The Peruvian government will allow the extradition of Joran van der Sloot to the United States as the prime suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway on the Dutch Caribbean Island of Aruba.
Joran van der Sloot, the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway.
Holloway’s mother, Beth Holloway, announced the news in a statement on Wednesday.
“Almost exactly eighteen years later, her perpetrator, Joran van der Sloot, has been extradited to Birmingham to answer for his crimes,” she said.
In the news: Execution Of Duane Owen In Florida Will Be 4th This Year, 297 Remain On Death Row
Peruvian authorities agreed to extradite Van der Sloot, who is serving a 28-year sentence for the murder of 21-year-old Peruvian Stephany Flores in 2010.
The Peruvian government has agreed to temporarily hand over the Dutch citizen to American authorities “for his prosecution in the United States for the alleged commission of the crimes of extortion and fraud, to the grievance of Elizabeth Ann Holloway,” Peru Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Daniel Maurate Romero, said in a statement.
Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru’s ambassador to the U.S., said he hopes “this action will enable a process that will help to bring peace to Mrs. Holloway and to her family, who are grieving in the same way that the Flores family in Peru is grieving for the loss of their daughter.”
Van der Sloot is one of the main suspects in the disappearance of Holloway, who failed to appear for her flight home to Alabama on May 30, 2005, in Aruba.
In the news: Florida Appeals Court Backs Landlord In LA Fitness COVID-19 Shutdown
U.S. prosecutors allege van der Sloot accepted $25,000 in cash from Holloway’s family in exchange for a promise to lead them to her body in early 2010, just before he went to Peru.
An FBI agent wrote in an affidavit that van der Sloot reached out to Holloway’s mother and wanted to be paid $25,000 to disclose the location and then another $225,000 when the remains were recovered.
During a recorded sting operation, van der Sloot pointed to a house where he said Holloway was buried but in later emails, admitted to lying about the location, the agent said.
Natalee Holloway was an 18-year-old American woman who disappeared on May 30, 2005, while on a graduation trip to Aruba. She was last seen leaving a nightclub with three men, including Joran van der Sloot. Her body has never been found.
Holloway was born in Clinton, Mississippi, and grew up in Mountain Brook, Alabama. She was a popular student and athlete, and was set to attend the University of Alabama in the fall.
In the news: U.S. Marshals, Police Find Florida Murder Suspect Hiding In Friend’s Attic
On May 26, 2005, Holloway and 120 other students from her high school traveled to Aruba for a graduation trip. On May 29, Holloway and her friends went to Carlos ‘N Charlie’s Nightclub in Oranjestad. Holloway was last seen leaving the club with van der Sloot and two other men, Deepak Kalpoe and Satish Kalpoe.
The Kalpoe brothers were arrested and questioned but released for lack of evidence. Van der Sloot denied any involvement in Holloway’s disappearance but later made several incriminating statements, including claiming that he had buried Holloway’s body in a shallow grave.
In 2008, the Aruban government closed the case, citing a lack of evidence. Holloway’s parents continued to search for her, and in 2014, an Alabama judge declared her legally dead.
The disappearance of Natalee Holloway remains a mystery.
There have been many theories about what happened to her, but no one knows for sure. Her case has captured the world’s attention, and her story continues to be told in books, movies, and television shows.
Android Users, Click To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Signup for our free newsletter.
We can’t do this without your help; visit our GiveSendGo page and donate any dollar amount; every penny helps.