Joran van der Sloot, prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Alabama high school graduate Natalee Holloway, is en route to the United States following a lost extradition appeal. Van der Sloot, 35, was reportedly the last person to see 18-year-old Holloway alive.
The Dutch citizen is currently serving a 28-year sentence in Peru for the 2010 murder of another woman, Stephany Flores. In May, a court ruled that he should be extradited to the U.S.
Aruba officially closed Holloway's case in 2008. However, her parents have tirelessly continued their search for closure. In 2012, Holloway was declared dead, the same year van der Sloot was convicted for Flores' murder.
Despite being arrested twice in Aruba on suspicion of Holloway's murder, there has never been sufficient evidence to hold van der Sloot. Now, he faces extradition to the U.S. on federal charges of wire fraud and extortion.
In 2010, van der Sloot was indicted for allegedly attempting to extort the Holloway family by promising to lead them to Natalee's body in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The extradition is based on a 2001 treaty between Peru and the U.S., which allows for temporary transfer of suspects between the countries. Van der Sloot's extradition appeal was denied on Tuesday.
