Joran van der Sloot, suspect in Natalee Holloway case, pleads not guilty to extortion, wire fraud charges

Joran van der Sloot, the principle suspect within the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway, appeared in court docket in Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday, pleading not responsible to federal extortion and wire fraud expenses.

Holloway’s mother, Beth Holloway, seemed on as van der Sloot, who’s accused of attempting to extort her, walked into the courtroom.

Van der Sloot, a Dutch citizen, selected to not use an interpreter in court docket, saying, “My English is ideal.”

Beth Holloway’s lawyer mentioned in a press release Friday, “At present is a victory for Beth and everybody who has provided their properly needs, prayers, and work on the case for practically twenty years. And extra victories are positive to come back.”

Van der Sloot was flown to the U.S. on Thursday from Peru, the place he had been serving a 28-year sentence for the 2010 homicide of 21-year-old Stephany Flores. Plans for his extradition had been introduced final month.

“For 18 years, I’ve lived with the insufferable ache of Natalee’s loss,” Beth Holloway mentioned in a press release Thursday. “Every day has been stuffed with unanswered questions and a eager for justice that has eluded us at each flip. However right now, together with her perpetrator’s extradition to the US, I’m hopeful that some small semblance of justice might lastly be realized, despite the fact that no act of justice will heal the ache we have endured.”

Mark White, lawyer for Holloway’s father, Dave Holloway, referred to as the extortion and wire fraud case “some type of accountability,” however “not accountability for the final word transgression of what lots of people assume this particular person did to their little one.”

White informed ABC Information on Thursday that he feels “greater than 100%” sure that van der Sloot is aware of the place Natalee Holloway’s physique is situated.

“Beth and Dave Holloway, they’ve been residing each guardian’s worst nightmare,” he mentioned. “All of us hope … that in some way the reality will come out.”

Holloway, an 18-year-old from Alabama, went lacking in Could 2005 on a highschool commencement journey in Aruba. She was final seen with a gaggle of younger males, together with van der Sloot, then 17.

Van der Sloot, who was detained as a suspect in Holloway’s disappearance and later launched, was indicted by an Alabama federal grand jury in 2010 for allegedly attempting to extort Holloway’s household.

Federal prosecutors alleged that in March 2010 van der Sloot contacted Beth Holloway by means of her lawyer and claimed he would reveal the placement of the teenager’s physique in alternate for $250,000, with $25,000 paid upfront. Throughout a recorded sting operation, Beth Holloway’s lawyer, John Q. Kelly, met with van der Sloot at an Aruba resort, giving him $10,000 in money as Beth Holloway wired $15,000 to van der Sloot’s checking account, based on prosecutors.

Then, van der Sloot allegedly modified his story in regards to the evening he was with Natalee Holloway, prosecutors mentioned. Van der Sloot claimed he had picked Natalee Holloway up, however she demanded to be put down, so he threw her to the bottom. Van der Sloot mentioned her head hit a rock and he claimed she died immediately from the influence, based on prosecutors.

Van der Sloot then took Kelly to a home and claimed that his father, who had since died, buried Natalee Holloway within the constructing’s basis, prosecutors mentioned.

Kelly later emailed van der Sloot, saying the data he had offered was “nugatory,” based on prosecutors. Inside days, van der Sloot left Aruba for Peru.

Van der Sloot shall be held in U.S. Marshals custody till trial.

ABC Information’ Amanda McMaster contributed to this report.