Natalee Holloway: A Case That Captivated The Nation

Mallie Becomes an Alcoholic

Natalee’s disappearance greatly affected her best friends – some could say it even ruined their lives. Mallie, who was a bright girl attending the University of Montevallo, ended up flunking out by her junior year. She wasn’t focusing on her studies, and instead, turned to alcohol to ease her guilt and anxiety about Natalee’s disappearance.

“I used wine to hide my feelings from myself. I drank and drank. Numbness was what I was after,” she admitted.

In 2008, Mallie was accepted into Safe Harbor, a substance abuse facility in Orange County, California. She completed inpatient treatment and ended up finding a new life path in her sobriety.