It’s a mystery as dark and foreboding as the night waters off the coast of Aruba: What happened to Natalee Holloway?
Three young men, the prime suspects, from early on were arrested after she disappeared last May. But they were later released, and have never been charged with a crime.
But now, word came from the island that local police have arrested a different man — a 19-year old from Holland named Gottried Van Cromhout. He’s reported to be a friend of one of the prime suspects, Joran van Der Sloot, although Van Der Sloot’s attorney says his client doesn’t know him.
He may be the key to unlock the mystery.
“I think what this new witness may have to offer is critical information that may implicate Joran or all three of the current suspects,” says former FBI profiler, Clint van Zandt, who has been to Aruba to investigate the case himself.
Joran van Der Sloot and two brothers, Satish and Deepak Kalpoe were the last ones seen with Natalee Holloway the night she disappeared, leaving a bar, popular with tourists and locals, getting into the Kalpoe’s car.
The 18-year-old Alabama girl, out on the town and celebrating the last night of a student trip to Aruba, was never seen again. While the investigation has always focused on the three young men from the beginning, Aruban police have still not charged them with the crime.
Van Zandt believes last night’s arrest could be crucial to the investigation. Van der Sloot and the Kalpoes, who have been formally named suspects by Aruban authorities, can’t plea bargain. He says if Van Cromhout has information about what happened, under Aruban law, right now he’s in a good position to make a deal with authorities because he hasn’t been formally named a suspect.
“Under Aruban law if, I come forward and say 'Okay let me tell you what I know but if tell you, you have to give me a pass you have to make sure I don’t get prosecuted' — [there is] no such thing in Aruba like there is in the United States,” explains Van Zandt.
From the beginning, it was the face of Natalee Holloway and the voice of her mother, Beth Twitty that has kept this story—and some say this investigation—alive.
Beth Twitty arrived on the island less than 12 hours after Natalee was first reported missing. After finding out Van der Sloot was with her daughter at the bar, she confronted him face to face. From the beginning, she pushed for the arrests of Van der Sloot and his two friends. She made her daughter’s story known not just in Aruba, but around the world. She brought in friends and volunteers from the U.S. to help, distributing flyers, and forming search parties that fanned out to remote stretches of the island.
Beth Twitty collected money for rewards, which has reached one million dollars. Still, 11 months later, no sign of Natalee.
Today, with the latest news out of Aruba, Beth Twitty is uncharacteristically silent.
The lead Aruban investigator, Gerald Dompig, was recently removed from the case after making some controversial statements about Natalee. He speculated that Natalee was intoxicated and may have been on drugs that night, and she may have even overdosed.
In the last month, authorities seemed to have stepped up the and cooperating with Dutch TV on a program about the case. The broadcast, shown in Aruba and the Netherlands, generated dozens of tips, though it’s not clear how useful they’ve been—or if they have any connection to the latest arrest.
“This can just be one more much to do about nothing,” admits Van Zandt. "But this is how cases are solved. You have to be tenacious, you have to stay at them."
Tenaciousness is in Beth Twitty’s blood. And now, the family is again hoping it will finally pay off.