48 Hours Mar 25 Transcript

[Heli]

I hope you will bear with me on this; the format was not cohesive in that various speakers were talking intermittently. It became problematic to identify each speaker....



NOT VERBATIM NOT COMPLETE

Gerold Dompig:

Something went wrong, this was a wild night that went sour.

We have credible statements that she had drugs.

My name is Gerold Dompig, I am the Deputy Police Chief investigating the Natalee Holloway case.


We have come a long way, if you compare the info we have now and what we had 2 months ago.


Troy Roberts, CBS:

Is Joran still a suspect?

Dompig

He surely is, yes and the Kalpoe brothers. It was possible there was a second group or more people than these 3 boys


If a picture speaks a thousand words, this one speaks 2,000 words to me (showing the last picture of Natalee...discovered by FBI in one of Natalee's friend's cameras)

You can appreciate that it could be anybody's daughter.

Troy:

It's been a difficult year for you and Aruba. How would you describe the status of this investigation today?

Dompig:


I would say this investigation is in the critical last phase.


Troy:

The story of the search has been marked by speculation and rumour but little fact. We will take you for the first time within the police investigation. We have learned what the authorities believe happened and new clues they now have.

Dompig:

We have been informed by the manager of a nightclub that he received a call, the person wanted to talk about what he knew, more about the whereabouts of Natalee

Troy:

This was the first valuable lead in a long time then

Dom

COncerning the specific burial location, yes.

Troy:

Since she disappeared, the police have received dozens of leads leading nowhere. But DOmpig is convinced this is a credible lead from a credible witness


Dompig:

This info this person gave us was too specific to be a made up story

This is the route to the lighthouse, somewhere on the sand dunes, the sand dunes goes all the way around up to the light house, where we basically have to search. It's worse than looking for a needle in a haystack.


Aruba just a stone's throw from the coast of Venezuela in recent years a younger and younger crowd has landed on the shore.

The senior tirp to Aruba was a well deserved trip for Natalee, 3 of her best friends Liz, Mallie and Claire talked to us

We just hungout with our friends on this beautiful island, it was a fun trip

Second night and last night we went to Carlos & Charlie's

Troy:

The legal drinking age is 18 but it's not strictly enforced. They were drinking but authorities tell us they have evidence Natalee's drinking was so out of control it may have caused her demise.

Gerold Dompig:

She was drinking having a great time and doing that, using way too much alcohol in combination with what could be lethal ...

Beth:

Natalee was 18 on her senior trip, she was in this establishment and of legal age.

I'm certain they were drinkning, but I have to ask myself, should that have cost her her life, it shouldn't.


Dompig:

Natalee had spent most of the day with a drink in her hand

Troy:

COuld Natalee handle a drink

Friend:

Yes..she was not the kind of girl to be irresponsible



Girl:

The only thing I heard about drugs, ppl at the hotel not with us offered drugs, I didn't even see them really

Troy:

Did Natalee purchase any drugs?

Dompig:

We have statements claiming that she had drugs. I can't say what kind of drugs. We don't have proof that she used drugs, but they saw her with drugs in her possession


Her friends were concerned she was getting into a car with strangers, J2K's

Troy:

WOuld it be out of character for her to go in a car with three boys she didn't know?


Yes, I feel nobody believes us, but from the bottom of my heart, that is extremely out of character, nothing she would ever do

Beth:

She was climbing into a car with gambling and drinking buddies, she would never have left her friends, they took her, no way would Natalee do this of her free will


they took her at that opportune time when she was least able to defend herself.

[CSI]

Great job Heli.

[Heli]

Since Natalee disappeared 10 months ago, Beth has used any opportunity to keep the story alive and pressured the gov't of Aruba to solve this case

Beth:

There's no end to the challenges we've had to experience in dealing with the island of Aruba

Troy:

Do you support the boycott of Aruba still?

Beth:

The only leverage we have is when they feel the effect of a boycott.

Troy:

According to Dompig, the boycott is not the only thing that has cost Aruba

Dompig:

We spent 5,000,000 florins investigating this case, which is 3% of our operating budget

Troy:

As far as Beth is concerned, there is a simple solution to thise case, just ask the last persons with her, they have the answers

Beth

If they'd got the suspects within the first 48 hours like they should of maybe we would have answers.

Dompig:

When you investigate you have to go systematically, we have rules, a legal system, we have to follow the rules of the game.

The 3rd day we started surveillance, observation, monitoring e-mails, phone calls etc. The arrest of the suspects is usually the last thing we do


Because of the extreme pressure from the Holloways, it caused us to cut short the surveillance and arrest the 3 boys

It hindered the investigators efforts.


Beth:

We want justice and the truth. I think it was quite shocking to Aruba that we were so persistent with out quest

Troy:

These 3 boys know what happened, that's your belief

Beth:

Absolutely.

Troy:

A court released Satish and Deepak and police feared simply questioning the brothers did not reveal enough evidence to charge them With a crime, the police started to play hard ball with their prime suspect.


As aruban law allowed they detained him for months without charging him

Arlene:

we hold them on the basis of suspicion, there was enough suspicion to detain them. It's mind boggling to us that a 17 year old, if he had done it, could not have been broken, it's incredible.


Troy:

Was he allowed certain protections because he was a minor?

Dompig:

Yes, because he had visiting rights with his father, his father a judge in training was a problem because he could give his son certain advice.

Troy:

Joran's father discussed the family's ordeal with CBS

Paul:

I told Joran always to tell the truth.


Dompig:

I think Paul does know more than he's telling about Natalee's disappearance.

Troy:

The interrogations of Joran were lengthy and tough. Would you question him in the middle of the night?

Dompig:

We din't go that far but it was tough, he was deprived of sleep at some times.


Dompig:

He almost broke several times. The basic story he changed 3 times, but the small detail facts changed over 25 times, so it was never the same.

Troy:

One critical element of the investigation remains in dispute, did he admit to having sex with Natalee Holloway.

Beth:

I had access to staetments, he describes she's falling asleep, repeatedly and as she's doing this he's explaining graphically what he's doing to Natalee of a sexual nature

Troy:

Twitty would not share those documents with CBS, but Dompig says there's no proof of sexual assault in any statements.

Dompig:

He never admitted to being sexually intimate with Natalee. We were looking for anything to throw him, to keep him in jail, the only thing he admitted to is that he was fondling her sexually, kissing, touching on the back seat, there was nothing sexual in terms of penetration with her.

Troy:

With no confession and no body, police released Joran last September.

This man was able to withstand 90 days in prison and there was no confesion and no information sufficient to bring charges.

Arlen:

Either he's innocent or he's a genius.

Troy:

what did the FBI tell you about Joran, from their assessment of him?


Dompig:

They used the word sociopath and that he was able to lie about everyting

Beth:

He can't tell the truth about anything.

[Heli]

With no major break in the case in the past 6 months, the Aruban authorities are redoubling their efforts to find her body.

One of the most persistent theories is that she was dumped out at sea. COuld Dr. Reuben Croes shed some light on this theory? An unweighted body thrown overboard would wash up on the beach. we've performed this experiment many times and in every case it washed up on shore.

Dompig:

This is all being tracked and taped on disk...so we pretty much have a fix on every vessel that comes in and goes out

Troy:

They believe she's buried in the dunes, the new theory is that someone, someones close to the young suspects hid the body not once, but maybe twice.

Perhaps the most stunning revelation, though is though they're convinced Natalee is dead, they believe she was not murdered

Dompig:

This was a highly intoxicted girl, a very small person.


We have a couple of scenarios, we think that they did not go to the beach, we think that they went somewhere else.

Beth:

I feel certain that they took her to Joran's apartment

Troy:

Beth Twitty believes that Natalee was brought back to Joran's home, possible?

Dompig;

Possible


Wherever she was, she died suddenly of an overdose, that's what we believe.

We feel strongly that she probably went into shock, or something happened to her system with all this alcohol maybe on top of that other drugs, that she took or they gave and that she just collapsed.


we are not talking about killers here. It is possible that there was a second group involved, or more than these 3 boys.

I'm convinced that there is not a crime of this proportion that goes unseen, but to this point we just have to guess

Troy:

Joran told us on the phone he never gave Natalee any drugs. There has not been a shred of evidence found in the van der Sloot house, property or Deepak Kalpoe's car

Arlene:

There is rarely a case that somebody disappears and there's no evidence left behind.

Troy:

Mountain Brook is still starved for answers. Her classmates have had to learn a hard lesson.


Natalee' parents have filed a civil suit against Paul and Joran van der Sloot.

Beth:

I don't have any hope.


Dompig:

A crime like this can't go unsolved. We are that much closer to knowing what really happened to Natalee.

[Holmes]

The most important statements, in my opinion:

Arlene:

we hold them on the basis of suspicion, there was enough suspicion to detain them. It's mind boggling to us that a 17 year old, if he had done it, could not have been broken, it's incredible.


With no confession and no body, police released Joran last September.

This man was able to withstand 90 days in prison and there was no confesion and no information sufficient to bring charges.

Arlen:

Either he's innocent or he's a genius

He didn't break = he didn't do anything bad to Natalee.

[Heli]

I heard very little new information. A few interesting sound bytes from Arlene and Gerold Dompig.

A few downright silly statements by Natalee's friends, but that may be more a function of their naivete and denial than a purposeful agenda to deceive.

I found the entire thing a let down -- a lot of advance hype for NOTHING of value, in my opinion.

[Lazlo]

Thanks so much Heli!!!

Beth:

If they'd got the suspects within the first 48 hours like they should of maybe we would have answers.

Why does Beth keeps repeting this?
SHE is the person that 'knew' and told ALE that her daughter was KIDNAPPED, the police will do anything to forecom kidnappers from panicking and will not just make arrests since the result of that could be the kidnappers harming the person kidnapped.
Had she not insisted on kidnapping, maybe things would have went different, but now they could not go running around looking for evidence making arrests etc. standard procedure with a kidnapping is keeping low-profile and wait for the kidnappers to make contact.

[concernedmother]

I found it very telling that beth keeps making these claims but when given the opportunity to support them. She has to know by now that people arent buying her stories and she has an opportunity to show alot of people her documents and refuses. I think that says alot.
I think Beth makes Joran look innosent.

[SavannahStar]

I heard very little new information. A few interesting sound bytes from Arlene and Gerold Dompig.

A few downright silly statements by Natalee's friends, but that may be more a function of their naivete and denial than a purposeful agenda to deceive.

I found the entire thing a let down -- a lot of advance hype for NOTHING of value, in my opinion.

Well then I guess I didn't miss anything......but I was REALLY REALLY REALLY pissed that it didn't come on here for some odd reason. I usually DO get that show. But oddly, I do remember one other time, a particular show on there was of interest to me, and it didn't come on. Guess Sat. nights here are weird. There was some AWFUL movie on instead. I just read a book and came online off and on.

[Lazlo]

I heard very little new information. A few interesting sound bytes from Arlene and Gerold Dompig.

I found the entire thing a let down -- a lot of advance hype for NOTHING of value, in my opinion.

I agree.

But there might be a reason why Dompig did this interview and said what he said, remember when he accused the HT family of a scam months ago? I think he had his reasons to appear in front of the camera (which he mentioned before he would NEVER do), I don't know what to think about it at this point.

[refugee_lurker]

I heard very little new information. A few interesting sound bytes from Arlene and Gerold Dompig.

A few downright silly statements by Natalee's friends, but that may be more a function of their naivete and denial than a purposeful agenda to deceive.

I found the entire thing a let down -- a lot of advance hype for NOTHING of value, in my opinion.

Yep! I thought we would at least here from Charles Croes. CBS supposedly talked to him. I wanted him to verify or deny his statement in Vanity Fair. This program was pretty useless, except to verify that Beth will not show anyone her statements that prove Joran raped Natalee as she went in and out of consciousness. These statements don't seem to exist in reality.

[katya]

Thank you very much, Heli.

[Cat]

I heard very little new information. A few interesting sound bytes from Arlene and Gerold Dompig.

A few downright silly statements by Natalee's friends, but that may be more a function of their naivete and denial than a purposeful agenda to deceive.

I found the entire thing a let down -- a lot of advance hype for NOTHING of value, in my opinion.

I agree, Heli. I was thinking, is this ALL they have. The only thing new to me was the tracking of the boats. Thanks for transcribing.

[jmo]

Thank you, Heli!

[chrysalis]

I thought it was long on melodrama and short on interest. They must have figured it wouldn't hold people's attention for a whole hour and chopped it, because didn't they shoot footage at the fund-raiser in Texas where she signed the missing posters? The "they should have budgeted more" was the most telling comment to me. NOTHING will ever be enought for that woman.

And why would they have a friend who didn't even go to Aruba--I thought maybe they'd ask her some different questions, but it was the same old (although, all of them confirming that Natalee could hold her booze was quite edifying)

[Hannah]

Thank you again Heli for the transcript.

There is an extra 9 minutes of Chief Dompig being interviewed available on the CBS website. Too bad they didn't incorporate that 9 minutes into the show, since it was a great interview.

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/48hours/main3410.shtml

[rohn]

To Heli the Scribe of Scribes, the undying gratitude of us all.

You would have occupied an exalted place in ancient Egypt and would have been known as Heli - the Scribe of Thebes!!!!

[shirley]

Thank you Heli. Very good job of a pretty convoluted show.
I thought the show was a big disappointment. Only the info
about the ships being tracked was revealing.

[Heli]

Go to www.cbsnews.com and watch the 9 minute videotape of Gerold Dompig. That 9 minutes is far better than anything that was broadcast in the 1/2 hour show.

[Heli]

To Heli the Scribe of Scribes, the undying gratitude of us all.

You would have occupied an exalted place in ancient Egypt and would have been known as Heli - the Scribe of Thebes!!!!

Oh, please save me from the ASP though

Wazzup in T.O. tonight?

[JesseLee]

Go to www.cbsnews.com and watch the 9 minute videotape of Gerold Dompig. That 9 minutes is far better than anything that was broadcast in the 1/2 hour show.

Heli, I can't get the video to work on my computer. Any chance you could please do a transcription? Would be good to have for the record.

[rohn]

To Heli the Scribe of Scribes, the undying gratitude of us all.

You would have occupied an exalted place in ancient Egypt and would have been known as Heli - the Scribe of Thebes!!!!

Oh, please save me from the ASP though

Wazzup in T.O. tonight?

Not much...The Lord of the Rings musical opened to mixed reviews. Seemed like a bad idea at the time. I mean a musical? People are despairing about the Maple Loafs as usual and I think they lost again to Montreal. I'm originally from Ottawa and was a Boston Bruins fan from way back, so I have to keep my smirks to myself.

You know, scribes really were highly valued in Egypt and I can see why given how useful your transcriptions are. I was especially pleased to see that a Croes (no relation) was involved in the show and I would not have known that without your transcription.

[Heli]

T.O. seems to have some kind of love affair with big musicals. Must be our sappy canadian blood, we just love them

I lived in T.O. in the 70's and though it's changed a lot, I still love it and am there often. I'm 100 kms west of ya

[lushus]

T.O. seems to have some kind of love affair with big musicals. Must be our sappy canadian blood, we just love them

I lived in T.O. in the 70's and though it's changed a lot, I still love it and am there often. I'm 100 kms west of ya

Thanks for the transcript Heli!

You must be in the Kitchener/Waterloo area?

[Heli]

T.O. seems to have some kind of love affair with big musicals. Must be our sappy canadian blood, we just love them

I lived in T.O. in the 70's and though it's changed a lot, I still love it and am there often. I'm 100 kms west of ya

Thanks for the transcript Heli!

You must be in the Kitchener/Waterloo area?

Yep!