Suspect in Natalee Holloway’s 2005 disappearance in Aruba revealed her fate as part of plea deal

By KIM CHANDLER and SUDHIN THANAWALA
Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A U.S. judge says the chief suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway had to tell prosecutors what happened to the teen as part of a plea deal. The disclosure came during a plea and sentencing hearing on Wednesday in Alabama. Joran Van Der Sloot is accused of trying to extort money from Holloway’s mother in exchange for revealing the location of her daughter’s body. He pleaded guilty to extortion and wire fraud as part of an agreement with prosecutors. He is not charged in Holloway’s death or disappearance. But before he was sentenced, Holloway’s mother made a statement saying van der Sloot had acknowledged murdering her daughter.