Joran van der Sloot Arrives in US to Face Charges of Demanding Money from Missing Woman's Mom
A former professional poker player, who is the main suspect in the murder of American teen Natalee Holloway, arrived in the United States last Thursday to face fraud charges.
Joran van der Sloot, who was serving a 28-year sentence in Peru for the murder of another woman named Stephany Flores, was handed over to American authorities at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Callao. His flight landed at Shuttlesworth Airport in Birmingham, Alabama, at approximately 2:30 pm.
This Dutch citizen is about to be charged in a federal court in Birmingham on Friday for extorting $25,000 from Natalee Holloway's mother.
Natalee Holloway went missing on a high school trip in Aruba in May 2005. During her stay, she met van der Sloot at a bar. She was last seen leaving with him and two other men in his car. Her whereabouts remain unknown to this day. In January 2012, a judge officially declared Natalee dead.
The Extortion Scheme
Van der Sloot allegedly approached Natalee's mom, Beth Holloway, in 2010 with an offer to disclose the location of her daughter's body in exchange for an initial payment of $25,000 and a total sum of $250,000. The money was given, but the information he provided was incorrect, according to federal prosecutors. He told Beth that the body was buried in the foundation of a house in Aruba, but investigators found that this property was constructed after her daughter disappeared.
Beth Holloway has been striving to find the truth about her daughterโs disappearance for the past 18 years. She has been hoping, praying, and fighting for this day, during which Joran van der Sloot will be held accountable for his acts against her cherished girl. A member of the Holloway family said, "This is a significant milestone in Beth's unending quest for justice for Natalee."
Lack of Charges
Although van der Sloot was questioned twice for his suspected involvement in Natalee Holloway's disappearance, he was never formally charged due to the absence of sufficient evidence. Since there was no body, it was challenging for the prosecution to create a solid case.
Despite this, the 35-year-old apparently confessed to his role in her disappearance on two separate occasions to different undercover journalists. These confessions have been ruled inadmissible as evidence by authorities.
Flores' Murder
In 2010, van der Sloot encountered Flores, a student from a well-respected Peruvian family, while playing poker at the Atlantic City Casino in Lima. That night, he brutally murdered her in her hotel room. This took place exactly five years after Natalee Holloway's disappearance.
