The Peruvian Judicial Branch on Wednesday authorized the temporary handover of
Dutch murderer Joran van der Sloot to United States authorities, for his prosecution over the alleged crimes of extortion and fraud against Elizabeth Ann Holloway.
The inmate will leave Challapalca Prison, in Peru's southern Tacna region —where he is serving sentence for the murder of Peruvian citizen Stephany Flores— to be extradited and answer for the disappearance of U.S. citizen Natalee Holloway, which occurred back in 2005.
Natalee Holloway case
On the night of May 30, 2005, 18-year-old Natalee Holloway disappeared during a senior class trip to Aruba. Her body has never been found. Within this framework, the case drew the attention of international media outlets.
One day before her return to the United States, the young female student was last seen in a restaurant-bar accompanied by three subjects, including Joran van der Sloot, who is the main suspect in her disappearance.
In December 2007, the Dutchman plus brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, local residents with whom Holloway hung out that fateful night, were released without charge due to lack of evidence.
After the unsuccessful search in Aruba, Natalee's parents requested the extradition of Joran van der Sloot to the U.S. to continue with the investigations.
In 2012, an Alabama judge signed an order declaring Holloway legally dead.
What other crimes is van der Sloot charged with?
It should be noted that Joran van der Sloot was not only suspected of the crime, but also of extortion.
According to U.S. prosecutors, in June 2010, the Dutch citizen received from the missing woman's family US$25,000 in exchange for revealing where the young woman's body was located.
After obtaining what had been requested, he sent an e-mail in which he said that everything was a lie, while he was fleeing the island to Peru.
Almost 18 years after the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, Joran van der Sloot will be temporarily extradited to the United States for his prosecution over extortion and fraud against Elizabeth Ann Holloway —the victim's mother.
"The requesting country shall keep the defendant in custody during the entire proceedings to take place in its territory. Once the criminal process has come to an end, he will be returned immediately to Peruvian authorities," the Judiciary reported.
Murder of Stephany Flores
Exactly five years after Natalee's disappearance, on May 30, 2010, Stephany Tatiana Flores Ramirez (21) was last seen alive entering a hotel in Lima's Miraflores district with Joran van der Sloot.
The suspect himself recounted that, after spending the night together, he went out to buy some coffee. Once he had returned, he found Stephany apparently reading about Natalee's case on his laptop, which sparked his anger and began to beat her to death.
When the Police found young business administration student's body, the search began for the Dutchman, who had already crossed the border into Chile after stealing US$5,000 from Flores.
Days later, van der Sloot was captured and extradited to Peru, where he confessed to the crime on the advice of his lawyer, but without showing any signs of regret.
In 2012, Joran van der Sloot was sentenced to 28 years in prison and to pay civil reparations worth S/200,000 (US$74,350) for the heirs of Stephany Flores. It was also provided that the Dutch citizen be expelled from Peru when he completes his sentence on June 10, 2038.
Where is van der Sloot serving his sentence?
In 2014, when he was at Piedras Gordas Prison, on the outskirts of Lima, Joran van der Sloot married Peruvian citizen Leydi Figueroa Uceda, who was pregnant.
The couple met at Lurigancho Prison, where the Dutchman was serving a sentence until March of that year. Leydi Figueroa used to help her parents in the administration of a sales booth in said prison.
As he was found in illegal possession of a mobile phone, van der Sloot was transferred to Challapalca Prison, located 4,800 meters above sea level in Tacna region's highland, southern Peru, where the temperature can exceed 9 degrees Celsius during the day and register -20 degrees at night.
Published: 5/11/2023