Here We Go Again

The reports from Aruba say that there will be a development in the Natalee Holloway case soon.

Apparently, a confession from one of the original suspects in the case (Joran van der Sloot) is on tape, and the chief prosecutor is asking an Aruban judge to rule favorably on his request to reopen the case and arrest the young man for a third time.

Such a ruling may come as soon as today.

The chief prosecutor apparently has not requested that van der Sloot's alleged accomplices, Satish and Deepak Kalpoe, be arrested as well.

The three young men were taken into custody originally after Holloway disappeared in 2005, but they were later released when evidence was insufficient to press charges. They were taken into custody again in November and held for a few weeks before being released for, essentially, the same reason.

The alleged confession was recorded during an interview van der Sloot gave to a Dutch TV reporter recently. The reporter calls it "the most revealing report I've ever made." The report is scheduled to be televised in the Netherlands tomorrow.

One way or the other, let's hope this is the first page of the last chapter in this story.

Families on both sides have been riding an emotional roller coaster for nearly 3 years. Van der Sloot's attorney made an observation that would be appropriate for either side when he said, "We have been down this road before, where they say they have new evidence ... but claim they won't go into details [and] then it turns out they have nothing."

If there's evidence to take one or all of the suspects into custody and press charges, then arrest them and hold a trial. If the evidence doesn't exist, then stop arresting the suspects on the same flimsy case that won't hold up in court.

To keep doing this is nothing less than harassment of all parties involved.