Confusing Reports From Aruba

By Brian 

Update: 10:03pm: The chronology has been updated, thanks to Johnny Dollar’s Tivo.
FNC erroneously reported that Natalee Holloway was dead on Saturday afternoon, according to several e-mailers.

“The Aruban Minister of Justice confirming to Fox News that Natalee Holloway is dead, and that at this hour her parents are being taken to the location where investigators found her body,” Jonathan Serrie reported at 2:04pm. It was based on Fox News producer Craig Rivera‘s conversation with the source. At 2:30pm Serrie was back to say that the Prime Minister said authorities are NOT going out to recover a body. The banner said: “Conflicting reports in Natalee Holloway Case.”

Then at 3pm, Rick Leventhal reported that officials were denying the reports: “The government is backpedalling from their original or earlier statement that in fact NH had been confirmed dead.”

Here’s how one e-mailer described the coverage on Saturday: “It seems as though FNC wants to be able to call her dead, MSNBC wants to say they can’t be sure, and CNN just wants to wait.” On Saturday night, Natalee’s parents “gave an exclusive interview to Geraldo — during which, the kissed her mom on the cheek. Unbelievable!,” an e-mailer says.

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