Natalee Holloway - Reported Dead (CNN)
Natalee Holloway is the girl from Alabama that went missing about a week ago on a class trip in Aruba. I know it's morbid of me but I've kind of been following the story semi-closely. I've been hoping the entire time that she would come home safe and sound, and that she had run away, or gotten lost, or something. Anything. I don't know this girl, nor do I know anyone that knows her. I have no connection to her at all. But I feel as though - because she's a girl my age, at the same point in her life (going to college in the fall) then I DO know her. If the circumstances were different, it could have been my cousin, best friend, neighbor, or even me. But it wasn't.
Natalee's family - of course - has been worried about her. The police and officials from Aruba have been looking for her, as well as the American FBI, and dive teams. People have gone from all over the country to help her, as well as donated money to the search.
This evening, a teenage boy (his name has not yet been released) confessed to killing Natalee Holloway and has agreed to lead police to her body. The police arrested three teenaged boys a few days ago, along with two security guards who were employed at the Holiday Inn where Natalee and her 100+ classmates had been staying on their Senior Class Trip. The three boys had been with Natalee after she left a club/bar on the island, and the two security guards were vaugely described by the boys (who it is now known were involved with her murder). The boys attempted to pass off the blame to two presumably innocent men.
As I was saying, I was hoping beyond hope that she would be returned safe and sound to her family. If *I* was worried about her, and I have no connection to her what-so-ever, then I can not even begin to fathom how her family was feeling.
So - basically. I know this is really uncharacteristic of me. I try to maintain a rather unemotional outlook on things which don't directly affect me... however, this is just too terrible.
RIP Natalee Holloway.