Question about missing Aruba girl

[katerkat]

The child abduction was probably a major story locally, especially since it was accompanied by murders. And we did hear about it way out here in Virginia, and see photos of the kids, just not constantly. There are so many missing children that if wall to wall coverage were devoted to all the cases, there wouldn't be room for anything else.

Very much a big story locally! Trust me, there were a lot of efforts made locally that didn't make the news for the Groene kids.

As for Natalee... I think the media coverage caused the extra effort, KWIM? If it was a minor story and no one knew about the Dutch kid, the Dutch government wouldn't have sent planes - but now that they kind of have egg on their face...

 

[Shutterbug]

This from foxnews:

"Aruban PM Asks Navy to Help Find Holloway


Prime Minister Nelson Oduber (search) made the request in a letter to Sen. Richard Shelby (search) in response to the Alabama Republican's suggestion that Aruba give the FBI more authority in the search for Natalee Holloway (search).

In his letter, Oduber says he was made aware of the unit — known as Naval Special Clearing Team One — by a Texas dive team that has been helping to look for Holloway.

"I would like to request you to use your influence to gain this authorization for the deployment of this unit free of charge to Aruba as soon as possible," Oduber wrote in the letter, dated July 1.

Shelby forwarded the request to the Pentagon and State departments, but a Navy spokesman, Lt. Herb Josey, said Thursday there had been no formal diplomatic request for use of the team. He also questioned how useful the unit could be, since it specializes in covert exercises such as detecting and de-mining underwater explosives.

"I don't know why this team would be better than any other team, but they obviously have experience working underwater," said Lt. Herb Josey.

In an interview from London, Shelby said he hoped Oduber's request was a genuine bid to help the investigation and not retaliation for his complaints that Aruba's search was insufficient.

"We're not going to stop," Shelby said. "We want a professional investigation of what's going on down there. We're not going to look around and ignore what looks to be not a thorough, perhaps even a shoddy investigation."

Holloway disappeared May 30 in Aruba while celebrating her graduation from high school in Mountain Brook, Ala. Although three young men have been connected with her disappearance, none has been charged.

In Shelby's original letter last week asking for more FBI involvement, he called the Aruban investigation a "dead end."

 

[christineann]

It seems to me that if it weren't for Natalee's mother, the Kalpoe's and Van der Sloot would be probably still be partying in the casinos, and the security guards would be sitting in jail (if anybody). More power to Beth Holloway. I can't imagine the pain she and her family must be going through.

A young man I know went missing for over 24 hours about the same time that Natalee disappeared and was found, thankfully, with nothing worse than hypothermia. Since then, I pray every day that all children come home safely, no matter where they may be - I won't wait until a child goes missing.