The Disappearance of Natalee Holloway

On Thursday May 26th 2005, Natalee Holloway (18) and 124 fellow graduates of Mountain Brook High School arrived in Aruba for a five day unofficial graduation trip. The teenagers were accompanied by seven chaperone's. (According to a teacher and chaperon, "the chaperone's were not supposed to keep up with their every move.)

On Monday May 30th around 1.30am Natalee was seen by classmates leaving the Aruban bar and nightclub Carlos'n Charlies in a car with 17 year old Joran Van Der Sloot and his two friends 21 year old Deepak Kalope (the owner of the car) and 18 year old Satish Kalope.  Later on that day Natalee had been scheduled to fly home but she did not appear for her flight.
When Natalee failed to make her flight and her packed luggage and passport were found in her room without her,  Aruban police initiated searches for her throughout the island and surrounding waters but did not find her.

When Natalee failed to make her flight her mother Beth and stepfather Jug flew to Aruba with friends by a private jet. Within a couple of hours of landing in Aruba Beth went to Aruban police with the name and address of Joran Van Der Sloot as the person who had left the club with Natalee. Beth stated that the name had been given to her by the night manager of the hotel who had supposedly recognised him on a videotape. Beth, Jug, their friends and two Aruban police officers went to the Van Der Sloot home to look for Natalee.
Joran initially denied knowing Natalee's name but then said that they drove Natalee to the California Lighthouse area of Arashi Beach because she wanted to see the sharks and that they later dropped her at her hotel around 2.00 am. Joran stated that Natalee had fallen down as she exited the car but refused help, he said as they were driving away Natalee was approached by a dark man in a black suit much like those worn by the security guards. This story was co-oberated by Deepak Kalope who was also present at the Van Der Sloot home.

The search and rescue efforts began immediately with hundreds of volunteers from Aruba and the United States. During the first days of the search the government gave thousands of civil servants the day off to help with the search effort and fifty Dutch marines conducted a thorough search of the shoreline. 

Reports indicate that Natalee did not appear on nighttime surveillance camera footage from the hotel, although there are various statements to whether the cameras were operational on the night Natalee disappeared. Police commissioner who headed the investigation said that Natalee did not have to go through the lobby to get to her room.

On June 5th Aruban police detained two former security guards from nearby Allegro Hotel, Nick John and Abraham Jones on suspicion of kidnapping and murder. According to news accounts the statements made by Joran and Deepak may have played a factor in the arrests, reports also indicate that both were known for going round hotels trying to pick up women, and one of them had a prior incident with law enforcement. Both men were released on June 13th without being charged.

On June 9th Joran Van Der Sloot and the Kalope brothers were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering Natalee. Aruban law allows investigators to make an arrest based on serious suspicion but in order for them to remain in custody they needed to provide evidence. According to Gerald Dompig the Aruban police corps chief, Joran and the Kalope brothers were the focus of the investigation from the get go and stated that close observation of the three men began three days after Natalee went missing. This included surveillance, telephone wire taps, and monitoring their emails.

On June 11th David Cruz, spokesman for the Aruban minister of justice falsely indicated that Natalee was dead and that they knew the location of her body, he later retracted his statement saying he was victim of a misinformation campaign. Later that evening Gerald Dompig alleged to the Associated Press that one of the men detained had admitted that "something bad" had happened to Natalee after they took her to the beach and that the suspect was taking police to the scene. The prosecution spokeswoman refused to confirm or deny the allegations but said that the investigation was at a "very crucial, very important moment".

On June 17th disc jockey Steve Gregory Croes was arrested, police superintendent told the media that he was arrested based on information from one of the other detainees. On June 22nd Joran's father Paulus van der Sloot was detained for questioning then arrested, both men were ordered to be released on June 26th.

During this time the three men changed their story, all three suspects claimed that Joran and Natalee were dropped at the Marriott Hotel beach by the fisherman's hut. Joran stated that he did not harm Natalee but did leave her on the beach by herself. According to Satish Kalope's attorney Joran called Deepak to tell them he was walking home and sent him a text message forty minutes later. Some time during questioning Joran changed his story again stating that he was dropped off home while the Natalee drove off with the Kalope brothers. Gerald Dompig discounted this version of events saying that this latest story came when Joran saw that the Kalope's were kind of finger-pointing at him and he wanted to screw them by saying that he was dropped off, but that story doesn't check out at all he also mentioned that they had massive arguments about this in front of the judge as their stories didn't match and that they believe the second account given that they were dropped of by the Marriott.
Following hearings before a judge the Kalope brothers were released on Monday 4th July, but Joran was detained for a further sixty days. 

After an individual came forward a small pond near the Aruban Racquet Club close to the Marriott Hotel was practically drained between July 27th and July 30th (2005). According to Jug Twitty the individual named "the gardener" claimed to have seen Joran attempting to hide his face as he drove into the Racquet club with the Kalope brothers on the very early morning of May 30th between 2.30 am and 3.00 am. Another person "the jogger" claimed to have seen men burying a blonde haired woman in a landfill during the afternoon of May 30th. The police had already searched the landfills following Natalee's disappearance but after the joggers statement the landfills were searched a further three times; the FBI used cadaver dogs to assist the recover operation but the searches were fruitless. 

The FBI announced that Aruban authorities had provided them with documents, suspect interviews and other evidence. Investigators found a piece of duct tape with blond hair attached to it the samples were tested at a Dutch lab. A group from the Aruban police and prosecutors office then travelled up to the FBI central lab at Quantico, Virginia to consult with American investigators. The hair samples were tested a second time and the FBI announced that the samples did not belong to Natalee Holloway.


On August 26th the Kalope brothers were rearrested with new suspect 21 year old Freddy Arambatzis. Freddy Arambatzis' lawyer said that his client was suspected of taking photo's of an underage girl and having physical contact with the same girl, this incidents allegedly occurred before Natalee's disappearance. Freddy's friends Joran Van Der Sloot and the Kalope brothers were supposedly involved in the incident. Joran's mother Anita Van Der Sloot stated "it's a desperate attempt to get the boys to talk. But there is nothing to talk about." Gerald Dompig later said that it was an unsuccessful attempt to pressure the Kalope brothers into confessing.

On September 3rd despite the attempts of the prosecution to keep them in custody all four of the detained suspects were released by a judge on the condition that they remain available to police. On September 14th all restrictions on them were removed by the Combined Appeals Court of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.

In January 2006, The FBI and Aruban authorities interviewed or in some cases re interviewed several of Natalee's fellow classmates in Alabama. On January 17th Aruban police searched for Natalee's body in sand dunes on the northwest coast of Aruba as well as areas close by the Marriott beach. Additional searches took place in March and April 2006, without result.

Shortly before leaving the case Gerald Dompig was interviewed by CBS, in that interview he stated that he believed that Natalee had probably died from alcohol and/or drug poisoning, was not murdered and that somebody hid her body. Gerald indicated that there was evidence that points to possession (though not necessarily use) of drugs by Natalee. Members of the Holloway family have denied that she used drugs.

On April 11th 2006, Dave Holloway published his book - co-authored by R. Stephanie Good and Larry Garrison, Aruba: The Tragic Untold Story of Natalee Holloway and corruption in Paradise, that recounted the search for his daughter.

On April 15th 2006, Geoffery Von Cromvoirt was arrested by Aruban authorities on suspicion of criminal offences related to dealing in illegal narcotics which according to the prosecutor, might have been related to the disappearance of Natalee. Cromvoirt was released on April 25th. On May 17th 2006, Guido Wever (the son of a former Aruban politician) was detained in the Netherlands on suspicion of assisting in the abducting, battering, and killing of Natalee Holloway, he was questioned for six days in Utrecht. Prosecutors initially sought his transfer to the island, but he was instead released by agreement between the prosecutor and Wever's attorney.

At Aruba's request, the Netherlands took over the investigation. Following receipt of extensive case documentation in Rotterdam, a team of the Dutch National Police started work on the case in September 2006. On April 16th 2007, a combined Aruban-Dutch team began pursuing the investigation in Aruba.

On April 27th 2007,  a new search involving approximately twenty investigators was launched at the Van Der Sloot family residence in Aruba. Dutch authorities searched the yard and surrounding area, using shovels and thin metal rods to penetrate the dirt. Prosecution spokeswoman Van Der Biezen stated " the investigation has never stopped and the Dutch authorities are completely reviewing the case for new indications. A statement from the prosecutor's office related, "the team has indications that justify a more thorough search". According to Paulus Van Der Sloot, "nothing suspicious" was found and all that was seized were diary entries of him and his wife, and his personal computer which was subsequently returned.

On May 12th 2007, the Kalope family home was subject to an "inspection". The two brothers were detained for about an hour upon objecting to the entry by police and Dutch investigators, but were released when the authorities left. According to David Kock, the brothers objected to the search because officials did not show them an order justifying the intrusion. A statement from Van Der Biezen did not mention what, if anything, officials were searching for, but indicated nothing was removed from the home. A subsequent statement from the Aruban prosecutor's office indicated that the purpose of the visit was to "get a better image of the place or circumstances where an offence may have been committed and to understand the chain of events leading to the offence."

On November 21st 2007, Joran Van Der Sloot and the Kalope brothers were rearrested on suspicion of involvement in "manslaughter and causing serious bodily harm that resulted in the death of Natalee Holloway. Joran was detained by Dutch authorities in the Netherlands, while the Kalope brothers were detained in Aruba. Joran Van Der Sloot returned to Aruba and was incarcerated.

In November 2007, Dave Holloway announced a new search for his daughter that probed the sea beyond the original 330-foot depths in which earlier searches had taken place.

On November 30th 2007, a judge ordered the release of the Kalope brothers despite attempts by the prosecution to extend their detention. The brothers were released the next day, the prosecution appealed the Kalopes' release but that appeal was denied on December 5th 2007 with the court writing "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 violent crime". Joran Van Der Sloot was released without charge on December 7th 2007, due to lack of evidence implicating him as well as a lack of evidence that Natalee died as the result of a violent crime. The prosecution indicated it would not appeal.

On December 18th 2007, prosecutor Hans Mos officially declared the case closed, and no charges would be filed due to lack of evidence. The prosecution indicated a continuing interest in the Kalopes and Joran (though they legally ceased to be suspects) and alleged that one of the three, in a chat room message, had stated that Natalee was dead. 

On January 31st 2008, Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries claimed that he had solved the Holloway case. On February 1st the Dutch media reported that Joran Van Der Sloot made a confession regarding the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. Later that day, Van Der Sloot stated that he was telling the individual what he wanted to hear, and that he had no role in her disappearance, the same day the Aruba prosecutor's office announced the reopening of the case. The broadcast included excerpts from footage recorded from hidden cameras and microphones in the vehicle of Patrick van der Eem, a Dutch businessman and ex-convict who gained Van Der Sloot's confidence. Joran was smoking marijuana and stating that he was with Natalee when she began convulsively shaking, then became unresponsive, he stated that he attempted to revive her, without success. He said that he called a friend, who told Joran to go home and disposed of the body. The Aruban prosecutor's office attempted to obtain an arrest warrant for Joran based on the tapes; however a judge denied the request they appealed the denial but the appeal failed. The appeals court held that the statements on the tape were inconsistent with evidence in the case and were insufficient to hold Van Der Sloot.

On February 8th 2008, Joran met with Aruban investigators in the Netherlands, he denied that what he said on the tape was true, stating that he was under the influence of marijuana at the time. 

On November 24th 2008, Fox News aired an interview with Joran in which he alleged that he sold Natalee into sexual slavery, receiving money both when Natalee was taken and later on to keep quiet. Joran also alleged that his father paid off two police officers who had learned that Natalee was taken to Venezuela. Joran later retracted the statements made in the interview.

On March 20th 2009, Dave Holloway transported a search dog to Aruba to search a small reservoir in the northern part of the island. 

On February 23rd 2010, it was reported that Joran had stated in an interview that he had disposed of Natalee's body in a marsh on Aruba. 

In March 2010, underwater searches were conducted by Aruban authorities after an American couple reported that they were snorkeling when they photographed what they thought might be human skeletal remains, possibly those of Natalee. Aruban authorities sent divers to investigate but no remains were found.

On March 29th 2010, Joran contacted Beth Twitty's legal Representative with an offer to reveal the location of Natalee's body and the circumstances surrounding her death, if he were given advance of US $25,000 against a total of $250,000. After her representative notified the FBI, they arranged to proceed with the transaction. On May 10th Joran had a $15,000 wire transferred into his account in the Netherlands, following the receipt of $10,000 in cash that was videotaped by undercover investigators in Aruba. Authorities stated that the information that he provided in return was false because the house in which he said Natalee 's body was located had not yet been built at the time of her disappearance. On June 3rd Joran was charged in the U.S. District Court of Northern Alabama with extortion and wire fraud. U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance obtained an arrest warrant and transmitted it to Interpol. On June 30th, Joran Van Der Sloot was indicted on the charges.

On June 4th at the request of the U.S. Justice Department, authorities conducted a raid and confiscated items from two homes in the Netherlands. One of the homes belonged to reporter Jaap Amesz who had previously interviewed Joran and claimed knowledge of criminal activities by Joran Van Der Sloot. Aruban investigators used information gathered from the extortion case to launch a new search at a beach, but no new evidence was found. Dave Holloway returned to Aruba on June 14th to pursue possible new clues.

On May 30th 2010, five years to the day after Natalee's disappearance. Stephany Flores Ramirez, a 21 year old business student was reported missing in Lima, Peru. She was found dead three days later in a hotel room registered in Joran Ven Der Sloot's name. On June 3rd Joran Van Der Sloot was arrested in Chile on a murder charge and extradited to Peru the next day. On June 7th 2010, Peruvian authorities said that Joran confessed to killing Stephany after he lost his temper because she accessed his laptop without permission and found information linking him to the disappearance of Natalee. Police chief Cesar Guardia related that Joran told Peruvian police that he knew where Natalee's body was and offered to help Aruban authorities find it, however Cesar Guardia stated that the interrogation was limited to their case in Peru, and that questions about Natalee's disappearance were avoided.
On June 11th Joran Van Der Sloot was charged in Lima Superior Court with first degree murder and robbery. On June 15th, Aruban and Peruvian authorities announced an agreement to cooperate and allow investigators from Aruba to interview Joran at Miguel Castro Castro prison in Peru. In September 2010, in an interview from prison Joran reportedly admitted to the extortion plot stating "I wanted to get back at Natalee's family - her parents have been making my life tough for five years." On January 11th 2012, Joran pleaded guilty to murdering Stephany Ramirez and was sentenced to 28 years in prison.

In June 2011, six years after Natalee's disappearance , Dave Holloway filed a petition with the Alabama courts seeking to have his daughter declared legally dead. The papers were served on Beth Twitty, his former wife, who announced her intention to oppose the petition. A hearing held on September 23rd 2011, at which time Probate Judge Alan King ruled that Dave Holloway had met the requirements for a legal presumption of death. On January 12 2012, a second hearing was held, after which Judge King signed the order declaring Natalee Holloway to be dead.

A January 4th 2017 article reveals Joran's latest confession. Dave Holloway classified the convicted killer's confession as "an obvious publicity stunt unworthy of belief". Recorded on a hidden camera, investigators most recent hit reveals Joran's confession. He went on to tell the reporter that he thought the case overall was handled terribly by the police. The reporter responded by asking if he was talking about the Natalee Holloway case. Joran responded " yes, this is also where I am guilty and I accept everything that I have done." He admits to his fabricated stories in the past but insists that his new 2017 twist of murdering Natalee Holloway is true. Investigators have yet to find physical evidence but Natalee's father concludes "We've done a lot of searching and things like that, but the ocean has a tendency to take care of things. I would say most likely we won't find her, but I never say never."


Sorry this post is so long but there are so many different bits in this case. For me it's pretty obvious who's responsible for Natalee's disappearance, I just think it's incredibly sad that Natalee's family haven't been able to get closure. I guess for Joran it's a game, it gives him power to know that he knows what happened to Natalee and her family doesn't. One thing I think is so heartbreaking in this case it that practically everyone thinks Joran murdered Natalee but there was no evidence and that five years later to the day he murdered another innocent girl.

This post was researched from various sources, I apologise if any information is wrong or if I've missed any important information.




Natalee Holloway photo: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5f/Natalee_Holloway_yearbook_photo.jpg