Joran van der Sloot

Joran van der Sloot Aruba mugshot

Joran van der Sloot is a Dutch national who gained international notoriety in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, an American teenager, in 2005. Van der Sloot was born on August 6, 1987, in Arnhem, Netherlands, and moved with his family to Aruba in his youth. Holloway disappeared on May 30, 2005, during a high school graduation trip to Aruba, and van der Sloot was one of the last people known to have seen her alive.

Early Life

Joran van der Sloot was raised in a family with three brothers, attending the International School of Aruba. His father, Paulus van der Sloot, was a lawyer and a judge in training on the island, which initially brought the family to Aruba.

Disappearance of Natalee Holloway

On the night of May 30, 2005, Holloway disappeared after leaving a bar with van der Sloot and two Surinamese brothers, Deepak and Satish Kalpoe. Despite extensive media coverage and a high-profile investigation, Holloway's body was never found, and no one was charged in relation to her disappearance. Van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers were arrested multiple times during the investigation but were released due to insufficient evidence.

Further Legal Troubles

In 2010, van der Sloot was indicted by a grand jury in Alabama on charges of wire fraud and extortion, related to allegations that he attempted to sell information about the location of Holloway's body to her family. That same year, on May 30, the fifth anniversary of Holloway's disappearance, Stephany Flores, a 21-year-old business student, was found dead in van der Sloot's hotel room in Lima, Peru. He was arrested in Chile and extradited to Peru, where he was charged with Flores' murder.

Trial and Conviction in Peru

In January 2012, van der Sloot pleaded guilty to the murder of Stephany Flores and was sentenced to 28 years in prison. His trial brought additional international attention to his case, partly due to the connection with the Holloway disappearance.

Connection to Natalee Holloway

Throughout the years, van der Sloot has given multiple conflicting statements regarding his involvement in Holloway's disappearance, leading to widespread speculation and media coverage. However, he has never been formally charged in connection with the case due to a lack of conclusive evidence.

Personal Life

While in prison in Peru, van der Sloot married Leidy Figueroa, a Peruvian woman, in July 2014. The couple reportedly has one child together.

Impact and Media

The cases involving van der Sloot have been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and television specials, highlighting the international fascination with Holloway's disappearance and the subsequent legal dramas surrounding van der Sloot.

See Also

• Disappearance of Natalee Holloway
• Crime in Aruba
• Legal system of Aruba