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The suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway for years is to be brought to Alabama.A news release from a public affairs firm announced the government of Peru agreed to a temporary extradition of Joran van der Sloot to the United States for face trial.A federal judge ruled May 15 that van der Sloot will be appointed an attorney from the Office of the Federal Public Defender.Natalee, a Mountain Brook native, was on a high school graduation trip in Aruba in 2005 when she disappeared and was never seen again. Holloway’s body was never found, and no charges were filed against van der Sloot in the case. A judge later declared Holloway dead.A grand jury in Alabama in 2010 indicted van der Sloot on wire fraud and extortion charges, accusing him of trying to extort $250,000 from Holloway’s mother in exchange for information on where her daughter was buried.During a recorded sting operation, van der Sloot pointed to a house where he said Holloway was buried but in later emails admitted to lying about the location, the agent saidThe release states van der Sloot has been serving prison time after pleading guilty in 2012 for the murder of a Peruvian college student, Stephany Flores.More than a decade ago, he told a Peruvian judge that he would fight efforts to be extradited to the U.S.“Peru and the United States work together to expand and strengthen the substantial bilateral agenda that links our countries with the aim of bringing concrete benefits to our citizens," the Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru’s ambassador to the United States, said in a statement.The cooperation between the two country's judicial systems has been a priority for decades. "We hope that this action will enable a process that will help to bring peace to Mrs. Holloway and to her family, who are grieving in the same way that the Flores family in Peru is grieving for the loss of their daughter, Stephany,” said Meza-Cuadra in a statement.Natalee's mother, Beth Holloway, also released a statement following the news. "I was blessed to have had Natalee in my life for 18 years, and as of this month, I have been without her for exactly 18 years," Holloway said in a statement. "She would be 36 years old now. 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."Video below: The anniversary of Natalee's disappearance in 2022Van der Sloot could not immediately be reached for comment by The Associated Press on Wednesday. This story contains information from The Associated Press.This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available. Download the app for the latest information.
The suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway for years is to be brought to Alabama.
A news release from a public affairs firm announced the government of Peru agreed to a temporary extradition of Joran van der Sloot to the United States for face trial.
A federal judge ruled May 15 that van der Sloot will be appointed an attorney from the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
Natalee, a Mountain Brook native, was on a high school graduation trip in Aruba in 2005 when she disappeared and was never seen again.
Holloway’s body was never found, and no charges were filed against van der Sloot in the case. A judge later declared Holloway dead.
A grand jury in Alabama in 2010 indicted van der Sloot on wire fraud and extortion charges, accusing him of trying to extort $250,000 from Holloway’s mother in exchange for information on where her daughter was buried.
During a recorded sting operation, van der Sloot pointed to a house where he said Holloway was buried but in later emails admitted to lying about the location, the agent said
The release states van der Sloot has been serving prison time after pleading guilty in 2012 for the murder of a Peruvian college student, Stephany Flores.
More than a decade ago, he told a Peruvian judge that he would fight efforts to be extradited to the U.S.
“Peru and the United States work together to expand and strengthen the substantial bilateral agenda that links our countries with the aim of bringing concrete benefits to our citizens," the Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru’s ambassador to the United States, said in a statement.
The cooperation between the two country's judicial systems has been a priority for decades.
"We hope that this action will enable a process that will help to bring peace to Mrs. Holloway and to her family, who are grieving in the same way that the Flores family in Peru is grieving for the loss of their daughter, Stephany,” said Meza-Cuadra in a statement.
Natalee's mother, Beth Holloway, also released a statement following the news.
"I was blessed to have had Natalee in my life for 18 years, and as of this month, I have been without her for exactly 18 years," Holloway said in a statement. "She would be 36 years old now. 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."
Video below: The anniversary of Natalee's disappearance in 2022
Van der Sloot could not immediately be reached for comment by The Associated Press on Wednesday.
This story contains information from The Associated Press.
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available. Download the app for the latest information.
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