Joran van der Sloot, the confessed murderer of Natalee Holloway in 2005, is en route to Peru following his guilty plea in an extortion case involving Holloway's family.
George Patriot Seymore, the spokesperson for Beth Holloway, Natalee's mother, confirmed this development to Fox News Digital.
The extradition, initially slated for Monday, was postponed due to "mechanical issues with the aircraft," as stated by the U.S. Marshal's Service.
In the course of the plea agreement, van der Sloot disclosed the circumstances surrounding Natalee Holloway's disappearance when she was 18. He confessed to killing her after she rejected his sexual advances on a beach, by striking her head with a cinderblock.
During his confession on October 3, van der Sloot chillingly described the incident, stating, "I grab a cinderblock, I smash her head in with it completely." He continued, "Her face basically, you know, collapses in. Even though it's dark, I can see her face is collapsed in." He then admitted to disposing of her body in the ocean.
According to Seymore, this confession has provided the Holloway family with much-needed "closure." He stated, "Beth Holloway has noted that she always sought answers and to know the truth of what happened to Natalee, and having those answers is better than justice in a courtroom."
Beth Holloway has been seeking the truth about her daughter's fate for two decades. Seymore added, "She now has those answers, and though they won't bring Natalee back, she has the closure she deserves. Our heartfelt thanks go out to the U.S. and Peruvian officials who made this moment possible and for the continued support of media and well-wishers across the globe who kept this story in the spotlight."
Van der Sloot's guilty plea was accepted in a federal court hearing on October 18. He will serve his 20-year U.S. sentence in Peruvian custody and has been ordered to pay $25,100 in restitution to the Holloway family.
Beth Holloway, following the hearing, told reporters, "After 18 years, Natalees case has been solved. Joran van der Sloot is the killer." In court, she addressed van der Sloot directly, telling him he inflicted immense pain and that he looked "like hell."
Federal prosecutors revealed that van der Sloot, 36, attempted to extort $250,000 from the Holloway family, demanding $25,000 upfront for information and the balance upon positive identification of Natalee Holloway's remains.
However, van der Sloot deceived Beth Holloway about the location of her daughter's remains, according to U.S. prosecutors. This alleged extortion scheme occurred between March 29, 2010, and May 17, 2010. Van der Sloot pleaded not guilty to these charges in a June hearing, following his temporary transfer from Peru to the United States.
After the extortion scheme, van der Sloot traveled to Peru, where he met 21-year-old Stephany Flores at a Lima casino owned by her father. He confessed to murdering Flores in a fit of rage on May 30, 2010, after she discovered his connection to Natalee Holloway's disappearance.
Despite U.S. charges being filed by federal prosecutors in 2010, Peruvian officials did not consent to van der Sloot's release into American custody until May.
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