Natalee Holloway disappeared on May 30, 3005. The nation became enraptured in her story, but little new information has come out in the 17 years since. Natalee’s mother, Beth Holloway, is still carrying on the search. Here’s what she’s doing.
What Happened To Natalee?
At 18 years old, Natalee traveled to Aruba on an unofficial graduation trip alongside 124 fellow high school graduates. The trip involved plenty of partying from May 26 until the early hours of May 30, after Natalee left a bar with Joran van der Sloot and a few of his friends. She would never be seen again.
The Search Was On
Van der Sloot and each of his friends in the car that night got arrested in the following years, but there wasn’t enough evidence to ever charge them with anything. Beth criticized the Aruban police, and eventually got the support of the FBI. Without enough evidence to charge the boys and no other viable suspects to think of, the case turned cold.
Van der Sloot, who remained the prime suspect for many years, would often extort the Holloway family. He was eventually charged in Peru with the murder of another person: Stephany Flores Ramirez. He attempted to use knowledge of Holloway’s murder as a bartering tool, but Peruvian police kept their investigation to the Ramirez murder. He’s currently serving a 28-year prison sentence.
Documentaries And Closure
The last bit of news came in 2011. Dave Holloway, Natalee’s father, asked courts in Alabama to have her declared legally dead. Beth fought it, but the judge sided with Dave. Natalee was declared legally dead on January 12, 2012. Beth has never stopped searching for her daughter.
Instead, she’s used everything in her power to find Natalee and make sure her story remains known. Beth founded the International Safe Travels Foundation to protect against similar tragedies in the future. She also founded the Natalee Holloway Resource Center to help families find missing loved ones.
Most recently, Beth went back to Aruba with Nancy Grace for the aptly titled Fox Nation series A Natalee Holloway Investigation With Nancy Grace. The two confronted the local police about their handling of Natalee’s case. Beth believes the police didn’t do their diligence as the island is very small. She says, “I can see how small it is. They should have had this solved in, literally, 24 hours.”
The streaming series is also interested in a perceived conflict of interest. It has been alleged by some that the Aruban police deliberately failed to find Natalee in a bid to make money from a tourism spike.
It is clear that Beth will never give up on finding answers in the case of her daughter’s disappearance. The enduring love Beth has for Natalee is clear to see in the multipart series, which is streaming now on Fox Nation.
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