Is Jawbone Holloway's? Word Could Come Soon
It's been over a week since a jawbone found on a beach in Aruba was submitted to officials in the Netherlands for DNA testing. Now, all Natalee Holloway's family can do is wait.
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The jawbone -- with an intact molar -- has been in the hands of investigators for over a week. According to some experts, by comparing the bone with Holloway's dental records, authorities should know if it's Natalee's, and this five-year mystery may finally draw to a close. The bone and tooth could also yield DNA, one expert says.
Dr. Cyril Wecht, a forensic pathologist, told CBS News, "I believe that, at this point in time, the results are in their hands."
Cobiella said on "The Early Show" authorities may simply be waiting for DNA to confirm what they already know.
Holloway was 18 years old when she disappeared during a senior class trip in 2005.
Natalee's mother is desperately waiting for answers, saying in a statement, "There is no good answer, whether it is Natalee, or whether it isn't. But, no answer at all is most unbearable."
Holloway was last seen with Joran van der Sloot, who was arrested twice in connection with her disappearance, but never charged. Van der Sloot is currently awaiting trial in a Peruvian prison in the murder of 21-year-old Stefany Flores last May.
Experts say, if the jawbone turns out to be Holloway's, it could be enough evidence for prosecutors to finally tie van der Sloot to Holloway's death.
CBS News Legal Analyst Lisa Bloom said, "The first element the prosecutors have to prove in a murder case is that Natalee is deceased now they would have that evidence they could combine it with Joran's previous inconsistent statements with his confessions all relating to having killed her. Now they have a case against him."
Cobiella said DNA test results could be released today. If the jawbone is Natalee's, Cobiella said, investigators will begin to consider other questions, such as the location of the rest of her body and how she died.