Joran van der Sloot pleaded guilty on Wednesday to the
murder of Stephany Flores, a woman he met last year in a casino in Lima.
Van der Sloot was already the prime suspect in the
disappearance of Natalee Holloway, a teenager who went missing from a night
club in Aruba in 2005. Flores was strangled on May 30, 2010, five years to the
day after Holloway disappeared. Van der Sloot, a twenty-four year old Dutch
national who was raised in the Caribbean, fled to Chile following the incident
with Flores.
Van der Sloot’s defense claimed the defendant killed Flores
out psychological duress incurred following the accusations over the Holloway
case. The prosecution had argued to the jury that his motives had more to do
with Flores’ casino winnings on the night van der Sloot met her.
Van der Sloot changed his plea in hopes of reducing the
sentence. An outright conviction could carry up to thirty years, but under
Peruvian law a “sincere confession” might significantly lessen the time spent
in prison
The three-judge panel now has two days to decide van der
Sloot’s sentence, which is expected Friday morning.
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