The search for Natalee Holloway

After two and a half years of excruciating ups and downs and just a week after being victimized by that cruel hoax in Nicaragua, Natalee Holloway's parents were about to be thrown another bombshell -- perhaps the biggest yet.

An elaborate hidden camera sting in the Netherlands, arranged by Dutch reporter Peter de Vries, caught Joran van der Sloot on tape with a man named Patrick who had gained his trust.

Van der Sloot not only said he was with Natalee when she collapsed on a beach, but that he had a friend with a boat get rid of her body.

For Dave Holloway, watching the show was the most painful moment yet.

Dave Holloway: It was a good thing he-- there was an ocean between us and Holland, because I would have come after him.

Though the tape was difficult to watch , for Natalee's parents it seemed to confirm many things they have believed all along.

First and foremost that Joran was with Natalee -- and had something to do with her disappearance.

Beth Holloway: I wanted to come to the TV and kill him. I wanted to peel his skin off his face.

Second, that her body was, indeed, dumped at sea.

Tim Miller: You know, I think there's a lot of truth in it. And I think it validates what we've been wanting to do for the last couple of years, and that's search that water.

Video   When the search is the answer Tim Miller opens up about the murder of his daughter and how he is helping other families cope with the loss of a child. Dateline NBC

But for Natalee's mother, there was something else about the tape that was particularly revealing.

On the tape, Joran van der Sloot says all of a sudden it was like a scene from a movie, the way Natalee was moving. "Shaking?” his friend asked. "Yes," he answered.

When Beth heard van der Sloot describe what happened, she said it not only made sense, it confirmed to her what she had believed from the start.

Beth Holloway: The facts are within 48 hours of Natalee's disappearance, a lead detective asked me if she had a history of epilepsy or seizures. Two and a half years later, the main suspect himself, admits that Natalee -- he felt as if she suffered an epilepsy or seizure. And he even indicates how she's shaking. So, if we look at just that one-- just that one piece, that's one thread out of a lot. Then, I have to say yes, there definitely was some collusion and corruption going on in the early days of Natalee's disappearance. Absolutely.

However, according to the prosecutor's office it's standard procedure to ask if a missing person might have a seizure disorder.

Police and prosecution officials declined on-camera interviews, but have consistently denied that there was any corruption, collusion or mishandling of the investigation.

The director of Aruba's hotel and tourism association says everyone wishes the Holloway case had been treated more urgently in the first 48 hours, but that police wrongdoing was certainly not an issue.

Rob Smith: In fact, quite the opposite, you know, our island is very focused on tourism, so we've put a tremendous amount of effort into solving this case, millions and millions of dollars from our police budget have been focused on nothing but bringing resolution for the family.

Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers insist they had nothing to do with Natalee's disappearance or death. And when it comes to that videotape, van der Sloot claims he was lying, impaired by marijuana.

After the hidden camera footage aired, prosecutors sought to arrest Joran van der Sloot again but judges denied the request.

Joseph Tacopina (van der Sloot’s lawyer): For two courts to deny his rearrest shows you the value, the evidenciary value of this tape, which is none.

Joseph Tacopina: Joran's story, over 20 hours that he was taped, is disprovable by fact, disprovable in its inconsistencies internally, and incredible because he was under the influence of narcotics when he was making those statements.

Tonight, after the Holloway family has gone through nearly three years of anguish, the Persistence is still off the coast of Aruba -- looking for Natalee. And organizers are now

LINK For more information about the search: Texas EquuSearch

appealing to the public for donations to keep the search going.

And Natalee's father -- who's lived through all the ups and downs, somehow finds a way to remain hopeful.

Dave Holloway: That search will continue. They have the capability to find something as small as a quarter on the ocean floor. I mean, that's how sophisticated this equipment is.

Today Natalee Holloway would be 21 years old, a junior in college, phoning home to chat about friends or boys or maybe a biology test she'd aced that afternoon.

Instead, she is gone. Her final resting place, a mystery.

And so her parents keep searching, hoping that somewhere off the coast of Aruba, a boat called the Persistence, may bring them an answer -- and peace.

Dave Holloway: If she's there, they'll find her. If they don't find her, we did-- we did the very best we could do, no question about it.

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