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MAKE ALABAMA MORE EV FRIENDLY. IS �������� 13, BREAKING NEWS IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. OUR NEVER ENDING NIGHTMARE HAD TO END AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL THAT WE CAN SAY THAT TODAY THAT IT IS OVER AFTER NEARLY 20 YEARS OF NOT KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED TO HER DAUGHTER, BETH HOLLOWAY. FINALLY HAS AN ANSWER. GOOD EVENING AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TONIGHT AT FIVE. I’M SHERI FALK. AND I’M BRITTANY DICKER. AFTER 18 YEARS OF CLOSURE TO A NIGHTMARE, JORAN VAN DER SLOOT CONFESSED TO KILLING NATALEE HOLLOWAY IN 2005, AND HE DIDN’T HOLD BACK THE DETAILS. DEBBIE ��������13’S MAGDALA LOUISSAINT HAS BEEN DOWNTOWN AT THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE ALL DAY LONG IN MAGDALA. I KNOW LISA IS JOINING YOU AND SHE JUST SAT DOWN WITH BETH HOLLOWAY. YES, SHE DID. SHERI AND BRITTANY AND LISA. WHAT DID BETH HOLLOWAY HAVE TO SAY? SHE’S SUCH AN AMAZING WOMAN. YOU KNOW, A REAL WARRIOR MOM. IT FELT LIKE OVER THOSE 18 YEARS, MANY TIMES SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE PUSHING HARD FOR ANSWERS AS TO WHAT HAPPENED TO HER DAUGHTER. AND AS YOU SAID, SHE GOT THOSE TODAY WHEN I TALKED TO HER JUST A SHORT TIME AGO, WE SAT DOWN AND HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS. AND SHE SAID IT REALLY IT COMES AS A RELIEF BECAUSE IN THE END, SHE GOT WHAT SHE WANTED OVER THE YEARS, NOT ONLY HAVE YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH YOUR OWN GRIEF, BUT YOU WERE DESPERATE FOR ANSWERS. WE HAD THIS MAIN SUSPECT AND IN THE MEANTIME, WHILE YOU PUSHED AND PUSHED, ANOTHER YOUNG WOMAN DIED. THAT MUST BE DEVASTATING FOR YOU. AS HARD AS YOU WERE TRYING TO GET HIM PUT AWAY. YES. BECAUSE IN ZERO FIVE, I KNEW THAT HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR A DISAPPEARANCE. I DID NOT KNOW THAT. OF COURSE, ANYTHING THAT THAT WE KNOW TODAY. BUT I KNEW THAT HE WAS DEFINITELY INVOLVED IN HER DEMISE OF HER ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. SO THAT WAS IN ZERO FIVE. ARUBA. LET HIM GO. 2010. I HAD HIM ARUBA. LET HIM GO FREELY TO PERU AND BLUDGEONED A SECOND YOUNG GIRL TO DEATH. SO I’M THINKING I DID EVERYTHING I COULD ADD IN ZERO FIVE AND 2010 TO STOP HIM. BUT ARUBA DID NOTHING BESIDES BE COMPLICIT WITH HIM AND LET HIM GO. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT’S WHY I FEEL LIKE I CAN LIVE WITH MY DECISION THAT THAT I GOT THE ANSWERS THAT I WANTED EVEN THOUGH, YES, IT CAME WITH A PLEA AGREEMENT. BUT I DID EVERYTHING I KNEW TO DO TO STOP HIM ON THE IN THE BEGINNING, YOU GOT THE CONFESSION THAT YOU WANTED. YOU KNOW, NOW WHAT HE SAYS HAPPENED AND DOES DOES IT GIVE YOU WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD? IT GIVES ME MORE THAN WHAT I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HAVE. AND I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT JUST BEING OVER BECAUSE THERE’S BEEN SO MANY RABBIT HOLES. I MEAN, THERE WERE JUST LIKE A SEA OF RABBIT HOLES SWIRLING THEORIES. AND I WAS IN ALL OF THEM BECAUSE WE BECAUSE WE DIDN’T HAVE ANYTHING. AND I THINK WE JUST BEGAN CHASING THESE, YOU KNOW, RUNNING DOWN THESE RABBIT HOLES REPEATEDLY. SO IT’S NICE TO IT’S IT’S OVER. IT’S STOPPED A LITTLE. THIS DOWN. YEAH. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS SHE SAID WAS THAT IT’S TIME TO PUT THIS BEHIND HER. SHE’S OBVIOUSLY NEVER GOING TO FORGET NATALEE AND SHE ALWAYS IS A PART OF THEIR FAMILY. BUT IT’S TIME NOW TO ENJOY HER GRANDCHILDREN. SHE HAS TO AND TO START LOOKING MORE TOWARDS THE FUTURE. THAT’S GOOD. AND WE’RE HAPPY FOR HER THAT SHE HAS REACHED THIS POINT. BUT IT WAS TODAY THIS FEDERAL JUDGE WHO SENTENCED JORAN VAN DER SLOOT TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON. HE’LL HAVE TO GO BACK TO PERU, WHERE HE’S SERVING A 28 YEAR SENTENCE FOR MURDERING A COLLEGE STUDENT BACK IN 2010. NOW, THE SENTENCE HANDED DOWN TODAY WILL RUN CONCURRENTLY WITH THE ONE FROM PERU AS YOU HAVE. WE HAVE, AS WE HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED. NOW, JOHN PACK IS HERE. NOW, YOU WERE INSIDE THE COURTROOM THIS MORNING. YOU SAW BETH HOLLOWAY. YOU SAW HER FATHER, DAVE, WHAT DID YOU EXPERIENCE IN THERE? WELL, IT WAS LIKE BETH SAID EARLIER, TODAY WAS THE DAY THAT THE NIGHTMARE THAT THEY’VE BEEN LIVING WITH IS NEVER ENDING. NIGHTMARE IS OVER BECAUSE OF WHAT TRANSPIRED IN THE COURTROOM THIS MORNING. JORAN JORAN VAN DER SLOOT ACTUALLY PLEADING GUILTY TO SELLING A A FALSE STORY ABOUT HER WHEREABOUTS BACK IN 2010 AND NOW CONFESSING ULTIMATELY WHAT HAPPENED TO HER ON THAT FATEFUL NIGHT BACK IN 2005. WELL, DURING THIS MORNING’S HOUR LONG PLEA HEARING AND SENTENCING, VAN DER SLOOT ADMITTED HE, IN FACT, LIED TO BETH HOLLOWAY ABOUT HER DAUGHTER’S FATE. BACK IN 2010, THE DUTCH NATIONAL WAS THE LAST PERSON SEEN WITH NATALEE IN ARUBA IN MAY OF 2005. WELL, AS PART OF HIS PLEA AGREEMENT, VAN DER SLOOT AGREED TO TELL PROSECUTORS AND THE FBI EVERYTHING HE KNEW ABOUT THE 18 YEAR OLD MOUNTAIN BROOK NATIVE’S DEATH. DURING A RECORDED INTERVIEW WITH HIS ATTORNEY, VAN DER SLOOT DESCRIBED HOW HE AND NATALEE WERE LAYING ON THE BEACH WHEN SHE REFUSED HIS SEXUAL ADVANCES. HE GOES ON TO SAY, WHEN SHE NEEDS WHEN SHE NEEDS ME IN THE CROTCH, I GET UP ON THE BEACH AND I KICK HER EXTREMELY HARD IN THE FACE. THESE ARE HIS WORDS. HE GOES ON TO CONFESS, I SEE A HUGE CINDERBLOCK LAYING ON ON THE BEACH. I TAKE THIS. YEAH, I SEE. SMASH HER HEAD IN WITH IT COMPLETELY. HE ALSO DESCRIBES HOW HE DISPOSED OF HER BODY. WE’LL HAVE MORE DETAILS ABOUT ABOUT THAT COMING UP AT SIX. OKAY. AND SO I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, JOHN. YOU KNOW, YOU’RE IN VAN DER SLOOT CHANGED HIS STORY MULTIPLE TIMES ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO NATALEE. SO WHAT ABOUT THIS CONFESSION MAKES IT DIFFERENT? WELL, FOR ONE, THEY ACTUALLY SAID IN COURT TODAY THAT HE PASSED A POLYGRAPH TEST THAT WAS ADMINISTERED BY FBI AGENTS. AND ALSO A PROSECUTOR SAID THAT THEY FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS, A VERY THOROUGH INVESTIGATION TO CHECK OUT WHAT HE SAID. AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY CREDIBLE EVIDENCE TO DISCREDIT HIS ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT DAY IN 2005. SO BASICALLY, THEY BELIEVE THIS IS THE CLOSEST THING TO THE TRUTH, THAT CAN BE UNCOVERED. OKAY. AND A LOT OF BETH HOLLOWAY’S FRIENDS MENTIONED THAT SAME THING, THAT THIS IS THE CLOSEST TO THE TRUTH. THEY WILL GET TO SOME OF THEM OUT HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE HOLLOWAY FAMILY. AND WE GOT A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH SOME OF THEM TODAY. THEY EXPRESS HOW PROUD THEY ARE OF BETH HOLLOWAY. NOW, ONE OF THOSE FRIENDS WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IS GINGER STRICKLAND. SHE TELLS US SHE TRAVELED TO ARUBA WITH BETH AFTER NATALEE WENT MISSING. SHE SAYS THEY WENT DOWN THERE TO SEARCH FOR NATALEE AND ALSO WARN SENIORS, YOUNG ADULTS AND PARENTS ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE A MISSING PERSONS CASE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY. YOU’RE IN VAN DER SLOOT, PLEADING TODAY TO THE EXTORTION AND WIRE FRAUD CHARGES ALSO CAME WITH A CONFESSION ABOUT HOW HE KILLED NATALEE 18 YEARS AGO. NOW, STRICKLAND SAYS THIS IS AS CLOSE TO THE TRUTH. FRIENDS AND FAMILY HAVE GOTTEN ON NATALEE’S WHEREABOUTS, EVEN THOUGH HE’S TOLD SO MANY LIES. I DO BELIEVE THIS WAS THE TRUTH AND I HOPE THAT THIS WEIGHS FURTHER ON SENTENCING THAT HE WILL GET IN THE FUTURE. BUT I WAS SO PROUD OF BETH TODAY FOR BEING ABLE TO STAND AND FACE HIM AND TELL HIM SOME THINGS SHE HAD HELD BACK FOR A WHILE. NOW, SOME OF BETH HOLLOWAY’S FRIENDS TELL US BETH NOT GIVING UP AND HOLDING ON TO HER FAITH IS PART OF THE REASON WHY NATALEE HOLLOWAY NOW HAS JUSTICE. WE’RE LIVE IN DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM. I’M MAGDALA LOUISSAINT W �������� 13. SEND IT BACK TO YOU, SHERI AND BRITTANY. ALL RIGHT, THANKS SO MUCH, MAGDALA. WELL, ONE PERSON WHO HAS FOLLOWED THIS CASE VERY CLOSELY IS ANGELA HARRIS. ANIAH BLANCHARD’S MOTHER. YES. SO NEXT WEEK MARKS FOUR YEARS SINCE BLANCHARD WAS KIDNAPED AND MURDERED. �������� 13, CHIP SCARBOROUGH SPOKE TO ANGELA HARRIS THIS AFTERNOON TO GET HER THOUGHTS ON THE HOLLOWAY FAMILY FINALLY GETTING THE JUSTICE IN NATALEE’S CASE. NEARLY TWO DECADES LATER. DRAMATIC JUST TO THINK THAT NATALEE WENT THROUGH THAT. ANGELA HARRIS FOUGHT BACK TEARS AS SHE LEARNED OF THE DETAILS REVEALED IN COURT WEDNESDAY MORNING. DETAILS OF HOW MOUNTAIN BROOK TEEN NATALEE HOLLOWAY DIED NEARLY TWO DECADES AGO. AND NOW THAT YOU KNOW, BETH AND THE REST OF NATALEE’S FAMILIES HAVING TO HEAR THOSE DETAILS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO NATALEE, IT’S JUST AWFUL. ANGELA HARRIS AND HER FAMILY ARE FROM RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO MOUNTAIN BROOK HERE IN HOMEWOOD. SHE SAYS SHE AND BETH HOLLOWAY HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW EACH OTHER SINCE THE KIDNAPING AND MURDER OF HER OWN DAUGHTER NEARLY FOUR YEARS AGO NOW. IN THAT TIME, THE TWO HAVE LEANED ON EACH OTHER. BETH BEEN ABLE TO SAY THAT THAT NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT HE’S NO LONGER A SUSPECT, THAT HE IS THE KILLER, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH IT’S BREAKING YOUR HEART TO SAY THAT, TO HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, SAY MY DAUGHTER IS IS NOT HERE. AND WE KNOW WHO HER KILLER IS. IT IS A HUGE RELIEF TO KNOW AND TO BE ABLE TO JUST SAY IT. HARRIS SAYS KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED IN NATALEE HOLLOWAY WILL ALLOW HER FAMILY TO PROPERLY GRIEVE. SHE ALSO SAYS THE FAMILY IS RIGHT AND NOT BELIEVING JORAN VAN DER SLOOT IS A CHANGED MAN. I PERSONALLY DON’T THINK THAT’S THE TRUTH EITHER. I DON’T. I THINK THAT IF THERE WERE THAT THERE WERE TRUE REMORSE AND TRUE SORROW FOR WHAT HE DID, THAT IT WOULD HAVE CAME OUT A LONG TIME AGO. HARRIS SAYS SHE JOINS THE HOLLOWAY FAMILY AND CELEBRATING JUSTICE IN NATALEE’S CASE. CHIP SCARBOROUGH, �������� 13. WELL, IT MAY BE EASY TO THINK OF NATALEE’S DEATH AS AN UNFORESEEN TRAGEDY. IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER HER AS SHE LIVED. NATALEE WAS A STRAIGHT-A STUDENT WHO WAS LOVED BY HER PEERS AND TEACHERS AND HER HARD WORK EVEN EARNED HER A SCHOLARSHIP TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, WHERE SHE PLANNED TO BECOME A DOCTOR. DURING THE COURT PROCEEDINGS, BETH HOLLOWAY PRAISED THE YOUNG WOMAN SHE HAD THE HONOR OF RAISING FOR 18 YEARS, SAYING, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT SHE WOULD HAVE MADE ALL OF HER DREAMS COME TRUE AND I WILL WAKE UP EVERY DAY REMEMBERING WHO SHE WAS. WE’VE BEEN COVERING THIS CASE SINCE IT BEGAN NEARLY 20 YEARS AGO. YOU CAN CHEC