True Crime/Paranormal/Conspiracy Stories Part VI

Joran Van der Sloot

Joran Andreas Petrus van der Sloot (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈjoːrɑɱ vɑn dər ˈsloːt]; born 6 August 1987) is a Dutch murderer, convicted in the 2010 killing of Stephany Flores Ramírez in Lima, Peru. He was the prime suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

After Flores's murder on 30 May 2010, five years to the day after Holloway's disappearance, Van der Sloot fled to Chile, where he was arrested and extradited to Peru for questioning regarding the murder.

On 7 June 2010, Van der Sloot confessed to bludgeoning Flores. He later tried to formally retract his confession, claiming that he had been intimidated by the Peruvian Police and framed by the FBI. A Peruvian judge ruled on 25 June 2010 that the confession was valid, and on 13 January 2012, Van der Sloot was sentenced to 28 years' imprisonment for Flores's murder. In January 2023, an additional 18 years were added to his sentence for trafficking cocaine while in prison.

On 8 June 2023, Van der Sloot was extradited to the United States to face trial for extortion and wire fraud, with both charges being linked to Holloway's disappearance. On 18 October 2023, he admitted to killing Holloway in a proffer letter, which was released after he pleaded guilty to other associated charges in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

The Holloway and Flores cases both attracted widespread media attention; Time magazine declared Van der Sloot's arrest the top crime story of 2010. He was the subject of international news coverage from prison, leading to controversies that resulted in the investigation and suspension of several Peruvian officials.

Background

Joran van der Sloot was born in the Dutch city of Arnhem, one of three sons to Paulus van der Sloot (1952–2010), a lawyer, and Anita van der Sloot-Hugen, an art teacher. In 1990, his family moved from Arnhem to Aruba, where he was an honor student at the International School of Aruba.

Van der Sloot was a star football and tennis athlete at the school, competing in doubles tennis with his father at the Moët & Chandon Anniversary Cup in 2005, and hoped to play for Saint Leo University. Van der Sloot's mother said he was a habitual liar and had a tendency to sneak out of the house at night to go to casinos.

Disappearance of Natalee Holloway

On 29 May 2005, Van der Sloot met Natalee Holloway at Carlos'n Charlie's bar in downtown Oranjestad, Aruba. Holloway was an 18-year-old American, vacationing in Aruba to celebrate her graduation from high school. Holloway and Van der Sloot drank and danced together at the bar. When the bar closed at 1:00 a.m., Holloway was last seen leaving in a car with Van der Sloot and two brothers, 21-year-old Deepak Kalpoe and 18-year-old Satish Kalpoe.

On 9 June 2005, Van der Sloot and both Kalpoe brothers were arrested in regard to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. The Kalpoe brothers were released from custody on 4 July, while Van der Sloot remained in custody. The brothers were re-arrested on 26 August on suspicion of rape and murder. All three suspects were released on 3 September due to lack of evidence.

After his release, Van der Sloot was required to stay within Dutch territory pending the results of the investigation. On 5 September 2005, he returned to the Netherlands to study international business management at the HAN University of Applied Sciences. On 14 September, a higher court removed the travel restrictions. Gerold G. Dompig, former deputy commissioner of the Aruba Police Force, stated that the initial arrests were made prematurely under pressure from Holloway's family. Dompig charged that the family sidetracked the investigation by making it difficult for the police to collect evidence to solve the case.

Media coverage

On 26 September 2005, Van der Sloot told the American television show A Current Affair that neither he nor the Kalpoe brothers had sex with Holloway, but he admitted that they initially agreed to lie to the authorities. He said that they first told police that Holloway was dropped off alone at her hotel, while he later said that he was dropped off with her at the beach. Van der Sloot stated that he left Holloway alone at the beach at her request and that he regretted it.