Mountain Brook remembers Natalee Holloway on 18th anniversary of disappearance
Tuesday marked exactly 18 years since Natalee Holloway vanished while on a trip in Aruba, following her graduation from Mountain Brook High School.
"Well, it really hits home now," Mountain Brook resident and attorney Tommy James says.
James is the parent of a senior who just graduated from Mountain Brook High School. He says it sadly brings back memories of what happened to Natalee Holloway, right after she graduated from the very same school in 2005.
"This is a tight-knit community," James points out. "It's a very tight-knit community. People come together at times of tragedy like this. I mean, I remember the yellow bows everywhere when she disappeared."
Billy Pritchard has served on the Mountain Brook City Council for 23 years. He says his son was one year behind Natalee.
"Everybody was focused on trying to see if there was some way to find out what happened and whether she was safe," Pritchard recalls. "I had a lot of friends who got really involved in trying to engage others and people around, not only in this community, but down in Aruba and across the country, to see if they could assist in some way in trying to find out answers."
Nearly two decades later, there are still many questions that need answers. However, there is hope the prime suspect being extradited to Birmingham on wire fraud charges will offer some sort of closure for family and friends.
"I think when he comes here, he'll be arraigned in federal court," James explains. "Obviously, be sent to jail. And between that time and trial, it'll probably be a year or less. It could take up to a year."
One thing remains clear though. Mountain Brook will never quite be the same again.
"There have been different protocols and different ways in which events like the trip that she went on are handled," Pritchard adds. "People still keep the situation and what transpired at the front, forefront of their minds."
James say the wire fraud charges should be easy for prosecutors to prove. He says while they may not be the charges family and friends are seeking justice in, it's still a chance for some sort of closure.