Natalee's younger brother, Matt, was 16 years old when his sister vanished. In his first interview about Natalee's disappearance, Matt describes how difficult it has been for him.

"It was just very devastating for me," Matt says. "But I have an amazing group of friends, and they've been there for me and they've helped me through it, and I just can't be more thankful for that."

In early 2007, rumors sprang up that Beth was dating John Ramsey, whose daughter, JonBenet Ramsey, a 6-year-old beauty pageant queen, was killed in 1996. "He is a dear friend of mine, he is," Beth says. "We were dating, I would say. But now I think we really just support each other."

Because each of them has lost a daughter, Beth says talking to John has been comforting to her. "I feel as if he has a lot of miles on me, as far as into his journey," she says. "I feel like he was a really good source of support and strength."

While she still doesn't know what happened to Natalee, Beth strives to keep her memories alive. She filled a hope chest with Natalee's belongings, from a journal to the clothes she took on her senior trip to Aruba. "I have nothing more tangible … [like] having a grave where I could go and visit her, or even having the comfort that her suspects are behind bars," Beth says. "To find her body, well, it would mean putting an end to this current nightmare."

As for finding Natalee alive, Beth says she tries not to let herself consider that too much. "I don't think that's very healthy for your spirit, but it is something I fantasize about," Beth says.

In the absence of closure, Beth continues to think about her daughter's disappearance every day. "It's as if I have to wake up every morning and make that conscious decision whether I want to be better or positive. I do want to keep being positive and look toward the future and see what we can do for others," Beth says. "But I still feel strongly that something unexpected could happen. We still could find answers at some point."