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News reports out of Peru state that Joran van der Sloot, while confessing to the murder of Stephany Flores, mentioned to his interrogators that he knew the exact location of Natalee Holloway’s remains. He was, however, unwilling to share this knowledge with the Lima cops. He DID indicate that he’d be willing to share it with Aruban law enforcement. Some reports state that Joran wants to be transferred to Aruba in order to make his disclosures. Of course he does. The Netherlands (Aruba is part of the Netherlands Antilles) has no extradition treaty with Peru. Once Joran was back home on Aruba, he’d be beyond the reach of the long arm of Peruvian law. I don’t think Peru is going to let that happen. Today Joran was formally charged with murder and robbery, and transferred to jail, presumably to await trial. Outside the jail, a crowd had gathered, and when he was unloaded from the arrest wagon (some reports called it an ambulance) he was pelted with rotten vegetables by people screaming “Murderer!” These are not people who take lightly the death of one of their own at the hands of a foreigner. Or, as one Peruvian newspaper described him earlier this week, a “gringo asesino”.

So, no; I don’t think Peru is going to allow Joran out of the country to lead the Aruban cops on another magical mystery tour of the island. So far he’s claimed that Natalee was a) taken out to sea by someone he called for help in disposing of her corpse, b) that he sold her into sexual slavery to a tourist, c) that she was put in a swamp, and d) that she was interred in the foundations of a house under construction. One of these might even be true. I think the first possibility most closely approximates the truth, since when Joran made that admission he was unaware that he was being taped. He also wasn’t doing it to make money, as he was in the latter three instances.

Does Joran know where Natalee’s remains lie? Quite possibly he does. If her remains can be recovered–even skeletal ones–forensic examination can prove how she died. If her skull was fractured, as Stephany’s apparently was, that will show. If she was strangled by ligature of some sort, as Stephany apparently was (according to the latest reports, she was beaten and then strangled), that will also show.

To read more…

LIMA, Peru – As prosecutors in Peru prepared charges against Joran van der Sloot in the strangling death of a 21-year-old woman, police told NBC News on Thursday the Dutch man admits knowing the location of the remains of missing U.S. teen Natalee Holloway in Aruba.

Van der Sloot remains the lone suspect in Holloway’s disappearance — exactly five years to the day before Stephany Flores was killed in Peru.

Police sources told NBC News van der Sloot is now willing to tell authorities in Aruba where to find the Alabama teenager’s remains.

Van der Sloot was moved to a cell at the prosecutor’s office in advance of filing charges in what police called a remarkably complete confession in the killing of Flores, the daughter of a circus promoter and former race car driver whom he met playing poker at a casino.

‘Practically closed the case”
“We’ve practically closed the case,” criminal police chief Gen. Cesar Guardia told The Associated Press.

Sheathed in a bulletproof vest, the young Dutchman was driven less than a mile across central Lima during rush hour in a police caravan escorted by motorcycle officers.

Guardia said Van der Sloot “confessed with a wealth of details that have been corroborated through criminal investigative rigor.”

Guardia denied any suggestion that Van der Sloot’s confession was forced. He said a translator assigned by the Dutch Embassy was present, as was a state-appointed defense attorney.

The attorney for the slain girl’s family, Edwar Alvarez, told the AP that prosecutors have until 8 a.m. Friday morning to file charges. Otherwise, Van der Sloot would have to be freed.

It’s not clear what Van der Sloot will be charged with, NBC News reported. There are several options under Peruvian law:

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(CNN) — Joran van der Sloot, the suspect in a young woman’s slaying this week in Peru and previously considered a suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway in Aruba, was captured Thursday in Santiago, Chile, authorities said.

Peruvian authorities investigating the slaying were working with officials from Interpol, Chile, Argentina and Colombia in the search for van der Sloot, the Peruvian justice minister said Thursday.

Van der Sloot, who is Dutch, is the main suspect in this week’s slaying of 21-year-old Stephany Flores Ramirez, who was found Wednesday in a Lima, Peru, hotel room that had been rented by van der Sloot. Chilean police told CNN that paperwork showed van der Sloot entered Chile on Wednesday.

Peruvian Justice Minister Octavio Salazar Miranda said Thursday that Peru had made the arrangements with Interpol to extradite van der Sloot once captured.

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