“It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee.”
Beth Holloway, the mother of Natalee Holloway, an American student who disappeared in 2005. For the first time since then, the prime suspect will be extradited from Peru to the United States for a federal trial.
may 11, 2023
Background: Natalee Holloway was 18 years old when she was last seen in 2005 on a high school trip to Aruba; she was from Birmingham, Alabama. She disappeared after leaving a nightclub. While no body was found, she was later declared dead in 2012. Following Natalee's disappearance, Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot – who was among one of the last to see Natalee – allegedly charged the Holloway family $25,000 in exchange for information about Natalee's body. The information provided was false.
Why It Matters: Van der Sloot, who is currently imprisoned in Peru for the murder of a 21-year-old woman, is the prime suspect for the unsolved disappearance of Natalee. Recent developments have led to his extradition, in which the U.S. has requested him to be temporarily transferred from Peru so he can appear in court based on charges of extortion and wire fraud. Van der Sloot has previously been arrested twice in connection with Holloway's disappearance, however, was released due to a lack of evidence. Van der Sloot's "extradition to the U.S. stems from an alleged attempt to profit from his connection to the Holloway case" (The AP).
Something to Consider: The extradition of van der Sloot is made possible because of a 2001 treaty between the U.S. and Peru. It allows a person already serving prison time to be temporarily brought to the other country "exclusively for the purpose of prosecution." Van der Sloot will return to Peru after the court proceedings.
Suspect in Natalee Holloway disappearance faces extradition to US on fraud charges (The Associated Press)
