While Peruvian Interpol police prepare criminal charges against Joran van der Sloot in murder of 21-year-old Flores, they say Van der Sloot knows the location of body remains for missing Natalee Holloway, last seen in in Aruba.
Police say Van der Sloot confessed on his third full day in Peru police custody. Van der Sloot remains the sole suspect in Natalee Holloway’s disappearance--eerily, exactly five years to the May 30 day before Stephany Flores was killed in Peru.
Peru Police say Joran van der Sloot is now willing to tell authorities in Aruba where to find the Alabama teenager’s remains. Van der Sloot was moved to a cell at the prosecutor's office in advance of filing charges in what Peruvian police called a remarkably complete confession in the killing of Flores. Flores was daughter of a circus promoter and former race car driver, who met van der Sloot while playing poker at a casino.
"We've practically closed the [murder] case [of Stephany Flores]," the AP reports as stated by criminal police chief Cesar Guardia. Constantly outfitted in a bulletproof vest during all transport, the young Dutchman was driven less than a mile across central Lima during rush hour traffic and by police caravan escorted of motorcycle officers. Guardia said Van der Sloot "confessed with a wealth of details that have been corroborated through criminal investigative rigor."
The Peruvian police chief denies any suggestion that Van der Sloot's confession was forced by Peru authorities. Attorney for the slain girl's family, Alvarez, says Peru prosecutors have until 8 a.m. Friday morning to file criminal charges against van der Sloot-with no charges filed by police, Van der Sloot would have to be freed. It's yet unknown what criminal charges will be filed by police.
Peru's options for criminal charges against van der Sloot include: Premeditated aggravated murder (maximum 35-year sentence), Simple murder (maximum 20-year sentence), Murder “as result of violent emotion" (three to five-year sentence), "Injury that leads to death" (one to three-year sentence) While confessions typically help reduce a sentence, it may not affect this case.
Formal charges against van der Sloot will take awhile. Peru prosecutors will first file a formal charge to a Judge, Friday. The Judge will accept the charges, or dismiss them within 15 days. If van der Sloot's charges are accepted, an investigation phase starts that will take months to compolete.
Formal charges against van der Sloot will be reviewed and prosecutors will file an official "accusation" against the Dutchman, or charge with a request for a penalty. There's no jury trial van der Sloot will be facing: a panel of three judges – not a jury — decides will decide van der Sloot's fate. What remains unresolved is the May 30, 2005, disappearance of Holloway on the Caribbean island of Aruba.
Ironically, efforts by the United States FBI-to trap van der Sloot on extortion and wire transfer charges for the U.S., may be the only way van der Sloot got to Peru. He may not have been able to fund his travel to Peru, where he murdered Flores, had it not been for the money provided by FBI.
Trying to close in on van der Sloot, FBI videotaped and paid Joran $25,000 in a sting operation in Aruba last month-however held off on his arrest. Van der Sloot then took that FBI money and flew to Peru.
Peru police told the AP that the 6-foot-3 Van der Sloot, age 22, "impressed investigators with both his intelligence and brutality". "He [van der Sloot] grabbed her and smashed her with an elbow," Guardia said, pointing to his own nose. A lot of blood spewed out ... Then he strangles her [Flores] and throws her to the floor." "He is irascible. He has no self-control," the Peru police chief, Guardia, said.
General Guardia sayas Van der Sloot took Flores' cash in the amount of approximately US $300 worth of Peruvian currency, credit cards and her national Peru ID card. Van der Sloot also stole Flores' car, a Jeep Cherokee, abandoned blocks away from the murder site.
The police chief said Van der Sloot confessed to killing Flores because Flores had found out about the Aruba, Holloway, case through using Van der Sloot's laptop computer without his permission.
The police chief says that police don't necessarily believe Van der Sloot and timing: they believe Van der Sloot may have killed Flores before going out and returning to the room with cups of coffee and bread.
"This guy [Van der Sloot] is very intelligent but at times has lapses," said Guardia. "And the truth is that he is not a person in possession of all his senses." A psychological examination is pending, he said. Van der Sloot is apparently getting plenty to eat, the police chief claims. "If he wants a steak we give him a steak ... If he wants a cigarette we give him cigarettes." Apparently you do attract more flies with honey.
Security camera video The evidence against the Dutchman includes hotel security camera video showing Flores and Van der Sloot entering his hotel room together and the Dutchman leaving alone four hours later. Video footage from the Atlantic Casino, where Van der Sloot and Flores appeared together, shows Flores arriving at a poker table-with Van der Sloot seated next to other players. Van der Sloot and Flores shake hands as if they'd met prior, then Flores sits next to Van der Sloot in the casino. Van der Sloot and Flores later leave the Atlantic Casino together. "The incriminatory elements [against Van der Sloot] were so powerful [in the Flores murder case] that he had to confess," says the police chief.