The main suspect in the unsolved disappearance of Natalee Holloway landed in Alabama Thursday afternoon after flying from a military base in Peru.Joran van der Sloot was handed over to U.S. officials to be transported Thursday morning. He faces charges in Alabama. The federal charges filed in Alabama against van der Sloot stem from an accusation that he tried to extort the Holloway family in 2010, promising to lead them to her body in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars. A grand jury indicted him that year on one count each of wire fraud and extortion.The Peruvian government announced on May 10 that it would temporarily transfer custody of van der Sloot to authorities in the U.S. to face trial on extortion and wire fraud charges. Video below: Joran van der Sloot walked off plane in handcuffsA professor of law at the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University explained that while the case has gained international attention, van der Sloot will not be given special attention.A Peruvian judge on Tuesday affirmed this week's planned extradition to the U.S. less than 24 hours after a lawyer for van der Sloot announced that his client had changed his mind and planned to challenge his extradition to the United States.Defense attorney M谩ximo Altez announced the decision of van der Sloot just hours after the Peruvian government confirmed the extradition would take place Thursday. Altez said van der Sloot reversed course following a meeting with Dutch diplomats. Video below: Joran van der Sloot arrives in AlabamaLast month, the lawyer said his client explained in a letter he did not plan to challenge the extradition. Holloway, of Mountain Brook, Alabama, went on a high school graduation trip to Aruba. She was 18 years old. She never showed up for the return flight home.Her classmates said they last saw her with van der Sloot, who was 17 at the time, and two others as they left a club.The three said they dropped her off at a hotel. They were questioned and detained but freed because of a lack of evidence.Holloway's disappearance made national headlines, and her parents were active and vocal in trying to get investigators to find their daughter.Exactly five years after Holloway vanished, another woman was killed. Stephany Flores, 21, was a business student that van der Sloot met at a casino. After fleeing Chile, he was taken to Peru, where he confessed to killing Flores. He told police he got mad when she discovered his connection to Holloway while playing online poker in his hotel room. Prosecutors also accused him of killing Flores for casino money.His lawyers argued that he killed Flores because he was triggered by the trauma from being the prime suspect in Holloway's death.Joran van der Sloot pleaded guilty to Flores' death in 2012 and is serving 12 years in prison. The day he was arrested, he was also indicted in Alabama. A 2001 treaty between Peru and the U.S. allows a suspect to be temporarily extradited to face trial in the other country. The time that van der Sloot spends in the U.S. 鈥渨ill be extended until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings,鈥� including the appeal process should there be one, according to a resolution published in the South American country鈥檚 federal register. The resolution also states that U.S. authorities agreed to return the suspect to the custody of Peru afterward. Holloway was declared legally dead in January 2012.The young woman鈥檚 mother, Beth Holloway, in a statement released after Peruvian authorities agreed to the extradition last month, said the family is 鈥渇inally getting justice for Natalee.鈥濃淚t has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off,鈥� Beth Holloway said. This article contains information from The Associated Press.This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.
The main suspect in the unsolved disappearance of Natalee Holloway landed in Alabama Thursday afternoon after flying from a military base in Peru.
Joran van der Sloot was handed over to U.S. officials to be transported Thursday morning. He faces charges in Alabama.
The federal charges filed in Alabama against van der Sloot stem from an accusation that he tried to extort the Holloway family in 2010, promising to lead them to her body in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars. A grand jury indicted him that year on one count each of wire fraud and extortion.
The Peruvian government announced on May 10 that it would temporarily transfer custody of van der Sloot to authorities in the U.S. to face trial on extortion and wire fraud charges.
Video below: Joran van der Sloot walked off plane in handcuffs
A professor of law at the explained that while the case has gained international attention, van der Sloot will not be given special attention.
@FiscaliaPeru
Prosecutor of the Nation supervised the temporary handover of the sentenced Joran Van Der Sloot to the United States authorities, by Interpol Peru, to face the process that is being followed for the crimes of extortion and fraud to the detriment of Elizabeth Ann Holloway .
A Peruvian judge on Tuesday affirmed this week's planned extradition to the U.S. less than 24 hours after a lawyer for van der Sloot announced that his client had changed his mind and planned to challenge his extradition to the United States.
Defense attorney M谩ximo Altez announced the decision of van der Sloot just hours after the Peruvian government confirmed the extradition would take place Thursday. Altez said van der Sloot reversed course following a meeting with Dutch diplomats.
Video below: Joran van der Sloot arrives in Alabama
Last month, the lawyer said his client explained in a letter he did not plan to challenge the extradition.
Holloway, of Mountain Brook, Alabama, went on a high school graduation trip to Aruba. She was 18 years old. She never showed up for the return flight home.
APAP Photo/Leslie Mazoch
Police search a brush area next to the Marriot hotel on Palm Beach in Aruba, Tuesday, June 14, 2005, in connection with the disappearance of Alabama high school graduate Natalee Holloway on May 30. (AP Photo/Leslie Mazoch)
Her classmates said they last saw her with van der Sloot, who was 17 at the time, and two others as they left a club.
The three said they dropped her off at a hotel. They were questioned and detained but freed because of a lack of evidence.
Holloway's disappearance made national headlines, and her parents were active and vocal in trying to get investigators to find their daughter.
Exactly five years after Holloway vanished, another woman was killed. Stephany Flores, 21, was a business student that van der Sloot met at a casino.
After fleeing Chile, he was taken to Peru, where he confessed to killing Flores. He told police he got mad when she discovered his connection to Holloway while playing online poker in his hotel room. Prosecutors also accused him of killing Flores for casino money.
His lawyers argued that he killed Flores because he was triggered by the trauma from being the prime suspect in Holloway's death.
Joran van der Sloot pleaded guilty to Flores' death in 2012 and is serving 12 years in prison.
The day he was arrested, he was also indicted in Alabama.
A 2001 treaty between Peru and the U.S. allows a suspect to be temporarily extradited to face trial in the other country. The time that van der Sloot spends in the U.S. 鈥渨ill be extended until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings,鈥� including the appeal process should there be one, according to a resolution published in the South American country鈥檚 federal register. The resolution also states that U.S. authorities agreed to return the suspect to the custody of Peru afterward.
Holloway was declared legally dead in January 2012.
The young woman鈥檚 mother, Beth Holloway, in a statement released after Peruvian authorities agreed to the extradition last month, said the family is 鈥渇inally getting justice for Natalee.鈥�
鈥淚t has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off,鈥� Beth Holloway said.
This article contains information from The Associated Press.
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.
