According to court documents, the prime suspect in Natalee Holloway’s disappearance in Aruba has finally confessed to killing the Alabama teenager after almost twenty years.
The public disclosure of Joran van der Sloot’s confession followed his admission of guilt in federal court on Wednesday for the charges of extortion and fraud against the family of Holloway.
The individual in question faced allegations of attempting to exchange information regarding the whereabouts of Holloway’s remains with her mother, Beth Holloway, in return for a sum of $250,000.
Beth Holloway announced on Wednesday that the investigation has concluded, leading to the identification of Joran van der Sloot as the perpetrator responsible for the tragic loss of my daughter’s life.
The case of Natalee has been resolved after a span of 18 years,” she stated. “The perpetrator has provided a proffer, wherein he has ultimately admitted to the murder of Natalee.”
According to a transcript of an interview with his attorney, Van der Sloot, aged 36, has confessed to the act of murdering the teenager on an Aruban beach. The motive behind this heinous crime was the victim’s refusal of his sexual advances.
Van der Sloot alleged that Holloway struck him in the groin area following his inappropriate advances, prompting him to retaliate by delivering a forceful kick to her face and subsequently assaulting her with a cinder block.
According to the interview transcript, he subsequently made the decision to forcefully propel her into the ocean. Despite extensive efforts, Holloway’s remains have yet to be discovered. In 2012, an order was issued by an Alabama judge, officially declaring her deceased.
In light of the tragic incidents involving the deaths of Holloway in 2005 and Stephany Flores, a Peruvian woman, in 2010, both of which Joran van der Sloot had previously confessed to, Judge Anna Manasco has deemed it necessary to impose a 20-year sentence on van der Sloot for the federal charges.
On Wednesday, Manasco stated that he has taken into account the confession you made regarding the heinous murder of Natalee Holloway. It has been revealed that you have committed the brutal murder of two women, who were both victims of your sexual advances, in separate incidents that occurred years apart.
Upon reviewing van der Sloot’s statement, the judge confidently asserted that Holloway’s remains would never be located.
Van der Sloot had faced several arrests in relation to Holloway’s demise. However, he was subsequently released by Aruban authorities due to insufficient direct evidence.
Currently, the individual is incarcerated in Peru, serving a 28-year prison term for the homicide of Flores in 2010. In 2021, van der Sloot was found guilty of engaging in cocaine trafficking within the confines of the prison, resulting in an additional 18-year imprisonment in Peru, as stated in a sentencing memorandum.
According to the court document, the Defendant is expected to be released from prison in Peru around June 10, 2045, as per the legal provision that restricts prison sentences to a maximum of 35 years, unless a life sentence is imposed. However, Peruvian authorities granted temporary release to the United States in June, enabling the Defendant to face charges of extortion and wire fraud.
Van der Sloot was initially anticipated to return to Peru to complete his murder sentence in the Flores case, followed by serving time for the federal charges in the US. However, according to the plea agreement reached on Wednesday, his 20-year US federal sentence will now be served concurrently with his sentence in Peru. Consequently, it seems improbable that van der Sloot will be required to return to the US for imprisonment.
