According to Natalee Holloway’s mother, a man previously believed to have been responsible for the disappearance and presumed killing of the Alabama teenager in Aruba 20 years ago has now confessed to the crime. Joran van der Sloot, who had long been suspected, pleaded guilty to extorting money from the Holloway family. As part of a plea deal, he was required to disclose how Natalee died.
Beth Holloway, Natalee’s mother, unequivocally stated, “He is the killer,” outside the Birmingham court. Natalee vanished at the age of 18 while on the Caribbean island of Aruba in 2005 after leaving a bar with van der Sloot. The Dutchman, who was already serving time in Peru for another murder, will serve a 20-year sentence there in connection to this case.
In 2010, van der Sloot demanded $250,000 from Beth Holloway in exchange for information about Natalee’s fate. In court, she addressed him directly, saying, “You have finally admitted that, in fact, you murdered her.” She also described her daughter as having been “bludgeoned.” His confession was documented in a court filing, and it was presented by Judge Anna Manasco during his sentencing.
Judge Manasco remarked, “You have brutally murdered in separate incidents years apart two beautiful women who refused your sexual advances,” referring to the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores.
In exchange for the 20-year sentence, van der Sloot agreed to provide comprehensive and accurate information regarding Natalee Holloway’s disappearance. The extent to which this information will be made public is not yet clear, but Beth Holloway mentioned that the filing, known as a proffer, will be released.
She also revealed that van der Sloot claimed to have killed Natalee on a beach and disposed of her in the water. Natalee’s father, Dave Holloway, described van der Sloot as “evil personified” and stated that the proceedings confirmed the defendant’s involvement in Natalee’s murder and subsequent extortion of her loved ones.
Despite being divorced, Natalee’s parents collaborated for years in their quest to locate Natalee’s remains and seek answers. However, despite global attention, her remains were never found, and a court declared her dead in 2012.
Natalee had traveled to Aruba with friends to celebrate her high school graduation. Her disappearance dominated media coverage worldwide for several months. Beth Holloway expressed gratitude to broadcaster Greta Van Susteren, who extensively covered the case for Fox News.
Although van der Sloot was the primary suspect for nearly two decades, he was never officially charged. Beth Holloway acknowledged that, even with this confession, he cannot be tried for Natalee’s murder in the United States. Nonetheless, she expressed satisfaction in finally knowing that he committed the act alone and disposed of her remains alone.
In 2010, a grand jury indicted van der Sloot on charges of extortion and fraud. He had received money from the family in exchange for false information regarding Natalee’s death and the location of her burial site. He was extradited from Peru to the United States in 2022 to face these extortion charges. In 2012, he admitted to the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores and will serve his new sentence concurrently upon returning to Peru.
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