Natalee Holloway
Who Was Natalee Holloway?
Born October 21, 1986, Natalee Holloway was the oldest child to David and Beth Holloway. 1993 was when her parents divorced, so Natalee along with her younger brother, Matt, were raised by their mother. By 2000, Beth had remarried to George Twitty, a prominent Alabama businessman, and subsequently the whole family moved to Mountain Brook, Alabama.
Who Was Natalee Holloway?
The Future
A high school honors graduate, who was a member of the National Honor Society, dance team, and many other extracurricular activities. Natalee even was on her way to attend the University of Alabama and on a full scholarship too. Moreover, she intended to pursue a pre-med major.
The Future
Senior Class Trip
The senior class planned a trip to Aruba so when Natalee asked her parents if she was allowed to go, they said “yes” without hesitation. May 26, 2005 was when 100 students plus Natalee of course, along with four chaperones set off for a five day trip to Aruba.
Senior Class Trip
Good Times
The crew stayed at the Aruba Holiday Inn and everyone made sure to buddy up with a roommate. Most of the days consisted of the bunch swimming, snorkeling, gambling, and hitting the best hot-spots during the evenings. Typical stuff.
Good Times
The Place
Saturday night was the final night of the trip and everyone wanted to squeeze in one last hurrah. Therefore after dinner, just about everyone hit the local beach bar, Carlos’n Charlie’s.
The Place
Initial Meeting
Carlos’n Charlie’s was where Natalee met the then 17-year-old Joran. Numerous classmates said a few days later that Joran seemed just like an average, nice guy. Later that night, Natalee was seen in the back of a car with Joran and two of his buddies, the Kalpoe brothers. 21-year-old Deepak Kalpoe and 18-year-old Satish Kalpoe. Sadly, this was the last time Natalee was seen again.
Initial Meeting
Who is Joran Van der Sloot?
Paul, a lawyer, and Anita, an art teacher are the parents of Joran van der Sloot. Joran was born on August 6, 1987 and in 1990, the entire family moved from Arnhem to Aruba. In any case, Jorn was an honor student at the International School of Aruba and was a star soccer and tennis player. Furthermore Joran held high hopes that he would play soccer at Saint Leo University near Tampa, Florida. However Joran’s mother said once that he had a problem with lying.
Who Is Joran Van Der Sloot?”
Missed Flight
The following morning, the senior class were on route to the airport for their flight. As they were boarding, they notice that Natalee was not around. Some assumed she over-slept or maybe was taking one final stroll on the beach. So they alert the chaperones to sort it all out.
Missed Flight
Worry Sets In
Then the class hears that the chaperones can’t seem to locate Natalee. After a hotel search, plus the surrounding areas and the beach all came up empty, people began to worry. Her hotel room still had her packed luggage and passport, but no Natalee to be found.
Worry Sets In
Parents Arrival
As soon as the chaperone’s informed Beth, Natalee’s mom, that she had missed her flight – Beth knew something was amiss. Without a second thought, Beth and her husband flew via a private jet with friends to Aruba.
Parents Arrival
Search Is On
As her parents are in-transit, the search for Natalee Holloway is well underway. Hundreds of volunteers are aiding the search. Even the Aruban government gave their workers the day off in order to help with the search. Some 50 Dutch marines were sent over to search for Natalee.
Search Is On
Story Is Viral
Just two days after Natalee Holloway disappeared, media in the United States picked up the story and launched a media frenzy. Fox News Channel featured a one-minute summary, “Tonight, a frantic search is underway for a missing Alabama girl,” Greta Van Susteren said. Natalee’s story quickly made headlines everywhere and not a single person didn’t know about the missing Alabama teenage girl.
Story Is Viral
Van Der Sloot Is Questioned
Initially Joran informs police he dropped Natalee off at the hotel around 2am. Furthermore he says he didn’t see her again. Joran adds that Natalee was approached by some unknown man in a black shirt as she was walked into the hotel. Van der Sloot noted the man dressed like a hotel security guard and as Natalee looked fine, he and his friends left.
Van Der Sloot Is Questioned
The Evasion
Far too many times throughout the investigation does Joran Van Der Sloot change his story. Some say it’s so he can purposely mislead police and derail the investigation. Others say he just wants attention and knows nothing. But all the “he-said” back and forth is too much. The hunt for Natalee Holloway is scouring every nook and cranny – the truth will come out, it has to.
The Evasion
First Arrest
On June 5, 2005, two former security guards, Nick John (pictured below) and Abraham Jones, were arrested. Both worked at the nearby hotel Allegro Hotel. As a result, both were arrested on suspicion of murder and kidnapping but as no evidence was ever found, they were released just a week later.
First Arrest
Charges Dropped
June 9, 2005 police arrested Joran Van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers, his friends. All three men were arrested on the suspicion of kidnapping and murder. Natalee’s parents grew hopeful, an arrest had been made. Police quickly obtained a search warrant for Joran’s house but again, they found nothing. Yet another dead end.
Charges Dropped
College Kid
On September 14, the Combined Appeals Court of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba then removed all restrictions against Joran and the Kalpoe brothers. This included a travel restriction however as all charges were dropped, Joran actually returned to the Netherlands to attend university.
College Kid
New Arrest
Not long after Joran and his friends were arrested, two additional suspects were brought into custody as well, Steve Gregory Croes (a disc jockey) and Paulus van der Sloot, Joran’s father. Croes had been a suspect from the very beginning as Joran mentioned him in his original statement. Both suspects had alibis however and were released just days after their initial arrests. Again, another dead end.
New Arrest
Royal Netherlands Air Force
So on July 4, the Royal Netherlands Air Force deployed three F-16 aircraft that are equipped with infrared sensors to help search for Natalee, however the results weren’t fruitful. Not long after and it’s reported that the satellite photos were now being compared with photographs which were taken more recently (possibly from the F-16s) to find unexpected shifts in the ground which could be Natalee Holloway’s grave.
Royal Netherlands Air Force
The Gardener
Once “the gardener” steps forward, subsequently a small pond near to the Aruba Racquet Club located closely to the Marriott Hotel beach was partly drained. Jug Twitty, the gardener claims that he saw Joran van der Sloot attempting to hide his face while he drove into the Racquet Club with both of the Kalpoe brothers on the early morning of May 30, between the hours of 2:30 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.
The Gardener
Case Cracked?
Nancy Grace went on to describe the gardener as “the man whose testimony cracks the case wide open”. However as police searched the pond and thoroughly questioned “the gardener” absolutely nothing fruitful was found. Just another path that led police no closer to finding Natalee.
Case Cracked?
New Story
Now a year(!) has passed since Natalee Holloway went missing and police are no closer to locating her. Joran had been on a media tour protesting his innocence, however on March 1, 2006, on an interview with, “On the Record,” his story changed. During the interview, he admitted he went with Natalee to the beach the night she disappeared but that he left there alone. Therefore he and the Kalpoe brothers never dropped her off back at the hotel – like he initially said.
New Story
What The Police Think
Police Commissioner Gerold Dompig immediately discounted Joran’s new story, he said, “This latest story [came] when [Van der Sloot] saw the other guys, the Kalpoes, were kind of finger-pointing in his direction, and he wanted to screw them also, by saying he was dropped off. But that story doesn’t check out at all. He just wanted to screw Deepak.” Dompig adds, “They had great arguments about this in front of the judge. Because their stories didn’t match. This girl, she was from Alabama, she’s not going to stay in the car with two black kids. We believe the second story, that they were dropped off by the Marriott.”
What The Police Think
The Jogger
Not longer after “the gardener”, another person known as “the jogger” steps forward. This person claims to witness, on the afternoon of May 30, men burying a blonde-haired woman in a landfill. Therefore the police search the landfill just days after Natalee Holloway disappeared. After the jogger’s speaks up, the landfill is searched three more times; furthermore the FBI used cadaver dogs but found nothing.
The Jogger
In The Details
Shortly before Police Commissioner Gerold Dompig left the case, he was interviewed by CBS correspondent Troy Roberts. In that particular interview, Dompig said he believes Holloway probably passed away from alcohol and/or drug poisoning, and was not murdered, that later someone came and hid her body. Dompig also says that Aruba spent around $3 million on the investigation, which is some 40% of the police operational budget too. Then he goes on to indicate there was evidence pointing to possession (though not use maybe) of drugs by Holloway. However the Holloway family has strongly denied that she used any drugs.
In The Details
Desperate Times
Natalee Holloway’s family announced they would award anyone who could help them find their daughter. On May 30, 2005, they offered $175,000 and some donors offered $50,000 for Natalee’s safe return. Then just two months later, the reward jumped from $200,000 to $1,000,000. Yup, you read that right. Additional, there was a $100,000 reward for any information that could lead to the locating Natalee’s remains. In August 2005, the reward amount for any information that could lead to locating Natalie’s corpse went up from $100,000 to $250,000.
Desperate Times
Duct Tape Sample
Soon after, the FBI reported that the Aruban authorities provided the agency with documents, interviews with suspects, and various other evidence. Therefore, its investigators discovered a piece of duct tape that had strands of blonde hair attached to it – ergo the samples were then tested in a Dutch lab. That’s when a group from the Aruban police and prosecutor’s office traveled to the FBI laboratory at Quantico, Virginia, so they could consult with the American investigators. The FBI tested the samples a second time, unfortunately they discovered that the hair samples didn’t belong to Natalee Holloway.
Duct Tape Sample
Arrests…Again
August 26 came around and the Kalpoe brothers are arrested once again, along with a new suspect, Freddy Arambatzis (21 years old). Arambatzis’s lawyer stated Freddy was suspected of photographing an underage girl and of having inappropriate physical contact with her. Allegedly the incident happened before Natalee disappeared. The connection? Arambatzis’s friends of Joran Van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers were also allegedly involved in the inappropriate incident. Anita van der Sloot, Joran’s mother, said, “It’s a desperate attempt to get the boys to talk. But there is nothing to talk about.” Now no explanation was given publicly why the Kalpoe brothers were rearrested – Dompig said later on that they attempted to pressure the Kalpoe brothers into confessing about Natalee. It didn’t work.
Arrests…Again
Skeeters Tape and Dr. Phi
On September 2005, Dr. Phil‘s TV show had a hidden camera interview with Deepak Kalpoe, where he answers that, “She did. You’d be surprised how easy it was” to a suggestion that Natalee Holloway had sex with all three of the men. As a result, this tape was instigated by Jamie Skeeters, a private investigator. When the tape was eventually broadcast, many news reports indicated that a rearrest was possible.
Skeeters Tape And Dr. Phi
Part II
Once police fully examined what was on the hidden camera, they claim that the video was altered in some way. An unofficial Aruban-affiliated spokesperson and commentator said that the Kalope brother was actually shaking his head “no” when asked the question. Later that year, the Kalpoes file a slander and libel suit against Dr. Phil and Skeeters but it was dismissed a year later.
Part II
Sand Dune Search
Now the FBI and Aruban authorities are still trying to crack the case. January 2006 is when both interview and re-interview many of Natalee’s classmates in Alabama. Later that same month, the Aruban police search the sand dunes in an attempt to locate Natalee’s body. They searched near the Marriott beach and the northwest coach. Later in March and April of 2006, they searched additional locations. None of which produced anything helpful.
Sand Dune Search
Dad’s Story
April 2006 is when Natalee’s father, David, publishes a tell-all book, Aruba: The Tragic Untold Story of Natalee Holloway and Corruption in Paradise. The book follows his story of the search for his daughter and the police investigation.
Dad’s Story
Joran’s Story
Just a year later and Joran van der Sloot publishes his own book, “De zaak Natalee Holloway” (The Case of Natalee Holloway), recounting Natalee’s disappearance. It includes an abridged memoir, tales of his time in jail, and he firmly maintains his innocence throughout.
Joran’s Story
Wever: New Suspect
We’re now to the date of May 17, 2006, and a new suspect is located. In the Netherlands, Guido Wever, the son of a former Aruban politician, is detained on the grounds of suspicion of assisting in abducting, battering, and killing Natalee Holloway. For six days, Wever is questioned in Utrecht. Initially, the Aruban authorities tried to get him transferred to the island for questioning, but that didn’t happen. Instead he was released by some agreement made per the prosecutor and Wever’s attorney.
Wever: New Suspect
House Searched
May 12, 2007, and the Kalpoe family home becomes subject to an “inspection”. Therefore the brothers are detained for an hour when they object to entry by police and Dutch investigators, but both were released once the authorities left. Kock claims that the brothers objected to the search because the officials didn’t show them an order justify the intrusion. No one knows what officials searched for but note that nothing was taken from the home.
House Searched
The Brothers
November 21, 2007 is when Joran and the Kalpoe brothers are rearrested. Their arrests were the result of an internet chat log where Joran said that Natalee was dead the day she disappeared. However, yet again, the police fail to find hard evidence to charge the three suspects.
The Brothers
The Persistence
Dave Holloway, in November 2007, announces that a new search for Natalee has begun. Basically they had probed the sea beyond the original 330-foot (100 m) depths that earlier searches had done. With the vessel known as the Persistence, they undertook the search but it was sadly abandoned when lack of funds became a problem. Towards end of February 2008, nothing significance was ever found.
The Persistence
Prosecution Pitfall
30 days later, on November 30, 2007, a judge orders the release of the Kalpoe brothers, even thought the prosecution attempted to extend their detention. Undoubtedly the prosecution appealed the release of the Kalpoes’, but it was denied. In fact, the court said, “Notwithstanding expensive and lengthy investigations on her disappearance and on people who could be involved, the file against the suspect does not contain direct indications that Natalee passed away due to a violent crime.”
Prosecution Pitfall
Release
The following month, December 2007, Joran Van der Sloot is released. Why? Lack of evidence again, and the prosecution said it wouldn’t appeal and so they didn’t. Natalee’s parents still didn’t have any answers and the case had no end in sight. Things only got worse from there.
Release
Digging
By mid-December, the Aruban police had no further leads and prosecutor Hans Mos declared the case closed. However prosecutes still continued to look into Joran and the Kalpoe brothers. Of course the attorneys of the Kalpoe brothers and Van der Sloot were outraged. Attorney Ronald Wix eventually said, “Unless (Mos) finds a body in the bathroom of one of these kids, there’s no way in hell they can arrest them anymore.”
Digging
More New Stories
February 2008, Peter de Vries, an undercover Dutch journalist, actually taped Joran as he confessed to disposing Natalee’s body. Joran said Natalee was very drunk, had a seizure while on the beach, and died in his arms. Furthermore, he states that a friend helped him to get rid of her body in the ocean. Unfortunately the video of Joran admitting his guilt was not legally obtained therefore it could not be used as evidence. Police did try to arrest Joran, but a judge completely denied their request.
More New Stories
Played
So on February 1, Dutch media starts reported that Joran van der Sloot has made a confession on the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. However later that day, Van der Sloot goes on record to then say he only told the person what they wanted to hear and he played no part in her disappearance. That same day, however, the Aruba prosecutor’s office announces the reopening of the case.
Played
Daddy
Fox News airs an interview with Van der Sloot on November 24, 2008. During this interview he claims to have sold Natalee into sexual slavery – he received money when Natalee was taken and later on to keep quite. Here’s where it gets interesting, Van der Sloot claims his father paid off two police officers when they learned that Holloway had been taken to Venezuela. Shortly after and Van der Sloot retracts all the statements he made in the interview.
Daddy
More Lies
THE NEXT DAY: November 25, 2008, and boom. Joran is caught with another journalist Greta Van Susteren on the talk show, “On the Record.” And yes, he’s changed his story again. Joran claimed he sold Natalee into slavery for $10,000. Furthermore he says he put her on a boat and watched as she sailed off. Of course he claims he was paid to keep quiet. Later on thought Joran confessed that this too was a false story.
More Lies
The Film
Natalee Holloway was a TV film adaption which aired on the Lifetime Movie Network on April 2009. It was adapted from Beth Holloway’s own book “Loving Natalee.” 3.2 million people tuned in as the film depicted a scenario of what could have possibly happened in her final days.
The Film
Is She?
The family’s desperate attempts to find out what happened to their daughter didn’t sit well with everyone. “They’re killing Aruba,” says Aruban businessman Charles Croes. “That girl, Natalee, I wish she’d stayed home. I hope she’s found alive there. Because no one would care. No one. The kid is just not worth all this trouble, this heartache. Is Natalee worth it? Is she?”
Is She
No Good
Gerold Dompig, the deputy police chief in charge of the case, said the Twitty (Holloway) family were the biggest problem during the investigation. He also said that pressure from the family sidetracked the investigation. They were forced to make premature arrests and that destroyed any chance police had of gathering evidence. “They brought out their big guns on the very first day, and they started shooting,” said Dompig. “They didn’t understand the way things are done in our system. They didn’t want to understand. They act like they came from a world where you can just crush people. It was very harmful to our investigation.”
No Good
Nothing But A Story
February 2010: the news reports are that Joran van der Sloot stated in an interview that he disposed of Holloway’s body in a marsh in Aruba. As a result the new chief prosecutor Peter Blanken said the authorities investigated this new claim but dismissed it. Blanken says, “The locations, names, and times he gave just did not make sense.”
Nothing But A Story
Underwater Searches
On March 2010, there were some underwater searches conducted by Aruban authorities after an American couple were snorkeling and photographed what they believed could be human remains, maybe even those of Natalee. Aruban authorities did send divers to investigate the are, however no remains were ever found.
Underwater Searches
Money Trail
March 2010, Joran contacts Beth Holloway where he says that he will finally tell her where her daughter is buried. But on one condition – she must pay him $250,000 dollars. Beth wires Joran $15,000, and then $10,000 is handed to him in cash by an undercover cop in Aruba. Unfortunately, Joran gives a false location and gets charged with extortion. However(!) Joran escapes to Peru before he can get arrested.
Money Trail
Second Murder
May 30, 2010, two months after Joran extorts Beth for money, it’s the five year anniversary of Natalee’s disappearance. Now on this same day, five years later, the body of 21 year old college student, Stephany Flores, is found in Peru. Her mutilated body was found in Joran’s hotel room and he flees to Chile.
Second Murder
Next for Jorah
As a result, luckily the Peruvian police extradite him back to the country and he faces charges for the murder. However this means that his extortion charges in the United States cannot happen.
Next For Jorah
28 Years
Joran spends two years in a Peruvian jail, while serving a 28 year sentence, before he ultimately confesses to the murder of Stephany Flores. His lawyer then informs the media that Joran murdered Flores while under “extreme psychological trauma.” The trauma of his being accused of killing Natalee Holloway.
28 Years
Jawbone
On November 12, 2010, some tourists discover a jawbone on the beach near to the Phoenix Hotel and Bubali Swamp. A preliminary examination determines that the bone is in fact from a young woman – some parts of the bone is sent to The Hague for testing by the Netherlands Forensic Institute. By November 23, 2010, the Aruba Solicitor-General Taco Stein says that based on dental records, the jawbone found was not from Natalee Holloway.
Jawbone
U.S. Justice Department
After the U.S. Justice Department makes a request, authorities conduct a raid on June 4 and confiscate items from two different homes in the Netherlands. One home belonged to reporter Jaap Amesz, who previously interviewed Van der Sloot and claimed to have knowledge of criminal activities.
U.S. Justice Department
Possible New Clues
Aruban investigators then use some information that was gathered from the extortion case in order to launch a brand new search at a beach. However no new evidence emerges. Dave Holloway returns to Aruba on June 14 in order to pursue some possible new clues.
Possible New Clues
Legally Dead
A day before Joran is sentenced to Peruvian prison, Dave Holloway has Natalee Holloway pronounced legally dead. Alabama judge, Alan King, said Dave met all of the legal requirements to make the declaration. However Natalee’s mother, Beth, completely opposed the idea.
Legally Dead
Joran’s Wife
July 4, 2014 Joran marries the Peruvian woman, Leidy Figueroa. Their wedding was in the prison that Joran is currently being held in. Furthermore, Leidy is pregnant with Joran’s child, Dushy, and she gave birth to their daughter later in 2014. They had met while she was visiting a relative in the same prison.
Joran’s Wife
Construction Work
May 2015 and Jurrien de Jong, a new witness, steps forward. He claims he saw Joran carrying Natalee’s lifeless body into a locked construction site, the Marriott Hotel’s Spyglass Tower. Jong said when Joran walked out of the area, he no longer had a body in his arms. Jurrien was living illegally in Aruba, so that’s why he didn’t come forward sooner. Police investiaged his claims but found no construction activity in the time he claimed.
Construction Work
Anniversary Madness
Beth Holloway spoke to TODAYcons, and said, “Actually, there is no truth to that story. Every time there’s an anniversary, whether it’s the five-year mark, and now it’s the 10-year mark, there’s always, I hate to say it, just like some crazies that just come out and they have so placed themselves in Natalee’s story. It’s empty. There is nothing to that story.”
Anniversary Madness
Hidden Camera
March 2016, reporters from ‘RadarOnline’ went to the Peruvian Prison where Joran is serving time and they had a hidden camera. On the video, Joran says, “I always lied to the police, I never told the truth. I made up so many stories against the police… Also when I was younger, I never told everything. The police just never knew what they had to ask me.” However one reporter presses further.
Hidden Camera
Revelation
One reporter asked Joran if he was talking about Natalee Holloway and Joran replied, “Yes, this is also where I am guilty and I accept everything that I have done.” However, he did not directly admit to killing Natalee. Moreover he goes on to say that the murder of Stephany Flores was because of cocaine consumption and not the “extreme psychological trauma” his lawyer claimed.
Revelation
Publicity Stunt
Sadly in Aruba in order for a confession to be liable, it has to be hand-written and signed. Both of Natalee’s parents believe that Joran was working with the tabloids to earn some cash.
Publicity Stunt
The Series
August 2017 on the Oxygen channel, Natalee’s father and private investigator T.J. Ward appear on a new series titled, “The Disappearance of Natalee Holloway.” They’ve been presented with new evidence that could reveal how Natalee died.
The Series
The Evidence
The new evidence that police uncovered were remains, that very much look human. Furthermore are similar to Natalee’s age, gender, height, and weight from when she disappeared. Natalee’s dad is certain it’s his daughter.
The Evidence
Gabriel
All of the new information which lead to the discovery of the remains came from an informant named Gabriel. Gabriel became friends with the former roommate of Joran van der Sloot – it was their friendship that caused Joran’s friend to open up to Gabriel.
Gabriel
Tragedy
According to Gabriel, van der Sloot tried to kiss Natalee spiking her drink with the date rape drug GHB. But Natalee started to foam at the mouth, so he panicked, and eventually Natalee fatally choked on her vomit. Allegedly Van der Sloot put Natalee’s folded corpse into a burlap sack and buried then her in an Aruban park, where he used a cactus plant to help cover his tracks.
Tragedy
Believe It
David Holloway said that Van der Sloot confessed to his friend in confidence and that’s why he believes Gabriel. “They lived together for several months and during those months, Joran shared a lot of information with him that is not public knowledge. … And that’s one of the reasons we pursued this.”
Believe It
Ward Presses On
During T.D. Ward’s 18-month investigation, he also spoke to Joran Van der Sloot’s friend, John Ludwick. Ludwick states that he was paid off to the tune of $1,500 to dig up Natalee’s remains back in 2010. Then that he should cremate them together with dog bones, seeing as how some Aruban cemeteries allowed pet cremation.
Ward Presses On
Bones
Ludwick also revealed that he and Joran had burned Natalee’s skull in a cave. In a recorded conversion, he said, “The idea was to crush everything to the point where it wasn’t recognizable as her bones or skull or anything like that.”
Bones
Hair Fibers
In order to get rid of Natalee’s hair fibers, they burned her skull. And made sure to douse it in gasoline “in a fire pit in a cave,” he claimed. It seems as though the two men would stop at nothing to cover their tracks.
Hair Fibers
What If
If the remains are indeed Natalee Holloway then the prosecutors in Aruba would re-file charges against van der Sloot. Something that both of Natalee’s parents would want, justice for their daughter.
What If
Jessica Caoila
One of the students who was with Natalee Holloway the night she went missing, spoke up for the first time on the Oxygen series. Jessica Caoila said that both of them the local bar Carlos’n Charlie’s together hoping to grab a shuttle back to the hotel.
Jessica Caoila
What I Saw
While stopping to buy some street food, Caoila noted that she suddenly looked up and saw that Natalee was being driven away in a white car. While she couldn’t see who else was in the car, said said that she seen Joran van der Sloot at the same club that same night – and also earlier in the week at the casino located inside of their hotel.
What I Saw
Assumption
When Jessica saw Natalee getting in the car, she thought, “Oh, great, she found a ride back to the hotel.”’ Jessica remained rather blase about the whole thing because she, “‘I thought she was still alive and she had been sold or traded, something of that nature and we could find her.’”
Assumption
His New Story
Florida authorities have come out in March 2018 because John Ludwick was in the news once again. Although this time for a different kind of tragedy. He attempted to kidnap a woman, someone he knew, outside of her Tampa home. However the woman killed Ludwick and the police wrote it up as self-defense.
His New Story
Fate
She and Ludwick had been roommates many months before. “He apparently was trying to make advances, [and] she wanted nothing to do with him,” said North Port police spokesperson Joshua Taylor. “She blocked his phone calls, but he was finding other ways to get in touch with her, like using someone else’s Facebook. She said she told him, ‘If you don’t stop bothering me, I will call the police.’ He said, ‘You sealed your fate.’”
Fate
No Charges
The woman who killed Ludwick won’t be charged either. The North Port police spokesperson Joshua Taylor said that “from every ounce of evidence we have so far, she was a victim in this case.”
No Charges
Today Show
On Wednesday, Dave (Natalee’s dad) appeared on the Today show where he spoke about the remains that were found. He says that the remains are undergoing DNA testing and that the results should come back within the next month.
Today Show
Verdict Is…
Dr. Jason Kolowski, a forensic scientist, tested the remains and found, “Out of the four individual bone samples only one was found to be human. The mitochodrial DNA bone sample was not a match to [mother] Beth Holloway, and so it was ruled out as being Natalee Holloway.”
Verdict Is…
No Way To Know
Moreover Dr. Kolowski stated that they just don’t know the identity of the individual of whose DNA was tested. “We don’t know if the person is male or female,” said Dr. Kolowski. “We don’t know how old that person is. We don’t know how long that person has been dead.”
No Way To Know
Lawsuit
After the Oxygen documentary, Beth Holloway proceeded to file a $35 million federal lawsuit against them and its production company, Brian Graden Media. According to the complaint, the network had “preyed and capitalized on Beth’s desperate need and desire to find her daughter” as they falsely claimed to have located the teen’s remains and persuaded Holloway to then provide DNA samples for testing.
Lawsuit
Profit
According to the lawsuit, producers of the show also did not tell Holloway that the testing she was conducting was part of a television show. The documentary series was also not a real investigation into new leads about her daughter’s disappearance. Instead it was a scripted, “pre-planned farce” primarily designed for the network’s profit.
Profit
Knew Before
The lawsuit also argued that the network and Brian Graden Media knew “prior to filming their Series that they would not find Natalee because the Series was pre-conceived and was not a real-time investigation discovering new facts.”
Knew Before
Painful
“As agonizing weeks passed, Beth was forced to watch — along with the rest of the world — episode after episode, headline after headline, to discover what horrors had befallen her daughter, while Defendants used Beth’s DNA on their farcical show without her permission and under the guise of conducting a legitimate search for Natalie,” the lawsuit stated.
Painful
Spokesperson
An Oxygen spokesperson said in a statement to The Washington Post, “We were disappointed to learn of the complaint and its inaccurate depiction of how the series was produced, and we want to reiterate our deep compassion and sympathy for all members of the Holloway family.”
Spokesperson
What They Said
The spokesperson carried on to say, “The documentary series was developed by a production company in close collaboration with Dave Holloway and his longtime private investigator. The show followed his continued search to find answers about his daughter Natalee from a lead he had received. We had hoped, along with Mr. Holloway, that the information was going to provide closure.”
What They Said
Ratings
unfortunately cable producers realized that “missing white woman” were great for ratings. The phenomenon is “now an established genre of news, much the way that the O. J. Simpson case enshrined the celebrity murder case as a whole genre,” said Matthew Felling, of the Center for Media and Public Affairs. “I don’t think that’s likely to change anytime soon.”
Ratings
A Harsh Reality
Unfortunately as no body or remains have ever been found, nor has there ever been a conviction in the case, Natalee Holloway’s parents have never experienced closure. And it seems like they never will.
A Harsh Reality
Moving On
In 2017, Beth sat down for an interview on Oprah: Where Are They Now? She spoke about what helped her accept her daughter’s fate. Beth said that the murder of Stephany Flores put things into perspective for her. “When I saw the ferocity of how he murdered Stephany, it really kind all of brought it full-circle to me then as to what happened to Natalee,” she said. “That really marked my journey as far as beginning to accept — not get the closure, but to understand — that I now need to begin to find peace and joy, and to move on.”
Moving On
Used To
For many years, Beth couldn’t move on and she was lost in the “what ifs” and “what could have beens” of Natalee’s life. However today Beth isn’t so caught in celebrating Natalee’s birthday or even just imagining how her daughter would be if she were alive. “I used to, but I think I’m trying to find joy and peace in other things, [like] through my son. And I’m still really good friends with Natalee’s girlfriends, so I feel like I can kind of enjoy Natalee through them.”
Used To
Sharing Her Story
Sharing Natalee’s story has also helped her heal. “As I do the work and as I am speaking to groups across the country, I know that I’m making an impact on their lives.” Beth carries on to say, “It just breaks my heart, because I know the journey they’re about to be on. There is light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope… And I will continue to reach out to people with my message of hope, as I said, and how to endure in the face of adversity.”
Sharing Her Story
Hope Remains
To this day though, Dave and Beth still have hope that they will find Natalee one day, whatever the circumstance. We can only hope the Holloway family will find peace.
Hope Remains
