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Natalee Hollway Search, July 26 - August 1, 2005 by Robert CookeTim Miller, the director of Texas EquuSearch, Tim's friend Kevin, and I flew to Aruba on Tuesday. We want to set up things and define search areas for the specialized search teams that are coming later this week. Tim appeared live on Fox's ON THE RECORD WITH GRETA VAN SUSTEREN within two hours of our arrival in Aruba. I met Natalee Holloway's mother Beth while waiting for the show.I gave her the ribbons the Laci Peterson ribbon makers made for Natalee. Beth gave me one of the wristbands made for Natalee, which are similar to the Lance Armstrong Foundation wristbands.The next day, Kevin and I started working on a schedule for the week. The ground penetrating radar (GPR) team and TES search leader and lead diver Joe Huston also flew in on Wednesday. Thursday, the GPR team scanned an area in the Arikok National Park where a shallow grave and duct tape with blonde hair were found. I picked up the first dog team at the airport and took them to the hotel. A new witness came forward who said he saw a female being dumped in the Aruba landfill two days after Natalee disappeared. Kevin went to the landfill and listened to what the witness had to say. The information was credible enough for us to search the landfill tomorrow. I appeared on MSNBC's ABRAMS REPORT tonight. They asked me questions about the GPR and Natalee's search. I also explained Rachel's disappearance. Friday most of the team went to the landfill. The GPR and methane people searched the beach near the Marriott Hotel. Dave Holloway and his father-in-law accompanied us to the dump. A K9 got a hit in one area. Three small mounds were flattened there by a bulldozer, and the dog was still interested in the ground. A backhoe then dug down about three feet. The K9 then lost interest. The backhoe was moved to the area where the witness said a body was dumped. A second backhoe arrived, and that one dug 5-6 foot deep holes about 50 yards apart. The backhoes then moved toward each other. I left the landfill to pick up a second K9 team at the airport. Later that night, Tim Miller and I appeared on ON THE RECORD WITH GRETA VAN SUSTEREN. Saturday the landfill search continued. We only had one backhoe, so we carefully dug where the landfill supervisor said the garbage for early June would be. Newspaper dates were checked as we dug to make sure we were in the correct area. The dogs checked the holes in the early morning and late afternoon for human scents. At one point they got a hit, but it turned out to be medical waste. Geraldo Rivera's brother Greg interviewed a few searchers today. One of the K9 teams appeared on Fox's HEARTLAND, Joe Huston and I were on THE BIG STORY, and Tim Miller was on AT LARGE WITH GERALDO RIVERA. Sunday Joe Huston and I spent most of the day at the landfill. We bought better masks, which helped a lot. An ad will be placed in tomorrow's newspaper asking for equipment and operator donations to continue the landfill search on Tuesday. I did interviews with ABC, Associated Press, and PEOPLE magazine. The PEOPLE article about Natalee Holloway should be in an early August edition. Monday a team was sent to the old Atlantis Hotel. Tim, Kevin, and I flew back to Texas. Some of the team will remain in Aruba to complete the landfill search. |
