Natalee Holloway suspects walk free

December 18, 2007

Police in Aruba said Tuesday that they have dropped the case against three suspects in the suspected murder of Natalee Holloway for lack of sufficient evidence.

"No charges will be brought against them," the Aruban public prosecutor's office said in a written statement, referring to Joran Van der Sloot, 20, and brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, 20 and 21, respectively.

Acting on what the statement described as "new evidence" compiled over the prior eight months, authorities late last month re-arrested the three suspects.

But the effort proved fruitless. "The period of custody did not bring the final breakthrough in this investigation," the statement said. "All three suspects claimed their right not to give any statement at all."

The Court of Appeal ruled that there was not enough evidence to show that Holloway died as a result of a violent crime, and it ordered the suspects be released.

© AlaskaReport. All Rights Reserved.