How big a lie would you tell for a friend?

[Karl]

Most of the theories about the Natalee's disapearance assume that one or all of these men in custody know what happened.   This means that one of them killed her and the others are helping to cover it up.   Maybe I am different than most but I don't think I would help a friend no matter how good a friend cover-up a murder.   So be honest how big of lie would you tell for a friend?

[columbo]

Personally, I would never lie to cover anything a friend did....especially if it would implicate me!

At this point, we have no idea what the brothers story is or VDS's for that matter. The brothers have probably told the police that they dropped Joran and Natalee at the beach and that was the last they've seen of either of the them. Joran is probably saying it was all 3 boys who left Nat at the beach. So, I don't think any of them are lying to protect each other, but rather pointing the finger at each other to clear their own names.

[Karl]

If these guys are as evil as they are potrayed here, it seems like it would be a race to see who could get the best deal.  Whch makes me think these guys don't know anything, and they are a bunch of guys who have a little to much free time.
Most people would not help a friend cover-up a murder, and if you were that kind of person, you are probably the type that would jump at a plea deal at this point.   No matter how you look at it these guys don't make sense for this.

[columbo]

I agree, Karl. The longer this case goes on, the less guilty I find these boys (all 3 of them). It just doesn't make sense.

There is no reason for these boys to cover/lie for each other. Their stories have changed, but that's all rumor. We have no idea what they've told the police and we have no idea what the police are doing with the information. That is what makes this case so frustrating, we need more facts!

I think the answers lie with the security guards who were originally arrested. Or, someone else who was lurking around the hotels posing as a security guard. The boys are Aruban natives, security guards are low paid immigrants who came to Aruba for work. There is something very strange about the security guard who left prison and immediately told the press Deepoke confessed to him while in jail. I find that to be unbelievable!

[momto5]

To be honest, if I was in their position initially I would have probably lied too. Mainly in a panic though bc I would have been confronted with being the last person to see someone who is missing. I think almost everyone can agree that atleast once in your life you partied with friends, used drugs recreationally, and made bad choices. I know I have. I believe a knee jerk reaction would be to lie so no one found out what you were doing that night if it involved any sort of illegal activity at all...no matter how minor. To continue covering a lie though would lead me to suspect it wasnt to cover something minor. The first story of dropping her off obviously didnt work, and was made as a knee jerk reaction, so they tried to fine tune it. That just made them look like liars.
The thing is covering up a bad decision, or drug use is one thing. Lying about what exactly happened is another. I really dont think I would cover up any form of lie if I was facing years in prison. This case has me stumped. These are young guys, with their life ahead of them. I really dont see or understand why one or all of them havent broke if they know where she is? Realistically, they have to realize if one or more of them makes a deal and gets out of jail, they are off to college. Then theyd have this behind them and could move on with their life. Like I said this case has be totally stumped. I just dont get if they know something why not just say it and get on with things?

[Karl]

At first I thought maybe it was a case of alcohol poisoning or something accidental and then they hid the body, but it seems like in a panic they would have made some mistakes and by now one of them would be telling what happened.   If a friend showed up in the middle of the night with a body to get rid of almost anyone would freak out.
They probably lied about whatever it was they were doing that night,  be it drugs or just drinking and driving not realizing that this was going to turn into a murder investigation.   Or by all accounts it sounds like the girl was angry at them when they dropped her off, and maybe they are embarrased and feeling guilty about leaving her wherever they left her.  

I guess on the other hand if you were a native of the island you would probably know every nook and cranny to hide a body if you were so inclined.

[Cents]

Well what if they raped her, all 3. They then have something to hide, and would all cover. If the father got rid of the body, dead or alive they don't know, and that is what I think happened. He had much to lose, Judge in training, so close to having it all. Judge, Jury he does it all, payoffs galore. He was not going to let this destroy his future, his families. He got rid of the body, and maybe she was not dead then. Left on the beach alive, passed out.

[Karl]

Cents:

If what you say is true, just the sheer size of the endeavor would mean someone would hear something or see something.  This is not like weekend at Bernies, people notice dead bodies in cars.  Plus a lot of guys driving around would draw the attention of cab drivers and late night party goers.  The reward insures that if anyone saw anything they would report it by now.  
Payoffs galore?  At some point you will offer a bribe to the wrong person, and again people are not very good at keeping their mouths shut about these things, that is why large conspiricies usually do not work.  Plus judging by the jugdes car and house he does not have huge sums of money.
The rape angle would be te one thing that fits somewhat witht the age of the perpetrators, but if it was a rape they probably have done it before and where are the other victims.  Although, if you really want to arge that it was a date rape drug maybe they were new at it and used to much; causing her to OD.
A big conspiricy created on the fly does not make sense to me, and I do not think an entire nation of loyal sociopaths exists.