Natalee Holloway’s Brother Describes Heart-Wrenching Days Following Her Murder
Paul van der Sloot passed away suddenly from a heart attack in February 2010, leaving his son lost. According to the Holloway family lawyer John Kelly, in March of that year, Joran sent an email expressing his willingness to come clean and help Natalee’s family in exchange for $250,000. He claimed he knew what happened to Natalee and where she could be found.
With Beth’s approval, John Kelly met Joran in Aruba and agreed to start with $25,000. Joran hinted he knew the location of Natalee’s body and when asked what would happen if the payment wasn’t made, he callously responded, “Beth can wait another five years.” The family then sought the help of the FBI to catch Joran committing wire fraud in order to hold him accountable.
In a subsequent meeting, John wired $25,000 to Joran, who led him to a house near the Aruba Racquet Club where he claimed Natalee’s remains were buried beneath a newly constructed foundation. Joran described a violent altercation on the beach leading to Natalee’s death.
Despite being doubtful of Joran’s account, John remained hopeful for closure. However, authorities found inconsistencies in Joran’s story, concluding it wasn’t sufficient for an arrest.
Joran promised to turn himself in but instead fled to Peru. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud and extortion on June 30, 2010.