A Dutchman who was the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of a United States woman vacationing in Aruba has confessed to her murder, prosecutors and the victim's family said.
Holloway, 18, disappeared while on a high school graduation trip to Aruba.
Her body has never been found.
Van der Sloot pleaded guilty during a court hearing in Birmingham, Alabama, on Wednesday to attempting to extort US$250,000 from Holloway's mother in 2010 in exchange for information about her daughter's disappearance.
U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco sentenced van der Sloot to 20 years in prison for extortion and wire fraud.
As part of the plea agreement, van der Sloot "agreed to provide full, complete, accurate, and truthful information regarding Natalee Holloway's disappearance in exchange for a sentence of 20 years," the Justice Department said.
"Today marks the end of 18 years of wondering what happened to Natalee Holloway," U.S. District Attorney Prim Escalona said following the sentencing.
"Natalee can rest knowing that justice was served," she added.
Holloway's mother, Beth Holloway, also spoke to reporters outside the court, saying "today, I can tell you with certainty that after 18 years, Natalee's case is solved.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's over," she expressed.
"He can't be tried here for Natalee's murder," Holloway said.
"But I'm satisfied knowing that he did it. He did it alone and he disposed of her alone (...), I won't give you the details of his brutal confession," she added.