Natalee Holloway, the 18-year-old who disappeared in Aruba in 2005, has likely been dead for six years, but yesterday, in front of both of her parents, a judge made it official.
The declaration has been a long time coming and certainly it doesn't mean her parents have given up on finding her. But it does mean that they can finally get some "closure" (as if that even exists) and begin to proceed in matters that have been on hold. It doesn't mean they will stop seeking justice.
Still, justice may never come for the devastated family. On Wednesday, Joran Van der Sloot, the main person many suspect knows something about Holloway's disappearance, confessed to murdering another girl in Peru. Though he will likely be serving a 30-year sentence for the murder of Stephany Flores, Holloway's parents are hoping his next stop will be Birmingham, Alabama to face federal charges accusing him of extorting $25,000 from mother Beth Holloway to reveal the location of her daughter’s body. The money was paid, but nothing came of it.
In fact, Van der Sloot used the money to travel to Peru, according to the charges. Two weeks later, he killed Flores. Even if he is tried for extortion, he may never be tried for Natalee's murder.
On Thursday, her father Dave Holloway said:
We've been dealing with her death for the last six and a half years. We’ve still got a long way to go to get justice.
Justice may never come for the family. The death certificate will help Dave Holloway stop payments on her medical insurance and use her $2,000 college fund to help her younger brother, but the pain will always remain. So will the unknowns.
The fact is, few cases like Holloway's really get solved. More than one-third of murder cases remain unsolved, and in cases where there is no body or evidence, it seems to go even further. Holloway, who disappeared while on her high school graduation trip, may never get the justice she -- and every murder victim -- deserves. Her parents may see their main suspect in court. They may even see him in trouble for extortion, but his biggest crime may go unsolved.
It's cold comfort for the Holloways and a sad truth about cases like these. But there is nothing that could ever give justice to a girl murdered when she had her whole life ahead of her. These is not justice enough in the world for that. It's heartbreakingly awful.
Do you think the Holloways will get justice?
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Comments 4
Van Der Sloot has been convicted. Period. The Holloways need to find closure in other ways, first by forgiving themselves. I really believe they have regrets that run deeper than any of us know or should know. I recall an interview with the Holloways sometime in 2005, and Mr. Holloway answered a question that suggested Natalee was ill prepared to travel abroad on her own. Mr. Holloway stated, and I am paraphrasing, that he and his wife taught Natalee to not fear people and that people can be trustworthy. So it seems to me there is something much deeper going on if the Holloways cannot accept Van Der Sloots conviction and find closure.
What angered me about the Holloway case, was Mrs. Holloway actions that caused the Aruban police department to reek havoc in the black Aruban community. Natalee was not the first woman to go missing in Aruba. A black woman had been missing since 1986 followed by another woman (white) in '91. The black woman's brother helped in the Natalee's search? By the time the Holloways stopped listening to the pleadings of innocence from Van Der Sloot and finally focused on him, his parents had him back in Holland! So the Holloway's guilt runs very deep and they never apologized to the black bell hop.
I truly hope that vile murderer eventually sees an electric chair. A needle in his arm is too good for him. I know some people don't agree with the death penalty, but I certainly do. There truly are people in this world that are born evil. There is no way around that. This kid was a spoiled, rich brat who was handed everything he ever wanted. Evidently, he also believed that meant he could take lives if he saw fit. Anyone who has watched this monster speak can tell that he is soulless. He finds the pain of these girls and their families amusing. There will never be a punishment bad enough for people like him.
I do not believe that the Holloways will ever have full closure. How can you have closure after the disappearance of your child? They have NO idea what happened to her and I can't imagine what that is like to live with - all of the what ifs and if onlys. Her disappearance was a terrible tragedy that could have prevented - First, I don't think any high school senior is equipped to go to a foreign country without serious supervision. The laws and customs are all different than the US. Second, if she had stayed with her friends or if they hadn't left her go off alone, she would more than likely be alive. She was a young, foolish girl. In regards to Van Der Sloot, I heard he could get paroled in 6 yeears. Peru is very different than the US. As Aya said, i believe he is inherently evil and soulless. he is all about himself. Others are just in his way.