I've always felt that somewhere in all the conflicting narratives Joran provided about NH, was the truth.  The one most people felt least convincing was that he and the Keploe bros had sold her for $10k. I don't think they (Joran, et cie) had the connections to make that happen but may have been working for someone who did. (if you're trying to catch 18yo white girls, you need some teenage boys to bait the hook) That person then works his connections in Aruban law enforcement and makes sure nobody goes to jail as long as they (Joran, et cie) keep their mouths shut.  So Joran tells alot of BS to throw the media off the scent, and there's no evidence on the island of any kind because she left the island that night, alive.

Joran takes the heat for various reasons, (death threats against his family for one) but also knows that he has leverage if things get really bad.  Might explain his calm demeanor while being processed in Jail.

I think Joran's plea with Aruba could involve him being able to give them someone much higher up the food chain.  And maybe when he says he can tell the Holloway's where Natalee is, he means where SHE is, not her remains, he just needs to cut the right deal before he drops that bomb.

According to earlier reading, Mrs. Van Der Sloot supposedly said that she didn't know the Kalpoe brothers well. They were new friends which possibly indicated that Joran started hanging with people other than the typical school friends and possibly picked up new habits which possibly brought about some kind of disaster.  Possibly, possibly, possibly. This notice is not to indicte fault with the Kalpoe brothers but to point out an period of time opportunity for Joran to pick up new habits which the parents were unaware. At that time Mrs. Van Der Sloot appeared to believe Joran left Natalee on the beach. I doubt that she ever thought Joran murdered anyone intentionally. If she ever considererd that more happened resulting in a cover up? By the time Joran was telling various stories I assume Mrs. Van Der Sloot must have been as confused and concerned as others. The telling of various stories appeared an abnormal behavior indicator. People closer to Joran would have a better idea if his behavior was a pre existing condition or a result of trauma. That is really too difficult of a call for the public, especially considering the many false reportings early in the case.

The fact that Natalee has not been proven dead allows for speculation. Early on there were reports that Joran initially didn't intend to meet Natalee that night due to preparing for a test the following day. The night appeared to fall into place without much of a plan so? Could it be that Natalee passed out due to drugs or drink and Joran did put her on a boat with someone in a panic and doesn't firmly know if she lived or died? Hopefully there will finally be some answers about Natalee.  

Joran just looked like a typical young boy. What happened or went wrong in Aruba remains a mystery. Without explanation the people involved remained in a nightmare kind of limbo. The Holloways child, Natalee, suddenly vanished. Imagine that? Maybe there was a better solution than the typical lawyer up and don't talk but without specifics who knows?

I'm sure most of the puzzlements can be explained logically while others may be sheer coincidence - e.g. the date of the crime.

One of the things that puzzles me is Joran Van der Sloot's demeanor all through. He looks so ... unfazed. Someone here mentioned his "smirk" entering the hotel with Stephany. I didn't see it that way. To me, that's just how he looks. He seems to have a surprising lack of facial expressions, and looks pretty much the same whether entering the hotel, leaving the room with the two coffee cups (having just strangled Stephany!), giving himself up to the police in Chile, doing the perp walk, entering the prison, and entering the prison cell [shiver]. (Actually the police handling him throughout looks equally unfazed. And also seem to handle him well.) I don't see either fright, or uncertainty, or remorse. Only when he leaves the temporary prison and is met with rage from the crowd does he keep his head down. In the testimonial he also comes off as polite, forthcoming, as if the seriousness of his situation hasn't sunk in?

It's almost as if he, too, is observing himself; and finds his own actions unexplicable. Take the video where he leaves the room, two coffee cups in hand. He pauses as if he contemplates whether to close the door shut or not; then does. Then he seems to contemplate whether to knock on the door or not; maybe he does, maybe not. Then he pauses; and finally walks out of the picture. My guess is, that he sort of tries out a scenario in his head to use later as an alibi: "I'll tell them that I knocked on the door ..." but doesn't have to do it for real because no-one is watching. Maybe he planned to then make the hotel clerk walk in first and find Stephany's body? But two minutes later he's back and for the first time he looks directly into the camera, as if he has realized that maybe someone was watching after all? So seeing the camera he now knows that this explanation is no good, so he testifies to not knowing his own motives for buying the coffee etc?

I also wonder why the camera in the hotel is focused, as in zooming in, directly at his door? Probably just a coincidence, but in a picture showing the door it looks like there is space (a corridor?) to the left of the door, so how close is the camera actually?

And is it standard procedure to film prisoners entering a prison? And who is filming? "We" are even allowed to follow him all the way into the (disgusting and scary) cell and while undergoing the medical examination. Is it the Peruvian authorities taking precautions as not to be accused of mistreating the prisoner?

Joran was young when Natalee disappeared. Overcoming appeared impossible. What happened? None of us are sure.

Recently the undercover investigative reporter and Mr. Kelly, lawyer?, began taking matters into their own hands. With all due respect, they appear unqualified to tamper with the mind of someone who appears mentally unstable. Obviously Joran appeared mentally unstable by the time he was telling the various stories, etc. So far, I have not seen any substantial evidence that Joran was mentally unstable before the disappearance of Natalee. Whether or not a pre exist or as a result of Natalee's disappearance Joran was considered a prime suspect in a disappearance and showed obvious signs of being mentally unstable when people lacking professionally regarding psychological knowledge took matters into their own hands. Do you suspect that the lawyer, Kelly, or the under cover investigative reporter had self interest, such as money or making a name for self?

In Joran's state of mind, what the investigative reporter did was what therapy would have hoped for, a connection. At that point the goal would have been to help Joran or possibly help him do something to bring closure to the Holloway case? Of course that was not the goal of the investigative reporter yet regardless he connected privately and showed the information to the world basically. Psychologically the investigative reporter could have damaged an opportunity for a sincere person wanting to deal with the psychological issue. Joran was unlikely to warm up again anytime soon, a guess, and then appeared to tell various stories to either make the one he told the reporter less significant or other reasons.

Possibly something would happen anyway but I think the tampering of unqualified people may have played a role in a meltdown. People ventured out of their professional territory knowing they were dealing with someone suspected of possible murder with obvious signs of mental instability and maybe got what they wanted. Maybe they proved Joran is dangerous and could have murdered Natalee but the fact is we still don't know so? what a waste for Stephany's loved ones in some kind of way.

Just imagine the beating that Joran's father took , media.  If he was innocent of any wrongdoing can you imagine?

Attacking with lack of proof that can be as dangerous as a criminal.

In defense of Joran's mother, who has also taken quite a beating, she claims to have been in process of trying to get him help when others were giving him money possibly providing his escape.