Mug shot of Joran van der Sloot side by side with photo of Natalee Holloway

NATALEE HOLLOWAY MURDER SUSPECT JORAN VAN DER SLOOT RETURN TO U. S. HITS SKIDS

Joran van der Sloot’s attorney has filed a habeas corpus petition on behalf of his client, the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teen, Natalee Holloway.

According to court documents obtained by CNN, the petition challenges the temporary transfer of van der Sloot from a Peru prison to the US. Lawyer Maximo Altez argued for the cessation of the transfer due to a reported lack of official notification.

The petition reportedly contradicts Altez’s previous statements made on May 3, where he indicated that van der Sloot had agreed to the transfer and was not expected to file a habeas corpus application.

Currently, van der Sloot is being detained at the Ancón 1 prison in Peru and was expected to be transferred to US authorities later this week. As CrimeOnline previously reported, the extradition stems from claims that van der Sloot bilked Holloway’s mother, Beth, out of $25,100.

The mother paid van der Sloot in 2010 for details about the location of her daughter’s remains, but authorities say van der Sloot gave false information and failed to honor his promise, which led to a U.S. grand jury indicting him on charges of extortion and wire fraud.

Beth Twitty – Natalee Holloway’s Mother

Holloway vanished in 2005 while vacationing in Aruba days after graduating high school. Her remains have never been found, but van der Sloot, a Dutch national who lived on the Caribbean island, has long been suspected of playing a role in the disappearance of the American teen, who was 18 at the time.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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[Feature Photo: Joran van der Sloot/Peruvian mug shot, left, Natalee Holloway/FBI]