Twenty years ago, high school senior Natalee Holloway disappeared on a graduation trip to Aruba, and her body has never been recovered. In the first half, private investigator T.J. Ward discussed the details of this famous case, as well as confessed killer Joran van der Sloot and whether he acted alone or not. Ward, who has over 25 years of investigative experience, utilized a unique technology called Layered Voice Analysis to assess the credibility of key suspects in the case. He recounted how he contacted Holloway's mother, Beth, to offer his investigative services after analyzing suspects on television. He was eventually authorized to conduct investigations in Aruba despite initial pushback from local authorities. "They didn't want to have any problems with tourism," he reflected on the challenges he faced.
Throughout his 18-year involvement, Ward gathered evidence suggesting that Natalee was likely taken off the island after her death, and a boat was brought in. Regarding the notorious suspect, Joran van der Sloot, who later confessed to killing another woman in Peru, he claimed that he hit Natalee in the face with a brick and then put her in the ocean, but there's no evidence she was ever in the water, Ward noted, casting doubt on the validity of van der Sloot's claims, which have changed over time. "We think there were more people involved than just Joran, and he's protecting them," he added. Van der Sloot is currently serving a prison sentence in Peru.
Speaking of his voice analysis technology, Ward claimed it has a 98% accuracy rate, with the capability to analyze truthfulness, stress levels, thought patterns, and emotions across various languages, unlike traditional polygraphs. He also expressed his desire to assist families of other missing persons, specifically referencing a recent case in the Dominican Republic that bears similarities to the Holloway disappearance.
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In the latter half, cryptid researcher Joedy Cook discussed the enigmatic and often terrifying bipedal canine known as Dogman (view related images), as well as other strange beasts. He described Dogman as an "apex predator," with reports of aggressive encounters dating back to the 1600s in Europe and more recent sightings in North America. "There have been plenty of reports where this thing has harmed people," he said, sharing a chilling account from a witness who, while fishing, witnessed a Dogman attack a couple. "He ended up just passing out. I mean, it scared him that bad," Cook said of the witness. Sightings of Dogman number between 15-20 monthly, with witnesses detailing aggressive behavior, such as attempting to enter homes and vehicles, he detailed, adding that one attack victim was said to have an 18-inch bite mark.
Outlining the physical characteristics of the Dogman, he said it can walk on two legs yet moves like a typical canine. According to Cook, hair samples from encounters contain a mix of canine, human, and primate DNA, suggesting a complex origin. Regarding the phenomenon of missing persons in national parks, he hypothesized that many of the disappearances could be cryptid-related. Cook also shared a particularly bizarre account of a creature he dubbed the "Batsquatch," a Bigfoot-like entity with bat wings. He described reports of it swooping down from trees, which he called "the most unusual cryptid report" he's encountered.
News segment guests: Douglas Mulhall, Nick Pope