A Holloway Sting

There has been a fascinating development in the Natalee Holloway case. Yesterday, John Q. Kelly filed suit against Joran van der Sloot and his father, Paulus, in a Manhattan court on behalf of Natalee's parents, Beth Twitty and Dave Holloway. The defendants were served with summons when the emboldened pair arrived in New York for a television interview with an unnamed media organization. Greta van Susteren last night interviewed Kelly, who gave the impression of the cat who swallowed the canary. Withstanding much probing by Greta, Kelly guarded the details of how this feat was accomplished, but allowed that he got wind of the Van der Sloot's impending visit through his own investigative resources. The when and where of their arrival was determined, and papers were quickly drawn up, filed in the appropriate jurisdiction, and served on the defendants aboard their conveying aircraft.

Van Susteren also interviewed by telephone Julia Renfro, Editor of Aruba Today. It's my impression that Ms. Renfro has, from the beginning, demonstrated bias in support of the suspects, Joran van der Sloot and Deepak and Satish Kalpoe. Last night, it seemed she had to stifle her outrage as she sputtered through the phone that people will be shocked to learn of the tactics employed by the Holloway camp in achieving their coup. Renfro insinuated that Joran and his father were lured to the U.S. with the promise of proclaiming their truth by Larry Garrison, co-author of Dave Holloway's book about his daughter's disappearance and the corruption that hindered a proper investigation. She stated that Garrison was to collaborate with Joran and Paulus on a book of their own.

If there is any truth to Julia Renfro's allegations, I'm thoroughly impressed. After months of frustrating observation of the floundering investigation by the inept (and possibly corrupt) Aruban authorities, it's a heartening turn of events. It appears that Natalee's family has assembled a network of shrewd, resourceful allies in their search for the truth. The successful execution of a masterful plan is a satisfying thing. I'm thrilled for them and pleased with the new potential avenue in the quest for answers.