To the fodors editors:
 

Well since there has been sufficient question as to why the "missing in Aruba" thread was deleted, a thread which seemed so innocent as compared to others which are much longer and nastier then why was it deleted? The discussion was very interesting.

The discussion was in no way negative towards Aruba - just discussing the missing student. I find it odd that you would delete such a positive discussion surrounding such a tragic event.

Someone must be scared that it could affect tourism??Aruba is known as a very safe island.

Chrisite have you gone yet to the VI's? As much pub as this has been getting elsewhere would, I think be more adversarial to tourism. It will be interesting to see if it does drop, at least for the short term. Also to be fair there is seldom any editing of neg. threads inre to other places. Recently Jamaica and Bali have been discussed inre to safety. I just can't fathom why it was deleted.

yes Larry..we just got back Tuesday night at 1:45 am.I am still trying to recoop.St John was beautiful..just a bad trip with my mom and 2 yr.old Ryan who both complained the whole time.I will NEVER take my mom on another trip or Ryan until he is older.

Back to the Aruba thread maybe someone favors Aruba over Jamaica and that is why the thread was deleted.If that is so,it is very unfair.

When I think back to my trip to Aruba in April 04...I had a really erie feeling about a young guy that I passed on the road.

My husband and I stayed at the Renaissance and one night we where in the Crystal Casino.At about 2:00 am I went to the room to sleep.My husband stayed at the casino and said that he would be back shortly.I fell asleep and awoke at 4:00am and he still was not in the room..so I went to the casino and he was nowhere to be found.So I went walking down the main road looking for him and passed a yound guy (around 18 or so)just sitting in front of McD's.I had the weirdest,scariest feeling..so I walked a little farther and then turned around and went back to the room.I was so mad at my husband..I could have been hurt or killed and I was worried about him.He finally came back to the room at around 6:00am and said that he had been at a bar.(BS)I still do not know what was going on.

Christie - never mind, I thought this last post had been deleted.

How creepy that must have been. Did you ever figure out where your DH was?

About 15 years ago I was at the British Colonial with my wife. I couldn't sleep,and went to the lobby and talked with the desk clerk. I mossied out onto the front steps and smoked a cigarette (I since quit) and was approached by a man, who said I could go to a party with drugs and "pretty women". It was 1am. I said no. The desk clerk came out after he left and said that man was "very dangerous" and if I went with him, I probably would have been beaten and robbed, or worse. What happened in Aruba could happen anywhere. When I was helping save the Bahama Parrot on Abaco in the Bahamas, this local man (white man), ended up helping the researchers with the parrot project. For some reason, I never trusted him. A year later, he molested a young 8 year old girl on Abaco, and was sentenced to the Fox Hill Prison in Nassau. And, that was a remote, out island. I must say the political repercussions from this Aruba experience is startling. The police never scrutinized the car by the three young men...one being the son of the Dutch Judicial higher-up? Hmmmmm. I hope the FBI agents totally clean their car and study every hair follicle, finger print, and smudge mark from the car, back at the lab in Washington, D.C. I just can't imagine what the parents are going through. Robert

MIM..My husband still says that he was in a bar.I just find that hard to believe at 6:00 in the morning.

Robert..You are right...it could happen anywhere.It just really freaked me out because of the erie feeling that I got from my experience.When I was looking for my husband..a security guard told me that I did not need to be out walking the streets at that time of night.I was totally scared that something had happened to my husband.

I really feel for Natalee's parents.I hope that justice is served.Has Aruba allowed the US to help with the search??I read in my local news that Aruba was refusing our help??

My only comment is, to be fair how many murders do they see there? I'll bet they just don't have the expertise to do a proper investigation of such a crime. Its probably the same here in any part of the US, say a small rural area where the incidence of such crimes is rare. However in a large urban area CSI's are probably much more competent due to far more practicing of their techniques.

Larry..I bet that you are right.

It's just amazing to me that the car the original 3 men drove her in wasn't taken in for a check. Apparently, the Aruba authorities didn't look in them at all. Hopefully, the 10 FBI agents are interviewing neighbors, etc., just to determine if the 3 suspects washed and vacuumed the car, inside and out. That would raise the suspicion up a notch. Does anyone know if the Aruba authorities will allow the agents to inspect the car? The nailed a hit-and-run Ohio man after he ran someone down with his car. He washed it 11 times at car washes, and still, an electron microscope took blood samples from his car fender. I think the state dept. should request the car be helicoptered to Washington. Robert

I really don't like to speculate as to what was or wasn't done. I prefer to wait until all the facts are in. Maybe they should watch more CSI programs there. :S-. To me this is like asking an MD who works primarily in an office to do open heart surgery. The skills just aren't there and its understandable. Larry.

It will be interesting to see how the Aruban authorities cooperate with and allow the 10 FBI agents there to conduct their investigation. In New Providence, when an English and American woman were murdered on Cabbage Beach, the Bahamian authorities immediately flew the immediate family members and cousins from both countries to the Bahamas, for free. They also allowed U.S. law enforcement free reign in the investigation. The Bahamian Parliament, with the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, put out a hefty reward for the capture of the men who committed the murder. The killers were caught quickly. I, too, will wait to see what happens, and am very curious to learn more about the bottlenecks vs cooperation the U.S. authorities encounter in Aruba. When it's all said and done, a complete report, I'm sure, will be released to the news media. Robert

P.S.; the facts are already in that the car driven by the 3 men wasn't inspected by any one. Now, hopefully, it is being inspected due to the outside pressure. Robert

Where did you see that, about the car not being inspected?

Do you remember when a young woman about that same age disappeared off a cruise ship maybe 15 years ago? Wasn't that Aruba? Or was it somewhere else? And, if it was, did they ever find her?

The Bradley girl. Her mom was on the Today show this morning. She was missing after docking in Curacao. She was on board after they sailed from Aruba. Passengers had not been allowed off the ship yet into Curacao but they think a crew member could have gotter her off. Or she could have been thrown overboard. The cruise line tried to claim that she jumped.

While reading related articles from a google search yesterday, I read that a girl 7 years ago, about the same age was last seen on the cruise ship at 5:30 am, was missing ab 6:15am. She has never been found. The story mentioned 3 workers on the boat invited her to go-ironically-Carlos and Charlies, it didn't say if she accepted. I believe her name is Amy Bradley. The parents came forward to share the nightmare they have lived for these last 7 years--poor souls. I hope and pray for a safe return. Carol

PS: I said ALL the facts.

catera,
I wish i had seen that show, as I have been trying to keep up with that other story as well. I am sure her mom knows the story better than the article that I read, because it said they were docked in Aruba.

It looks as though Amy has not been found either??

I wonder why the editors have not responded to your question Larry?

She was asked to visit Carlos & Charlies while docked at Aruba but she declined. She spent the day on Aruba with her family and returned with them. She was last seen as the ship approached Curacao but was not onboard when they were ready to disembark. Here are the details http://www.tggweb.com/amybradley/index.htm and at http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant/kidnap/bradley.htm

Jacketwatch; all the facts? Well, here's what we've been hearing on CNN. March 29, she was seen with the 3 men at Carlos 'N Charlies. She left with them in a "grey" car. The 3 men took her to Arashi Beach in NW Aruba in the wee hours of Monday, March 30th. Then, they dropped her off at the Holdiay Inn in the early am hours of Monday, March 30. For several days, nothing happened, but on June 3rd, that Thursday, the 3 men were not arrested but detained and questioned briefly, then released. One was a very rich young man, whose father was a high-ranking Dutch judge living on Aruba. Their car did not undergo forensic lab tests. They said they dropped her off at her hotel around 2am, and noticed her stumble, and that a black security guard approached her. They drove off. By then, the FBI was called in and on June 4th, last Thursday, searched the hotel the security guards worked at, which was closed for renovations. The next day, June 5, last Sunday, the two security guards were arrested; they're still in jail. 3 cars were also confiscated and underwent forensic testing. It wasn't until yesterday, June 9th, that the rich man and his two friends were arrested. The authorities checked the video cam from the Holiday Inn, and found that the car never was seen dropping the victim off at her Holiday Inn the night they said they did. The FBI took photos of the rich kid and his two friends back to the U.S., and showed them to the victim's friends who were with her on the trip; they Id'd the rich guy as the one who "hung out" in the places they visited during their stay in Aruba, including Carlos 'N Charlies. I think it is wrong the 3 men weren't detained, like to poorer security guards, and had their car forensically checked. Everything is finally falling into place, but it should have been done sooner. The Aruba authorities are smarter than you think, and aren't backward in their knowledge of criminal investigations; they're several murders every year on Aruba. Robert

That's the way that I've seen it, too, Robert. I've wondered from the begining why they didn't detain the 3 guys she left with initially. I wonder if the judge had anything to do with it? Hmmmmm?

Robert there was one myrder last yr. in Aruba and lets face neither you nor I know anything really esp. inre to the Aruban authorities expertise in this criminal matter. How on earth could you possibly know? You don't and neither do I. I will wiat for all the fact to come in before I conclude anything. We also know your flair for literary license but don't get carried away with yourself. :S-

It is sad that if you have money or status..you can do just about whatever you want.

I live in NC..an old man was just released from jail after serving over 30 YEARS FOR STEALING A TV in the early 70s.He was supposed to have life in prison.He said that he has seen rapist,murderers and child molestors released before him.It is pitiful because how will he know how to survive outside of jail..jail is all that he has known.

I just read on my local news that an attorney for the Dutch boy says that Natalee went to Arashi Beach with the 3 boys and had sexual contact with the one Dutch boy.

Larry - lol. Looks like Robert is up to his stories again,,, geez :)

MIM04: LOL! Keep working on it and look out Ludlum Clancy, etc. :S-

Larry - right! too funny. It just cracks me up! Some have a lot of time on their hands, I guess! Where is your next trip , BTW?

Around 2.5 mos. from now it will be an Alaska cruise on Princess, after which we will stay in Seattle for 3 days. What about you?

Wow, that sounds great! We are moving this Summer (not sure where yet) anyway, at some point we will go on a trip not sure where. Our next big trip though right now that is planned is St Barths for 2 weeks over Thanksgiving. Needless to say I am pretty excited!

jacketwatch and M104; There you go again. I don't know what's going on, but like other posters, like Statia, I'm merely expressing my thoughts about what could have happened. Turns out one of the 3 men, which included the rich son of a high-ranking Dutch judge in Aruba, confessed. If there wasn't people asking questions, the two poor black security guards would be in jail facing a trial, and the three richer men would have been free. That was a quote from one of the U.S. authorities on Aruba, not me. Once again, nothing wrong with inquiring about things; there is nothing wrong with questioning the facts on hand, when they seem suspicious. I feel sorry for the parents and loved ones of the victim and perpetrators. Robert

Robert: First of all let me say I wish to express my condolences to the family and friends of Natalee. Such a waste of a promising life is sad beyond words. I disagree as noted with your idea and as such am expressing my opinion as you are expressing yours. No there is nothing wrong with investigating the story. My disagreement stems from how the story was interpreted. I also disagree with your view of this being a case of rich vs. poor, the haves vs. the have nots. BTW how do you know that the other 2 were rich? And even if they were how do you know there wasn't an unfair and impartial process in this investigation? If it wasn't impartial then how did the "rich": guys get nabbed? You can't assume bias but I think you do. And Robert don't break you arm patting yourself on the back as if those with your sense of righteousness prevailed over the selfish rich and powerful. This is self embellishment. Thats my opinion. Larry.

Bottom line ...... someones child is missing . A parents nightmare .

True indeed Faith. I hope whatever happened to her be revealed asap so the family and friends can at least know the real story.

The bottom line really is knowing what happened. This mom can't give in and go home until she knows. If there is the slightest possibility that Natalee is alive, she needs her to know that she didn't give up on her. It is so much more cruel to not know.

MIMO4: WOW! St. Barts in Nov.! Sounds great.