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Nancy Grace
Nancy Grace for July 28, 2005, CNNHN
Aired July 28, 2005 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Tonight, breaking news. We go live to Aruba. DNA results are back on the blonde hair found in Aruba. Missing 18-year-old Natalee Holloway gone, day 60, six-zero. Aruban firefighters still working around the clock to completely drain a pond dry. Authorities there believe there could be evidence to answers. Questions about Natalee`s disappearance still linger.
Good evening, everybody. I`m Nancy Grace. Thank you for being with tonight.
Philadelphia police search desperately for 20-year-old LaToyia Figueroa, the Pennsylvania beauty five months pregnant and missing. She vanished ten days ago after a doctor`s appointment. LaToyia also has a little girl who wants her mother back.
But first, live to Aruba, breaking news tonight. DNA results back on blonde hairs found on an Aruban beach. Firefighters work night and day, literally, to drain a remote pond in Aruba. Does it hold answers to 18- year-old Natalee Holloway`s disappearance?
Nearly 5,000 gallons of water drained per minute. Will investigators find evidence of Natalee`s disappearance? And has a special team of investigators traveled to Aruba to re-question Joran Van Der Sloot?
Tonight, we wait on an Aruban judge to rule whether DNA samples taken from suspects Van Der Sloot and the two Kalpoes can be used by police.
With us tonight, in Aruba, Jossy Mansur, managing director and editor of "Diario," in Miami, Florida, Natalee`s stepmom, Robin Holloway; in West Palm Beach, defense attorney Michelle Suskauer; in New York, defense attorney David Foley, forensic scientist Larry Kobilinsky, psychologist Dr. Joseph Deltito.
But first to Aruba and CNN correspondent Susan Candiotti. Susan, bring us up-to-date, friend.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we got the call from the FBI late this afternoon. The test results are negative, negative DNA test results. So that means that two different tests performed proved negative for a match on Natalee Holloway`s hair on that piece of duct tape that was found by that park ranger on a beach that is on the opposite end of the island.
So, again, it is not Natalee`s hair on that piece of duct tape -- Nancy?
GRACE: Susan, what can you tell me tonight about a search of a landfill there on Aruba?
CANDIOTTI: Well, that company, Texas EquuSearch, is said to be out there at that landfill looking for any possible evidence that Natalee might be there. So far, we`ve heard nothing, so we assume there`s nothing to it at this point.
GRACE: Well, Susan, they`re searching a landfill how? Do they have the dust buster, the machine that looks down into the dirt?
CANDIOTTI: I don`t know. We`ve been trying to reach out to Texas EquuSearch. So of course, they`re looking through it with their equipment that they have. But I don`t have anything more on that for you, Nancy.
GRACE: Jossy Mansur with "Diario," what can you tell us about this landfill?
JOSSY MANSUR, EDITOR, "DIARIO": Well, what we understand is that there is a witness that apparently saw this car with these three suspects in it dumping something in that garbage disposable place and that he came forward with a lot of fear, I mean, late, but still he decided to come forward and tell the police and all of the people involved of what he saw.
So that occasioned the EquuSearch to go there today with a lot of other people. And I believe they`re going to start digging in there tomorrow with a backhoe, a large backhoe.
GRACE: Jossy Mansur, who is this person that says they saw the three dumping something in a landfill?
MANSUR: This is a man who usually spends a lot of time during the day and during the night at this landfill. He collects copper and other scrap material (INAUDIBLE) and then resells it to someone.
GRACE: Here in the studio with me, forensic scientist Dr. Lawrence Kobilinsky. Lawrence, I`m having recollections, as you well know, of the case involving Lori Hacking, and the landfill, and the search that took so very, very long to find her remains.
LAWRENCE KOBILINSKY, FORENSIC SCIENTIST: A landfill`s a very difficult place to work in. There`s all kinds of decaying matter. If they have dogs working, they would sense the decaying matter. It`s very difficult.
There`s a huge area to go through. You need heavy equipment. You have got to search every bit and piece. I can tell you that there is some ground-penetrating radar that can be utilized in this situation to facilitate and speed up the search, but it`s got to be done by grid, segment by segment has to be searched. It`s going to take a long time to go through this area.
GRACE: Let me go to Elizabeth and Renee. Guys, if you could pull up that map of Aruba.
Jossy Mansur, where is the landfill?
MANSUR: It`s over to the eastern section of Aruba, going towards the second largest city, Saint Nicholas, on the right hand.
GRACE: Where is it in relation to the Holiday Inn?
MANSUR: It`s very far from the Holiday Inn.
GRACE: How about the Marriott?
MANSUR: Further still from the Marriott.
GRACE: Did you say the east side?
MANSUR: Yes, towards the east...
GRACE: OK, so it`s on the other side. Gotcha. How far is it from the lighthouse?
MANSUR: From the lighthouse, extremely far.
GRACE: OK.
MANSUR: The lighthouse is on the tip of the northern section of the island, northwestern section.
GRACE: So this would be all the way over on the other side. Again, you stated this source is someone who spends time at the landfill collecting metal?
MANSUR: Yes. For a long time, for many years he`s been around there.
GRACE: And you also said that Texas EquuSearch and others are at the landfill searching. Who are the others, Jossy?
MANSUR: The others are representatives of the Aruba search-and-rescue team.
GRACE: Back to Susan Candiotti, CNN correspondent on the case from the get-go. Another thing I want to bring up, before we go to break, Susan, is Natalee`s toothbrush. What can you tell me?
CANDIOTTI: Well, I have learned from -- we have learned from two sources that, in fact -- and law enforcement source confirmed to me that a toothbrush that was in her hotel room was found to have male DNA evidence on it.
Now, the same law enforcement source tells me, in the same breath, that there is no evidence that any male was in her hotel room as part of their investigation. Something that`s interesting, but at this point has gone no further -- Nancy?
GRACE: To David Foley, veteran defense attorney. David, are you surprised that the DNA was negative for a match on Natalee?
DAVID FOLEY, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: No, I`m not, Nancy. I thought basically, at this point, they`re just going to look at every nook and cranny. And I think we would have known a lot sooner on the DNA test results if there was anything positive. I think this kind of to make the defendants kind of see and sweat a little bit, see if they`ll talk a little more.
GRACE: Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIA RENFRO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "ARUBA TODAY": Well, I think it`s very highly unlikely to find a body in this pond. It was very shallow several weeks ago. And after the hurricane passed by, it filled up. And right now, they`re busy pumping out that water.
I think that they`re looking for other possible evidence, since the witness who allegedly saw the three young men in that area, there`s possibly some other type of evidence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: To Natalee`s stepmother with us tonight, Robin Holloway. Robin, what else could they be looking for in that pond?
ROBIN HOLLOWAY, NATALEE HOLLOWAY`S STEPMOTHER: I don`t know. I talked to Brenda (ph) earlier today. And she said it`s taking a lot longer to drain it than what they initially thought.
But, you know, we heard the rumor about the witness who saw the car come back, what, ten times just circling the area. So it sounds like they may have left something there. And didn`t he lose his shoe? I mean, maybe they`re looking for that.
Just some type of physical evidence that could, you know, lead us to more answers. But as far as exactly what they`re looking for, I don`t know. But as far as I know, they haven`t found anything or shared with us, if they have.
GRACE: But, Robin, at the time Natalee went missing, the pond was largely dry, correct?
HOLLOWAY: I believe so. At that time, it was. But I think it`s still murky muddy in that area. Yes.
GRACE: Right. So there could have been some water, or at least mud, at the bottom of that pond. I see what you`re saying.
These are shots of the pond we`re talking about being drained bit by bit. Allegedly 3,600 -- there you go -- 3,600 gallons a minute.
But, you know what, that really doesn`t add up, Robin. They`ve been doing this for -- I was just doing the math in my head. That doesn`t add up to over two days of pumping, does it? I mean, what do they have, a bicycle pump down in Aruba trying to get the water out? What the hey is going on?
HOLLOWAY: I don`t know what`s taking so long. You know, even this duct tape evidence, I found out at the airport. I mean, I didn`t even know about that until after it already been released on the news. So I don`t know what`s taking so long.
GRACE: To Dr. Larry Kobilinsky, you`re shaking your head "yes" regarding the possibility that a shoe or some other evidence left, not a body necessarily. Why?
KOBILINSKY: Well, there are some rumors that Van Der Sloot was missing a shoe. And, obviously, if they can find his shoe in that pond, it puts them -- it links him to that site, as there is some other discussion about the possibility of finding Natalee there.
But I must say that if, in fact, she is deceased -- I hope not -- but six months -- I`m sorry, two months is a very long time. And there`s not going to be much of a body remaining. She`s probably skeletonized. But let`s hope that that`s not the case and...
GRACE: Let`s hope. Let`s hope. Let`s just burn that bridge when we get there, OK?
KOBILINSKY: That`s correct.
GRACE: Very quickly, to Jossy Mansur with "Diario," he repeatedly advertises the reward for Natalee Holloway up to $1 million tonight for her safe return, $100,000 for evidence as to her whereabouts.
Jossy Mansur, what can you tell us about this theory floating around out there that a shoe is involved, a lost shoe belonging to either Van Der Sloot or the Kalpoe brothers?
MANSUR: Well, that`s a fact that`s been going around for quite some time now, that he was barefoot when he walked back home and that he lost his shoe somewhere either on the beach or over here at the pond.
GRACE: To Dr. Joseph Deltito, before we go to break, I want to just quickly run by you -- and then we`ll go to Michelle Suskauer -- the legal significance is not your arena.
But psychiatrically speaking, if this gardener is correct, that he drove up and he sees Joran Van Der Sloot and the two Kalpoe brothers sitting in a car, near this pond, and when the guy drives up, they all duck and try to hide, right there, Dr. Deltito, if they had had an innocent night out at Carlos and Charlie`s, why duck and hide behind the car seat when it was someone they didn`t even know?
JOSEPH DELTITO, PSYCHIATRIST: Well, apparently, they were either up to no good or had been doing something that was no good. Maybe they were using drugs in the back of a car at that moment, most likely related to Natalee and what they were doing at the time. But, obviously, it`s a sign of guilt, and anyone would take it as ipso facto sign of some sort of guilt on their part or not wanting to be seen doing something at the moment.
GRACE: Yes, and you know what? You`re right, Dr. Deltito. There could be other explanations, such as drugs, such as who knows what, not related to Natalee. But since they were last seen with her, a logical excuse would be that it is related to Natalee.
Michelle Suskauer, you know, you don`t have to have a body. You don`t have to have a confession or DNA to make a murder case.
MICHELLE SUSKAUER, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: That`s right, you don`t. But you do need something more than mere suspicion and conjecture. You need some kind of forensic evidence here.
If you`re not going to find her body or remains, if she`s deceased, you need something more than just mere speculation. And in this case, if they don`t have -- there`s no DNA evidence at this point. If there`s no body, there`s no hair that`s a match on the duct tape, it`s just not going to be enough. If this kid does not confess, it`s not going to be enough.
GRACE: Well, you know, Scott Peterson never confessed either, all right? And we didn`t have an eyewitness. We didn`t have confession. We didn`t have DNA. And there was a jury that convicted him.
Very quickly, to Susan Candiotti. Susan, is it true that a team from the Netherlands has arrived in Aruba to re-question Joran Van Der Sloot?
CANDIOTTI: That`s what we hear, yes. That`s my understanding. And apparently -- we don`t know when it`s scheduled. We heard that it was supposed to happen this week.
Naturally, when they questioned him, because of a prior agreement, his lawyer is allowed to be present during any future interrogations. Not surprising that would happen in the United States, too. You the right to have a lawyer present with you. So we`re waiting to hear when that interrogation is supposed to take place. I ask about it every day.
GRACE: And what`s taking so long, Jossy Mansur, to bring in the specialist from the Netherlands?
MANSUR: That I don`t know. But they finally brought them in. And they`re specialists in behavioral science with troubled youth. There`s two of them that will do the actual interrogation, and one that is a supervisor that will put all of the answers together. And then, together, they will analyze it and come to some conclusion as to what is troubling these people.
GRACE: Jossy, did we ever find out -- did you ever find out why the father Van Der Sloot, the judge, packed up his belongings there at his office and took off?
MANSUR: Well, we understand that he no longer practices as a substitute judge. And his presence in that courthouse is no longer necessary.
GRACE: Quick break, everyone. We are live in Aruba. Please stay with us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE "JUG" TWITTY, STEPFATHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: From the beginning, Beth and I were there that very first night. And I still believe that, of course, Joran is involved, Deepak`s involved, and the father is involved.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, MOTHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: ... since June 10th. What have I not been exposed to? What have I not been put through? Where has she not been? It`s been endless. You know, until I am shown definitively, of course, I`m going to hope that she`s alive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Natalee Holloway`s family not giving up on the search for Natalee. We are into day 60 since Natalee went missing from her high school senior trip to Aruba.
Straight back down to Susan Candiotti. Susan, what else can you tell me about the re-questioning of Joran Van Der Sloot?
CANDIOTTI: Well, as we wait for that to happen, by this team of Dutch specialists, I do know that, weeks ago, when originally authorities were talking to Joran Van Der Sloot, that the FBI had brought in a behavioral scientist and was trying to pass on advice and suggestions about what they might do when they go back to re-question him -- at that time, that`s when a period of time when they were still talking to him.
And my sources tell me that the advice wasn`t being followed at that time. Clearly, things have changed in the interim. We know that a team of investigators from Aruba are at FBI offices at Quantico, Virginia, and are going over interrogations, witness statements and all of that. And now we know that a team of specialist has come in.
So, clearly, it would appear that that advice is now being followed. They also have specialists, obviously, from the Netherlands who clearly have experience in interviewing young people, as well. So now it looks like they`re going to be following that advice.
GRACE: Susan, did you try to speak to the Kalpoe brothers today?
CANDIOTTI: We attempted to get out there, but just couldn`t make it. We were doing a lot of different things. So didn`t have any no luck in reaching them this day.
GRACE: And about this racquet club, Joran Van Der Sloot is a member there. What is it, a country club?
CANDIOTTI: It`s a private club, from what I understand. But I`m really not an expert on that, so I don`t want to pretend to be.
GRACE: What`s that, a private club? That could be anything, Susan.
CANDIOTTI: Well, obviously, you could -- never mind.
GRACE: I don`t think I like it. Hold on a moment.
Let me get to Jossy Mansur. Jossy, what is this? Is this a country club?
MANSUR: Well, it is a private club. And a private club is, as everyone knows, a place where members pay dues to keep up the maintenance and whatever as they have to do with the building and the surroundings.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: Wait a minute. Well, what`s in there?
Hey, Renee, Elizabeth, can you show me that close-up again? I see body and skin care. What else is -- keep it rolling. There you go. There`s a whole list of accommodations inside.
What`s in there? Is there a golf course? Racquet ball? There you go. Well, missed it again.
What`s in there, Jossy?
MANSUR: As far as I know, I`m not too familiar with it, either. As far as I know, they have tennis courts there. They have some other kinds of indoor sports taking place in there.
GRACE: Is it expensive?
MANSUR: I think so.
GRACE: And what is this -- Joran Van Der Sloot still in college, still in school?
MANSUR: No. He graduated from high school, with honors, as a matter of fact. He was awarded a partial scholarship to study in the USA.
GRACE: And?
MANSUR: And he was arrested in this case, and now he`s in jail.
GRACE: Where was he going to study in the U.S.?
MANSUR: I have no idea. But I know it was published that he was -- and that he had graduated, he had a scholarship, and he was going to the U.S. for schooling.
GRACE: OK. And what about the Kalpoes? What were they up to?
MANSUR: I don`t know. One of them works. The other one, I think, is still in school.
GRACE: With me there on the island, Jossy Mansur with "Diario." Also with us, Susan Candiotti. She`s been on the case from the get-go. As well as Natalee Holloway`s stepmother, we`ll all be right back.
But very quickly, to "Trial Tracking." Newlywed Brandon Manai accused of pushing his bride of two weeks off a 200-foot California cliff. In court today, for arraignment, authorities say, despite the short marriage, just two weeks, the victim, Julia Cuevas Rosas, asked for a divorce or annulment.
Well, Manai was on parole already for violating a restraining order filed by an ex-girlfriend he had began harassing when she broke up. Fishermen found Julia Cuevas Rosas body on the rocky coast of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, July 3rd.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: What will the Aruban police think of next?
Welcome back, everybody. I`m Nancy Grace. Thank you for being with us.
Very quickly, I want to go back to Jossy Mansur with "Diario" there in Aruba. Jossy, I want to talk again about this landfill that Susan Candiotti told us about.
The guy that observed -- says he observed Joran Van Der Sloot and the two Kalpoes throwing something into the landfill, who found him? Why did he finally come forward? What can you tell me about him?
MANSUR: I think he was in touch -- he was found and was in touch, for example, with a lawyer of the Holloway family. He was in touch with some people that worked for us, that are making part of our investigating team. And some other people did contact him on the same thing. So he is a known figure in various circles.
GRACE: Jossy, a question to you. Now, because you got a hold of this gardener and have come forward, there are now being attacks on your credibility, on the gardener`s credibility, on your family members` credibility. Do you have a response?
MANSUR: But, of course. If the police is going through all these efforts to look at this one, if they`re investing so much money, so much time and energy in that, I think they believe in the credibility of this witness as much as we do.
GRACE: Well, long story short, it all goes back to this domino game behind bars. Someone was playing dominoes with the Kalpoe brother, and he got very angry, according to Jossy Mansur, when someone said, "The gardener saw you parked near that pond."
And, of course, whoever heard that was behind bars. Of course, they have a criminal history. That`s not a real surprise. Jossy Mansur will be right back, as well as with Susan Candiotti. Please stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) * (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, NATALEE`S MOTHER: We are just doing everything we possibly can in helping to, you know, further this search for Natalee. And we have had a group of friends that have come forward, and they are helping us now to make it possible. We`re going to be able to now raise the reward for the safe return of Natalee from $200,000 to $1 million. And we`re just so hoping that, you know, just any information that someone has, or -- that they will feel comfortable to please come forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: The reward up to $1 million tonight for Natalee`s safe return, $100,000 for her whereabouts. Tip line toll-free 877-628-2533.
Very quickly, Jossy Mansur, the reason I was asking about the racquet club and what it was, what they have there -- would Joran Van Der Sloot, being a member of the racquet club, have after-hours access to it?
JOSSY MANSUR, MANAGING EDITOR, "DIARIO": Probably. At least, he knows the surroundings very well because he`s always practicing over there and crossing the street towards that beach where they -- he said -- he claims that he was with Natalee that 30th of May in the morning.
GRACE: And I want to speak quickly with Susan about the judge, Paul Van Der Sloot. You saw him today.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we went over to the house to see whether we could talk with him, and as we pulled up, he was already in his car. And our CNN producer, Patrick Ottman (ph), did make eye contact with him. I jumped out of the car quickly to try to -- and yelled at him to please -- you know, could he please stop? But he was gone before we had a chance to really, you know, talk with him.
GRACE: So he gave you his backside again?
CANDIOTTI: Well, the car drove away quickly, Nancy.
GRACE: Susan, that was a nice way to put it. Thank you.
(LAUGHTER)
GRACE: Very quickly, to psychiatrist Dr. Joseph Deltito. Dr. Deltito, the other night, we learned from Jossy Mansur that in a police report, allegedly, Joran Van Der Sloot blamed one of the Kalpoe brothers of rape and murder of Natalee Holloway. How much stock do you put in that?
JOSEPH DELTITO, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY: I don`t put much. And my understanding is that the translation came from a transcript in Dutch and the translation into English is really that he could have or he might have or something like that, and he didn`t state it just positively that that`s exactly what happened. But I put no credit on anything that he would say because he`s probably just fending off anything in any direction, whether it`s towards a friend, towards a family member, whatever, as best as we know.
GRACE: But it would seem to me, Michelle Suskauer, that if the three of them are sticking together, why would he start pointing the finger at the Kalpoe brothers?
MICHELLE SUSKAUER, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: No, I am very suspect of any of the statements that he made because in Aruba, until just recently by judge`s order, he did not have the ability to have an attorney present. So I don`t know what kind of procedures they were using to try to get whatever they could out of him, what type of sleep deprivation, food deprivation.
GRACE: Oh, good Lord!
SUSKAUER: You know what, Nancy? This is not a grown-up, OK? This is a 17-year-old.
GRACE: Wait! Wait, wait! Wait! If I could get Renee (ph), Elizabeth (ph), to just show me the video of him walking along -- this is after police custody, during police custody. He has not missed a meal, Michelle. No! He has not. Elizabeth, please show me...
SUSKAUER: Well, I don`t know...
(CROSSTALK)
SUSKAUER: You know what? I don`t know who gave him his baloney sandwich before they questioned him or after they questioned him. But in Aruba, it`s a prosecutor`s dream. And if they can`t get it out of him in Aruba and they don`t have enough evidence in Aruba, it certainly wouldn`t be standing up here. And it`s just really thin right now. They can`t get it out of him. They don`t have the forensic evidence.
GRACE: There you go! Now, there`s a nice, healthy young man. He`s about 6-5. He looks like he`s weighing in at about 245.
To David Foley (ph), don`t start with me about sleep deprivation, how he`s been punished. Let`s talk about this statement, the fact that you would hope the three, as a defense attorney, they`d stick together. And here he is, blaming rape and murder on a Kalpoe brother.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He never said that because if he did say it...
GRACE: Oh, you know?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know...
GRACE: You know he never said that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because what they -- the interrogators would have went to the Kalpoe brothers and said, By the way, Van Der Sloot`s throwing you under the bus. You know, You`d better talk. So I -- and plus, I think they`d still be in custody. If a judge saw that, that there was a statement implicating the Kalpoe brothers in that way in rape and murder, I think they`d still be in custody.
GRACE: Jossy Mansur with "Diario," he did say it?
MANSUR: He did say it. We can confirm that. And why would two (INAUDIBLE) police officers (INAUDIBLE) and two other police officers that are ascribed (ph) to what we call (INAUDIBLE) that is the detective department would sign a deposition of this sort? Why?
GRACE: So there are police witnesses to the comment.
MANSUR: Four of them. Not one, not two, four.
GRACE: There`s another shot of Joran Van Der Sloot -- has not missed a meal.
To Susan Candiotti, response?
CANDIOTTI: Nancy, Van Der Sloot`s attorney tells us that that isn`t exactly what he said. This is how he explains away the police statement. He says that his client said, Well, maybe Deepak raped and killed her. So he`s putting a different explanation to the context of it, that the police were saying this and it was back and forth and back and forth, and his client was saying, Oh, I didn`t do it. Maybe he did it.
GRACE: And I want to go to Natalee`s stepmother, Robin Holloway. Of course, that`s what the defense attorney said.
ROBIN HOLLOWAY, NATALEE`S STEPMOTHER: I would hope that would be on cassette tapes. I`m sure they record interrogations and transcribe them. So it should be (INAUDIBLE) I would imagine.
GRACE: Dr. Kobilinsky...
LARRY KOBILINSKY, FORENSIC SCIENTIST: Yes?
GRACE: ... what strategy should they be using now in Aruba?
KOBILINSKY: They absolutely need to turn the Kalpoe brothers against Joran or vice versa. Quite frankly, two months ago, the police lost a great opportunity to turn one against the other. It`s beyond that now. And now the only thing they can do -- Joran`s incarcerated, the Kalpoe brothers are out. They`ve got to start talking to Joran about the Kalpoe brothers, saying very incriminating things about him in the hope that he will turn over and, you know, say something incriminating.
GRACE: Well, he hasn`t cracked yet, although we do know that he has changed his statement reportedly 22 times. Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVE HOLLOWAY, NATALEE`S FATHER: We don`t know the whole story. All we really know for a fact is that they left Charlie -- or Carlos and Charlie`s. After that, it`s a lot of speculation and a lot of fill-in-the- blanks.
If you and I were involved in something, and then I come to you and ask you to make up a story about we dropped her off at the Holiday Inn, wouldn`t you ask questions of why? If you were not involved in something, why would you make up the story?
This is the 15th story he`s told, and the Marriott story may not even be true at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: To Jossy Mansur. What else do you think police are doing now, tonight, to find Natalee Holloway?
MANSUR: I think they`re very busy with both sites. They`re very busy with this pool that they have, the flood, whatever you call it, by the racquet club. They`re draining the water. And I can give you an explanation why it`s taking so long. Somebody who knows the area very well told me that where the water is sitting is either at sea level or a little below sea level, and water from the ocean seems to keep seeping back in at a certain rate that is not allowing them to really get rid of the water at the rate that they would like to.
GRACE: And Jossy, before we go break, could you explain to me about this shoe again? I`m not getting -- how do we know? Why do we suspect that Joran Van Der Sloot left behind one of his shoes?
MANSUR: That came out of some kind of a statement somewhere. I don`t know, either. I can`t pinpoint the exact time or place where he said that, or where they found out he`s missing his shoes.
GRACE: Susan Candiotti, what else can you tell us about the investigation tonight? The pond is still being drained, day three. We know the DNA has come back negative for Natalee Holloway. Many of us predicted that. That`s like finding tape out on the street on 3rd Avenue and saying, Gee, maybe it belongs to Susan Candiotti. Well, it probably doesn`t. But what else is happening? What are police doing?
CANDIOTTI: Well, naturally, I mean, they`re trying to -- they had to look at the tape. Someone brought the tape, and naturally, you have to go the extra mile. You have to test it and figure out what it is, OK? So now that`s been eliminated.
In regard to the shoe, I keep asking about that. I`m not getting anything back, any confirmation about the shoe. So we`re still waiting to hear about that. But look, as witnesses come forward, they got to check things out. They`re going down the list. They`re preparing to interview Joran again, evidently, to see that they can find out, if anything new. And things are just plodding along.
GRACE: They certainly are. Susan Candiotti, thank you, friend.
As we go to break, I want to remind you we here at NANCY GRACE want very much to help in our way solve unsolved homicides, find missing people. Take a look at Tara Dorris, just 16. She disappeared from Longview, Washington, July 4. Police believe she`s still in the area. If you have any information on this girl, Tara Dorris, please call the Cowlitz County sheriff, 360-577-3098, go to Beyondmissing.com. Please help us.
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GRACE: What a beauty! Latoyia Figueroa, just 24 years old. She is five months pregnant and missing tonight. She`s 5-foot-2. What a smile.
Welcome back, everybody. I`m Nancy Grace. Tonight in Philadelphia, joining us, police department sergeant Ron McClane, Tasha Julius (ph), cousin and best friend of Latoyia Figueroa, Branwen Kilby (ph), a cousin of Latoyia`s, Stephanie Stephenson, considered a mother figure to Latoyia.
But first, to KYW Newsradio reporter Amy Kaplan. Amy, bring us up to date.
AMY KAPLAN, KYW NEWSRADIO 1050: Well, Latoyia went missing 10 days ago. She was last seen on July 18. She apparently went to a doctor`s office appointment that afternoon with the father of the baby that she is carrying. And she was last seen in his West Philadelphia neighborhood, just a short distance from a park that they have now been searching aggressively for any sign of Latoyia.
GRACE: Sergeant McClane, last seen by who near a park?
SGT. RON MCCLANE, PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT: Last seen by the baby`s father.
GRACE: OK. That was also who took her to the doctor`s office?
MCCLANE: Yes.
GRACE: I want to go to Tasha Julius, best friend of Latoyia. Had she ever gone missing before, as long as you have known her?
TASHA JULIUS, BEST FRIEND: No. Never.
GRACE: Has anybody used her cell phone, Tasha?
JULIUS: No. Nobody`s used her cell phone. None of her credit cards have been used since the day she`s been missing.
GRACE: Is she like me, always has her cell phone with her?
JULIUS: Oh, definitely. She has a 7-year-old daughter.
GRACE: Always keeps it turned on.
JULIUS: Yes.
GRACE: Who`s got her 7-year-old little girl tonight?
JULIUS: Her father.
GRACE: Man! I want to go to Stephanie Stephenson. She raised Latoyia. What can you tell us about Latoyia?
STEPHANIE STEPHENSON, MOTHER FIGURE TO MISSING WOMAN: Latoyia is as beautiful inside as she is outside. She`s very loving. She`s very trusting. She`s very giving, and to a fault, too trusting.
GRACE: To Sergeant McClane. Sergeant, what methods are police using tonight to find her?
MCCLANE: We`re utilizing all the resources we have. Like I said earlier, we had the officers out at the Cobs (ph) Creek area just searching the woods. There was no specific lead that led us there. However, we wanted to cover all our angles, so we had all the officers and the dogs go out there just to check, actually, to eliminate that as being a possibility.
We`ve also looked into interviewing everyone. Everyone`s come in voluntarily to speak with us. Anybody that has any questions or answers has called us up, and we -- they`ve been very helpful, especially the family. They`ve worked well with us. Anything they can provide for us, we`ve been taking that information and trying to work with it.
GRACE: Elizabeth, you were showing some video. Is that of her jump- roping? Was that her jump-roping in the middle? OK, let`s show that again.
Very quickly, to Stephanie Stephenson. She raised Latoyia. Is the father -- there she is, jump-roping. Is the father of the baby being cooperative?
STEPHENSON: Yes.
GRACE: What has he done to help find her?
STEPHENSON: He`s doing what we`re all doing, and mostly, he`s staying prayerful. But he has to devote time to their daughter, so that she won`t be so anxious and filled with anxiety and worry.
GRACE: Branwen, what can you tell us about the day she went missing? She went to a doctor`s appointment at what time?
BRANWEN KILBY, COUSIN: I believe it was for 1:00 o`clock.
GRACE: Is that correct, Amy? The doctor`s appointment was 1:00?
KAPLAN: The appointment, as we understand it, was at 1:00 in the afternoon. And then apparently, she returned to the home of her boyfriend, the father of the child, and hasn`t been seen since.
GRACE: And he`s the one that says she was by the park?
KAPLAN: Yes. And actually, I`m hearing from sources that some other people also did see her in that neighborhood. But again, she hasn`t been seen since that afternoon. And her 7-year-old daughter was supposed to be picked up at day care, and Latoyia never showed up to pick up the child. She is reported to be a fabulous mother, and that really sounded the alarm bells.
GRACE: Amy, is there any indication she left on her own?
KAPLAN: There really isn`t any indication. Of course, family members are holding out hope that somehow Latoyia will show up. But we`ve heard over and over again that there`s been no activity on her credit cards and no activity on her cell phone.
GRACE: To Sergeant McClane. Did you interrogate another woman the boyfriend was seeing?
MCCLANE: We spoke with a lot of people. We spoke with family, friends, another woman that came in voluntary to speak with us, to answer our questions and...
GRACE: Would that be the father`s other girlfriend?
MCCLANE: There`s another girl that he is familiar with, yes.
GRACE: Oh, the soul of discretion, that Sergeant Ron McClane. Tell me about the reward, Sergeant.
MCCLANE: It was put up by the crime commission. As a result of that going on the air, we`ve received numerous tips. We`re following all the leads up at this time.
GRACE: And you`ve done an aerial search, as well.
MCCLANE: Yes. We`ve had our air tact (ph) helicopter up in the air, checking the area, looking for anything. At this time, it`s been negative results, but they`ve been helpful, also.
GRACE: To Tasha Julius. She worked at a restaurant, correct?
JULIUS: Yes, TGI Friday`s.
GRACE: And was that near a busy intersection?
JULIUS: Yes, right on the parkway in Philadelphia.
GRACE: Amy, have patrons of the restaurant been questioned?
KAPLAN: As far as we know, police tell us that, really, anyone who would have regular contact with Latoyia has been questioned. And supposedly, everyone is cooperating in this investigation. There is a real grass roots effort by her community. They`ve all been participating in the search. They`ve been handing out flyers. They`ve been wearing T-shirts. But so far, there`s been no sign of her.
GRACE: Everyone, please help us tonight. We`re looking for Latoyia Figueroa. Elizabeth, could you show the tip line again. There is a $10,000 reward for Latoyia Figueroa. She`s the mother of a 7-year-old girl. She is five months pregnant, an American beauty, 215-686-3183.
Very quickly, to tonight`s "All Points Bulletin." FBI and law enforcement across the country on the lookout for this man, Lester Gordon Edmondson, wanted in connection with a Tipton (ph) murder of the ex-wife in Florida, 1994. Edmondson, armed and dangerous, 68, 5-8, 175 pounds. If you have any information on Edmondson, call the FBI, 813-273-4566.
Local news next for some of you, but we`ll all be right back. Live coverage tomorrow of a suit against "Candid Camera," Court TV, 3:00 to 5:00 Eastern.
Please stay with us as we remember Corporal Michael Anderson, an American hero.
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GRACE: Welcome back, everybody. Once again, I want to remind you of something very dear to me, the Child Safety Act of 2005. This week, I traveled to Washington, asking Congress to pass legislation aimed at keeping sex offenders away from our children.
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I can show a different face every night. But what good does it matter to a little girl like Jessie Lunsford, 9 years old, asleep in her bed? What good does that do? None, until politicians are willing to stand up and make a difference!
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The kidnap, assault and murder of 9-year-old Jessie Lunsford could have been prevented by a tough law like the Child Safety Act of 2005. It addresses crimes against children that we cover here on NANCY GRACE. The act orders all 50 states to have uniform sex offender registration Web sites. It makes failing to register a federal felony, creates mandatory minimum sentences for crimes against children. And it forces sex offenders to verify addresses twice a year.
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LINDA WALKER, DAUGHTER WAS KIDNAPPED AND MURDERED: Even if a child survives an abduction, rape, they and their families are given life sentences with no parole. They are left trying to put their pieces of lives back together again, knowing that none of them will ever be the same as before.
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GRACE: That was Linda Walker. Remember, her daughter, Dru Sjodin, kidnapped and murdered? She sponsored the rally. There`s more work to be done, and I ask you to please make three phone calls, your representative and your two senators. We need these measures to fight predators who walk the streets in search of their next helpless victim. Help us protect our children.
Thank you to all of our guests tonight. But my biggest thank you is to you for being with us, inviting us into your home. Coming up, headlines from all around the world, Larry on CNN. I`m Nancy Grace, signing off again for tonight. Hope to see you right here tomorrow night, 8:00 o`clock sharp Eastern. Until then, good night, friend.
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