The Natalee Holloway case, which has been ongoing for over a decade, has taken another turn as Joran van der Sloot’s lawyer expresses concern over potential new charges. Van der Sloot is the primary suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Holloway, an 18-year-old American student who went missing while on a trip to Aruba.
Van der Sloot has been in prison in Peru since 2010, after he was found guilty of murdering another woman, Stephany Flores Ramirez. He is currently serving a 28-year sentence for that crime. However, in the United States, he is also facing charges related to the Holloway case.
According to van der Sloot’s lawyer, Maximo Altez, there is a risk that his client could face additional charges from U.S. authorities. Altez expressed his concern during an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, in which he also stated that he believed van der Sloot was being unfairly targeted by American authorities.
Van der Sloot was previously indicted in the United States in 2010, on charges of wire fraud and extortion. The charges were related to allegations that he had attempted to extort money from Holloway’s mother, Beth Twitty, in exchange for information about her daughter’s whereabouts. Van der Sloot had reportedly claimed that he could lead investigators to Holloway’s body in exchange for $250,000.
Despite the charges, van der Sloot has never been extradited to the United States, and it is unclear whether he will ever face trial there. In Peru, he has repeatedly denied any involvement in Holloway’s disappearance, as well as in Flores Ramirez’s murder.
The Holloway case has received widespread media attention, both in the United States and internationally. Holloway’s body has never been found, and her disappearance remains unsolved. Her family has continued to advocate for justice in her case, and her mother has been vocal in her criticism of van der Sloot and the authorities in Aruba.
It is unclear what new charges, if any, van der Sloot could face in the United States. However, his lawyer’s comments suggest that the case is far from over, and that there may be more twists and turns yet to come.