Joran van der Sloot, the spouse of Leidy Figueroa, is being accused of murdering the American student Natalee Holloway on the Caribbean island of Aruba. Additionally, he is wanted for one charge of blackmail and wire deception.
The offenses are the sole allegations that have ever connected the Dutch national to Holloway’s vanishing in May 2005.
Following Holloway’s disappearance, Joran van der Sloot had been imprisoned for 28 years due to his involvement in the 2010 killing of a Peruvian woman, which occurred precisely five years ago.
He was photographed in Peru just before FBI agents apprehended him on June 8, 2023, to bring him back to the United States.
Holloway, who resided in Birmingham, Alabama, was 18 years old when she disappeared during a journey with fellow students to Aruba.
She was last seen leaving a bar with van der Sloot, who was a student at an international school on the island.
Van der Sloot was recognized as a suspect and held weeks later, alongside two Surinamese siblings.
He was indicted by a grand jury in 2010, with one count each of wire fraud and extortion, which are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Here is all the information you need to know about his spouse, Leidy Figueroa.
In July 2014, Leidy Figueroa, an accountant, got married to Van der Sloot at a private ceremony in Gordas Piedras prison, when their daughter was seven months pregnant.
She claimed in an enthusiastic interview to MailOnline just months after getting married that her new husband was ‘not a monster’ and ‘was kind, sensitive, and gentle’.
In Castro Castro Miguel, Lima met Figueroa, a former inmate of another prison, who sold cigarettes and candy to other inmates.
Lenient prison regulations allowed Figueroa to visit him twice weekly, and the duo exchanged a continuous flow of overly sweet love letters.
In September 2014, Dushy, the child, gave birth to a girl weighing eight pounds at the Hospital Maternity and Perinatal Lima’s in Peru, in honor of grandmother der van Sloot.
What is the current situation with Joran van der Sloot?
Following Holloway’s disappearance, Joran van der Sloot had been imprisoned for 28 years due to his involvement in the 2010 killing of a Peruvian woman, which occurred precisely five years ago.
He was photographed in Peru just before FBI agents apprehended him on June 8, 2023, to bring him back to the United States.
Accused of blackmailing the family of Holloway, the attorney for van der Sloot tried to prevent the transfer of custody to Birmingham, Alabama, only a day after a Peruvian judge issued the extradition decision in June 2023.
When did Joran van de Sloot request a separation from his spouse?
Joran van der Sloot’s attorney, Maximo Altez, said Figueroa flew into a rage when he informed her about the divorce being filed.
Eva Pacohuanaco’s girlfriend, Said Altez, alleged that van der Sloot introduced narcotics into prison in 2020, resulting in the dissolution of the couple’s improbable love story.
‘Leidy continued to meet with him for a period of time,’ the attorney added.
‘Joran had a multitude of girlfriends…Many girls used to visit him…But Leidy was the most faithful.’
As per Altez, van der Sloot requested a divorce in 2022 as he was now involved with ‘more attractive and younger’ Pacohuanaco, 24, despite his unfaithfulness.
What statements has Leidy Figueroa made about Joran van de Sloot previously?
‘In a 2014 interview with MailOnline, Figueroa said that he is unique, familiar with him, to understand when, but he is an assassin and a creature, expressing the act of criticizing him and judging many individuals.’
He has undergone significant transformation; he is not a monster. I want to demonstrate my love for him, and he is a kind, sensitive, and gentle person. Although he is now facing the consequences of his actions, I am aware that he has caused harm. Every day, he prays and seeks forgiveness from God.
‘I have never been afraid of Joran causing harm to me. He has never mistreated me, injured me, or struck me. I don’t believe he is capable of inflicting harm upon me. He adores me excessively,’ Figueroa added.
We used to converse frequently and he was delightful. I encountered an alternate individual when I commenced conversing with him. The media outlets were asserting he is a malevolent individual and he is of considerable stature, so I was slightly apprehensive upon our initial meeting. She continued, “During our initial encounter, I experienced some fear due to his imposing presence and the negative portrayal in the media. However, as our conversation progressed, I encountered a completely different individual. He was kind-hearted and we used to engage in extensive conversations.”
We would talk about making a better future for our family. We had a lot in common. He was studying international business, and I was studying to become an accountant.
I would bring Lucky Red Marlboro cigarettes, candy, snacks, and smoke for him. He always needed toilet paper, and sometimes I would cook meals for him at home.
There was a sense of shame that Joran couldn’t just laugh and dance. After the wedding reception, we celebrated with all of our friends and family. Joran looked incredibly handsome. The ceremony was absolutely perfect. In an interview with MailOnline, she fondly remembered her big day, smiling.
She mentioned that prior to the ceremony ‘he had personally selected the rings and was extremely enthusiastic about the marriage’.