Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

One year later, Natalee Holloway case still unsolved
05-31-2006

ORANJESTAD, Aruba (UPI): Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of the still unresolved disappearance of Birmingham, Ala., high school graduate Natalee Holloway in Aruba.

Despite the arrests and questioning of 10 people in the much-publicized disappearance of the attractive 18-year-old last seen at an Oranjestad, Aruba, nightclub, all were later released.

Earlier this month, mother Beth Twitty told CNN the situation gets "more and more difficult" as suspect leads have fizzled.

"We just get our hopes up, another arrest, and then he's released, and we still have no answers," Twitty said.

The case has cost Aruba -- an island with little crime -- its innocence, said Joss Mansur, editor of the newspaper Diario Aruba.

"People don't give opinions in Aruba," Mansur told CNN. "But I think that everyone here is aware that this case was mishandled from the beginning."

"Whether that (botched investigation) was due to incompetence or corruption or cover-up, I mean, we don't know," Twitty said.

Mansur also said the case has hurt tourism in Aruba.