In 2005, Natalee Holloway disappeared during a graduation trip to Aruba, sparking a worldwide search that lasted nearly 20 years. She was last seen leaving a bar with Joran van der Sloot but was never found.
In 2023, while jailed in Peru, van der Sloot was extradited to the U.S. for extortion and admitted to killing Natalee after she rejected him, then disposing of her body in the ocean. But Aruba’s laws block murder charges due to time limits.
Natalee’s parents called him “pure evil,” saying justice came too late. Her case changed missing person investigations and inspired travel safety laws — but the family’s heartbreak remains.
