Joran van der Sloot.Photo: STR/AFP via Getty
Joran van der Sloot, the Dutch national long suspected in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, pleaded guilty to extortion and wire fraud in federal court Wednesday, months after he was extradited to the U.S. from Peru, where he was serving a sentence for the2010 murderof Stephany Flores Ramírez.
In addition to pleading guilty to extorting Natalee’s mother, Beth Holloway, van der Sloot, now 36, also admitted to his involvement in Natalee’s death after more than 18 years of being the prime suspect in the teen’s disappearance.
Nataleewas 18 years old when she disappeared on May 30, 2005 while on a senior trip to Aruba with her classmates. She was last seen leaving a nightclub with van der Sloot, then 17, and two other men. That morning, she and her classmates were due to fly home to Alabama, but Holloway did not make the flight and was never seen again.
Van der Sloot’s guilty plea is the latest chapter in his legal history that dates back to the days after Holloway disappeared. Here’s everything to know about Natalee’s killer’s criminal history.
2005: Van der Sloot Arrested in Connection With Natalee’s Disappearance
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2010: Extortion Charges
Natalee Holloway, left, and Beth Holloway.Courtesy of Beth Twitty
Courtesy of Beth Twitty
Through her attorney, Beth paid van der Sloot $25,000, but never learned accurate information about where her daughter’s remains were. The payment, however, resulted in an indictment against van der Sloot, who left Aruba for Peru before he could be arrested.
June 2010: Van der Sloot Arrested for Murder
While in Peru, van der Sloot was arrested and charged with murdering student Stephany Flores Ramírez, who was killed on the five-year anniversary of Holloway’s disappearance. According to a 2005ABC Newsreport, Flores Ramírez may have seen a message referencing van der Sloot’s involvement in the disappearance of Natalee on the night she was killed. He choked and beat Flores Ramírez, then smothered her to death, according to the outlet, citing a transcript of his confession.Van der Slootwas arrested in connection with her May 30, 2010 murder on June 3.
After killing Flores, van der Sloot reportedly ate a breakfast of coffee and cookies, while thinking of ways to dispose of her body, PEOPLE previously reported.
January 2012: Van der Sloot confesses
June 2023: Van der Sloot Is Extradited to the U.S. to Face Extortion Charges
Van der Sloot was extradited to the United States to stand trial on federal extortion charges in Alabama. He pleaded not guilty at the June arraignment, according to theAssociated Press.
October 2023: Van der Sloot Pleads Guilty and Confesses to Killing Natalee
On Wednesday, Oct. 18, van der Sloot pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of extortion in connection with extorting Beth Holloway in 2010. Along with his plea deal, he also agreed to finally give never-before-heard details about Natalee’s death.
During a victim impact statement, Beth revealed that van der Sloot had finally admitted to killing her daughter.
Beth claimed that van der Sloot recently told law enforcement officials that Natalee had declined his sexual advances after leaving the island bar. Enraged, van der Sloot smashed Natalee’s head in with a cinder block, her lawyer,John Q. Kelly exclusively tells PEOPLE. Then, the teenager threw Natalee’s body in the water, Natalee’s mother said in a later statement outside of the courthouse,according to reporters in attendance.
Van der Sloot was sentenced to 20 years for the financial crimes, and his sentence in the U.S. will run concurrently to his sentence in Peru, but if he is released from the Peruvian prison early, he would then serve the remainder of his 20-year sentence in the U.S.,AL.comreports.
source: people.com
