Aruba jawbone not Natalee Holloway's

ORANJESTAD, ARUBA — A jawbone with a tooth recently found on a beach in Aruba does not belong to missing Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway, the prosecutor's office there said Tuesday.

The agency said that an analysis based on dental records rules out that the bone fragment came from her. It said forensic scientists in the Netherlands conducted a detailed examination.

Officials did say Tuesday that the jawbone is human, but it is unclear whom it belongs to.

..Forensic scientists in the Netherlands requested Holloway's dental records last week to help them analyze it, which set off speculation that it could belong to Holloway.

The Mountain Brook, Ala. student was 18 when she disappeared while on a high school graduation trip in 2005.

She was last seen leaving a bar with Dutchman Joran van der Sloot, the prime suspect in her disappearance, on the final night of her trip.

Aruba prosecutors have repeatedly said they lack evidence to charge Van der Sloot, who is currently in jail in Peru, accused of killing a 21-year-old woman last May 30 — five years to the day after Holloway's disappearance. He has denied killing Holloway.


..U.S. law enforcement officials have charged Van der Sloot with trying to extort money from Holloway's mother to reveal the location of Holloway's body.

Carol Standifer, who said she is close friends with the teen's mother, Beth Twitty, told CBS's "The Early Show" that Twitty was prepared for the results, regardless of the outcome.

"This is what we really have been searching for over five years," she said during the interview, which took place before officials announced the results. "I think if it is Natalee, there will be some semblance of closure. Of course, it won't be complete closure, because we really don't know for sure exactly what happened."

Message edited 11/23/2010 12:14:21 PM.

Re: Aruba jawbone not Natalee Holloway's

This poor girl's family.

I hope they find the closure they so desperately seek one day.

Re: Aruba jawbone not Natalee Holloway's

I wish they could just have some peace.

Re: Aruba jawbone not Natalee Holloway's

I was hoping it was hers so that family could have some kind of closure.

Re: Aruba jawbone not Natalee Holloway's

Wow, I really thought it was going to be hers. I mean seriously, how often to young female jawbones wash ashore in Aruba? How often do young women go missing from Aruba? It just kind of made sense that it was hers. Her poor family.

Re: Aruba jawbone not Natalee Holloway's

Posted by gporka23



I was hoping it was hers so that family could have some kind of closure.

Re: Aruba jawbone not Natalee Holloway's

Re: Aruba jawbone not Natalee Holloway's

i hope they get some sort of closure soon... its heartbreaking

Re: Aruba jawbone not Natalee Holloway's

I really am surprised at how many people just assumed it could be hers. The moment it was discovered and they started mentioning her name, I thought "are you serious? Why are they being so presumptuous and getting the media involved and the family's hopes up??? The odds of it being her are slim to none."

It really stinks the family has never had proper closure, but shame on the police for putting it out there like this and getting all the attention. It should have been tested quietly so as to not bring so much spotlight to this and re-opening wounds for her parents all over again.

Re: Aruba jawbone not Natalee Holloway's

Re: Aruba jawbone not Natalee Holloway's

Posted by waterspout4


I truly don't know if it was the police that brought it to media attention. The family has been interviewing EVERYWHERE since they found the jawbone. Even the Aunt (I think) said they always have their hopes up, but this one really had their hopes up. I think they wre doing these interviews in hopes it was their last interviews.

I truly wish they get closure someday soon.

Re: Aruba jawbone not Natalee Holloway's

Posted by MrsPJB2007

Posted by waterspout4


I truly don't know if it was the police that brought it to media attention. The family has been interviewing EVERYWHERE since they found the jawbone. Even the Aunt (I think) said they always have their hopes up, but this one really had their hopes up. I think they wre doing these interviews in hopes it was their last interviews.

I truly wish they get closure someday soon.

My only thing is -- how would they know about the jaw bone? (The family that is) unless they were told by the police.

I imagine at this point the forensics team has DNA stored for Natalee for any future identification -- therefore the police should have tested FIRST and then let the family know vs the other way around.

Re: Aruba jawbone not Natalee Holloway's

Posted by julesrbf

This poor girl's family.

I hope they find the closure they so desperately seek one day.

Re: Aruba jawbone not Natalee Holloway's

Posted by AngnShaun

Posted by MrsPJB2007

Posted by waterspout4


I truly don't know if it was the police that brought it to media attention. The family has been interviewing EVERYWHERE since they found the jawbone. Even the Aunt (I think) said they always have their hopes up, but this one really had their hopes up. I think they wre doing these interviews in hopes it was their last interviews.

I truly wish they get closure someday soon.

My only thing is -- how would they know about the jaw bone? (The family that is) unless they were told by the police.

I imagine at this point the forensics team has DNA stored for Natalee for any future identification -- therefore the police should have tested FIRST and then let the family know vs the other way around.

they kept mentioning dental records... which makes me think that there was no dna on the bone to test...

Re: Aruba jawbone not Natalee Holloway's

poor family

I they find who the bone belongs to.. can't imagine another family out there just waiitng..