Natalee Holloway disappeared while on a senior class trip in Aruba more than six years ago. Long thought to be dead at the hands of Joran Van Der Sloot, her father now wants the courts to declare his daughter legally dead.
According to People Magazine, Dave Holloway filed papers back in April to have daughter Natalee declared dead. His signed papers seek "petition for presumption of death for persons missing for more than five years."
Joran Van Der Sloot was the last person known to see Natalee alive. He has twice confessed to killing her, but has retracted both confessions. Now jailed in Peru, he is awaiting trial for the murder of a young Peruvian woman on the 5-year anniversary of Natalee Holloway's disappearance.
Many exhaustive and expensive searches have taken place since Natalee Holloway disappeared. The case was initially deemed botched by local Aruban authorities. Is that the same thing that has taken place yet again in Aruba with the recent disappearance of Maryland woman Robyn Gardner? She was reported missing on August 2nd. Several reports have indicated that many Aruban areas have still not been searched by local authorities.
Despite what the Aruban authorities did or didn't do--Natalee is quite likely dead. Most people now believe Joran Van Der Sloot threw her overboard after a night of drinking, drugging, and sex on the beach.
It is my firm, however painful, belief that my daughter Natalee is deceased, and not a runaway," Dave Holloway says.
Beth Holloway, Natalee Holloway's mom (divorced from Dave Holloway) seemed rather taken by surprise when hearing of Dave's petition to have Natalee declared dead. She says she doesn't support such efforts.
"No, I want to get to the bottom of what's going on from Dave," Beth Holloway says.
While it certainly doesn't sound unreasonable that Dave Holloway wants his daughter Natalee Holloway declared legally dead, it may in fact be a horrible blow to Beth Holloway, who has actively kept searches for their daughter alive.
What do you think? Should Dave Holloway have Natalee declared dead? Will it allow the family any sense of closure by doing so?
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Comments: 7
It may bring closure that her family and loved ones may need.The story of Natalee Holloway is so very sad.
I can understand the POV of both the father and the mother. Both are wrestling with losing their daughter, but people cope in different ways. Mr. Holloway may very well find solace in some sort of closure, while Mrs. Holloway is not ready to abandon hope that her daughter is still alive.