Joran van der Sloot, main suspect in Natalee Holloway’s disappearance, will be extradited to U.S.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (TCD) -- Joran van der Sloot, the man believed to have played a role in Natalee Holloway’s 2005 disappearance, will be extradited to the United States from Peru to face wire fraud charges.

The Associated Press reports Peru’s Minister of Justice announced the extradition news Wednesday, May 10. Van der Sloot has been behind bars in Peru for over a decade. He was arrested in 2010 on suspicion of killing 21-year-old Stephany Flores after she won money at a casino. He pleaded guilty in 2012 to beating and strangling her to death and was sentenced in January 2012 to 28 years in Peruvian prison.

Flores was reportedly killed exactly five years after Holloway disappeared.

Five months later, in June 2012, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama charged van der Sloot, a native of the Netherlands, with charges of wire fraud and extortion for allegedly making Natalee’s mother, Beth Holloway, pay him hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for information about Natalee’s disappearance.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, van der Sloot also allegedly made "false promises that he would reveal the location of Natalee Holloway’s body in order to induce Beth Holloway to make wire transfers of money."

Natalee Holloway was 18 years old when she went missing in Aruba on or around May 30, 2005. She was on a class trip with other high school seniors from Mountain Brook, Alabama, and arrived in the Caribbean country May 26, 2005. The FBI said Natalee and some friends went to a nightclub called Carlos 'N Charlie’s on May 29, 2005, and after it closed, she stayed around with other friends to bar hop. She was reportedly last seen at approximately 1:30 a.m. May 30 with some men, including van der Sloot, in a silver Honda.

She never returned to her room in the morning and has not been seen since. A judge declared her legally dead in January 2012, according to CNN.

Van der Sloot’s attorney told The Associated Press he will appeal the extradition.

CNN reports Beth Holloway said in a statement, "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. 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."

MORE:

• Suspect in Natalee Holloway disappearance faces extradition to US on fraud charges - The Associated Press
• FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTS JORAN VAN DER SLOOT FOR WIRE FRAUD AND EXTORTION, 6/30/2012 - U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Alabama
• United States of America v. Jordan Andreas Petrus van der Sloot
• The prime suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba will be extradited to the US - CNN
• Peru court sentences Van der Sloot to 28 years, 1/13/2012 - The Associated Press
• Natalee Holloway declared legally dead, 1/12/2012 - CNN
• Seeking Information - FBI