Joran van der Sloot: Inside Criminal History of Natalee Holloway's Killer

Joran van der Sloot, now 36, pleaded guilty to extorting Natalee Holloway's mother, Beth Holloway, on Wednesday

Joran van der Sloot, the Dutch national long suspected in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, pleaded guilty to extortion and wire fraud in federal court Wednesday, months after he was extradited to the U.S. from Peru, where he was serving a sentence for the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores Ramírez.

In addition to pleading guilty to extorting Natalee's mother, Beth Holloway, van der Sloot, now 36, also admitted to his involvement in Natalee's death after more than 18 years of being the prime suspect in the teen's disappearance.

Natalee was 18 years old when she disappeared on May 30, 2005 while on a senior trip to Aruba with her classmates. She was last seen leaving a nightclub with van der Sloot, then 17, and two other men. That morning, she and her classmates were due to fly home to Alabama, but Holloway did not make the flight and was never seen again.

Related: Inside Natalee Holloway's Final Hours Before She Vanished: 'I Remember Seeing Her in a White Car Driving Away'

Van der Sloot’s guilty plea is the latest chapter in his legal history that dates back to the days after Holloway disappeared. Here's everything to know about Natalee's killer's criminal history.

2005: Van der Sloot Arrested in Connection With Natalee's Disappearance

Less than two weeks after Holloway disappeared, van der Sloot was arrested. He told authorities he had taken her back to the hotel after a night out, a claim that was later disproved by video surveillance, ABC News reported. His story would change several more times, but he was ultimately released and never charged in connection with her disappearance.

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After he was released, van der Sloot returned to the Netherlands to attend college. But in 2007, he was re-arrested by Dutch authorities before being released again without charges in December of that year, CNN reported.

2010: Extortion Charges

The extortion charges against van der Sloot stem from a 2010 incident, in which he asked Holloway’s mother for $250,000 in exchange for information about where Natalee’s body was hidden and the circumstances of her death, according to an indictment previously reviewed by PEOPLE.

Through her attorney, Beth paid van der Sloot $25,000, but never learned accurate information about where her daughter's remains were. The payment, however, resulted in an indictment against van der Sloot, who left Aruba for Peru before he could be arrested.

June 2010: Van der Sloot Arrested for Murder

While in Peru, van der Sloot was arrested and charged with murdering student Stephany Flores Ramírez, who was killed on the five-year anniversary of Holloway’s disappearance. According to a 2005 ABC News report, Flores Ramírez may have seen a message referencing van der Sloot's involvement in the disappearance of Natalee on the night she was killed. He choked and beat Flores Ramírez, then smothered her to death, according to the outlet, citing a transcript of his confession. Van der Sloot was arrested in connection with her May 30, 2010 murder on June 3.

After killing Flores, van der Sloot reportedly ate a breakfast of coffee and cookies, while thinking of ways to dispose of her body, PEOPLE previously reported.

Related: Report: Joran Van der Sloot Recounts Chilling Moments After Murder

January 2012: Van der Sloot confesses

In January 2012, van der Sloot pleaded guilty to killing Flores Ramírez one day before Holloway was legally declared dead by an Alabama judge, even though her remains have still never been located. Van der Sloot was sentenced to 28 years in prison in Peru for the murder of Flores Ramírez.

June 2023: Van der Sloot Is Extradited to the U.S. to Face Extortion Charges

Van der Sloot was extradited to the United States to stand trial on federal extortion charges in Alabama. He pleaded not guilty at the June arraignment, according to the Associated Press.

October 2023: Van der Sloot Pleads Guilty and Confesses to Killing Natalee

On Wednesday, Oct. 18, van der Sloot pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of extortion in connection with extorting Beth Holloway in 2010. Along with his plea deal, he also agreed to finally give never-before-heard details about Natalee's death.

During a victim impact statement, Beth revealed that van der Sloot had finally admitted to killing her daughter.

Beth claimed that van der Sloot recently told law enforcement officials that Natalee had declined his sexual advances after leaving the island bar. Enraged, van der Sloot smashed Natalee’s head in with a cinder block, her lawyer, John Q. Kelly exclusively tells PEOPLE. Then, the teenager threw Natalee's body in the water, Natalee’s mother said in a later statement outside of the courthouse, according to reporters in attendance.

Van der Sloot was sentenced to 20 years for the financial crimes, and his sentence in the U.S. will run concurrently to his sentence in Peru, but if he is released from the Peruvian prison early, he would then serve the remainder of his 20-year sentence in the U.S., AL.com reports.

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