Joran van der Sloot, a Dutch citizen, has been sent back from the United States to Peru, where he will serve a sentence for killing a Peruvian woman, after recently admitting to the 2005 murder of U.S. student Natalee Holloway in Aruba.
Interpol agent Hilda Manosalva informed The Associated Press that van der Sloot is scheduled to arrive on Monday afternoon in Lima, Peru. He was temporarily extradited to the U.S. to face charges connected to Holloway’s disappearance, a case that has captivated international attention for over two decades.
Van der Sloot confessed to killing Holloway and disposing of her remains, and pleaded guilty to trying to extort money from Holloway’s mother in exchange for information about the body’s location.
As the U.S. lacks jurisdiction to prosecute van der Sloot for the 2005 Aruba murder due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, his revelations have nonetheless provided answers to Holloway’s family.
In the U.S., van der Sloot was sentenced to 20 years for extortion and wire fraud. This sentence will be served concurrently with a 28-year sentence in Peru for the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores.
A 2001 treaty between Peru and the U.S. allows for temporary extradition to face trial in the respective country.
Van der Sloot, escorted by U.S. Marshals, was released from Shelby County Jail and taken to Birmingham International Airport. Peruvian officials will take him into custody upon arrival to continue his prison sentence for murder.
U.S. Marshal Marty Keely thanked local authorities for their assistance during van der Sloot’s custody.
Van der Sloot’s conviction for extortion of Beth Holloway, Natalee’s mother, resulted in a 20-year sentence for each of the two Alabama convictions, concurrent with his Peruvian sentence.
Natalee Holloway, 18, disappeared in May 2005 during a graduation trip. Though van der Sloot has long been a suspect in her death, he has not been charged, and her body has never been found.
In 2010, van der Sloot extorted Beth Holloway, offering the location of Natalee’s remains for $250,000. Holloway paid $25,000 only to find out she had been deceived. Van der Sloot was later indicted on extortion charges in Alabama.
Extradited to Alabama in June 2023, van der Sloot was housed in the Shelby County Jail under the condition of his return to Peru post-adjudication.
As part of his plea agreement, van der Sloot revealed details of Natalee’s death and her body’s disposal. He passed a polygraph test, and Beth Holloway expressed confidence in his confession. Additionally, van der Sloot must repay Holloway $25,000.
Part of van der Sloot’s confession, made public after his guilty plea, described his violent actions towards Natalee Holloway after she refused his sexual advances, resulting in her death and disposal in the ocean.
In court, Beth Holloway addressed van der Sloot, condemning his actions and their impact on Natalee’s potential. She stated that after Natalee’s death, van der Sloot watched pornography.
Van der Sloot apologized to the Holloway family and expressed a change in his character, claiming he has become a Christian.
Beth Holloway expressed hope that Aruba might reconsider charging van der Sloot following his confession.
Due to the statute of limitations for homicide in Aruba, it was considered unlikely van der Sloot would face prosecution for Natalee’s murder. However, following his guilty plea, Aruba prosecutors requested records from the U.S. Department of Justice investigation, as confirmed by spokeswoman Ann Angela. Aruba prosecutors intend to review these records before deciding on further procedural steps.
