Larger investigation involving other crimes.

[garym]

I believe that this investigation is the beginning into a large scale breakup of a major criminal organization. Let's hope (and pray) that the Natalee is found and maybe safe right now but the law enforcement agencies are working to get the big fish. Kidnapping in South American countries is all too popular and is a real possibility. Venezula is only about 16 miles and it is possible to be drugged and kidnapped before anyone knows what happened to you. Lets hope this is why the FBI is down there assisting in the investigation...they need a larger force to conduct simaltaneous raids than they currently have in Aruba.

As for the people in custody, they do know what happened. Whether it was that they left her somewhere ODed on something or just dropped her off, they should become a little more forthcoming with LE.

This is a long time for people in custody not to start looking for a deal. If they were ultimately responsible for something bad that may have happened, one of them is going to talk.

What does everyone think?

[BlueKyGirl]

I believe that this investigation is the beginning into a large scale breakup of a major criminal organization. Let's hope (and pray) that the Natalee is found and maybe safe right now but the law enforcement agencies are working to get the big fish. Kidnapping in South American countries is all too popular and is a real possibility. Venezula is only about 16 miles and it is possible to be drugged and kidnapped before anyone knows what happened to you. Lets hope this is why the FBI is down there assisting in the investigation...they need a larger force to conduct simaltaneous raids than they currently have in Aruba.

As for the people in custody, they do know what happened. Whether it was that they left her somewhere ODed on something or just dropped her off, they should become a little more forthcoming with LE.

This is a long time for people in custody not to start looking for a deal. If they were ultimately responsible for something bad that may have happened, one of them is going to talk.

What does everyone think?

I'm by no means a normal conspiracy theorist, but I think this case became bigger than just a date-rape-gone-bad the second Steve Croes entered the picture. The rest of the boys seem like high school students doing normal things for their age; I'm not implying they're not capable of heinous crimes, but I'm not assuming they are either.

I think Croes is the key to finding out what happened, because I see him as an adult who might have had connections to the seedy underside of Aruba that the boys had only glimpsed. Maybe something went wrong with Natalee (date rape drug overdoes, for example) and they needed Croes' help; maybe they owed Croes something (hasn't it been rumored that he was known for selling drugs at times?)

The details of this case don't add up, especially when you start to throw in other variables like Croes (who knew Deepak from an Internet cafe, presumably a place where e-mails could be sent anonymously), this Lorenzo Van Rijn person, the recent decapitation of 33-year-old Rene Van Heyningen in a cemetery, the Venezuelan human trafficking connection, and the drug culture that seems to be present on the island.

These boys don't seem to be cracking under pressure (although, for all I know, maybe they have by now), but I'm starting to think the're just little gangster wannabes whom we have possibly overestimated. Maybe they got in over their heads; they seem to be from prominent families; maybe they were attracted to the drug culture and got sucked into something much bigger than themselves--and pulled Natalee in with them.

[Just me]

I believe that this investigation is the beginning into a large scale breakup of a major criminal organization. Let's hope (and pray) that the Natalee is found and maybe safe right now but the law enforcement agencies are working to get the big fish. Kidnapping in South American countries is all too popular and is a real possibility. Venezula is only about 16 miles and it is possible to be drugged and kidnapped before anyone knows what happened to you. Lets hope this is why the FBI is down there assisting in the investigation...they need a larger force to conduct simaltaneous raids than they currently have in Aruba.

As for the people in custody, they do know what happened. Whether it was that they left her somewhere ODed on something or just dropped her off, they should become a little more forthcoming with LE.

This is a long time for people in custody not to start looking for a deal. If they were ultimately responsible for something bad that may have happened, one of them is going to talk.

What does everyone think?

I'm by no means a normal conspiracy theorist, but I think this case became bigger than just a date-rape-gone-bad the second Steve Croes entered the picture. The rest of the boys seem like high school students doing normal things for their age; I'm not implying they're not capable of heinous crimes, but I'm not assuming they are either.

I think Croes is the key to finding out what happened, because I see him as an adult who might have had connections to the seedy underside of Aruba that the boys had only glimpsed. Maybe something went wrong with Natalee (date rape drug overdoes, for example) and they needed Croes' help; maybe they owed Croes something (hasn't it been rumored that he was known for selling drugs at times?)

The details of this case don't add up, especially when you start to throw in other variables like Croes (who knew Deepak from an Internet cafe, presumably a place where e-mails could be sent anonymously), this Lorenzo Van Rijn person, the recent decapitation of 33-year-old Rene Van Heyningen in a cemetery, the Venezuelan human trafficking connection, and the drug culture that seems to be present on the island.

These boys don't seem to be cracking under pressure (although, for all I know, maybe they have by now), but I'm starting to think the're just little gangster wannabes whom we have possibly overestimated. Maybe they got in over their heads; they seem to be from prominent families; maybe they were attracted to the drug culture and got sucked into something much bigger than themselves--and pulled Natalee in with them.

I think you could be very right, and maybe the people of the underside who might be involved, warned the suspects to keep their mouths shut?(If that could be a reason for changing their stories) And maybe just to let them know they are serious they killed a man and left him in a cemetary, as a warning for the suspects? I think more people are involved, grown man, that all know Steve and I still do believe one of the guards wasn't honest either. Maybe someone gave the boys the wrong stuff, and they called steve and asked for help, and he took her with him saying she would be allright, took her some place, have some "friends" over for a party.. I don't think she is sold, and I hope she is alive, but I don't believe so.

[BlueKyGirl]

Are there any details on when this decapitation in the cemetery happened? Was it before or after Natalee disappeared? I can't seem to find much on the Internet about it.

[Just me]

After, I think it was last week, also one or two missing people at that time, I will see if I can find the messages again.

[BlueKyGirl]

After, I think it was last week, also one or two missing people at that time, I will see if I can find the messages again.

I think there is one missing person named Sergio Gomez. I only saw a mention of this in the Breaking News thread today, but no one seemed to have any details. I Googled that name; it seems to be pretty common.

I haven't heard about the other missing person cases.