Joran van der Sloot, the primary suspect in the Natalee Holloway disappearance case, is anticipated to try pleading guilty to a reduced sentence after being charged with an extortion plot involving the Holloway family.
Natalee Holloway, an 18-year-old student who had embarked on a trip in May 2005 to Aruba with Mountain Brook High School, was reportedly seen with van der Sloot exiting a bar in Aruba, and she disappeared. In January 2012, Natalee Holloway was legally declared deceased following a request by her father.
Van der Sloot is facing wire fraud and extortion charges in the United States. These charges stem from allegations that he attempted to sell information regarding the whereabouts of Natalee’s body to Beth Holloway, Natalee’s mother.
According to John Q. Kelly, Beth Holloway’s attorney, van der Sloot is expected to enter a plea agreement. This agreement is contingent on him disclosing details about Natalee Holloway’s cause of death and the circumstances surrounding the disposal of her remains.
Kelly also informed Fox News Digital that the search for Natalee Holloway’s body has been concluded.
The plea and sentencing hearing for van der Sloot is scheduled for Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. in a federal courtroom in Birmingham, Alabama.
Federal prosecutors allege that van der Sloot attempted to extort $250,000 from Natalee Holloway’s family, with an initial payment of $25,000 for the information and the remainder on the condition that Natalee Holloway’s body was discovered and a positive identification had been made.
However, according to U.S. prosecutors, van der Sloot provided false information to Beth Holloway about the location of her daughter’s remains. The alleged extortion plot occurred between March 29, 2010, and May 17, 2010. Van der Sloot initially pleaded not guilty to these charges following a June hearing when he was temporarily transferred from Peru to the United States.
Beth Holloway is expected to make a statement following Wednesday’s hearing.
Afterward, van der Sloot will return to Peru to complete his sentence for the murder of Stephany Flores, whom he admitted to killing in a fit of anger on May 30, 2010.
Van der Sloot’s case with federal authorities will be concluded before he returns to Peru. If convicted, he would subsequently serve time in an American prison after finishing his sentence in Peru.
