Natalee Holloway’s killer, Joran van der Sloot, reportedly tried to commit suicide while behind bars on Saturday, December 14.
Peruvian news outlet La Republica reported on Monday, December 15, that van der Sloot, 38, was found hanging from a strip of blanket in his cell as guards were distributing breakfast to the inmates.
He was reportedly taken to the infirmary and was later listed in stable condition.
The outlet added that officials believe the manner in which they found van der Sloot “suggested a possible suicide attempt.” However, a rep for van der Sloot has not yet publicly spoken out about the incident.
Van der Sloot is currently serving a 28-year sentence in Peru for the murder of 21-year-old Stephany Flores, whom he killed in 2010. However, he is most well-known for committing the murder of teen Holloway in 2005 when she was on her high school graduation trip in Aruba.
Holloway was last seen driving off with a group of young men, including van der Sloot, in Oranjestad, Aruba, in May 2005.
Van der Sloot quickly became a suspect in the case after authorities noticed his stories about the night of her disappearance didn’t line up. He and two brothers Deepak Kalpoe and Satish Kalpoe were later arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murder in June 2005. However, all three of the men were released without charges in September of that year.
The trio were arrested again in November 2007, though they were released a second time without charges in December 2007.
Five years after Holloway’s disappearance, van der Sloot killed Flores Ramírez in Lima, Peru. He then fled the border to Chile, though authorities were able to track him down and he was arrested in June 2010.
That same month, van der Sloot was indicted in the United States on federal charges of wire fraud and extortion after he allegedly had a meeting with Holloway’s mother, Beth Holloway, in March 2010 and demanded money from her.
Van der Sloot pleaded guilty to Flores’ murder in January 2012, leading to his 28-year sentence. He then pleaded guilty to the federal extortion charges in October 2023 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. ABC News reported that van der Sloot agreed to share information about Holloway’s death as part of his plea deal, and he eventually confessed to killing her.
“Joran van der Sloot is no longer the suspect in my daughter’s murder,” Beth, 65, told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama, following his confession, according to CBS News. “He is the killer.”
While van der Sloot admitted to killing Holloway, he was not sentenced to serve time for her death because the 12-year statute of limitations for murder had passed in Aruba by the time he confessed.
Holloway’s disappearance and death will be documented in Netflix’s upcoming three-part docuseries, which was announced in December.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
