters' tape as evidence. IMO, this tape is made SOLELY for AMUSEMENT purpose; i.e. no matter where it would be sent to, it is designed for use by US media in purpose of public ENTERTAINMENT.
Posted by: George | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 02:56 AM
Something is very dishonest about this tape.
Yeah, and anyone with half a brain can see that. That is why I just cannot understand why people still defend Beth Twitty after she continually pulls this kind of crap. First the new "evidence," then the gardener, then the so-called rape victims, and now this. She will stop at nothing. Doesn't she care that she is making a complete fool of herself?
Posted by: jody | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 03:05 AM
> First the new "evidence," then the gardener, then the so-called rape victims, and now this.
Posted by: jody | Oct 17, 2005 3:05:15 AM
THIS seriously differs from those. The gardener was presented to LE and girls were incited to file false complaints with LE. Those may have been incitement to commit perjury.
The Skeeters' tape is CORRECTLY qualified by Dan as a JOKE. Tasteless but still is a joke. Neither Beth nor Skeeters attempted to present it as evidence, they use it solely as a tool in TV shows.
Posted by: George | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 03:22 AM
george said... "The Skeeters' tape is CORRECTLY qualified by Dan as a JOKE."
Dan, George, and others like them are hardly objective. They are prisoners of their position taking and - in the case of Dan - his pursuit of self-promotion.
George said... "That is why I just cannot understand why people still defend Beth Twitty after she continually pulls this kind of crap."
Those that despise Twitty and hurl abuse at her need a morality check and probably a psychiatrist. No one can blame her for going after the people who she believes in her soul were responsible for the disappearance of her daughter. In her place, most loving parents would exhaust EVERY method possible to get at scum like Van Der Sloot and the Kalpoes.
Posted by: pkt | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 04:45 AM
> George said... "That is why I just cannot understand why people still defend Beth Twitty after she continually pulls this kind of crap."
Posted by: pkt | Oct 17, 2005 4:45:05 AM
Nope, I did not say it; perhaps cited someone else. Those as "pkt" are clearly low enough to attribute someone else theit our words. :-)
Posted by: George | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 04:59 AM
OK; I have checked it - "pkt" is just a petty liar, he presented words never included in my post. And obviously it was intentional, since the next line contained the actual name of poster.
Posted by: George | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 05:07 AM
> "pkt" is just a petty liar
..or perhaps made a honest mistake. Jody was the poster. Lighten up! Nonetheles, your rush to judgment is consistent.
Posted by: pkt | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 06:23 AM
The only ones with no conscience are those who took Natalee (Joran, The Kalpoe Brothers and Paulus) They are all sick and need serious help.
Posted by: Amy
That may be, Amy - but wouldn't you like to know there is evidence someone commited a crime, before convicting them?
Posted by: berry | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 07:37 AM
I hate skeeter, if that man tried to pull that crap here, he would be slapped with the biggest lawsuit. Does anyone know, if that can happen under Aruban/Dutch law down there?
Posted by: Smokey | Oct 16, 2005 10:59:17 PM
We do have a law for compensation if you are wronged, but it is in no way near the extraordinary ammounts you go for in the states.
I heard of a case where a girl got her face disfigured by a pitbul the girl got 5000 euros compensation ...now would she have lived in the US she would have gotten way more. I think that a lot of peopel therefor not even go there (it wil cost you more in time etc. than the money you can get out of it)
Posted by: Amsterdam | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 08:10 AM
Something is very dishonest about this tape.
Posted by: shonane | Oct 17, 2005 2:51:00 AM
Totally agreed. What surprised me is that there are people (in this blog) who just don't get it. All they want is to get the three guys hanged, no evidence nothing......
Posted by: c | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 08:39 AM
For a while now, I have had my eye on Dr. Phil. I seem to think he is full of crap most of the time and his controlling personality pisses me off to be frank. But, now, that he would not just hand those tapes over out of kindness and concern for Natalee makes me sick. That man was more worried about his show ratings than a missing teen age girl? He is a prick...Dan, can I use that word in here?
Anyway, I apologize if I used a naughty word in here, but, I felt it was appropriate considering the topic. I think Dr. Phil rates up there with Geraldo and Sally Jesse Raphiel. PUKE TELEVISION AT IT'S BEST!!
S2S
Posted by: Sly2SmoothieNJs | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 08:46 AM
You know what strikes me as funny about the tape and its use?
The Natalees's mom would keep playing the snippets of her daughter being called a slut, whether it is a fake or not, I wouldnt want my parents playing a tape for the whole world to hear, that calls me a slut. Dead or Alive, thats just messed up.
Someone needs to give Twitty a damn joint, and a 40, and let her calm down, because that lady has turned into a psycho. No wonder Natalee left.
Posted by: Smokey | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 09:16 AM
As the select sound bites from the Deepak tape are played, my ear detects breaks between Skeeters' different comments then yet another break and Deepak's voice. I firmly believe what we've heard thru the media is a spliced collection of phrases strategically manipulated.
And that would be the reason why we are only now hearing that in fact there is an approx 90 minutes of VIDEOTAPE of this "interview". Respectfully, I'd suggest there's a very good reason we got audio only and I trust everyone else can probably speculate why. What a crock!!
Dan, I couldn't agree with you more. What a desecration of Natalee's memory; what a desecration of the legal process and an absurd mockery of what should be a serious search for truth and justice for Natalee. I'm afraid to imagine what may come next in this case .....
Posted by: Heli | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 09:33 AM
Smokey - that is what I have been pondering - Beth has turned psycho - and I truly wonder if that might be why Natalee left??
Posted by: Jan | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 09:49 AM
Well the tape was supposed to be delivered by FEDEX last Thursday but it has not been verified that the tape has been received by ALE or the FBI.
I must point out that a piece of evidence this strong should have been provided as much needed evidence to keep the boys in jail.The way it has been sensationalized by the media suggests that it is a farce obtained from Skeeters for the September
TV ratings sweeps.
If rearrests are not made soon it will only be accurate to come to the assumption that the tape was a work by one Jamie Skeeters and one Dr.Phil all in the name of the almighty dollar.
I have a feeling that it is another piece of misinformation just like all of the rest of the misinformation that has been presented over the past 4 plus months as unproven evidence.
We can all be relieved that ALE is looking into all possibilities and hopefully closure will be possible very soon.
Posted by: bizman | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 09:49 AM
I saw where someone posted that it would be easy to change
She did not
to
She did
And Dr. Phil saying how bad Deepak was for saying those things about Natalee where her mother could hear. Deepak thought he was having a private conversation. Dr. Phil is the one who was blasting that in front of Beth... shame on Dr Phil.
She dressed like a slut, talked like a slut.. notice he didn't say she was a slut.
Deepak will go down in history with the quote of the year... "Enough of this BS already!"
Posted by: fundaloo | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 09:55 AM
What you gonna do ...now the tape is a VIDEO!!!! LOL It's not hard to dupe a cabbie twice....
Posted by: boywonder | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 10:05 AM
Former members of Scared Monkeys forum interested in Ringo's version of events may go to http://www.rjames.com/forums/search.php?do=finduser&u=444 .
Posted by: George | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 10:14 AM
If it has now become a video and 90 minutes in length then why have the ratings driven TV shows not cashed in on the broadcast of it?Do you think for one minute that if such a video existed that Dr.Phil would not of broadcast such a video even if it had to be segmented over several days due to time constraints?
There may be a video of some sort but I would bet the farm that there is no video where the audio that aired matches up with the video that may exist.Too juicy of a story for the talking heads to pass up.It does not exist.
The BUBBLE of Jamie Skeeters has bursted.So whats next?An attack on the Dompig the Police Chief.
Posted by: bizman | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 10:18 AM
Well, Dan, it's one thing to take reported news with a chunk of salt--haven't most of us figured that out in our society?
But it's another thing to try to try to joke about the suspects as if they cute innocents unfairly discussed by media and others in connection with the disappearance and likely death of a girl.
As you know, Deputy Police Chief Dompig has stated that every avenue of investigation has always led back to the trio and Paulus.
Posted by: cadali | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 10:28 AM
As you know, Deputy Police Chief Dompig has stated that every avenue of investigation has always led back to the trio and Paulus.
Posted by: cadali | Oct 17, 2005 10:28:12 AM
We have been discussing about Chief Dompig in the previous blog. It seems like he has been wrong quite a few times. He seems to say things in the media and then it turns out that information he provides is incorrect and totally false.
Please check the previous blogs.
Posted by: c | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 10:40 AM
But it's another thing to try to try to joke about the suspects as if they cute innocents unfairly discussed by media and others in connection with the disappearance and likely death of a girl.
Posted by: cadali | Oct 17, 2005 10:28:12 AM
Joke about the suspects? MSM is the joke. The tape is a joke. A sick joke.
Posted by: MoonShadow | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 10:56 AM
LOOK - If they were'nt reporting it,Natalee would have been forgotten about 3-1/2 months ago!
Posted by: deb | Oct 16, 2005 11:36:37 PM
Not to the people who matter the most. Dave, Beth, Jugs,and the rest of Natalee's family or friends, and even the Aruban authorities. Just because its been played out as some dayum soap opera everynight on cable "news" shows...which IMO, is only for the people who crave this type of infotainment, like soap operas, or "reality tv"...doesn't mean that Aruba nor the Family of Natalee, would of "forgotten". The fact is, that all this "broken record news" that is/has been displayed over 4 months, on the less that toilet paper tabloid "news" media (like the enquirer and Diario) ..STILL have not solved the case of "Where is Natalee"?? And Beth and Dave, have no more answers today, then they did on May 31st.
Posted by: Donna | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 11:00 AM
Great post Dan!!
It's time for the Skeeters and Mamannas', the MSM, Dr. Phil etc, and the likes of them to be exposed for what they are. It's time to turn this around and make it about Natalee, if those people mentioned, even slightly remember.
Posted by: a..incanada | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 11:26 AM
Smokey - that is what I have been pondering - Beth has turned psycho - and I truly wonder if that might be why Natalee left??
Posted by: Jan | Oct 17, 2005 9:49:05 AM
If Beth has become mentally unstable, think about the fact that for six months she seemingly has been lied to, had her hopes raised and then dashed, used all of her reserve energy probably - and pray tell, whose fault is that? I find it hard to believe that the woman we saw in June, July, and most of August is the same person that we see and hear today. Therefore, it is truly unkind and speculative to "wonder if that might be why Natalee left." Is this tape what she used to refer to as "shock the world if we told what we knew?"
In the beginning, Beth said and I believe she meant, that the family was not looking for punishment - they were looking for their daughter to take her home. After all of the nonesense that has transpired, Beth has become a woman possessed with retribution perhaps. If we walked in her shoes, would we? Do we know? I do not claim that I do.
Posted by: Bella | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 11:26 AM
Beth has turned psycho - and I truly wonder if that might be why Natalee left??
I hope you are kidding.
Posted by: Sweetie | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 11:48 AM
i guess i am naive...
when the skeeters tape came out i thoght it was valid & had been turned in to a law enforcement agency (probably the fbi)
i thought that the editing was done in the normal way an interview would be done for tv
then 2 weeks ago we learn the tape would not be turned over to aruban law enforcement unless the prosecuter goes on the dr phil show. so justice takes second place to show business
i was not aware until last week the tapes were done in july...........the first place they should have gone was the fbi
we learn last week that the tapes have been given to the fbi....2 weeks ago!!! at least 2 months after the fact!!
dompig tells us last monday or tuesday that he will be getting the tapes.........a week later he still does not have them. don't you put someone on a plane to deliver them if you don't trust overnight federal express?
i saw dave & jug this weekend on shows with dompig.dave was polite & seemd like he respected dompig.when the interviewer asked him if he wanted to say anthing to dompig dave refrained.... why should he say anthing on a tv show when he can talk to him in private?it seems that dave may be able to develop some rapport with the investigators.
in contrast jug came off as very arrogant referring to dompig by only his last name while dompig was present (via the phone hook-up
i long ago distrusted much of the media coverage-nancy grace & geraldo in particular....unfortunatly now i distrust everyone & everthing about this- except for dave holloway
and natalee seems to be forgotten............it's all very sad
Posted by: chip | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 12:06 PM
No sense in getting riled up until the tapes are verified. Skeeters said last night that the tape of Deepak is 2 hours long... and Deepak will be surprised to see what he said on that tape. Can't wait!!!!!!!!
Posted by: kathy | Monday, October 17, 2005 at 12:14 PM