Here’s an unsettling piece of news for American readers: Murderer, suspected pathological liar, and alleged extortionist, Joran van der Sloot, is all set to land on US soil within the next 24 hours. Luckily, he’ll be under lock and key.
That’s right, the convicted criminal is being extradited to the US to stand trial for the extortion of a murder victim’s family, which he allegedly committed 13 years ago.
On a more positive note, some might say this sinister Dutchman, who is one accusation away from being classified as a serial killer, is finally getting his comeuppance.
After the disappearance and deaths of two young women between 2005-2010, his past is coming back to bite him.
Van der Sloot’s background
American teenager Natalee Holloway disappeared from a bar on May 30, 2005 and hasn’t been seen since. While she was officially declared dead in 2012, her body was never found.
Among the last people spotted with her, and also the main suspect of her murder, is the Dutch then-teenager, Joran van der Sloot. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough evidence found to prove him guilty.
READ MORE | Joran van der Sloot: the story of a Dutch killer
Was it a matter of wrong place at the wrong time? Maybe not. Van der Sloot went on to confess to the brutal murder of a different young woman, Stephany Flores, five years later.
By 2010, the world had come to recognise Van der Sloot as a dangerous man.
Extortion and deception
Things went from bad to worse for Van der Sloot, after he managed to rile up his US prosecutors further by demanding $25,000 from Holloway’s relatives back in 2010 in exchange for tips about where to find her body — which he had no intention of actually giving.
Van der Sloot’s swindling of a grieving, desperate family is something the US courts are now holding him accountable for.
Though he has (thankfully) spent the past few years in a Peruvian prison serving a 28-year sentence, Van der Sloot’s time behind bars might go on for longer, now that his alleged extortion is resurfacing in court, reports RTL Nieuws.
READ MORE | Dutch criminal Joran van der Sloot to be extradited from Peru to the US
Murder aside, this kind of extortion could reportedly earn him 25 years in a US prison, reports the NOS. If our maths is correct, that means Van der Sloot wouldn’t be released until he is in his 80s.
Understandably, Van der Sloot is probably panicking. He’s been refusing to cooperate and has opted not to sign the travel document. With the help of his lawyer in Peru, Van der Sloot attempted to appeal his extradition earlier this week, but this appeal was denied.
So sad. (Not really).
Natalee Holloway murder suspect Joran van der Sloot ‘severely beaten’ in prison https://t.co/EQYuUOAYaP pic.twitter.com/vgDFDncTYK
— New York Post (@nypost) May 30, 2023
How will he get from A to B?
People are now asking the question, how will they safely transport this unpredictable and cold-blooded criminal to a maximum security prison overseas?
The government in the Netherlands has been vague about the exact method, saying only that they “want to rule out all threat risks”.
Getting there won’t be easy, as Van der Sloot is now being turned down by airlines, reports De Telegraaf.
He is meant to arrive in the US on Thursday this week, but it could be later. One thing is for sure: this man will end up in court, and either be sentenced to more years behind bars or be returned to his Peruvian prison.
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