Student Quotes Natalee Holloway case

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Mountain Brook student quotes They have been compiled from various interviews on cable news shows and from newspaper articles. , We have all the source links to all the complete interviews and news articles. News links often eventually go dead . In the next week or so, we will work to have cloned pages for all sources. There are some quotes which we know some missing here and we will update as we discover them. Please use the form at the bottom of this page to notify us of any omissions.

What we need help finding:
(These may have been published somewhere.. we just don't have them here.)
1. Rumored quote from a student who said he saw Joran win money for Natalee.
2. Any other student statements

Ruth McVay: We were in our hotel casino. And that was the first night that she (Natalee) had ever met him. Contrary to other stories that are circulating, she did not know him before that night. source
This conflicts with her own story told in another interview (shown later), that Natalee first met Joran for five minutes on Saturday at the Excelsior and then again the next night (Sunday).

Ruth McVay: (responding to question how Joran caught her attention) He didn't. He was sitting at our blackjack table, and he just seemed like a normal teenager. He wasn't flirting. He wasn't really outgoing at all. And Natalee, just in passing, introduced herself and walked off. And nothing was strange or out of the ordinary about him at all. source

Ruth McVay: (responding to questions whether Natalee made an arrangement with Joran to go to Carlos 'n Charlies) Not with him. Absolutely not. With us. She went with all of our friends. He wasn't with us. He didn't go with us. He (Joran) came with his friends. He had told us that night that Sunday was not a fun night on the island and that no one goes out. So we found it ironic that he showed up. source

Francis Ellen Byrd: (about the morning of the flight home) Oh, we knew that something was wrong because Natalee is one of our most responsible friends. And when she was not with us that morning, we were worried, and we were right there with the chaperones, trying to figure out what was going on. source

Ruth McVay: (to question if she saw Natalee leave with Joran) No, I actually left an hour before the club closed. source

Francis Ellen Byrd: ( to question if any of her friends saw Natalee leave with Joran) No. If one of our good friends had seen her, we would never have let her get in the car with him, ever. Absolutely not. source

Ruth McVay: (to question what time did she think Natalee left) From other people talking and the time that the club closed, around 1 a.m. source

Francis Ellen Byrd: (to question whether just Natalee was left behind or was there a group) No, I don't know how many people exactly, but there was a lot of people there at closing time, including the local people and all the other people that were in Carlos and Charlie's that night. And when we all left, there was just a huge group of people waiting outside for taxis, and I never saw her get into that taxi. source

Beau Barron: I don't think she (Natalee) was too concerned about setting an example as much as she was about just being herself. She was more just like, "this is me, and if you don't like it, then that's too bad." source

Beau Barron: She (Natalee) was a little bit more outgoing than everybody else. She was just always a fun one to be around. And she was always laughing and having a good time. source

Beau Barron: She had all these, like, figurines of like "Wizard of Oz" characters and stuff. And like paintings and everything, which I mean I guess that was her thing . source

Beau Barron: quoted as remembering being at the bar with Holloway that night, and wondering how it could have turned out differently. It's always in the back of everybody's mind. The chaperones are not to blame. They weren't there to hold our hands. By no means should this be put on them at all. source

Katie Henley: The following sounds liked a paraphrased quote: "They found her bags in her room with her passport and cell phone and were instantly concerned," said Katie Henley. This also sounds paraphrased: "She said no one wondered about her whereabouts sooner, because the students were spread around the sprawling resort and often camped in each others' rooms." The following sounds more like a verbatim quote: Natalee's Miss Itinerary, if she knew she was going to miss a flight she'd freak out. It's just not like her. When she wasn't there, we knew something was wrong. cloned source -(Scroll down to entry with "From the Birminham News Friday, June 03, 2005")

Unidentified female student: That (Wizard of Oz) was her (Natalee's) favorite movie when she was younger. So for her birthday, her mom recently got her a "Wizard of Oz" cake. And that was just kind of a joke because she's so old but she had a "Wizard of Oz" cake for her birthday. source

Unidentified female student: In eighth grade, she used to have a box of chapstick, full of lip balms of about a hundred different flavors. And one time, jokingly, we took one of the flavors. And she called the next day looking for her mocha chocolate chapstick or something. She knew exactly what flavor was missing. source

Milner Owens: A lot of us feel personal guilt. People are trying not to re-live it. I wish we had done something. We've all learned a lesson from this. We've changed. Life is altered. source

Unidentified male student: We only have one high school, and of course the high school is kind of a binding thing in a small community. So everybody rallies around the high school. If you don't know everybody, you know somebody that knows somebody. source`

Unidentified male student: This was her (Natalee's) reward for working so hard and getting a scholarship to Alabama. source

Unidentified male student: Everyone was going on that trip, all of our good friends and everybody was just so excited, we couldn't wait to get down there. source

Francis Ellen Byrd: We immediately knew something was wrong, because she was the first one to wake up. And when her roommates knocked on my door and said that they didn't know where she was, we went straight to the chaperones and they immediately started working on it.
Interviewer: They suspected Natalee was still on the island because in her room they found her luggage.
Francis Ellen Byrd: Right.
Interviewer: Found her passport.
Francis Ellen Byrd: Right.
Interviewer: But no Natalee?
Francis Ellen Byrd: Right. source

Francis Ellen Byrd: We went out on the beach every day, hung out together. Our grade's really close. And everyone hung out together the entire time. source

Beau Barron: There were days, just wake up -- I don't know -- around like 10:00 -- and then just go hang out on the beach all day long. And if you wanted to, you could take a cab into the city and go look at the shops and stuff like that. If you wanted to, go hang out in the casino. source

Beau Barron: (talking about a fundraising cookout) It ended up just being great, everybody. It was a great turnout. And we raised a bunch of money. And I think we got around $2,500. And, really, it‘s really brought the community together and just gives us all hope to see that everybody is still, still really concentrated on the case and nobody is really giving up. So... source

William Morris: We also raised a lot more money than from the cookout. We had a...we had this fund-raiser this past weekend at one of our local restaurants that we‘ve been going to ever since we were in elementary school. And, actually, a band that we‘ve also been listening to that‘s actually kind of hit it big lately came back and played for us. And they raised over—a little over $20,000. And all the money is going into a Natalee Holloway trust fund. And it‘s all going towards the family and just expenses that just are so hard to be paid by them. source

William Morris: I don‘t know a person that just doesn‘t like Natalee. She‘s not mean to anyone. She‘s just an outgoing, beautiful, just nice girl that everyone is missing and ready for her to come home. It‘s hard, but it‘s also just a reminder that we just have to keep praying for her. And the more we can do here, it just makes everybody feel so much better. People have actually... we‘ve... Natalee‘s closest friends have braided these... oh, just thousands of these bracelets. And people have been wanting them all over the state. And there‘s... also, there‘s local, like, local businesses giving money. And everyone is just chipping in just to bring Natalee home. source

Beau Barron: She‘s a smart girl. She‘s level-headed. And she has just a bunch of common sense. And just the fact that something like this would ever happen to her just blows my mind. And, so, I mean, it‘s just really hard to come to grips with. But we all—we just—we‘re trying to all take it in stride, so... source

Trey Merrill and Beau Barron: (quoted in newspaper) ...(We) encountered van der Sloot while playing cards at their hotel casino. source

Trey Merrill and Beau Barron: (talking about a cook-out they held) (We) decided to host the fund-raiser after Barron's uncle donated a large grill and food. source

Bryan Reynolds: There was almost a fight between my friend and him (Joran). I had to break them up. That's when I got a good look at them. source

Bryan Reynolds: (quoted in newspaper as saying) ... (I) saw (Joran and the Kalpoe brothers) hanging out at the Holiday Inn source

Bryan Reynolds: (quoted in newspaper as saying) ...they (Joran and the Kalpoe brothers) were the first people (I) considered as potential suspects. source

Bryan Reynolds: That was the first people (Joran and the Kalpoe brothers) who came to mind. source

Bryan Reynolds: (quoted as saying) Van der Sloot got into a scuffle with some of the Mountain Brook guys at the bar. source

Bryan Reynolds: I broke it up. It was outside the Carlos 'n Charlies, the second night we were there. source

Madison Whatley (trip room mate): (wearing baby blue rubber bracelet that says "Hope for Natalee.") It's frustrating, but it helps to come to the prayer service. source

Beau Barron: (quoted as saying) He and other classmates who went on the trip didn't know what to think when Holloway failed to show up for the flight home to Alabama on May 30. source

Beau Barron: Initially it was just disbelief. source

Beau Barron: (quoted as saying) He wondered if they could have done more to make sure Holloway got back to their hotel safely. (But) that's something you don't need to dwell on because you can't turn back time. source

Beau Barron: (quoted as saying) People who went on the trip aren't publicly discussing details of what happened in Aruba at the request of Holloway's family, which fears the publicity could hamper the investigation. source

Sarah Burton: I was talking with a friend last night about how I was so amazed that it's gotten so big and is all over the nation. source

Student one: (at prayer service) (We) were asked by her family not to talk to reporters. source (scroll to second article)

Student two: (at prayer service) It's all in our best interest not to talk to the press right now. But, thank you though. source (scroll to second article)

Several students: (most at a prayer service said they couldn't say anything, including — in almost every case — their names. Nor would they provide the identities of the chaperones who accompanied them on the trip when asked.) source (scroll to second article)

Dark-haired student: (at prayer service when asked about the trip) put an index finger over her lips in a "shush" source (scroll to second article)

Student three:(at prayer service when asked about the trip) Sorry, it's just kind of hard to talk. source (scroll to second article)

Student four : (at prayer service when asked about the trip,quoted as saying) ....asked by her (Natalee's) family not to talk to reporters. source (scroll to second article)

Jamie Justice: (quoted on cable news show as saying) ....(I) got to know van der Sloot at the Black Jack table. source

Jamie Justice: The way he came off wasn't at all in a threatening way, he was really naive to everybody. source

Jamie Justice: He didn't look like one of the locals and he didn't act like one of the locals. He acted more like he was just down there vacationing. source

Jamie Justice: (quoted on cable news show as saying) ... although Holloway is a sweet person she isn't overly trusting. source

Virginia Page: I remember dancing with her for most of the time, and then an hour before (Carlos ‘N’ Charlies) closed, I didn’t see her again. She hadn’t planned on meeting (Van der Sloot), he just happened to be there. source cloned source

Virginia Page: That night was more hectic than others was because it closed at 1 a.m. There was sort of a mass exodus out of the place. Everyone left all at once. source cloned source

Sara Emily Allen: You didn’t want to stand out on the side of the street, and we were all in one place getting in cabs. We knew none of our friends would get up and go somewhere else, because there was nowhere else to be.” source cloned source

Virginia Page: Cell phones didn’t work. source cloned source

Virginia Page: Natalee was in my group of friends. I had known her since she moved to our high school at the beginning of eighth grade. There were about 15 of us who hung out all the time. source cloned source

Virginia Page:(about braided yarn bracelet she was wearing).Most people wear them. At the very beginning, we made bracelets, and sent them to people in Aruba, and everywhere. source cloned source

Sara Emily Allen: I had classes with Natalee. Everyone who came here (Vanderbilt University) knew her. source cloned source

Virginia Page: I’ve kind of stopped listening to what the news says because there’s been a lot of false information. It’s good, but they make everything sound like a step forward. That would a big progression, but it’s hard to know. source cloned source

Sara Emily Allen: When you watch the news, it makes you excited that maybe something happened, that they figured it out. When they don’t, it’s just disappointing. source cloned source

Virginia Page: I think mainly what her mom wants, what other people want, isn’t necessarily closure, but just to know what happened. It’s just really important to find out what happened. source cloned source

Virginia Page: (to question about belief Natalee is still alive) Declined to comment source cloned source

Sara Emily Allen:(to question about belief Natalee is still alive) Declined to comment source cloned source

Virginia Page: Part of me doesn’t like hearing about it a lot, but if everyone forgot about it, then that would just make me sadder. When people know about it and talk about it, I feel that people are still looking. source cloned source

Katie Bluhm: (about why she started a Natalee facebook club): The facebook club was started as a way for fellow Mountain Brook alums, and anyone else who cares, to band together and show support for (Natalee) and her family. source cloned source

Virginia Page: It’s important (keeping Natalee's memory alive)...I think about it everyday. It’s hard to forget, and I wouldn’t want to forget it. I have pictures of her on my wall. It makes me feel better that I think about her every day at least. source cloned source

Virginia Page: Many houses in Mountain Brook have yellow ribbons tied on their mailboxes. source cloned source

Virginia Page: It’s very hard. Once summer stopped, it seemed like everyone was going to forget. It’s not as bad for me here (at college), though. Everyone is together dealing with it at the same time. The worst part is not knowing anything, and it’s been that way for a long time. source cloned source

Sara Emily Allen: Not being with anyone from Mountain Brook at Vanderbilt would be really hard. source cloned source

Alana Jordan: (answering question if she knew Joran's face) Yes. Well, I didn't recognize him that night because it was dark, but we had seen him, yes. source

Alana Jordan: (to question where, what time and in what condition last saw Natalee) The last time I saw Natalee, we were leaving the club, and a friend of mine went back to the club because we were going to make sure that no one got left because we were leaving at closing. And we ran into her and asked her if she was Ok. And she said, "Yes" and indicated that she was going back to the hotel with some other Mountain Brook students. source

Alana Jordan: (answering question, was Natalee intoxicated when the club was closing.) She looked Ok to me. I asked her if she was "all right," and she said she "was fine." And obviously, if I didn't believe her, then I wouldn't have let her go. source

Interviewer: She didn't look like she was weaving or sick or anything like that? She looked fine?
Alana Jordan: No. source

Alana Jordan: (was Natalee with Van Der Sloot) Yes, she was. source

Alana Jordan: (did she know Joran) I never met him before, and that night he didn't talk. He was just walking next to her. But I assumed that it was him. It was a tall guy with dark hair. I never knew his name, though. source

Alana Jordan: (responding to question whether 17 and 18 year olds were drinking at CnC's) Eighteen-year-olds were, because that's the legal drinking age. I don't think anyone 17 could get into the club. source

Alana Jordan: (responding to question about Natalee outside the club) Well, we just assumed that she was going with... there was two groups of students, and we assumed that she was going with a group that was in front of us. And we turned the corner to go to another club, me and a couple of my friends, to make sure that no one got left in that club, because we weren't sure if anyone had gone there. Make sure that no one got left there source

Alana Jordan: (answering if she had seen Natalee with Joran before the last night) No, but he was in our casino a lot. source

Alana Jordan: (to question, were you a close friend of Natalee) She's pretty much the reason I passed calculus. Yes.
Alana Jordan: (to the question, so you know her very well?) Yes. source

Interviewer: Would you be surprised to hear that she went off with some guy? Would that shock you?
Alana Jordan: Yes. She's not -- there's been a lot of allegations that she was a less than respectable girl, and that is completely false. That's really why I wanted to come on this show, to just clarify that she's a really good girl, a really smart girl, and that's why this is such a shock to us. source

Interviewer: So, that wouldn't ordinarily be her modus operandi, to go in a car with three guys? That wouldn't have happened in your experience?
Alana Jordan: No.
Interviewer: And you know her very well?
Alana Jordan: I would say so, yes. source

Ed Kissel: (when was the last time he saw Natalee) I think I saw her a little later that night. I had stayed in Carlos 'n Charlie's pretty long, and I saw her dancing with Van Der Sloot later that night. source

Ed Kissel: (did he know Joran, how did he know who he was) I didn't know him, but I had seen -- he had been around the hotel and the casino with her (Natalee) and with her friends, her closer friends, just hanging out around the hotel for the last few days, two or three days . source

Ed Kissel: (was Natalee intoxicated) I wouldn't say so. We were all having a good time. I'd go so far as to say that, but I wouldn't say intoxicated. . source

Ed Kissel: (was Natalee drinking) Drinking responsibly is what I would say. Along with the rest of us. . source

Ed Kissel: (did he see Natalee get into a car with Joran and the two other guys) I did not see her getting in the car. I saw her leaving, looked like with Van Der Sloot. I didn't see her getting in the car. You couldn't really see the road from inside the bar, so that is what I saw. source

Ed Kissel: (was he concerned) No. I wasn't personally concerned about anything. From what I've heard, I heard people talk about him and he sounded like a nice guy. So I didn't think any big deal. I personally had ridden in the car over there. I made friends with one of the waiters. I'm fluent in Spanish, and you know, I was friends with somebody. And so I was thinking, you know, I rode in a car with somebody, she rides in the car with somebody, no big deal. I didn't think about it. source

Alana Jordan: (responding to interviewer statement that there was no supervision) There actually was supervision. It wasn't... they knew that this trip was for, the chaperones, that is. And they weren't breathing down our necks, but they were looking after us very well. And there's... that's another thing I wanted to address. A lot of people have said that the chaperons weren't doing their job, but by all means, they definitely were. source

Alana Jordan: (responding to suggestion from interviewer that chaperones were not doing their job) Well, the thing is, you have to keep in mind there are 130 of us. Natalee is a pretty popular girl. She's friends with a lot of us. So if she wasn't with one group of friends, it wasn't that no one was looking out for her. It was that everyone was looking out for her, and we all thought she was with another group of friends. We were all out really late. There was no way the chaperones could have kept up with all of us. I was sitting by the pool until about 5 a.m. And our plane left three hours later. So I don't blame the chaperones in any way at all. They definitely did their job. source

Ruth McVay: (quoted in interview as saying) Other friends told (me) the story of how (Natalee) got in the car with strangers. The friends watched as (Natalee) drove away with three guys the friends had met the day before. source

Ruth McVay: They said "no." They tried to stop her. The million-dollar question is why she got in the car. It’s the biggest mystery ever. It just didn’t make sense. I know that Natalee is responsible enough to leave on her own. source

Ruth McVay: (about the morning of the flight home) We thought she slept in another room so as not to wake us up. We thought she was being polite.We started walking down the halls knocking on all the doors. We told the chaperone, 'There's a problem, she's not here." source

Ruth McVay: (about the flight) As we were boarding, we called Beth. We were freaking out on the plane ride, trying to figure out anything that could have happened. source

Ruth McVay: (about Beth) Her mom is going insane, but she's the strongest person I know. source

Ruth McVay: (commenting on Natalee getting in the car) But, she had smarts and maturity. She knew better. Natalee would never take off with people we didn't know. She was my most responsible friend ever. source

Ruth McVay: (describing Natalee) You're attracted to her. You want to be friends with her. source

Ruth McVay: We would stay up talking, we talked about college. She was going to the University of Alabama on a full scholarship. She wanted to be a doctor, and we talked about that. She was going to visit me at my college. source

Ruth McVay: Nat met him (Joran) in the hotel casino called Excelsior. She talked to him for a matter of five minutes when we were playing blackjack. The group of girls with (Natalee) told (Joran) they would be at Carlos 'N Charlie's the following night. source

According to the accounting above, Natalee first met Joran (for five minutes) on Saturday night at the Excelsior. Carlos 'n Charlies event was (according to her) the following night, Sunday. This conflicts with another interview Ruth gave.

Ruth McVay: I found it weird because he (Joran) mentioned earlier that no one went out on Sunday nights, that it was a bad night. And then he showed up at the place (Carlos 'n Charlies). source

Ruth McVay: (quoted as saying in an interview that she was) ...interviewed by the FBI. source

Ruth McVay: (quoted in interview) The last night of the vacation Natalee went to a Boyz II Men and Lauryn Hill concert on Surfside Beach.

Ruth McVay: (reported as saying in interview) (Joran) showed up around midnight. (I) left soon after. I was tired. source

Hunter Twitty: Her stepfather and my dad are brothers, and they are each other's only sibling. We did Christmas together and always split a lake house. We weren't really close, but she was part of the family, and it's something we're trying to deal with. source

Hunter Twitty: (describing Natalee) Really smart. source

Thomas Twitty: It hasn't been a dream summer, I guess you could say. It was a typical senior trip, about 150 of us, and it's probably hard to keep track of 150 18-year-olds in Aruba. It's a situation gone bad. source

Thomas Twitty: You wish it would just get over with, however you can deal with it. But at least you'll have something to take your mind off it other than watching the news every day. source

Hunter Twitty: (about going away to college) By the same token, it's tough to leave your family in that situation. But it's good to get away and start over. source

Frances Ellen Byrd: FBI agents in Birmingham are also interviewing students who went on the trip. source

Frances Ellen Byrd: I'm only thinking that she's coming back here tomorrow. She's coming back. source

Frances Ellen Byrd: I've known Natalee since she moved here in eighth grade. Ever since she's been here, she's been the smartest of all us friends. source (scroll to 2nd article)

Thomas Twitty: She was everything parents look for. Pretty much in every honor society you could think of. Pretty responsible. Hardly ever got in trouble. Pretty much everything you would want in a son or daughter. source (scroll to 2nd article)

Ben Miller: (quote from iNY Newsday June 20., 2005 article ) Ben Miller, a classmate of Holloway's, said he later saw her leave Carlos 'N Charlie's, where tourists dance on tables and gulp neon-colored cocktails, with Kalpoe, 21, and his brother Satish, 18. Cloned source Original link (dead now)

Frances Ellen Byrd: Well, I first met Natalee in eighth grade when we had a welcoming party for her. She moved here from Mississippi. And, ever since then, I have just been closest friends with her, as well as a few other of all of our good friends. Everybody in the school loves Natalee. Nobody can say anything bad about her. She is a straight-A student, 25 in a class out of 300 students in a very—school where we studied very hard. She is very—has very many honors. She is in dance team, Bible study. Basically, she is a very responsible, well-loved child to everyone here.

Interviewer: Tell me when you and the rest of your friends first figured out that something was just not right.

Frances Ellen Byrd: I figured out something was wrong when my friends came to knock on my door in the morning asking where she was, because Natalee was the first one up. She is the most responsible out of all of my friends. And we all—Natalee is the leader of our friends. And when she wasn‘t there, we went straight—straight to the chaperons because something—we knew something was wrong. source

The following, June 2, 2005, interview is often quoted, so we include it in its entirely. The interviewer is Joe Scarborough.

Interviewer:    Let me ask you, Frances Ellen, when is the last time you saw her?
Frances Ellen Byrd: That night.
Interviewer:   Yes, you saw her the night...
Frances Ellen Byrd: I was with her that night.
Interviewer: You were with her that night.
Frances Ellen Byrd: Yes. Yes.
Interviewer:   All the friends went back to the hotel. And did you all see her go back to the hotel or not?
Frances Ellen Byrd: I am just leaving it that we saw her there.
Interviewer: Saw her that night.
Frances Ellen Byrd: Right.
Mountain Brook youth minister: Yes. Absolutely.
Interviewer: All right. Well, Frances Ellen, thank you so much for being with us tonight. Mark (Mark Yoder,the youth minister), thank you. And, of course, our prayers are going to be with you, with Natalee and with Natalee‘s family on this very important search.
Frances Ellen Byrd: Thank you. Thank you so much.
(crosstalk)
Mountain Brook youth minister: We really encourage everyone to pray. Thank you.
Frances Ellen Byrd: Pray for Natalee. She is coming home.
Mountain Brook youth minister: Yes.
Interviewer: All right. Thank you so much.      source(tv program is called Scarborough Country MSNBC)

Holly Brown: (I) found Van Der Sloot to be very different. We noticed he was in the casino all by himself. He lied about his age, and when we went on the (Carlos 'N Charlie's) Web site, we found pictures of him there one week before at the same place, wearing the same clothes. source (orginally at cnn, not available there now)

Interviewer:   Did he he seem sort of like for lack of a better... a sort of a guy trying to pick up women?
Ruth McVey: Not at all.
Interviewer:   So like a ... just like a gambler?
Ruth McVey: He was just there to play and be friendly, and that's it.
Interviewer:   Did he show any interest... particular interest in Natalee as you're sitting at the table?
Ruth McVey: Not at all       source

Claire Fierman: (to, how closely have you been following the investigation) I don‘t know it‘s kind of hard to watch the news. I just prefer to hear things from my friends and my family. It is hard to see things on TV because it is an unusual situation. source

Claire Fierman: (to, when was the last time that you saw Natalee) I was with Natalee during the day, but I think we‘d rather keep this focused, if it‘s OK with you, on all the support that we are getting in Mountain Brook in Birmingham. source

William Morris: (to, what was his last memory of Natalee) Yes. Well, we had such a great time on that trip. Being all together, being on the beach together, eating dinner together. The whole trip, and we all had so much fun. It was basically you know the time of our lives up until the next morning when we found out that she wasn‘t there. So I just—we had a great time together with Natalee and we‘re ready for her to come back and have some more. source

William Morris: ( to, you saw Natalee that last day) Yes, sir.
William Morris: (to, was she was happy) Yes, she was definitely happy. source

Claire Fierman: (to, what is it like visiting the University where Natalee would have been starting) Of course, it makes us so sad that she‘s not there, but it doesn‘t mean that we haven‘t lost hope because I‘m planning on Natalee coming to the University of Alabama with me and the rest of our friends. source

Claire Fierman: (to, are people waiting, talking about Natalee)Yes, the school has been absolutely unbelievably helpful, wanted to know what they can do for Natalee‘s friends and family. Everyone, you know when we were at orientation we were asked you know by people you know if we had heard anything, if everything was OK. And I mean it‘s amazing to feel support in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. You know... ... everybody was wondering how we were. source

Francis Ellen Byrd: (to, what were you told by the witness to Natalee getting in the car) We were just told that he saw Natalee get into a car and that he.. we are able to uh.. he was able to describe to uh Natalee's mom and step dad, later, what the car looks like and how that was able to help them track it down. Because, he remembered what the car looks like. source
Note: This is different than when Beth quoted other students (scroll down to read) saying they were able to identify Joran by name.

Ruth McVey: (to question, where was Joran sitting at the casino) At the same table, I was sitting next to him.
Interviewer: What did you think of him?
Ruth McVey: The normal teenaged boy.
Interviewer: Nothing at all.
Ruth McVey: Nothing.
Interviewer: Nothing in particular?
Ruth McVey: Nothing at all. source

Alana Jordan: (talking about the chaparones) The only two reasons they were there is, one, in case of a medical emergency, and two, to distribute passports ... to make sure we didn't lose them. But, the chaperones frequently went beyond the call of duty. They stayed up for us, lost sleep, made sure we were all right. Despite the fact their role was minimal, they really stepped it up and really went beyond what they were required to do. source

Katherine Weatherly: (to question, were you there that night at Carlos 'n Charlie?) Yes, ma`am. I was there. source

Katherine Weatherly: (Did she see Joran van der Sloot at CnC's?) Actually...I was with Natalee. We were all together, dancing, and Natalee was only with Joran towards the end of the night. But, I did pass him. I didn`t really even notice him. And that was it. source

Katherine Weatherly: (referring to Joran) I didn`t see him later in the night with Natalee. I saw him in passing, and that was it. source

Katherine Weatherly:(responding to question, "How was Natalee that evening?") She appeared fine. She wasn`t acting out of control or anything so... source

Katherine Weatherly: (Did Katherine see Natalee when she left CnCs?) No, I did not see her. source

Katherine Weatherly:(Had Katherine already left prior to Natalee?) Well, Carlos and Charlie`s closed at 1:00 o`clock, and when it closed, everyone was getting in taxis at the same time and it was really chaotic. And I got in a taxi, and everyone just thought that everyone would get home Ok. There were so many people leaving at one time, it was just... source

Claire Fierman: (Did Claire see Joran that evening?) Did I see him? ... No, I`ve never seen him. I wasn`t at Carlos and Charlie`s, and I`d never seen him. I`ve never seen him, ever. source

Claire Fierman: (When did Claire realize Natalee was not there the next day?) The next morning, I was on an earlier flight than everybody else, and Francis Ellen, one of our friends, came and found me and Katherine in the airport and told us that Natalee wasn`t flying home, that they did not know where she was. source

Katherine Weatherly:(When did Katherine realize Natalee was not there the next day?) I realized the same time as Claire, actually, but, at the time, we thought maybe she slept in. We didn`t... I mean, we were very concerned, but we thought she would be coming home. We... well, we had to get on the plane immediately after that, and we got on the plane... source

Katherine Weatherly: (Had anyone tried to call Natalee?) Oh, yes. People... we were getting... her cell phone was in her room at the time. She didn`t take her cell phone with her. source

Katherine Weatherly:(Did Katherine try to call Natalee before she got on the plane?) No. We knew that she didn`t have her cell phone with her, so there was no point in calling, If she... because... well, they... I wasn`t there when they realized that she was missing. I was told in the airport. But, I know that other people did, and... but realized that she didn`t have her phone with her. source

Katherine Weatherly: (Why would anybody know Natalee didn`t have her phone with her?) Because they saw her phone in the hotel room. She hadn`t taken it out with her that the night. source

Katherine Weatherly:(Did other people try to call Natalee on her cell phone?) No. Well, no. They... no. They didn`t. Everyone knew, when the next morning that her cell phone was there. I was just saying that we would have tried to call her. I don`t know if people actually did try and call her or not, but the people that were in her room knew that she hadn`t had her phone that night. source

Jay Weinacker: We went to check in for our airplane, and she wasn't there, and she's been missing since then. source

Haleigh Uncapheris the mountain Brook student who stayed behind with the chaparone and joined in the search for Natalee. She was with Natalee the night that she disappeared. She was interviewed on June 9. Original source link is inactive: cloned source

Haliegh Uncapher: (talking about the 11th day of the search) I think people are still hopeful. And they‘re trying not to focus on whether it is going to be a happy ending or not. I think we‘re really just trying to find Natalee and get some closure to this case. cloned source

Interviewer: You spoke last night—You talked about the fact that they met the night before she disappeared. But we‘re hearing now that they met in the casino.

Haliegh Uncapher: (describing the casino where Joran and Natalee met) Well, the casino and lobby and all that is kind of separate from the sleeping quarters or whatever. But you have to walk from where your room is, across the way, and then there is a bar on your right. And then, as you keep walking straight, it comes right into the hotel, the main hotel, where the lobby is and the casino and everything is just right there. And so, the main hotel kind of... Oh, I was just going to say, the hotel surrounds the pool and the bar, kind of. cloned source

Haliegh Uncapher: (Responding to question, do locals coming into these bars trying to pick up tourists) I mean, locals are everywhere you go, because they‘re just like you, trying to enjoy themselves as—just as much so. They were—you know, were pretty much wherever we were, not necessarily only where we were. But everywhere we went, you know, were locals. cloned source

Haliegh Uncapher: (Had Natalee talked to her about being intimate with Joran?) She had never talked to me about it. I have not talked to any of her friends. And from what I know of, they didn‘t know. They only knew him from Sunday night when—at Carlos ‘n Charlie‘s. cloned source

Haliegh Uncapher: (talking about the search) Well, normally, they‘ve been searching from the lighthouse to the Alta Vista, which is a church which they think that Natalee may be. And then this area, there is just a lot of brush and just a lot of ground to cover and also little homes that we may think that, you know, people don‘t have cable or—we can‘t imagine people not knowing about this, but we are just trying to go out there just to see if, you know, people haven‘t heard about it. cloned source

Haliegh Uncapher:(about her friends from Mountain Brook) I just think we‘re all just really worried now. You know, it‘s our 11th day. And we‘re all just anxious to find out more news. And, yes, that‘s about—just really worried. cloned source

From Inside Edition broadcast March 1, 2006 Transcript (Transcribed by internet poster, Heli, from television broadcast)

Excerpts from an interview with students, after ABC had aired a casino surveillane camera video of the evening of the disappearance, along with an interview with Joran, where he spoke about that evening.

Dark haired girl: (unidentified) She wasn't being irresponsible, she wasn't out of control. Source

Holly Brown: (was in the casino surveillance camera group) We went to dinner at the little hotel restaurant, and we went to the casino. Source

Holly Brown: And I can remember walking up and meeting Joran, and it's just creepy to look back, and you can remember vividly that exact night, especially seeing the surveillance camera. It was really hard because it was like that night in action. Source

Holly Brown: It's really easy for him to go on the air, and say what he wants, and what he thinks is going to get him out of trouble, with Natalee being unable to defend herself, and she can't say anything about it. Source

Mary Conyers: (speaking of Joran's characterization of Natalee's behavior) Natalee is not ever, has never been, that type of person. Source

Ali Anderson: I think that all of us think that it could have just as well been us, pretty much every day. Source

Claire Fearman: I think it's really important for people to learn what we've had to learn. Source

The Mountain Brook Interview
We transcribed the video of Greta Van Susteren interview of three students in Mountain Brook at the "Wall of Hope." It has numerous interesting quotes (some which conflict with student interviews given on other shows) . It is worth reading as a stand alone interview

The Alana Jordan internet postings
We have compiled and formatted all of Alana Jordan's internet postings. This is worth printing out and reading with a cup of coffee (it's a 24 page printed document) It is loaded with statements which contradict other students and even herself, plus it totally refutes the very strange "Beth's Tour of Natalee's room" interview with Greta Van Susteren, where Greta was shown a room, identified as Natalee's, which opened onto the beach through sliding glass doors. We also explore this revealing refutation in detail in a bulletin board discussion, False Natalee's room discussion

Extrapolated Mountain Brook student statements:
Many statements can be deduced or extracted from statements by others who made statements where they were quoting what various students told them. What follows are quotes derived other than by conventional means.

Unknown Mountain Brook students: (from Beth Twitty was told "through some of her classmates"). And this young man had spent time with these children. He had been with them for a couple of days. They knew this young man. They knew his first name. They had spent hours with him. So it wasn't a secret. It wasn't a secret who she left with. source

Unknown Mountain Brook students: (from Beth Twitty discussing statements from classmates. Did her friends say they saw any problems with Joran) Absolutely not. source

Unknown Mountain Brook students: (from Beth Twitty discussing her conversation with classmates. Did they say Joran have alcohol or drug problems) Absolutely not. source

Unknown Mountain Brook students: (from Beth Twitty's interview with classmates. Did they think Joran was a nice kid.) Absolutely, yes. source

Unidentified male (student?): When we were watching roulette, Natalee and her friends came, and I -- while I was there, I saw that she came and asked if -- what Joran was going to do tonight, to make sure that he went to Carlos 'n Charlie's that night. The source is a CNN transcript where this "male" appeared in a video segment. He was not identified as student only a male. source

Female Mountain Brook student: (daughter of Mountain Brook internet poster, arbeej, as quoted by mother). She (daughter) was leaving the bar with two friends, and they were right behind another group.She (daughter) called to Natalee and asked if she "wanted to walk with them." Natalee cheerfully said "No," she "would catch up to the group right ahead and walk with them." source

[The following is "hearsay." It is the internet posting mother (arbeej) quoting the daughter, who is quoting other students.]

Unknown students [hearsay]: (daughter quotes other students as saying) Natalie passed them on the road a short while later. She was a passenger in a taxi with another person. She clearly did not know she was in danger; she leaned out the window and shouted something like "Aruba! Woohoo!" source
Unknown students [hearsay]: (daughter quotes other students as saying) None of those who passed Natalee had the impression that Natalee was falling-down-drunk or anything like that. source
Unknown student [hearsay]: (this is a quote of the mother, arbeej, quoting her daughter and quoting another student) Afterward, outside, my daughter talks to her and Joran is beside her. Although she's described as having unusually heavy eyelids, she does not seem otherwise impaired. She's calm, quiet; does not introduce or acknowledge Joran. Some brief time later, another student sees her back at C&C's, emerging with Deepak, who's supporting and guiding her by the elbow. She looks a bit out of it (he thought intoxicated) and as if she might be unable to walk without that support from Deepak. source

Unknown students: (from David Kock, Satish's attorney, referring to court documents, quoting students, some distance away from Carlos 'n Charlies, speaking to Natalee) Why doesn't she get out of the car. She said, "no," that she was going to drive around. source cloned source

FBI student interview notes: for Madison Whatley, Nancy Watson, Elizabeth Cain, Brian Riser and Haley Uncapher.

Click here to see images of the actual FBI notes Source

Parts of FBI Transcripts
Here are screen captures from Fox News which showing portions alleged to be the FBI transcripts of the interrogations of two girls - Katherine Madison Whatley and Lee Broughton.

Whatley:

On Sunday night Whatley advised a group of friends ate dinner. Holloway had a couple of alcoholic drinks at dinner. Holloway was drinking Red Fires which had 151 in them. Although she had a couple of drinks at dinner Holloway "was not out of her mind."

While at dinner Holloway was making a bet with who Holloway "would hook up with" Sunday night. Whatley advised she did not actually make a bet was just talking amongst other girls.

Whatley thought that Holloway would hook up with Kevin Broday because Holloway was flirting with him.

After dinner, Whatley went to the (?) casino with Holloway. Broughton, Merrill, McViegh, amd (?????) McViegh had lost money at the casino during the trip and they went to the casino to help McViegh win (some??) money ......... They sat at a blackjack table. Holloway was not playing blackjack but was hovering from student to student. Whatley ................. at the blackjack table while they were playing.

Lee Broughton

Broughton and Holloway were assigned the same hotel room at the Holiday Inn. The daily routine for Broughton and Holloway was to get an alcohol drink and go to the ocean around 10:00 AM in the morning. At around 5:00 PM they would return to thier room for naps. At 6:00PM Broughton and Holloway would get ready to go out to get dinner. After dinner Broughton and Holloway would go outto Bars. Saturday, May 28, 2005, Holloway became very intoxicated and eventually had to be escorted back to her room by (Kevin Broday?).

During the morning hours on Sunday, May 29, 2005 Holloway started drinking mixed drinks called " Red Fires" The drinks contain Bicardi 151 and Diet Coke. Holloway became intoxicated and her friends told her to slow down. Holloway and Broughton continued to drink throughout the day. They went to dinner between 6:00 and 7:00 PM. After dinner Holloway and Broughton went to the Hotel Casino to watch Ruth McVay gamble/

While at the casino, Broughton and Holloway (came upon?) Joran (Last name unknown) Holloway had met Joran earlier that day on the beach. At about (xxxPM) Holloway (switched to?) a drink containing Vodka. While sitting in the Casino a friend of Joran(LNU) arrived. Broughton (does not?) know the friend's name.xxxxxxxxx remember him to be fat and Chinese or Hawaiian looking.

At approximately (xxxxxPM) Holloway, Broughton, xxx and others? went to the hotel by the pool. Approximately five minutes later when Joran LNU was leaving Holloway asked if Joran LNU was planning to meet them later at Carlos and Charlies. (He said it was really dead on Sunday nights???)

From America's most wanted broadcast June 3, 2006

Announcer: For the first time, her best freind Lee Broughton is coming forward to tell her story, she was with Natalee that night

Lee Broughton: For the first two motnhs I would cry and have nightmares and the flashbacks were so vivid. The flashbacks come when I'm in a party scene, the emotional pain about Natalee was too great to do interviews before. I was so hurt to have Natalee gone. After I saw the shows a lot, I decided to do this one I saw how some shows have been able to find people.

We were excited to be away from home on this gorgeous island. I was with Natalee most of the time, we thought it was a nice safe island..we thought everybody was good and friendly and mostly everyone was.

Announcer: Lee, Natalee and her friends went dancing at a popoular night spot on the night Natalee disappeared

Lee Broughton: : I know for a fact she had never met him prior to that night, we thought he was a very nice young man, we had a good impression of him. We asked if he was going out that night

Announcer: Lee went back to the hotel room at closing and went to bed, she didn't know Natalee had left with Joran and his friends.

Lee Broughton:We assumed she had slept in a bed with our other girlfriends, we got on the phone and dialed our other friends in other rooms, we thought she was with so and so. I felt nausesous, I started bawling, I had to go tell the police that were in the hotel a description of Natalee and what we had been doing. That's when I started getting really really worried ,

If you would like to explore this case further, visit our board at http://scrux.com/forum for a bulletin board discussion. If you know of any omissions with sources post on the refugeeesunleashed.net site. We will check everything out and update this page immediately.

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