Joran Set to Get Out of Jail Free

It looks like the happy family will be together again in just a few days.
ORANJESTAD, Aruba -- A judge on Thursday ordered the conditional release of a Dutch teenager in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, but he remains a suspect, his defense attorney said.

Joran van der Sloot, 18, could be released from jail as early as Saturday and remain free pending the outcome of the probe, said Antonio Carlo.

The judge's decision "only has to do with the pretrial detention. The primary condition is he has to remain available to police," Carlo said.

Court officials couldn't be reached and the prosecutors office declined to comment, saying it hasn't received the entire order.

"A press release will be sent out only when we have gotten all of the decisions made by the judge of instruction. Most probably this will be tomorrow morning," the office said in a statement.

Van der Sloot was arrested June 9 along with two friends, Surinamese nationals Satish Kalpoe, 18, and Deepak Kalpoe, 21, on suspicion of involvement in Holloway's disappearance. All three have denied any connection to the disappearance.

The Kalpoe brothers were released on July 4 but were re-arrested last week.

A judge ordered Satish Kalpoe to remain jailed another eight days, said government spokesman Ruben Trapenberg said, without giving further details.

The judge was still to rule on whether to continue holding or release Deepak Satish. Suspects can be detained for 116 days without charge in the Dutch Caribbean island.

...The announcement came a day after a hearing in which Carlo argued that prosecutors have produced no evidence that his client was involved in Holloway's disappearance or that a crime had been committed.

The Aruban lawyer for Natalee's father, David Holloway, said van der Sloot could still be tried in the case.

"It doesn't imply there will be no trial. It's a sort of bail without money. There are conditions instead of money," Benvinda de Sousa said.

Aruba has got to have one of the weirdest judicial systems in the history of judicial systems--so many strange kinks in the law.

Why would Joran be held all summer long and then released now?

If prosecutors haven't produced evidence, then why was he detained all this time? Were they hoping some proof of wrongdoing would suddenly surface?

Moreover, with his impending release, don't the odds of Joran being tried in the case seem to be slim to none?

I thought Joran would end up walking out of jail free. If Aruban authorities hadn't botched the case at the beginning, I doubt this would be happening.

Natalee Holloway's disappearance will likely remain a mystery.

Someone has gotten away with murder.