Witness Prompts New Search for Natalee
A new witness has come forward in Aruba with information that has prompted authorities to renew their search for missing Alabama teen Natalee Holloway in the sand dunes near the lighthouse on the northern end of the island, an area previous the focus of police searches.
Gerold Dompig, lead investigator and deputy chief of police, told CBS "48 Hours Mystery" correspondent Troy Roberts that he believes Holloway's body was buried on the island and then moved and buried a second time to avoid detection. Police plan to use ground radar and cadaver dogs to search near the lighthouse.
Dompig told Roberts, in an interview that will be aired at 10 p.m. Saturday, March 25, that the new witness "wanted to talk about the fact that he knew more about the whereabouts of Natalee…concerning a specific burial location…. The information that this person gave was too specific to just be a story that was just made up by someone."
Dompig said investigators now believe someone took their time in carefully hiding Holloway's body, probably twice. Dompig said the investigation into Holloway's disappearance is in the "critical last phase."
Search Is Underway
Meanwhile, Ground Penetrating Radar Systems of Sylvania, Ohio confirmed to the Toledo Blade that they are helping Aruban authorities search a beach area of the island about the size of two football fields.
"I kind of struggled with going down there [to Aruba] or not. We don't really want to find anything, but at this point they probably are looking for a body," owner of the company Matt Aston said. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think from the standpoint of the family, they are probably looking for closure."
Natalee Holloway disappeared May 30, 2005. She was last seen leaving a nightclub with Joran Van Der Sloot and his friends Deepak and Satish Kalpoe.
See Also:
New Witness Comes Forward in Natalee Holloway Case
Natalee Case In 'Critical Last Phase'?
Sylvania Firm Aids Search for Woman Missing in Aruba
Background:
Natalee Holloway: Missing in Aruba
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Comments
I’m just a regular mom who believes I an still connect w/ Natalie. Yes, see she is dead, however she’s still trying to be found. I don’t folow the profiles of this investigation for fear it would interupt my judgement. This is the first time I’ve reviewed on-line any clues. First I thought I was w/ her in a deep well because she could see thru to the top into the sky. Yes, there were dunes, however I saw a couple type of 4 wheel, maybe 3 wheel big tired dune buggies, no rol bars, at night riding at medium speed folowing each other from a somewhat treed area to sand dunes w/ sparce tal grass. My last experience was under water in a well like location, she can still see a white boat that drives over the cave she’s in and the stars and sometimes a bright light. That could be the moon. It appears to only be maybe 200 feet deep in a cavernous area larger at the base of her hole w/ ‘lava rock’? somewhat jagged and smllening to the surface where she has seen the base of a boat going right ove the opening which i would presume to be prox 12′, however that opening appears to only be prox 20′ from the surface. I thought I saw spear fisherman. This may be when it all happened or she can see it now. There is a name in black towards the back of the left side of boat, left being if you’re looking from the back of the boat. After I just read about the fish trap, i have chills and fealt compelled to share this w/ her family. I’d fly to Aruba on my own recognince to put her to rest. Selfishly, I feel she’s honestly touched me and I need to help find her because she’s tried so hard w/ me and I would like to put us to rest. If you’re interested, I can keep trying, sometimes though it is tiring to get there. I don’t share this w/ many people, it leads to ‘crazy lady?’ What the heck. See what ou can do w/ my information that I am starting to feel very confident about. Sincerely, Diane
Wow, have you seen any more things? It would be nice to find her and allow her family to bury her and have resolution.