Joran van der Sloot

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In this Dutch name, the surname is Van der Sloot.

Joran van der Sloot

Joran van der Sloot Aruba mugshot.jpg

Aruba Police Department photograph of

Van der Sloot, 2005

Born

Joran Andreas Petrus van der Sloot

6 August 1987 (age 33)

Arnhem, Netherlands[1]

Other names

Murphy Jenkins[2]

Occupation

Student,[3] restaurateur, gambler[4]

Criminal status

Sentenced to 28 years' imprisonment at Challapalca prison (Peru)[5]

Spouse(s)

Leidy Figueroa (m. 2014)[citation needed]

Children

1

Parent(s)

Paul van der Sloot

Anita van der Sloot-Hugen

Conviction(s)

Qualified murder, simple robbery (Peru)[6]

Criminal charge

Extortion, wire fraud (United States)[7]

Joran Andreas Petrus van der Sloot (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈjoːrɑn vɑn dεr ˈsloːt]; born 6 August 1987) is a Dutch convicted murderer who killed Stephany Flores Ramírez in Lima, Peru, in 2010. He is also the prime suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in 2005.[1][6][8]

After Flores' murder on 30 May 2010—five years to the day after Holloway's disappearance—Van der Sloot fled to Chile, where he was arrested and extradited back to Peru for questioning regarding the murder.[9] On 7 June 2010, he confessed to bludgeoning Flores.[6][8][10][11] He later tried to formally retract his confession, claiming that he had been intimidated by the Peruvian police and framed by the FBI.[12][13] A Peruvian judge ruled on 25 June 2010 that the confession was valid,[14] and on 13 January 2012, Van der Sloot was sentenced to 28 years' imprisonment for Flores' murder.[5]

While living in Aruba five years earlier, Van der Sloot had been the prime suspect in the disappearance of eighteen-year-old American woman Natalee Holloway, who disappeared on the island on 30 May 2005. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in the U.S. for wire fraud and extortion related to Holloway's whereabouts.[15] Holloway's disappearance remains unsolved.

The Holloway and Flores cases both attracted widespread media attention;[4] Time magazine declared Van der Sloot's arrest the top crime story of 2010.[16][17] Van der Sloot was the subject of international news coverage from prison,[18] leading to controversies that resulted in the investigation and suspension of several Peruvian officials.[19]

Contents

- 1Background

- 2Natalee Holloway disappearance

- 2.1Media coverage

- 2.22007 search and arrest

- 2.32008 Dutch television sting operations

- 2.4Father's involvement in the case

- 2.52010 charges in the United States

- 3Murder of Stephany Flores

- 3.1Arrest

- 3.2Forensic investigation

- 3.3Confession and retraction

- 3.4Criminal proceedings

- 3.5Guilty plea and conviction

- 3.6Public reaction

- 3.7Media coverage at Miguel Castro prison

- 4Personal life

- 5References

- 6External links

Background[edit]

Van der Sloot attended the HAN University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands[1]

Joran van der Sloot was born in Arnhem in the Netherlands as one of three sons to Paulus van der Sloot (1952–2010), a lawyer, and Anita van der Sloot-Hugen, an art teacher.[20] In 1990, his family moved from Arnhem to Aruba,[21] where he was an honor student at the International School of Aruba.[21][20] Van der Sloot was a star soccer and tennis athlete at the school,[4] competing in doubles tennis with his father at the Moët et Chandon Anniversary Cup in 2005[20] and hoped to play for Saint Leo University near Tampa, Florida, United States.[22] Van der Sloot's mother said he had a problem with lying and had a tendency to sneak out of the house at night to go to casinos.[23]

Natalee Holloway disappearance[edit]

Main article: Disappearance of Natalee Holloway

Carlos'n Charlie's in Oranjestad, Aruba, where Natalee Holloway was last seen with Van der Sloot

Van der Sloot (then age 17) – along with the Kalpoe brothers, Deepak (then age 21) and Satish (then age 18) – were arrested on 9 June 2005, as a suspect in the 30 May disappearance of an eighteen-year-old American woman, Natalee Holloway, who was declared legally dead six years after she disappeared.[24] The Kalpoes were released from custody on 4 July,[25] but were re-arrested on 26 August on suspicion of rape and murder, while Van der Sloot remained in custody. All three suspects were released on 3 September because of a lack of evidence.[26]

After his release, Van der Sloot was required to stay within Dutch territory pending the results of the investigation. On 5 September 2005, he returned to the Netherlands to study international business management at the HAN University of Applied Sciences.[27] On 14 September, a higher court removed the travel restrictions.[3][28][29] Gerold G. Dompig, former deputy commissioner of the Aruba Police Force,[30] stated that the initial arrests were made prematurely under pressure from Holloway's family. Dompig charged that the family sidetracked the investigation by making it difficult for the police to collect evidence to solve the case.[22]

Media coverage[edit]

On 26 September 2005, Van der Sloot told the American television show A Current Affair that neither he nor the Kalpoe brothers had sex with Holloway, but he admitted that they initially agreed to lie to the authorities. He said that they first told police that Holloway was dropped off alone at her hotel, while he later said that he was dropped off with her at the beach. Van der Sloot stated that he left Holloway alone at the beach at her request and that he regretted it.[31]

On 6 February 2006, on ABC's Good Morning America, Van der Sloot's parents stated that their son was unfairly singled out and that the investigation left them devastated.[32] Later that month, while Van der Sloot and his father were in New York City for an interview with ABC's Primetime, they were served with a lawsuit filed by Natalee's parents, Beth and Dave Holloway, alleging personal injury;[33] the case was dismissed on jurisdictional grounds that August.[34]

In April 2007, De zaak Natalee Holloway (The Case of Natalee Holloway), a book written in Dutch by Van der Sloot and reporter Zvezdana Vukojevic, was published by Sijthoff in the Netherlands. Van der Sloot started writing the book while attending business classes in Arnhem. He stated in the introduction, "I see this book as my opportunity to be open and honest about everything that happened, for anyone who wants to read it."[35]

Dutch Marines vainly searching for Holloway near Aruba's California Lighthouse

2007 search and arrest[edit]

On 27 April 2007, a new search involving some twenty investigators was launched at Van der Sloot's parents' home in Aruba.[36] Dutch authorities searched the yard and surrounding area, using shovels and thin metal rods to penetrate the dirt. A spokesman for the prosecutor's office, Vivian van der Biezen, stated: "The investigation has never stopped and the Dutch authorities are completely reviewing the case for new indications". A statement released directly from the prosecutor's office stated: "The team has indications that justify a more thorough search."[37] Investigators did not comment on what prompted the new search, except that it was not related to Van der Sloot's book.[38]

On 21 November 2007, Van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers were re-arrested in Arnhem and Aruba for "suspicion of involvement in voluntary manslaughter and causing serious bodily harm that resulted in the death of Natalee Holloway" because of what the Aruba prosecutor's office stated was "new incriminating evidence" related to Holloway's disappearance. Van der Sloot was returned to Aruba on 23 November, and a court hearing on 26 November ruled to continue his detention for eight days.[39] The Kalpoe brothers were released on 1 December. Van der Sloot was ordered released on 7 December, and he was released without charge the same day.[40]

2008 Dutch television sting operations[edit]

Dutch journalist Peter R. de Vries has pursued Van der Sloot in undercover reports

On 11 January 2008, after being challenged on the Dutch late-night talk show Pauw & Witteman by crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, Van der Sloot threw a glass of red wine into De Vries' face.[41] On 3 February, an undercover video made by De Vries aired on Dutch television, purporting to show Van der Sloot smoking marijuana and admitting to being present during Holloway's death. The show was watched by 7 million viewers in the Netherlands and was the most popular non-sports program in Dutch television history.[42]

Patrick van der Eem, working undercover for De Vries, had befriended Van der Sloot, who was unaware that he was being taped when he said that Holloway had suffered some kind of seizure while having sex on the beach. After failing to revive her, Van der Sloot said that he summoned a friend named Daury. The two men neither phoned for medical help nor checked Holloway to determine if she might still be alive. Then, according to Van der Sloot, Daury volunteered to load her on a boat, and he dumped Holloway's body into the sea.[43] The prosecutor in Aruba determined the video was admissible,[44] but the evidence was deemed "insufficient" to warrant Van der Sloot's, or anyone's, arrest. Although the taped confession appeared damning, Van der Sloot argued that he was lying to impress Van der Eem, who he believed was a drug dealer.[45]

On 22 September 2008, in New York City, De Vries accepted an International Emmy Award in Current Affairs for his coverage while accompanied by Beth Holloway.[46] Under pressure of the attention from the program, Van der Sloot voluntarily checked into a psychiatric clinic before departing for Thailand.[3] He moved to Muang Ake, a suburb of Bangkok, to study business at Rangsit University, but dropped out and bought Sawadee Cup, a restaurant next to the campus that served sandwiches and pizza.[47]

In November 2008, De Vries aired undercover footage of Van der Sloot making preparations for the apparent sex trafficking of Thai women in Bangkok. De Vries claimed that Van der Sloot was making $13,000 for every woman sold into prostitution in the Netherlands.[48] Van der Sloot used the alias "Murphy Jenkins" to avoid Thai authorities.[2] Peruvian Minister of Justice Aurelio Pastor later said that Thailand was pursuing criminal charges against Van der Sloot. According to The National Enquirer, he is being investigated for his involvement in the disappearance of young women he may have recruited for a Thai sex slave gang while posing as a production consultant for a modeling agency that would send them to Europe.[49]

Van der Sloot was portrayed by actor Jacques Strydom in the Lifetime television film Natalee Holloway (2009),[50] which was based on the bestselling book Loving Natalee: A Mother's Testament of Hope and Faith (2007) by Beth Holloway. The movie brought in the highest television ratings in Lifetime's eleven-year history at the time.[51] Van der Sloot himself watched the film one evening in 2010, according to his friend John Ludwick, and said that some parts were true while others were not.[52] The film was followed by a sequel, Justice for Natalee Holloway (2011), in which Van der Sloot was played by actor Stephen Amell.

In August 2009, Van der Sloot was spotted in Macau at the Asia Pacific Poker Tour.[20] He won over US$12,000 that year in an online poker tournament.[53] Van der Sloot described himself on his YouTube page as "a professional poker player" and cited Barry Greenstein's poker strategy guide, Ace on the River, as his favorite book. In early 2010, he sold his restaurant business and returned to Aruba after the death of his father Paulus.[4]

Father's involvement in the case[edit]

Paulus van der Sloot was arrested on 22 June 2005, for questioning in Holloway's disappearance. He was ordered released on 26 June after three days of questioning.[54] According to Aruba's chief prosecutor, one of the Kalpoe brothers told investigators that Paulus, who at the time was training to be a judge,[22] advised his son that without a body, the police would have no case.[55] Beth Holloway pursued Van der Sloot's parents in the media circus on Aruba which ensued after Natalee's disappearance. She stated that Paulus acknowledged that they could not control their son and had sent him to a psychiatrist.[22]

On 10 November 2005, Paulus won an unjust detention action against the Aruban government, clearing him as a suspect and allowing him to retain his government contract.[28] The elder Van der Sloot then brought a second action, seeking monetary damages for himself and his family because of his false arrest.[56][57] The action was initially successful, but the award of 40,000 Aruban florins (US$22,300) was reversed on appeal.[58] The family's finances were depleted by the legal expenses.[4] In January 2007, Paulus found work as a managing partner at the law firm that represented him.[59][57]

On 24 November 2008, Fox News' On the Record aired an interview with Joran Van der Sloot in which he said that he sold Holloway into sexual slavery, receiving money both when Holloway was taken and later on to keep quiet. He also alleged that he paid the Kalpoe brothers for their assistance, and that his father Paulus paid off two police officers who had learned that Holloway was taken to Venezuela. Van der Sloot later retracted the statements made in the interview.[60] The show also aired part of an audio recording provided by Van der Sloot, which he alleged is a phone conversation between him and Paulus, in which Paulus displays knowledge of his son's purported involvement in human trafficking. According to Mos, the voice heard on the recording was not that of Paulus. The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported that the "father's" voice is almost certainly that of Joran himself, trying to speak in a lower tone.[61]

On 8 January 2010, Paulus cancelled his partnership at the law firm where he had been working.[59] On 10 February 2010, he died of a heart attack at the age of 57 while playing tennis in Aruba.[62] Van der Sloot returned to Aruba soon afterward and turned to gambling.[4] His mother, Anita, said that Van der Sloot had severe mental problems and blamed himself for his father's death. He left before she could have him involuntarily committed, leaving a note: "I'm gone, do not worry."[63]

2010 charges in the United States[edit]

Around 29 March 2010, Van der Sloot allegedly contacted John Q. Kelly, Beth Holloway's legal representative, with an offer to reveal the location of Natalee's body and the circumstances surrounding her death for an advance of $25,000 against a total of $250,000.[64] Kelly said that he secretly went to Aruba in April to meet with Van der Sloot, who was desperate for money, and gave him $100. Kelly notified the FBI, which set up a sting operation with the Aruban authorities.[65][66]

On 10 May, Van der Sloot allegedly accepted the amount of $15,000 by wire transfer to his account in the Netherlands, following a cash payment of $10,000 that was videotaped by undercover investigators in Aruba.[67][68] In exchange, Van der Sloot told Kelly that his father buried Holloway's remains in the foundation of a house. Authorities determined that this information was false, because the house had not yet been built at the time of Holloway's disappearance.[69] Van der Sloot later e-mailed Kelly that he lied about the house.[65] Beth Holloway was shocked that the FBI did not promptly file extortion charges against Van der Sloot, allowing him to leave freely with the money to Bogotá, Colombia, on his way to Lima, Peru.[69][70] The FBI and the office of the U.S. Attorney contended that the case had not yet been sufficiently developed.[66]

On 3 June 2010, the U.S. District Court of Northern Alabama charged Van der Sloot with extortion and wire fraud. U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance issued an arrest warrant through Interpol to have him prosecuted in the United States.[7] On 4 June, at the request of the U.S. Justice Department, Dutch authorities raided and confiscated items from two homes in the Netherlands, one of them belonging to reporter Jaap Amesz, who had previously interviewed Van der Sloot and claimed knowledge of his criminal activities.[71] Aruban investigators used information gathered from the extortion case to launch a new search at a beach, but no new evidence was found.[72] Aruba's Solicitor-General said they would not seek Van der Sloot's extradition to Aruba. On 30 June, a federal grand jury formally indicted Van der Sloot of the two charges. The indictment filed with the U.S. District Court seeks the forfeiture of the $25,100 that had been paid to Van der Sloot.[15]

In an interview published by De Telegraaf on 6 September 2010, Van der Sloot admitted to the extortion plot, stating: "I wanted to get back at Natalee's family. Her parents have been making my life tough for five years." His attorney said that his client was not paid for the interview and suggested that "maybe there were some mistakes in the translation."[73]

On 9 March 2014, the Peruvian government announced that Van der Sloot would face extradition to the U.S. in the year 2038 to face charges of extortion and wire fraud, after completion of his 28-year sentence in Peru for the murder of Stephany Tatiana Flores Ramírez (see below).[74] In February 2016, an undercover reporter filmed Van der Sloot confessing to Natalee Holloway's murder. The film shows Van der Sloot, in Dutch, laughing over how he never told the truth about the whole event and that he did in fact kill Holloway. His Peruvian wife is also present during this conversation.[75]

Murder of Stephany Flores[edit]

Stephany Tatiana Flores Ramírez was found dead in Van der Sloot's room at Hotel TAC, S.A.C. in Lima, Peru

On 30 May 2010—the fifth anniversary of Holloway's disappearance—Stephany Tatiana Flores Ramírez, 21, died at the Hotel TAC, in the Miraflores District of Lima, Peru.[76] On 2 June, a hotel employee found her beaten body in Room 309,[9][77] which had been registered in Van der Sloot's name.[78] He had departed from the hotel without returning the room key and left the television running.[79] A tennis racquet, identified by the coroner as a possible homicide weapon, was recovered from the room.[70] A hotel guest and an employee came forward to say they saw Van der Sloot and the victim entering the hotel room together, and the police obtained video of the two playing cards at the same table the night before at the Atlantic City Casino in Lima.[78][80] Van der Sloot had entered Peru via Colombia on 14 May 2010 to attend the Latin American Poker Tour.[81][82]

Flores was a business student who was less than a year from graduation at the University of Lima.[83] She was the daughter of Ricardo Flores, a former president of the Peruvian Automobile Club and winner of the "Caminos del Inca" rally in 1991. A prominent businessman and entertainment organizer, he ran for vice president in 2001 and for president five years later on fringe tickets.[84]

Ricardo Flores said that police found date rape drugs in his daughter's car, parked about fifty blocks from the hotel where she died.[85] Her jewelry, money, identification and credit cards were missing, including about $1,000 her father had given her to purchase a laptop, and over $10,000 she had won earlier at the casino.[72][86][87] Flores reportedly kept this money in her car, but a police search found no money in it.[88]

After Flores' family reported her missing, police retrieved the hotel surveillance tape and obtained Van der Sloot's name and national identification number. Her brother's wife discovered Van der Sloot's background in a Google search about an hour before her body was found.[89]

Arrest[edit]

Joran van der Sloot is located in South America

Aruba

Aruba

Bogotá

Bogotá

Lima

Lima

Arica

Arica

Curacaví

Curacaví

Map of Van der Sloot's travel sites in South America.

Peruvian officials named Van der Sloot as the lone suspect in the homicide investigation.[78] Interpol issued an international arrest warrant for Van der Sloot, believing that he had fled the country to Chile, possibly intending to return to Aruba through Argentina.[90] Van der Sloot was sighted entering Chile via the Chacalluta border crossing, north of Arica, on 31 May 2010.[91][92] His ex-girlfriend, Melody Granadillo, said that Van der Sloot sent her a text message asking for money to buy a ticket back to Aruba.[93]

On 3 June, Van der Sloot was arrested near Curacaví by the Investigations Police of Chile while traveling in a rented taxi on Highway 68 between the coastal city of Viña del Mar and the capital of Santiago.[94][95] He was found with a laptop, foreign currency, a business card case, detailed charts of ocean currents around Lima, and bloody clothes.[78][96] His phone's SIM card was missing, which made mobile phone tracking of his location impossible.[97] He told Chilean police that unidentified armed robbers hid in the hotel room and killed Flores when she disobeyed their order to be quiet.[98] Van der Sloot's Dutch attorney claimed that his client was on his way to Santiago to turn himself in.[99] He was subsequently expelled and transported by Chilean police in a Cessna 310 back to Arica to be handed over to Peruvian authorities at the Chacalluta border crossing on 4 June.[9][100]

Van der Sloot arrived at Lima police headquarters on 5 June, where he was interrogated about the Flores murder while represented by attorney Luz Maria Romero Chinchay.[101] The Dutch embassy provided a translator for his defense.[102] He was held in a seventh floor cell and permitted to contact his mother.[103] Van der Sloot was placed on suicide watch by guards after it was reported that he deliberately hit his head against a wall.[104][105] On 10 June, he was moved to a cell at the prosecutor's office in central Lima.[106]

Forensic investigation[edit]

The Atlantic City Casino in Lima, where Van der Sloot and Flores were recorded on surveillance video

Surveillance video from the Atlantic City Casino recorded Flores winning $10,000 at a baccarat table area on 25 May 2010, while accompanied by a male friend who was not Van der Sloot. According to casino spokesperson Luis Laos, she also won $237 playing poker on 29 May and it was common for people to know the identities of big winners. Laos stated that Van der Sloot did not win any money that night. At 3:00 a.m. on 30 May, Flores was recorded entering the casino alone and walking to a poker table where Van der Sloot was sitting. Van der Sloot had not registered for the Latin American Poker Tour. The deadline to pay the $2,700 entry fee for the 2 June event at the casino was 30 May.[107]

Police released hotel security video showing Van der Sloot and Flores entering the Hotel TAC together at about 5:00 a.m. on 30 May.[108] At about 8:10 a.m., he is shown walking across the street to a supermarket and returning with bread and two cups of coffee.[109] Around 8:45 a.m., he is seen leaving the hotel alone with his bags.[78]

An autopsy ruled that Flores did not have sexual intercourse before her death and that she was not under the influence of enough alcohol to prevent her from resisting an attack.[104] She suffered blunt-force trauma to her head, which caused a brain hemorrhage, cranial fracture, and broken neck.[9][68] She also suffered significant injuries to her face and showed signs of asphyxiation, according to court documents.[110] Flores tested positive for the presence of amphetamines.[111][112] The lab report does not indicate whether the victim took the drugs willingly or unknowingly.[113]

The stains on Van der Sloot's clothes matched Flores' blood type.[114] Blood was also found on the floor, hallway, and mattress in the hotel room. Police stated that DNA tests would be conducted on the clothes, skin found under the victim's fingernails,[115][116] and the previously recovered tennis racquet.[78] Ricardo Flores stated in interviews that his daughter's body needed to be exhumed to gather the fingernail DNA evidence, and that her body had not been cremated for this reason.[117]

On 14 March 2011, the National Police of Peru provided a copy of the hard disk drive from Van der Sloot's laptop computer to the FBI. Colonel Oscar González, of the high tech division of the Peruvian police, stated that the U.S. federal investigation was interested in information related to Holloway's disappearance and the alleged extortion of her family.[118][119] Peruvian detectives determined that the laptop accessed information about the Holloway case before Flores arrived in Van der Sloot's hotel room; it was then used to visit two poker websites at around the time Flores was present in the room.[120] According to a police dossier,[121] the laptop was later used to search Google for the subjects: "relationship between the Peruvian and Chilean police," "Chilean border pass," "buses in Chile," and "countries that do not extradite in Latin America."[122]

Confession and retraction[edit]

On 7 June 2010, Van der Sloot reportedly confessed to killing Flores, after hours of interrogation. He initially proclaimed his innocence.[123] According to an expert in Peruvian law, the confession fit a defense strategy of trying to get the charge reduced to manslaughter, which is punishable by six to twenty years in prison, while a conviction for murder could result in up to 35 years' imprisonment.[124] The prosecution was seeking a sentence of 30 years.[11] Peru does not issue life sentences in standard cases of murder and has abolished capital punishment in all but exceptional circumstances, such as crimes committed under military law.[125][126] A life sentence can be issued for a murder committed during the commission of a robbery.[127] Peruvian president Alan García Pérez used the case to seek the reinstatement of the death penalty for murder.[128]

In his written confession released by Peruvian police, Van der Sloot recounted that he briefly left the hotel to get some coffee and bread, and returned to find Flores using his laptop computer without his permission. A police source stated that she may have found information linking him to the disappearance of Holloway. An altercation allegedly began, and she attempted to escape.[125] According to the aforementioned written confession released by Peruvian authorities, Van der Sloot stated, "I did not want to do it. The girl intruded into my private life ... she didn't have any right. I went to her and I hit her. She was scared, we argued and she tried to escape. I grabbed her by the neck and hit her."[123] Van der Sloot reportedly stated that he was stoned on marijuana at the time.[125] A detective linked to the case said that Van der Sloot considered getting rid of the body in a suitcase,[129] but decided against it because he would have been stopped at the front desk.[96] He then reportedly drank espresso and took amphetamines to counter fatigue before fleeing.[130]

Criminal police chief Cesar Guardia said Van der Sloot "let slip that he knew the place" where Holloway's body is buried.[129] Guardia stated that the interrogation was limited to their case in Peru, which he considered "practically closed", and that questions about Holloway's disappearance were avoided.[106] Guardia said that the confession contains lies because Van der Sloot's "toxicological report shows no signs that he had ingested any kind of drug." Felonies committed under the influence of drugs can gain leniency in Peruvian courts.[111] Guardia said that the motive for the crime was robbery.[72] Van der Sloot reportedly offered a different motive for killing Flores, stating that he "feared that she would go to the police". On 14 June, Peruvian authorities released written transcripts of Van der Sloot's alleged confession.[131] His mother Anita expressed concern that her son's confession may have been coerced.[132] According to Van der Sloot's former attorney Luz Maria Romero Chinchay, his mother advised him not to make any statements nor sign anything, but it was too late.[101]

Van der Sloot later retracted this confession in a prison cell interview with De Telegraaf, claiming that he had been coerced and "tricked" by police with a promise to be transferred to the Netherlands. He stated that at the time he signed the confession documents, he did not understand the content as it was in Spanish. He was quoted: "In my blind panic, I signed everything, but didn't even know what it said."[12] Van der Sloot said that he was lured to Peru and framed by another gambler, named Elton Garcia, who he claimed was working undercover for the FBI.[13] Van der Sloot's attorney Maximo Alonso Altez Navarro stated his intention to resign because the case "created many problems" for him.[131] He had been threatened and harassed for taking the case, and Van der Sloot's family was unable to afford his legal expenses.[133] However, Navarro stayed on to file a motion to void the confession on the grounds that his client was not properly represented during his interrogation. On 25 June, Superior Court Judge Wilder Casique Alvizuri rejected the motion, noting that Van der Sloot was represented by a state-appointed lawyer and provided a translator by the Dutch embassy.[14] Navarro said that Van der Sloot was as "depressed" as anyone in prison would be.[134]

Criminal proceedings[edit]

The Palace of Justice in Lima, where Van der Sloot was charged with murder

On 11 June 2010, Lima Superior Court Judge Juan Buendia ordered Van der Sloot held on charges of first-degree murder and robbery, determining that he acted with "ferocity and great cruelty". Under Peruvian law, Van der Sloot was not eligible to be released on bail,[10] and would be tried by a panel of three judges rather than a jury. A simple majority of the three was required for conviction.[135] Police transported Van der Sloot on the same day from Lima's Palace of Justice in an armored truck, while angry onlookers yelled and threw rotten lettuce. He was taken to the Miguel Castro Castro maximum security prison and placed in a cell near the prison director's office for his own safety.[8] He was registered as inmate #326390 and separated from the general prison population under 24-hour guard, in a high-security cell block housing only one other inmate.[131] Van der Sloot reportedly offered to disclose the location of Holloway's body in exchange for transfer to an Aruban prison because of fear for his life.[129] President Pérez said that Van der Sloot would have to stand trial for the homicide before any extradition request would be considered.[103] He also stated that Van der Sloot will serve his prison sentence in Peru. There is no treaty for the transfer of prisoners between Peru and the Netherlands.[129]

On 15 June, Aruban and Peruvian authorities announced that they would cooperate in their respective cases involving Van der Sloot. Aruban investigators expected to be able to interview Van der Sloot in Peru in August, after Peruvian authorities had completed their investigation.[136] At his first formal hearing within the on-site courtroom of Miguel Castro Castro prison on 21 June,[135] Van der Sloot refused to discuss the case with Judge Carlos Morales Cordova,[137] claiming that his rights and due process were violated. Van der Sloot filed a complaint with the National Police of Peru,[110] accusing chief detective Miguel Angel Canlla Ore of misconduct.[138] He also claimed that his laptop had been improperly searched.[139] Van der Sloot's defense counsel filed a motion of habeas corpus disputing the legality of his detention and to nullify statements he gave to police,[140] but the motion was declared "unfounded" by Superior Court Judge Wilder Casique Alvizuri on 25 June. The judge upheld all three depositions given by Van der Sloot to police and stated that the defendant's laptop was sealed by the court.[139] Navarro vowed to appeal all the way to the Supreme Court of Peru and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights with a legal strategy to "paralyze the process".[134] The Peruvian court said that this would not hold up the case against Van der Sloot.[140]

Navarro stated that he filed suit against Chinchay, who first represented Van der Sloot during his interrogation, charging her with abuse of authority, conspiracy to commit a crime, and misrepresentation because he did not find her name on the list of public defenders from Peru's Ministry of Justice.[141] Navarro also filed a complaint against Van der Sloot's translator, insisting that he misrepresented himself as an official translator of the Dutch embassy.[142] Chinchay rejected the claims against her, stating that Van der Sloot had selected her as a private attorney after declining another defense attorney appointed by the state. She contradicted his claims that he did not understand what he was signing by stating that she was able to speak with him in perfect Spanish. She said that Van der Sloot was interested in talking about the Holloway case, thinking that it might get him extradited to Aruba. Chinchay also said that when she told Van der Sloot that she noticed he was signing various documents with very different signatures, he signaled for her to be quiet.[101]

Navarro stated, on 21 August 2010, that the case was stagnating because an official interpreter was unable to be found for the case in Peru. The Peruvian association of translators and interpreters and the Dutch embassy both separately stated at the time that they have been unable to locate one to officially translate Spanish into Dutch.[143] Unlike Aruba and the United States, Peru does not guarantee the right to a speedy trial.[144] On 6 September, a Peruvian appeals court voted 2 to 1 to reject Van der Sloot's motion that he is being unlawfully held. Because 3 votes are required for a decision, if a fourth judge voted in Van der Sloot's favor, a fifth judge would be required to break the tie.[73] Peruvian statutes permit a suspect to be detained for up to 18 months for interrogation, though Navarro expressed skepticism that law enforcement officers would do so with his client.[145]

In February 2011, Navarro filed a "violent emotion" defense with the court, arguing that Van der Sloot had entered into a state of temporary insanity because Flores found out about his connection to Holloway from his laptop computer. Under Peruvian law, if the judge accepts this crime of passion argument, the sentence for such a plea could be reduced to only 3 to 5 years; Navarro noted that this could allow Van der Sloot to be eligible for parole in as soon as 20 months.[146] Oscar González of the Peruvian police stated that an examination of Van der Sloot's laptop determined that Flores did not access such information while she was in the hotel room with him.[147]

Guilty plea and conviction[edit]

On 11 January 2012, Van der Sloot pleaded guilty to the "qualified murder" and simple robbery of Flores.[6] He was convicted and sentenced to 28 years' imprisonment for the murder on 13 January, and, he must pay $75,000 to the Flores family. Hours after learning of the sentence, Van der Sloot was transferred to a maximum security prison, Piedras Gordas, located north of Lima. He is currently expected to be released on 10 June 2038.[5]

In August 2014, Van der Sloot was transferred to Challapalca prison in the mountainous South of Peru, where conditions are harsh due to the location's altitude. Two months later, a Dutch online news service claimed that Van der Sloot was stabbed and critically injured by fellow prisoners in Peru.[148] Van der Sloot's wife's claim of a stabbing is contested by Peruvian authorities.[149]

Public reaction[edit]

Public outcry in Peru has been fueled by local media, which labeled Van der Sloot a "monster," "serial killer," and "psychopath." The coverage of this controversy highlighted cases of other women dying at the hands of foreigners.[127] Peruvian and Colombian newspapers published articles about the investigation of the disappearance of two young women who frequented casinos during Van der Sloot's stay in at least two Bogotá hotels from 6 to 14 May 2010, prior to entering Peru.[150][151] However, the Administrative Department of Security of Colombia do not consider Van der Sloot a suspect as they believe his presence in Bogotá was merely in transit to Peru.[152] Dutch daily newspaper Trouw warned that the overwhelming pressure on authorities of Van der Sloot's presumed guilt risked turning the case into a show trial.[153] The Dutch consulate told Peruvian authorities that it was concerned how Van der Sloot was being treated and presented to the media.[86]

In December 2010, Time magazine named Van der Sloot's arrest the most notable criminal event of the year,[16] ahead of the Belgian love triangle skydiving murder case, the Chinese school attacks and the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping trial.[17] ABC News listed the coverage of Van der Sloot's murder confession by Good Morning America among the most read stories from its website in 2010.[154] WIAT-TV, the CBS affiliate in Birmingham, Alabama, near Holloway's hometown, named the criminal charges filed against Van der Sloot in 2010 among the top ten stories of the year.[155] Radio Netherlands Worldwide identified him as one of the most talked about Dutch people of the year.[156]

Media coverage at Miguel Castro prison[edit]

Van der Sloot's cell became the target of a media circus, with reporters vying to gain exclusive access and report about his prison surroundings.[157][158] Since his incarceration, he has only consented to interviews to De Telegraaf, in which he admitted to extorting the Holloway family and said that he received a number of marriage proposals in his cell, including one from a woman who wanted to have his child.[73][159] Van der Sloot reportedly receives fan mail from around the world, though mostly from women residing in the United States and the Netherlands.[160] According to sources within the prison, Van der Sloot sought $1 million in exchange for an on-camera interview.[161]

The Office of Internal Affairs of the National Penitentiary Institute of Peru began administrative and disciplinary action on 23 August 2010, when Peruvian network América Televisión aired a picture of Van der Sloot with three other inmates that had been taken with official photographic equipment at Miguel Castro Castro prison. The photo included Van der Sloot casually posing with Colombian hitman Hugo Trujillo Ospina and American murderer William Trickett Smith II.[18] Van der Sloot and Smith have been referred to by local media as "the foreigners accused of the most talked-about assassinations in our country."[162]

On 11 September 2010, Beth Holloway and De Vries traveled to Peru with a Dutch television crew to visit the prison.[163] According to Navarro, his client was taken to meet them "practically by force."[164] Navarro stated that the meeting with Holloway took "less than one minute." Holloway said that she told Van der Sloot that she had "no hate in her soul" for him and asked about her daughter's disappearance, to which Van der Sloot responded he could not speak to her without his lawyer present and handed her Navarro's business card. However, Holloway also stated in interviews about the encounter, "I've hated him for five years. I wanted to peel his skin off."[165] According to Navarro, Holloway was "snuck" into the prison without identifying to the Dutch TV crew who she was.[166] A prison spokesperson stated that Holloway's name was not found in the visitor registry.[163] Holloway and the crew were removed from the prison, reportedly after a hidden camera was discovered by the guards.[167] Representatives for Holloway and De Vries denied that a hidden camera was involved or that anything was seized.[168] Miguel Castro Castro prison warden Alex Samamé Peña was suspended after video segments of the confrontation between Holloway's mother and Van der Sloot later began airing on Dutch network SBS6.[19]

In October 2010, América Televisión broadcast video of a transaction for marijuana within the prison that was conducted by a shirtless man addressed as "gringo Van der Sloot". Navarro said that the situation was "staged" and asked the National Penitentiary Institute to investigate how it was leaked. Prison spokesperson Bruno Guzman said that Van der Sloot had been painting his cell "to improve his conditions" and the incident was being investigated.[169]

Van der Sloot's mother, Anita, stated in a Dutch interview that her son could have killed Flores and that she will not visit him at the prison.[13] She said in another interview that she hopes to talk to the family of the victim and apologize to them.[161]

"I believe in karma, I believe that very strongly. I believe that if you do things that you shouldn't do, that a lot of shit happens to you," she said. "He didn't want to listen to his parents. He didn't listen to me, this last time. I tried to do my best. I don't think I could have done more. He's considered an adult right now. He has to do whatever he needs to do, and that is tell the truth (about) what happened."

— Anita van der Sloot-Hugen, Dutch television interview[161]

In February 2011, Navarro protested a decision by prison officials to deny Radio Netherlands Worldwide permission for a subsequent interview with Van der Sloot. Navarro claimed that the ruling was influenced by upcoming general elections.[170]

On 5 July 2011, St. Martin's Press published Portrait of a Monster: Joran van der Sloot, a Murder in Peru, and the Natalee Holloway Mystery by Lisa Pulitzer and Cole Thompson.[171]

Personal life[edit]

On July 4, 2014, Van der Sloot married a Peruvian woman named Leidy Figueroa, whom he met while she was selling goods inside the prison. She was seven months pregnant with his child at the time.[172] On September 28, 2014, Figueroa gave birth in Peru.[173]

Jump to search

Jump to navigation

Jisoo Han

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jisoo Han

Hangul

한지수

Revised Romanization

Han Ji-su

McCune–Reischauer

Han Jisu

Jisoo Han (Korean: Han Ji-su, Hangul: 한지수; born c. October 1983) is a South Korean underwater diving instructor who was held in Honduras. She was jailed for 110 days and was placed under house arrest for 306 days in connection with the death of Dutch tourist Mariska Mast at the Honduran island of Roatán.[1] Han proclaimed her innocence and appealed to roommate Daniel Ian Ross, a suspect in the case who fled to Australia, to come forward and exonerate her.[2]

Han's uncle Sung-ho Choi filed petitions for her release with Amnesty International.[3] The case was brought to the attention of South Korean president Lee Myung-bak and Honduran president Porfirio Lobo Sosa.[4] On October 16, 2010, Han was acquitted of the murder and remains in Honduras pending the outcome of an appeal by the prosecution.[5][6]

Contents

- 1Background

- 2Death of Mariska Mast

- 2.1Initial investigation

- 2.2Arrest and extradition

- 2.3Media coverage and reaction

- 2.4Trial

- 3See also

- 4References

Background[edit]

Han lived in the West End district of Roatán while training to be a Divemaster.

Han came to Roatán on June 10, 2008 to learn to become a scuba diving instructor. She assisted instructor Daniel Ian Ross, then 29 years old, in the course of her PADI Divemaster training at Coconut Tree Divers. She moved into Ross' apartment in the West End district on August 15 to save money by sharing the rent.[1][7] Ross, a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Australia, allegedly arrived in March of that year and may have been working illegally in Roatán at that time.[8]

What beautiful nature. I enjoyed every minute of my time in Honduras. I thought it might even be a good place to live.

— Jisoo Han[9]

Death of Mariska Mast[edit]

On August 21, 2008, 23-year-old Mariska Esmeralda Mast, a schoolteacher from the Netherlands, took a diving course at Coconut Tree Divers with Ross and other instructors. Han said she was preparing for her instructor exam outside of the dive shop at that time.[1] Mast's travel companion Barbara Mehsner stated that Mast complained of having breathing problems after their last dive.[10]

According to Han, she met Mast for the first time that evening at the Purple Turtle bar, while accompanied by Ross and other guests.[1][11] Mehsner said Mast drank with Ross that night and was infatuated with him;[12] Mast told Mehsner that Ross had kissed her.[13] Han stated that she went home alone at around 11:30 p.m. to go to sleep. Ross and Mast arrived at the apartment minutes later.[9] In Ross' statement to police, Mast collapsed in the bathroom at around 3 a.m., hitting her head and chipping her tooth.[14] Han said she brought some ice to tend to a cut above Masts' eye and returned to bed after Ross said he could handle the situation. Han allegedly woke up at around 6 a.m. when Ross yelled her name because Mast was having trouble breathing. Han said Mast was naked in Ross' bed and had defecated on herself.[13] Han alerted neighbors to call for an ambulance.[9] Ross said that he attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation when Mast stopped breathing.[7] Han joined Ross to take Mast to the hospital in the back of the landlady's truck.[2][14] Ross alleged that he was unable to converse in Spanish with the doctors, who sent him away.[7] Mehsner said she was told that Mast hit her head when she fell in the apartment.[10] Ross stated that he returned to the apartment where he "cleaned up the mess" with the housekeeper and claimed to be unaware that he was removing vital evidence because Mast had been pronounced dead.[7][8] According to the police, the landlady witnessed Ross cleaning up the scene before they could arrive.[14] Han said that a neighbor's wife had cleaned the apartment, which was sealed as a crime scene.[9] A police officer who inspected the apartment found "six packets of pills and a blood stain."[13]

Initial investigation[edit]

Ross was arrested and held for five days at a Coxen Hole jail, where he was visited by British consul Mat Harper.[7][14] Ross told the court that he did not want Mast to come to his apartment on the night she died.[13] British officials in Honduras stated that Mast's initial autopsy was "inconclusive" and were uncertain whether Ross would be charged.[8] Han was summoned to the court to make a statement and answer questions as a witness.[1] Ross was conditionally released after surrendering his British passport and was instructed not to leave the island by the Honduran authorities, who were then unaware of his dual citizenship. Ross used his Australian passport to leave the country the next day,[15] while a memorial was being held for Mast. Han said she had not seen Ross since.[16]

Dutch diplomats and private investigators visited Roatán and pressured Honduran investigators to revisit the case.[14] A new forensic report stated that Mast died of blunt force injuries and asphyxiation with evidence of strangulation.[2] Trace amounts of amphetamines were found in her blood.[16] Honduran forensic pathologist Heybee Yessenia Caballero reported that Mast's bruises were consistent with defensive injuries and concluded her death was a "homicide, from the legal medical point of view."[17] An international arrest warrant was issued for Ross through Interpol.[18]

According to Han, she passed her Divemaster certification about a month after the incident and left Roatán. After staying in the United States for about three weeks, she returned to South Korea. At the end of December 2008, Han went to Dahab, Egypt where she taught diving to other Koreans.[1]

Arrest and extradition[edit]

On August 27, 2009, Han was detained at Cairo International Airport on an Interpol warrant as she was leaving Egypt to return to Korea. After questioning by an Interpol inspector, Han said she was sent to a "chicken cage" jail cell in Cairo where she had to sleep on a concrete floor.[9] Han said that her request to contact the Korean consulate in Egypt was denied.[19] Three days after Han's arrest, Ross fled from Singapore to Australia, which does not have an extradition treaty with Honduras, and denied responsibility for the death through his lawyers.[2][20] Australian authorities will not honor an Interpol red notice, which requests extradition.[10]

On September 22, 2009, Han was extradited back to Roatán via the Netherlands while in Interpol custody.[14] After a short court hearing which Han said she did not understand, she was sent to La Ceiba prison. Han said she was scared of the prison shop "because there are a lot of rapists amongst the males." Han praised her father who visited her at the prison and befriended the guards to make sure that she was treated well.[9] On December 14, 2009, Han was released from the prison on $10,000 bail and has been allowed to remain under house arrest at a church in San Pedro Sula until her trial.[16][21][22]

Media coverage and reaction[edit]

Lee Myung-bak

Porfirio Lobo Sosa

South Korean president Lee Myung-bak spoke about the case with Honduran president Porfirio Lobo Sosa.

Han publicly appealed to Ross to come forward and exonerate her.[2] Mariska's father Herbert Mast also pleaded with West Australian authorities to extradite Ross to answer questions about the case.[23] Mariska's sister Amanda said that Ross never contacted the Mast family to explain what had happened.[12] Ross stated that he wanted to get on with his life and asked for privacy.[16] Han's uncle Sung-ho Choi called the charges "total nonsense" and filed petitions with Amnesty International to seek his niece's release.[3][9]

I want to know the truth but I am not the one who has the key... I don't know if he might be able to help clear my name but it would be great if he can and does.

— Jisoo Han, September 2010[16]

On June 29, 2010, South Korean president Lee Myung-bak met with Honduran president Porfirio Lobo Sosa at the 2010 summit of the Central American Integration System (SICA) and brought up Han's case, stating: "A young Korean woman is on trial in Honduras. I hope you will pay special attention to the issue."[4][24]

Dutch journalist Peter R. de Vries attempted to interview Daniel Ian Ross in Australia about the case.

In August 2010, Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries traveled to Subiaco, Western Australia to interview Ross about the case.[15] Ross called the police when De Vries attempted to contact him at his home on August 19. De Vries was arrested and paid a $200 fine for disobeying a police order to move on. De Vries responded to the arrest by stating: "I didn't touch him, I didn't insult him, I didn't threaten him... This is a homicide case and I tracked him down and now you're putting me in jail. That's the world upside down."[25] On September 6, a West Australian magistrate rejected an application by Ross for a restraining order against De Vries, who had by then left the country.[26] On November 14, De Vries aired a 31⁄2 hour investigative program about the case on Dutch television.[27] A follow-up report aired on November 22, 2010.[28]

Something may be being organised as a result of the interest by these Dutch journalists.

— Inspector Dominic Wood, Western Australia Police[25]

The dive community and police have presented several theories for Mast's death, including injuries sustained from her accidental fall, decompression sickness mixed with alcohol, battery during an attempted rape, or an accident during rough sex.[14]

Trial[edit]

Han's trial was scheduled to be held at Coxen Hole on October 14 to 15 in 2010.[1] The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade sent a diplomat and a forensic expert from the Korean National Institute for Scientific Investigation to assist with the case.[29] Han was defended by attorney Félix Antonio Ávila Ortíz against charges that could have imprisoned her for up to 30 years in Honduras.[9][30] An additional autopsy report was submitted by Han's defense that indicated that Mast's death may have been caused by a combination of alcohol and drugs. On October 16, Han was found not guilty in a unanimous verbal ruling by a three-judge panel of the regional court of Roatán.[5][6] However, the formal hearing to release Han was postponed on November 5 and again on November 19.[31][32][33] The official verdict acquitting Han was finally delivered on November 24, 2010.[34] The prosecution has appealed the ruling, though Korean ministry officials believe it unlikely to be overturned.[35] Herbert Mast said that he was not shocked by the verdict.[36] Han plans to return to South Korea.[34]

I thought I was going to break down when the verdict was reached, but it didn't really hit me right away... After I spoke with my father from Korea and took other congratulatory calls, I realized I was found not guilty and was really pleased.

— Jisoo Han, October 2010[37]

After the verdict was announced, Daniel Ian Ross announced through his lawyer from Australia that he was "delighted" that the court case supported his claim that he was not responsible for the death of Mariska Mast. However, Honduran authorities are still seeking Ross for questioning over Mast's death in his apartment.[36] Dutch consul Floris Kluck stated that authorities from Honduras and the Netherlands were working with Australia on a proposal to extradite Ross without a treaty.[38]

There has been co-operation from lots of countries already to see that justice takes place and it would be nice if Australia would do all the best so justice for this Dutch girl takes place.

— Floris Kluck, Dutch honorary consul for Honduras[37]

Jump to search

Jump to navigation