Beth and Dave Holloway, the parents of missing American teen Natalee Holloway, are still seeking justice for their daughter, even though an Alabama probate judge has declared her dead, ABC News is reporting. The judge’s declaration came hours after Joran van der Sloot, the prime suspect in Natalee’s disappearance, pleaded guilty to the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores, a woman he met in a Lima casino.
Dave said he and his ex-wife “have been dealing with her death for the last six and a half years.” While he added the judge’s ruling “closes one chapter in the ordeal, we’ve still got a long way to go to get justice.”
Dave also said he hopes van der Sloot, who is awaiting sentencing by Peruvian prosecutors for Flores’ murder, is brought to justice for his daughter’s disappearance. “Everybody knows his personality. I believe he is behind rehabilitation,” Dave added.
Natalee’s parents both said they hope van der Sloot will next be sent to Birmingham, where he faces federal charges of extorting $25,000 from Beth to reveal where Natalee’s body is located. Prosecutors claim the money was paid, but nothing was disclosed about Natalee’s whereabouts.
Authorities believe van der Sloot used the money to travel to Peru, where he killed Flores five years to the day after Natalee disappeared. He reportedly killed Flores in a fit of rage, after she found information on his laptop linking him to Natalee’s disappearance.
The case looking into Natalee’s disappearance, which is classified as a homicide investigation, is still open in Aruba. However, there has been no recent activity in the case, Solicitor General Taco Stein, an official with the Aruba’s prosecutor’s officer, said.
Written by: Karen Benardello
