Topline
A Dutch man connected to the unsolved disappearance of Natalee Holloway—the American teen who vanished in Aruba in 2005—will be extradited to the U.S. to face trial on charges related to an accusation that he attempted to extort the Holloway family after their daughter’s disappearance, multiple news outlets reported.
Joran van der Sloot attends the continuation of his murder trial at San Pedro prison in Lima, Peru, … [+]
Key Facts
Joran van der Sloot—one of the last people to be seen with Holloway in Aruba—will be sent from Peru to the U.S., where he’s expected to face extortion and wire fraud charges, the Associated Press reported.
An Alabama jury indicted van der Sloot on extortion and wire fraud charges in 2010 after prosecutors say he tried to extort Beth Holloway, Natalee’s mother, for $250,000 for information about how her daughter died and a promise to lead Holloway’s family to her body.
Van der Sloot is in Peru serving a 28 year sentence for the 2010 murder of 21-year-old Stephany Flores, who was killed five days after Holloway disappeared.
Weeks after Holloway’s disappearance authorities named van der Sloot and two Surinamese brothers as suspects and detained them, but Holloway’s body was never found and charges were never filed in the case.
Maximo Altez, van der Sloot’s attorney, told the AP, his client would fight the decision.
Surprising Fact
Peru previously agreed to extradite van der Sloot to the U.S. In 2014, CNN reported Peru would extradite van der Sloot but only after he finished serving his 28-year murder sentence.
Key Background
Holloway, 18 at the time, disappeared while on a trip to Aruba with her Alabama high school class. She vanished after spending the night at a nightclub with friends. Authorities said she was last scene leaving an Aruba nightclub in a car with van der Sloot and two other men around 1:30 a.m. on May 30, 2005. For years, van der Sloot—a citizen of the Netherlands and resident of Aruba—has been linked to the case, but authorities have not brought any charges against him or anyone related to Holloway’s disappearance. In 2012, Holloway was declared dead. Her mysterious disappearance garnered mass attention across the U.S., from incessant news coverage, to true-crime podcasts, to books and movies that have remained of interest in the nearly 20 years since she disappeared.
Tangent
Van der Sloot’s extortion allegations began more than 10 years ago. U.S. prosecutors allege van der Sloot reached out to Holloway’s mother and asked for $25,000 in exchange for revealing the location of the body and an additional $225,000 when the remains were discovered. During a FBI sting operation , van der Sloot accepted the initial $25,000 but then provided information he knew was false, authorities said at the time. An Alabama grand jury later indicted van der Sloot for extortion and wire fraud charges.
Further Reading
Suspect in Natalee Holloway Disappearance Faces Extradition to US On Fraud Charges (Associated Press)
The Mystery That Won’t Go Away (New York Times)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/05/11/natalee-holloway-suspect-faces-extradition-and-new-charges/