ORANJESTAD, Aruba, June 8, 2005
Lawyer, Kin: No Aruba Slay Case
They Say No Evidence Yet That Alabama Teen Dead
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Play CBS Video Video Missing Teen's Stepdad Talks The stepfather of missing Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway told The Early Show about the ongoing search and emotional toll on the family.
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Video Defending Aruba Suspect Aruban attorney Chris Lejuez tells The Early Show how he will defend one of the men suspected of a connection to the disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway.
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Jug Twitty, Natalee Holloway's stepfather, on The Early Show Wednesday (CBS/The Early Show)
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Natalee Holloway (AP)
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Attorney Chris Lejeuz, on The Early Show Wednesday (CBS/The Early Show)
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Interactive Paradise Lost Star student Natalee Holloway disappears during a senior trip to Aruba.
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Fast Facts Aruba Learn about the people, economy and history.
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Interactive Out Of Sight: Missing Kids Get the facts on kidnappings, learn predator profiles and check out resources for locating missing children.
Her stepfather agrees.
The former security guards being held haven't been charged with any crime. A judge could decide Wednesday whether there's enough evidence to continue to detain them.
Attorney Chris Lejeuz told The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm Wednesday the two are accused of murder, conspiracy to commit murder homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, and capital kidnapping, which means that, during the kidnapping, someone died.
But Lejeuz, who used to represent both but now works on behalf of only one of the men, says the case against them is "unprovable. I have no reason to believe that Natalee Holloway would not be alive. I haven't seen anything to that respect in the files."
Holloway's stepfather, Jug Twitty, told co-anchor Rene Syler Wednesday, "I have not been told…by the authorities here (that this is a murder/kidnap case). And as far as I know, there's no evidence of that. So that gives me hope that Natalee is still alive. That's what we're here to do, is find Natalee."
Twitty and his wife, Holloway's mother, are among a host of relatives and volunteers in Aruba, hoping for word on Natalee's fate.
Lejeuz points out both suspects say they weren't at the bar when Holloway vanished: "They have never seen Natalee Holloway and they have never spoken to Natalee Holloway. That is what they said, and they gave extensive declarations to the police.
"Up to now, the evidence that I have seen are statements from witnesses where they state that they saw people looking like security guards with black jackets on and what looked like a telephone in their hands, talking to someone in the hotel. And they haven't been able to identify exactly who these people were or who the people were talking to. It's not very much to go by."
Acknowledging Aruba's heavy dependence on tourism dollars, Lejeuz noted, "We have never, ever, had a similar case with this much pressure in Aruba in our history. There's a lot of pressure to solve this case."
Twitty says he and his family have "gone through an emotional roller coaster here. There's a sighting almost every day of Natalee. She's a beautiful young blonde girl. And I think, whenever somebody sees somebody like that, they immediately think it's Natalee. But all I know is that she left (bar) Carlos 'n Charlie's at 1:30 in the morning and hasn't been seen since."
Twitty and his wife are staying in Natalee's room, and he says his wife frequently hugs her clothes, just to be close to Natalee.
How are they coping?
"We get by through prayer, through God. We pray every night and every day, two or three times a day. We kneel together on the floor and pray that Natalee is still alive and that we will find Natalee."
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Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
