Joran Vander Sloot Confesses To Murdering Natalee Holloway
Oct 20, 2023, 10:00 AM
In a chilling revelation, Joran van der Sloot has confessed to the murder of Natalee Holloway, almost two decades after she vanished in Aruba. The 36-year-old's confession was obtained by PEOPLE, shedding light on one of the most enigmatic cases in recent memory.
According to the partial transcript, van der Sloot admitted to attempting to seduce Natalee on a beach. However, after the 18-year-old declined his advances, he attacked her. Van der Sloot stated, "she tells me 'no'… Uh, I insist. I keep feeling her up either way." In the ensuing altercation, he kicked her in the face, leaving her "unconscious, possibly even... dead," and then brutally struck her with a cinder block he found nearby.
This heart-wrenching confession provides insights into the final hours of Natalee Holloway, an aspiring doctor who had traveled to Aruba to celebrate her high school graduation. She had been last seen leaving a bar with van der Sloot earlier that day.
Van der Sloot recounted the chilling aftermath of the crime, saying he pulled Natalee's body into the ocean, let it drift away, and simply "walked home." This admission fills the void of years of speculation and anguish for Natalee's family.
However, due to the statute of limitations for murder in Aruba, which stands at 12 years, it is unlikely that van der Sloot will face prosecution for this heinous crime.
Further compounding the family's agony, Natalee was legally declared dead in 2012, but her remains have never been located. Making matters even more convoluted, van der Sloot had deceitfully extorted about $25,000 from Natalee's mother, Beth Holloway, in 2010. He falsely promised her answers about her daughter's mysterious disappearance.
The deception did not end there. Van der Sloot subsequently used the extorted funds to flee to Peru. It was there that he committed another appalling crime: the murder of a 21-year-old student, Stephany Flores Ramírez. Eerily, this murder occurred exactly five years to the day of Natalee's disappearance.
The web of crimes stretched even further. Van der Sloot's confession emerged as part of a plea agreement related to a federal case in Alabama, where he faced charges of extortion and fraud. He was handed a 20-year sentence for these financial crimes. This sentencing will run alongside his 28-year prison term in Peru. However, should he be released early from the Peruvian jail, he will be obligated to serve the remainder of his 20-year sentence in the U.S.
The years of anguish have taken a toll on Natalee's family. However, this latest development has provided a semblance of closure. Outside the Birmingham, Ala. courthouse, Natalee's mother, Beth, remarked that van der Sloot's confession and subsequent sentencing meant "the end" to their "never-ending nightmare." She poignantly stated, "It feels victorious. Like we finally transitioned from the victim to the victor."
The Holloway case, with its twists and turns, has gripped the nation for years. While justice may seem elusive in terms of a direct prosecution for Natalee's murder, the recent revelations and sentences offer some respite to a family that has endured unimaginable pain.
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According to the partial transcript, van der Sloot admitted to attempting to seduce Natalee on a beach. However, after the 18-year-old declined his advances, he attacked her. Van der Sloot stated, "she tells me 'no'… Uh, I insist. I keep feeling her up either way." In the ensuing altercation, he kicked her in the face, leaving her "unconscious, possibly even... dead," and then brutally struck her with a cinder block he found nearby.
This heart-wrenching confession provides insights into the final hours of Natalee Holloway, an aspiring doctor who had traveled to Aruba to celebrate her high school graduation. She had been last seen leaving a bar with van der Sloot earlier that day.
Van der Sloot recounted the chilling aftermath of the crime, saying he pulled Natalee's body into the ocean, let it drift away, and simply "walked home." This admission fills the void of years of speculation and anguish for Natalee's family.
However, due to the statute of limitations for murder in Aruba, which stands at 12 years, it is unlikely that van der Sloot will face prosecution for this heinous crime.
Further compounding the family's agony, Natalee was legally declared dead in 2012, but her remains have never been located. Making matters even more convoluted, van der Sloot had deceitfully extorted about $25,000 from Natalee's mother, Beth Holloway, in 2010. He falsely promised her answers about her daughter's mysterious disappearance.
The deception did not end there. Van der Sloot subsequently used the extorted funds to flee to Peru. It was there that he committed another appalling crime: the murder of a 21-year-old student, Stephany Flores Ramírez. Eerily, this murder occurred exactly five years to the day of Natalee's disappearance.
The web of crimes stretched even further. Van der Sloot's confession emerged as part of a plea agreement related to a federal case in Alabama, where he faced charges of extortion and fraud. He was handed a 20-year sentence for these financial crimes. This sentencing will run alongside his 28-year prison term in Peru. However, should he be released early from the Peruvian jail, he will be obligated to serve the remainder of his 20-year sentence in the U.S.
The years of anguish have taken a toll on Natalee's family. However, this latest development has provided a semblance of closure. Outside the Birmingham, Ala. courthouse, Natalee's mother, Beth, remarked that van der Sloot's confession and subsequent sentencing meant "the end" to their "never-ending nightmare." She poignantly stated, "It feels victorious. Like we finally transitioned from the victim to the victor."
The Holloway case, with its twists and turns, has gripped the nation for years. While justice may seem elusive in terms of a direct prosecution for Natalee's murder, the recent revelations and sentences offer some respite to a family that has endured unimaginable pain.
Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj
Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK’s Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com