How Did Natalee Holloway Die? The Latest Info About Her Tragic Murder – Hollywood Life

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Natalee Holloway’s murder was finally solved nearly two decades after her case made headlines. Eighteen years after the 18-year-old disappeared in Aruba, Joran van der Sloot confessed to killing her as part of a plea deal in a federal extortion and wire fraud case on October 18, 2023.

Now, her story is back in the spotlight. Netflix’s three-part docuseries Taken: Natalee Holloway premiered on November 4, 2026, and her mother, Beth Holloway, is still pushing for murder charges. Here’s everything to know about Natalee’s death and where the case stands today.

Natalee Holloway’s 2005 Disappearance

Natalee was one of more than 100 students from Mountain Brook High School on an unofficial graduation trip to Aruba. She was last spotted leaving a nightclub on May 30, 2005, and Joran, then 17, was one of three men seen getting into a car with her. When she didn’t arrive for her flight the next day, an investigation began, and Joran quickly became a suspect. He was arrested that June but was never charged.

Almost six years after she disappeared, Natalee’s father, Dave Holloway, filed a petition to have her declared legally dead in Alabama. Beth challenged the filing, but a judge signed the petition in January 2012.

Joran van der Sloot Admits to Her Murder

In 2010, Joran promised to reveal where Natalee’s remains were in exchange for $250,000 from Beth, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He was paid a total of $25,100, and the information he gave turned out to be false. Shortly after, he went to Peru, where he murdered 21-year-old Stephany Tatiana Flores Ramírez. He pleaded guilty to her killing in 2012 and was sentenced to 28 years in prison.

In 2023, Joran was brought to the U.S., where he pleaded guilty to extortion and wire fraud and was sentenced to 20 years. As part of his plea deal, he was required to tell the truth about Natalee’s death. Beth faced him in court that day and opened her victim impact statement by addressing him directly, according to CNN.

“Joran, for 18 years you have denied killing my daughter Natalee. Your lies and manipulation, taunting us with fake news interviews and wild stories of what happened to her, have caused indescribable pain and harm to my family and me. The grief I feel lives way down deep in my soul.”

In a recording of his confession, shared by Beth’s lawyer with People, Joran said Natalee rejected his sexual advances after the two lay down on the beach. He admitted that he kicked her and struck her with a cinder block before pushing her body into the ocean. Her remains have never been found.

Where Is Joran van der Sloot Now?

Joran, now 39, was returned to Peru after his U.S. sentencing and remains in prison there, according to Netflix. He is serving his 20-year U.S. sentence at the same time as his Peruvian one.

Despite his confession, Joran has never been charged with Natalee’s murder. Beth told Netflix she has spent the past two years working with Dutch attorneys Royce de Vries and Annemiek van Spanje on a murder complaint against him in the Netherlands, where he is a citizen, and a Dutch prosecutor is now gathering Natalee’s case files.

“The nightmare’s over, right? But I’m not done yet.”

Beth also opened up to Netflix about what carried her through two decades of searching.

“I was driven by hope, determined by love, and acting on faith that I would get Joran van der Sloot.”