Joran van der Sloot, the 38-year-old Dutchman who confessed to the murder of Natalee Holloway in 2005, was severely injured following a suicide attempt in his Peruvian prison cell.
The incident occurred at Challapalca prison, where guards discovered van der Sloot with a piece of blanket tied around his neck during breakfast service for the inmates. "The convicted murderer was said to be on the brink of death at the time prison guards intervened," reported Radar Online.
As reported by Western Journal, the news of van der Sloot's injuries was initially disclosed by the Peruvian outlet, La Repblica. The current condition of van der Sloot remains uncertain as of Thursday. Following the suicide attempt, however, authorities managed to conduct an interview with the convicted killer.
During the conversation, van der Sloot described Challapalca as "the toughest prison in the world" and confessed that he "didn't want to live anymore." He lamented the worsening conditions for inmates, expressing his despair over the inability to be with his family, to touch them or hug them.
Van der Sloot is currently serving a 28-year sentence for the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores Ramrez in Lima, Peru's capital city. Investigators believe that Ramrez was likely killed in a hotel room registered under van der Sloot's name after she discovered his involvement in Holloway's disappearance.
Despite his attempt to retract his confession, the judge ruled it valid. Peru's legal system does not impose the death penalty or life imprisonment for murder without aggravating factors.
In 2023, van der Sloot received an additional 18-year sentence for cocaine smuggling charges. He has been placed on a list of "difficult inmates" that Peru is considering transferring to the infamous CECOT prison in El Salvador. Yet, it is the disappearance of Natalee Holloway that continues to shape the public's perception of van der Sloot.
Holloway, an 18-year-old from Alabama, vanished during a senior class trip to Aruba in May 2005, and van der Sloot quickly emerged as a prime suspect. Despite numerous arrests, her body was never recovered, and he was never formally charged with her murder. The case was officially closed in December 2007. However, van der Sloot later confessed to killing Holloway and attempted to extort her parents by offering to disclose the location of her body in exchange for money.
In 2023, he was extradited to the United States to face trial for these crimes. He pleaded guilty and confessed to killing Holloway with a cinder block after she spurned his advances on the beach. He further revealed that her body was discarded in the ocean. However, the statute of limitations for homicide had expired in Aruba, and the United States lacked jurisdiction.
Beth Holloway, Natalee's mother, expressed her relief following the plea deal. "It's over. Joran van der Sloot is no longer the suspect in my daughter's murder. He is the killer," she declared.
"After 18 years, Natalee's case is solved," she added. "He gave a proffer in which he finally confessed to killing Natalee." Despite the tragic circumstances, the resolution of this case provides a measure of closure for the Holloway family.
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