Natalee graduated with honors from her high school in Mountain Brook, Alabama, and was set to start her freshman year in premed at the University of Alabama. Being that she and her senior classmates would be heading off to separate schools soon, they planned a trip to Aruba, to which Natalee’s parents consented.
Little did everyone know that what was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime would end up taking a turn for the worse.
Partying in Aruba
Natalee, along with 124 other senior students, arrived on Aruba on Thursday, May 26, 2005, which signaled the start of the five-day long unofficial graduation trip for the graduates of Mountain Brook High School.
Along with the students came seven chaperones who were supposed to keep tabs on everyone and make sure everything was alright. However, with a ratio of roughly 17:1, the chaperones definitely had their work cut out for them.