The body of Mountain Brook teen Natalee Holloway was never found after she disappeared while on a senior class trip to Aruba back in 2005. However, new information could reveal more about how the lone suspect in her disappearance initially got away and was able to kill another woman.
Holloway was declared dead in 2012, but her family never gave up hope on finding justice.
Journalist Greta Van Susteren has been covering the case for over two decades. She has interviewed Holloway’s family, investigators and even Joran van der Sloot, the man authorities believe was responsible for the 18-year-old’s death.
After years of FOIA requests, Van Susteren said she has obtained video of van der Sloot receiving $25,000 from Beth Holloway’s lawyer in exchange for information. That deal occurred in 2010 and led to van der Sloot being charged and ultimately convicted of extortion.
Van Susteren plans to release the video and documents she said show the FBI “bungled the Joran van der Sloot sting in 2010.” She claims the FBI was watching and in an adjacent room but failed to arrest van der Sloot.
Just three weeks after the deal was made, van der Sloot murdered Stephany Flores Ramirez in Peru. Van Susteren said the documents she will produce Wednesday show the FBI covered up its actions.
“You will see for yourself, judge for yourself and you will know why the FBI didn't want me to have these documents,” Van Susteren stated. “Some are handwritten, mentions A/G Holder warning them not to screw it up (they did) and then? The cover-up.”
Van der Sloot is serving a 28-year sentence in Peru for the murder of Ramirez and has since admitted to murdering Holloway and pushing her body into the sea.
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