Joran van der Sloot, the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of American Natalee Holloway, will be extradited from Peru to the United States, according to a statement by Holloway's mother, Beth Holloway.
Van der Sloot, a Dutch citizen, is serving a 28-year prison sentence in Peru for the murder of 21-year-old Stephany Flores in 2010. Peruvian authorities have agreed to temporarily hand over Van der Sloot 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," said Peru Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Daniel Maurate Romero.
Van der Sloot is one of the main suspects in the disappearance of Holloway, who vanished while on a high school graduation class trip in Aruba. She was last seen leaving a bar early on May 30, 2005, with Van der Sloot.
Her body was never found, and the ensuing searches for the young woman garnered intense media scrutiny and worldwide attention. Van der Sloot was arrested at one point in connection with Holloway's disappearance but was later released for lack of evidence. The disappearance sparked a media frenzy and garnered worldwide attention.
Ted Williams, a criminal defense attorney and Fox News contributor who covered the Holloway case in Aruba dating back to 2005, called news of Van der Sloot's extradition "fantastic." "All the Holloway family has wanted is for Joran to face justice, and now they may very well have that justice," he told Fox News Digital.
Authorities have not announced what type of charges Van der Sloot could face. Williams said he anticipates being handed over to federal authorities once he touches U.S. soil but doesn't expect him to confess to anything or make any statements. He added that the legal process could be "long and drawn out" depending on the charges imposed.
Flores was killed five years to the day Holloway disappeared. Van der Sloot told police he killed Flores in Peru in a fit of rage after she discovered on his laptop his connection to the disappearance of Holloway. Police forensic experts disputed the claim.
In her statement, Beth Holloway noted that her daughter would be 36 years old today. "It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off," she said. "Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee."
Login