Dutch TV detective Peter R. De Vries has solved the Natalee Holloway case. Natalee’s family can finally have closure.

In what’s breaking news, Dutch TV inspector (detective) Peter R. De Vries says that he has solved the case of Natalee Holloway. Peter R. de Vries is very well known in the Netherlands, and has closed more cases; he’s connected with both criminals and law enforcement officials, all of whom (sometimes) help him out.

De Vries doesn’t want to say who the murderer is yet, we’ll find out about it when his weekly show is broadcasted which is coming Sunday. He’ll hold a press conference tonight (which I will watch), in which he’ll explain how he solved the case, etc.

He has solved the case by, among other things, using hidden cameras. On his website De Vries writes: “The moment I saw [...] the images that make everything clear, I won’t ever forget. The words we spoke then I can’t repeat now [because they're not suited for a young audience], but you will understand that when you see the video yourself. The video is the most thrilling secret-camera action I’ve done in all my life.”

Holloway’s mother has been flown into the Netherlands already. She was welcomed by De Vries.

Dutch investigators said recently that they didn’t have enough prove to continue prosecuting the main suspect Joran van der Sloot. It now seems that De Vries picked up where the police left off.

Again, it sounds a bit strange (TV Detective) but he’s very well known, very well connected, and when he says he has solved a case, he’s usually telling the truth (especially considering that Holloway’s mother already went to the Netherlands to, basically, watch the case be solved). Most people believe that when the police can’t solve a case, they share their information with De Vries.

More (in Dutch) here and here.

UPDATE

Just saw the press conference. Holloway’s mother is indeed with De Vries and he told her what happened to her daughter his afternoon. He said that she was highly emotional but also relieved. Closure.

When he talked about her he became emotional himself explaining that “it’s not nothing to bring news like this to a mother.”

Aruban and Dutch investigators have said that he has, indeed, provided them with crucial information. We’ll have to wait until Sunday to see what happened and who’s responsible, but most people – including myself – believe that Joran van der Sloot is, indeed, the killer. We’ll see Sunday though.

UPDATE II

Via reader Paul Hunt comes the following:

Transcript:

PdV: The confession of Joran. This must be something that you and your people have dreamt of the last years isn’t it?

Mr. Hans Moss (investigator in Aruba): This is very impressive. It’s an essential part that indeed lacked in our investigation. We have thought to ourselves that this was a very probably chain of events but until now we lacked sufficient evidence. This seems to be the ‘topping on the cake’ that we needed.

PdV: What do you think of the way he casually lays this out?

Mr. Hans Moss: That’s what impresses me. Clearly it’s the first time that he’s confessed to somebody; this is his coming-out. It’s perplexing that he could hold his tongue for two and a half years.

PdV: You notice he didn’t loose any sleep about this. He also talks with little respect about Natalee.

HM: I find it shocking.

Note, the reader commented “NL sleuths have unearthed an open directory on de Vries’ site with English-language quotes from a conversation between de Vries and Aruba public prosecutor Hans Mos that strongly suggest a confession by Joran.” This is, as of yet, unconfirmed. It could be real, it could also not be real.

I have no way of knowing whether it is true, but for what it’s worth.