Letter From Paul Reynolds
Natalee Holloway's Uncle, Paul Reynolds penned a letter to the Editor and sent it to Amigoe, Aruba AM and Aruba Today. He was on MSNBC's Scarborough Country Tuesday night to discuss the letter and related topics.
Below is the unedited text of the letter.
Letter to the Editor
I have been reading Aruba AM, the English Aruban newspaper sent out over the internet. There appears to be a growing backlash against the Holloway family that I am very concerned about. I am sure the people in Aruba wish this investigation could be resolved as much as our family does.
The people in Aruba have been overwhelming supportive of our entire family since Natalie's disappearance. When I arrived on the Island two days after she was reported missing, I was always greeted with expressions of concern and hope for Natalie's return. There are hundreds if not thousands of stories of people coming together and helping each other during this incident. Bernadett from Economy Car Rental, the people at Holiday Inn, the Aruban Government Workers who left work to search the island are just a few of the examples. This is the good story of Aruba . The compassion and desire to help has meant more than you can imagine to our family.
Unfortunately, there are a very small number of individuals that are holding the people of Aruba , the Holloway family and what seems like the whole world hostage. These individuals are not a reflection of the Aruban people or the system of Justice in Aruba . These individuals know what happened and are refusing to accept responsibility for their actions. It also appears that certain individuals may be attempting to protect those individuals that know what happened. Helping them hide from their responsibility will destroy rather than preserve what is left of their lives, hopes and dreams.
The concerns that we have about the investigation are real. It began with the 10 day delay with taking the three original suspects into custody. My sister, Beth and her husband, Jug, arrived on the island the same day Natalie was reported missing. They were able to identify the three individuals she had last been seen with and report this to the police. The three suspects were briefly questioned and released. Their stories turned out to be false and their allegations led to the detainment of two innocent individuals. In a missing person case, every day is critical. Ten days would allow those individuals responsible time to hide evidence and coordinate their stories. What if the missing person was alive in those first few days? The failure to take those individuals into custody and seek evidence may have damaged this investigation beyond repair. Why was this done? Was it an attempt to cover up whatever happened and or protect those individuals involved?
Because the father of one of the suspects is a member of the Judicial system, there was immediate concern on behalf of the family that the investigation might not be fair and objective. The interest and presence of the FBI along with assurances from the US Government and the Prime Minister of Aruba reduced those concerns.
Actions since then have again increased concerns that the investigation is not being done in an objective manner. Why would you refuse assistance from the FBI in resolving a difficult case? Why would you hinder a private search team, composed of a group of volunteers whose director has experienced a similar loss of his own?
The release of two of the suspects is also a matter of concern.
Although the latest (third) story of one of the suspects places him alone with Natalie on the beach, the other two have admitted to lying. Is this not obstruction of justice, interfering with an investigation or conspiracy to cover up a crime? Aren't these illegal activities whether or not you are involved in the actual crime itself? How can these individuals be allowed to go free and possibly leave the country? Why would they lie unless they had knowledge of a crime either before or after the fact? Why would the father of one of the suspects tell all three that without a body, there is no crime?
As you can see, our many questions and concerns are about the investigation, not the Island or the people of Aruba . They are as much a victim of these individuals as we are. Please join us in our request to the Prime Minister of Aruba and the Dutch Authorities to launch an independent investigation of this matter and allow all of us to learn the truth, return Natalie to her home and go forward with our lives.
Respectfully yours,
Paul Reynolds
Natalie Holloway's Uncle
Wednesday, July 06, 2005 at 12:50 AM
http://www.riehlworldview(...)05/week27/index.htmlPaul Reynolds
'Scarborough Country' for July 12
July 12, 2005
PAUL REYNOLDS, UNCLE OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: i know that my sister had a meeting with the FBI June 10, Friday. And from that meeting, she became convinced that Natalee was no longer alive. She called her mother and told her that. And our family was—was—began the grieving process.
You know, we were told the report would come out the next day. Later that night, we saw the reports that confessions had been made, that something bad had happened. Shortly thereafter, it was retracted. The next morning, there was a report that said Natalee was confirmed dead. And these reports came from the deputy commissioner. They came from the spokesperson from the Ministry of Justice.
And then, all of a sudden, these statements and these confessions just disappeared.
SCARBOROUGH: And wait a second. I mean, these confessions were so rock solid that you actually had the FBI coming to you, coming to your family, Natalee's family, saying, we are sorry to tell you this, but there has been a confession. One of these boys has confessed, and Natalee is no longer alive.
How do you pull something like that back off the table? Have you had or has your sister had or has anybody in the family had any explanation from Aruban officials whatever happened to this confession, where they buried it?
REYNOLDS: I am not aware of any follow-up information. You know, this seemed to disappear from sight, these confessions did.
At the time, we thought that because the investigation is kept secret, we thought it was ongoing, and maybe they just didn't want to release it officially at that time. But, as we see that the appeals, the hearings are showing there's no evidence, but yet we have these confessions, it doesn't make any sense. It's as if they are being hidden or taken away.
SCARBOROUGH: You know, you said—talked about June the 10th. That's when you all were told that the confession had been made, and you said that the family actually started a grieving process. What did the family do?
REYNOLDS: You know, grieving is—it's a difficult process. We were all notified. We exchanged phone calls, making sure everyone in the family was notified. I even had to tell my children, very upsetting to them, very upsetting to all of us.
SCARBOROUGH: Wait, Paul. Are you telling me, back on June the 10th, you told your children, based on the confession of one of these—these punks that took Natalee away from the bar, that Natalee was dead? This was over a month ago. You had to break it to your family, the entire family, Natalee's entire family, because of the confessions, knew that she was dead, and yet here we are over a month later, and they are still claiming they don't have enough evidence to nail these guys?
REYNOLDS: That's absolutely correct.
You know, the FBI had informed my sister based on the initial interrogations that that was their belief. That information was given to our family. And it's just—it's a very difficult thing to go through. Grieving should only be a process you have to go through one time.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8551822