During a hearing in Birmingham late Thursday afternoon, probate Judge Alan King made his decision public. The parents of Holloway, who were both present at the proceeding, have been at odds over the petition. Her father, Dave Holloway, filed it in September. His ex-wife, Beth Holloway, has been against it from the start.
King ruled that Dave Holloway had met the legal presumption of death for his daughter in September. The decision was delayed to allow interested parties sufficient time to prove that Natalee Holloway was still alive. The Associated Press was told by the father's attorney, Mark White Thursday, that no new evidence had emerged.
Natalee Holloway Photo Gallery
Natalee Holloway Photo Gallery
