On Wednesday, in an emotionally charged courtroom in Alabama, Beth Holloway, the grieving mother of Natalee Holloway, delivered a scathing condemnation of Joran van der Sloot, the Dutch national who has long been suspected in the disappearance of her daughter nearly two decades ago, according to the New York Post.
Van der Sloot, now 36, confessed to brutally murdering the young teen on an Aruba beach in 2005 after Natalee rejected his advances. Holloway's mother confronted him during her victim impact statement in federal court, proclaiming, "You are a murderer!"
The heart-wrenching scene unfolded as Beth Holloway spoke directly to the man who, she maintains, has tormented her family for years. Beth Holloway accused van der Sloot of killing Natalee because he did not get "sexual satisfaction" from her and lashed out with a cinder block in a fit of rage. He then made the chilling statement that he carried her body into the sea.
Addressing van der Sloot's appearance, Beth Holloway didn't mince words, stating, "By the way, you look like hell, Joran. I don't see how you're gonna make it."
Van der Sloot's confession came as part of a plea deal related to U.S. federal charges of extorting money from the Holloway family. The Holloway family paid van der Sloot on the condition he would lead them to Natalee's body, but he ultimately misled them and escaped to Peru, where he later killed Stephany Flores, another woman who had rejected him. As a result, he is now serving a 28-year sentence in Peru for that crime.
Despite the shocking confession, van der Sloot will not face charges for Natalee Holloway's murder in Aruba due to the statute of limitations, which has expired after 12 years. However, he has been sentenced to 20 years for the extortion conviction in the United States. After serving his U.S. sentence, van der Sloot will be extradited back to Peru to continue his incarceration there.
In court, Beth Holloway painted a striking picture of what her daughter's life could have been, saying, "I think about what kind of doctor she would have become. She would be married, have children — my grandchildren. But you destroyed all this. You terminated her potential, her dreams, and her possibilities when you bludgeoned her to death in 2005."
Natalee's father, Dave Holloway, also appealed for the maximum punishment for van der Sloot and expressed faith that a higher power would deliver the ultimate judgment.
After the courtroom proceedings, Beth Holloway spoke to Newsmax's Greta Van Susteren, who had followed the case of the missing teen since the beginning. During the interview, Beth Holloway expressed a sense of euphoric catharsis, telling Van Susteren she felt "so victorious."
"To sit [in the courtroom] and see him walk in shackles," she told Van Susteren, "it was very victorious for me."
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Nick Koutsobinas ✉
Nick Koutsobinas, a Newsmax writer, has years of news reporting experience. A graduate from Missouri State University’s philosophy program, he focuses on exposing corruption and censorship.
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