Face-to-Face

Holloway's Mother Visits Van Der Sloot

Spoke with him in Peru prison.

Beth Holloway, the mother of missing American teen Natalee Holloway, has paid an awkward visit to Joran van der Sloot in prison. Holloway, accompanied by Dutch documentary filmmaker Peter de Vries, went to Castro Castro prison in Peru to speak with van der Sloot, who is currently being held there for the murder of Stephany Flores, according to a note posted on the journalist’s official website. Though de Vries did not confirm the two met with van der Sloot or the date of their trip, Peru's 24 Horas TV program reported that Holloway spoke to van der Sloot for about five minutes before van der Sloot canceled the meeting because his lawyer was not present, contradicting media reports that prison authorities detained them and confiscated the documentary crew's gear. The two said very little and treated each other respectfully, according to the program. In addition to Flores’ murder, van der Sloot is being charged for allegedly trying to extort more than $250,000 from Holloway's family in return for disclosing the location of Holloway’s body. Natalee Holloway disappeared in Aruba in 2005. Although van der Sloot was arrested twice in Aruba in connection with Holloway's disappearance, he was never charged, and has denied responsibility for her disappearance.