Southeast
Aruba considers new charges in Natalee Holloway murder after suspect’s surprise confession in US plea deal
Joran van der Sloot pleaded guilty to extortion and fraud last week in a twisted plot to con money out of the mother of Natalee Holloway, the Alabama teen he has now admitted to killing in Aruba in 2005.
While the plea deal in a federal court in Birmingham, Alabama, did not include murder charges for the slaying on foreign soil, authorities in both countries have indicated that criminal charges could still happen in the island nation.
Natalee Holloway was last seen alive on May 30, 2005, leaving a bar with van der Sloot. He was the prime suspect in her disappearance for the following 18 years and finally admitted to killing her in an Oct. 3 confession made public last week after he pleaded guilty to the extortion case.
JORAN VAN DER SLOOT’S WHIRLWIND PLEA DEAL: ‘HE WON THE GAME,’ BUT FAMILY ACCEPTS CLOSURE
The plea deal required van der Sloot to submit to a polygraph test – which he did.
He accepted the deal, confessed to killing Holloway on the beach after she refused his sexual advances, and later passed a polygraph test. And he might have got away with it if the Holloway family, supporters, the FBI and an international team of investigators didn’t doggedly pursue the case for nearly two decades.
Beth Holloway, Natalee’s mother, told Fox News on Wednesday that in addition to the taped confession, the FBI has been able to corroborate his claims. And Judge Anna Manasco said in court that the confession was examined in combination with analysis and evidence by the FBI.
COURT RELEASES RECORDING OF JORAN VAN DER SLOOT’S NATALEE HOLLOWAY CONFESSION
WATCH: Beth Holloway believes Joran van der Sloot’s confession of murdering her daughter was ‘corroborated’
The polygraph was “just another tool” among many in a broader investigation, an FBI official told Fox News Digital Monday.
“We’ve been working on this case for 18 years, so there’s been a lot of investigative work done over that period of time that was a baseline of our investigation,” the official said.
READ MORE ON NATALEE HOLLOWAY FROM FOX NEWS DIGITAL
The officials declined to go into specifics about the rest of that evidence, citing the potential that additional crimes could be under investigation by their counterparts in Aruba. But they said that the FBI, federal prosecutors – and importantly, the Holloway family – had all been satisfied that van der Sloot was being truthful in his recorded confession.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE TRUE CRIME FROM FOX NEWS
“After 18 years, Natalee’s case has been solved,” Holloway’s mother told reporters outside the courthouse immediately after the hearing last week. “Joran van der Sloot is the killer.”
As part of the plea deal, Manasco said U.S. prosecutors have agreed not to use van der Sloot’s confession against him for any other purposes.
But in Aruba, authorities tell Fox News Digital that their case against van der Sloot is still open, and are requesting investigative documents from the Department of Justice.
“The Holloway case is still an open investigation in Aruba. The Police Force, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Aruba and other investigative entities will follow up on any serious leads that could solve the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. The search of what happened to her remains unabated,” said Ann Angela, spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Aruba. “We have requested the U.S. Department of Justice for all the documents related to the investigation, which we will review before deciding on the procedural steps to be taken against Joran van der Sloot. Up until now, even though we are indeed aware of the reports in the press, we have not yet been formally informed by US authorities.”
However, Aruba has a 12-year statute of limitations for charging an individual with murder. Angela told Fox News Digital the issue isn’t cut-and-dry.
“Your question as to whether the suspicion against Joran van der Sloot, who at the time of the disappearance of Ms. Holloway was still a minor, is statute-barred or not, cannot be answered with a straightforward yes or no. It depends on various factors within the investigation. As it is an open investigation, the Public Prosecutor’s Office will only provide limited information to the media, also about the issue of the statute of limitation,” Angela said. “First things first for us at this moment in time, is to obtain the documents requested to the US Department of Justice.”
Van der Sloot will return to Peru to finish a sentence in the mountaintop Challapacla prison for the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores, a 21-year-old business student who he killed in her father’s casino. His sentence for the extortion and fraud charges will run concurrently, and once his Peruvian sentence is complete, he will remain imprisoned there for the remainder of his American punishment.
Van der Sloot’s lawyer previously told Fox News Digital his client hates the conditions there. Challapalca is known for its nighttime freezing temperatures, and van der Sloot was transferred there after a drug and cellphone smuggling scandal in his former prison. Challapalca is so remote and so high above sea level that there’s no cellphone service there, the lawyer said.
GRAPHIC: Read the transcript of Joran van der Sloot’s confession (Mobile users go here)
Van der Sloot had offered shifting explanations over the years for Holloway’s final hours over the years, including that he shoved her into a rock, causing a head injury. He has also claimed that his father, a prominent judge who died in 2010, helped hide the body.
In his confession, van der Sloot also said that two friends who were with him on the night of Holloway’s death had gone home before the murder.
Satish and Deepak Kalpoe, along with van der Sloot, were arrested and released multiple times as Aruba authorities investigated the case. Island police also questioned Paulus van der Sloot, the killer’s father.
Holloway’s remains have not been found – however authorities haven’t ruled out that one day they may be.
Read the full article from Here
Southeast
Laken Riley Act roils NJ governor’s race as 2 Dems skip roll: ‘The more someone campaigns the less they vote'
Two Democrats in the 2025 race to succeed term-limited New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy did not cast votes this week in Congress on the Laken Riley Act, leading them to be lambasted by gubernatorial candidates from both parties.
The House Clerk’s office recorded Reps. Mikie Sherrill of Essex and Josh Gottheimer of Bergen County recorded as “not voting” on the landmark bill, which would require illegal immigrants convicted of theft-related crimes be detained by municipal and state authorities.
The bill takes its name from a young woman murdered by an illegal immigrant in Georgia who had been previously arrested and released on lesser charges.
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop exclaimed, “This is cowardly,” in an X post.
NEW JERSEY USED AS ‘TRANSIT POINT’ FOR MIGRANT BUSES HEADED FOR NYC AFTER NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER, GOVERNOR SAYS
“We lose elections when we don’t have any core convictions… when we can’t explain why we have a view and why we believe in it. Hiding is not an answer that wins elections,” the Democrat said.
“Mikie and Josh are the same again – If you don’t have the courage to vote for a bill then what does that say about your courage to lead as Governor?” Fulop added.
Meanwhile, former Republican Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli slammed the two lawmakers from their right.
“Shame on [Josh and Mikie] for gutlessly ducking a vote on the Laken Riley Act today,” said Ciattarelli.
On X, Ciattarelli said Riley “fought till her last breath against a murderous illegal immigrant, but Josh/Mikie didn’t have the courage to stand up to their extreme far left base.”
Ciattarelli ran against Murphy in 2021 and nearly defeated him by Garden State standards, losing by less than three points. In November, President-elect Trump only lost the state by four points, leading the GOP to signal their optimism about flipping Trenton red this fall.
When the bill last came up for a vote, Gottheimer voted “yea,” and a spokesman told the Philadelphia Inquirer he would have supported the bill this week if he had voted.
New Jersey’s three Republican congressmen – Reps. Christopher Smith, Jeff Van Drew and Tom Kean Jr. – all voted for the Laken Riley Act.
Democratic Reps. Nellie Pou, Frank Pallone, Herbert Conaway, LaMonica McIver, Donald Norcross and Rob Menendez Jr. all voted against it.
NJ RESIDENTS HIT WITH DOUBLED BILLS AS LAWMAKERS FUME AT MURPHY’S ‘ENERGY DISASTER PLAN’
Republican Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia – who is not running for governor – torched the pair on Wednesday with a quip:
“The Road to Drumthwacket is paved with flat squirrels who couldn’t make a decision,” she said, referring to the historic governor’s mansion near Princeton.
State Sen. Jon Bramnick, a GOP gubernatorial candidate, told Fox News Digital on Thursday that a lawmaker’s first responsibility is to their constituents, not their next campaign.
“I think you have to have campaign activities come secondary to your responsibility,” Bramnick said when asked about Gottheimer’s and Sherrill’s non-votes.
“The key question is – if you’re going to run – campaign activities must be secondary to your voting,” adding that systemically it seems “the more [someone] campaigns the less they vote.”
Bramnick, who is also an attorney in Plainfield, added that he couldn’t assume what was on the two Democrats’ minds in terms of their vote, but that immigration is a hot issue and often difficult to navigate.
With the Laken Riley Act scoring 48 Democratic “yea’s,” Bramnick said immigration is a bipartisan issue.
If elected governor, he said he would “follow the law” when asked how he would approach President-elect Trump or border czar-designate Tom Homan.
“Unfortunately, the Congress hasn’t done anything to [create] a path to citizenship for people who may have an opportunity to stay here,” he said, discussing those who have lived in the U.S. for many years as otherwise law-abiding members of their communities.
“If America doesn’t like the law, change it, but state-by-state shouldn’t change the law based on how they feel on the issue.”
Sherrill and Gottheimer did not immediately respond to inquiries made via their campaigns.
Another Democrat in the race, Ras Baraka – mayor of the state’s largest city, Newark – also did not respond.
Baraka, however, separately indicated he would have voted against the Laken Riley Act if he were in Congress.
Read the full article from Here
Southeast
Apalachee High School student arrested for allegedly bringing gun to campus months after deadly mass shooting
The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office said a 14-year-old student was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly brought a gun to Apalachee High School, the same Georgia school where two students and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting in September.
At approximately 2:02 p.m., school resource officers arrested the student without incident.
“The student was cooperative and compliant when encountered by law enforcement officers, and there have been no reports of the student threatening anyone with the gun,” the sheriff’s office said.
The boy, who was not named due to his age, has since been transported to a youth detention center.
GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTING SUSPECT ON FBI RADAR SINCE 2023 AS POSSIBLE THREAT AFTER ONLINE REMARKS
The boy was charged with theft, being a minor in possession of a gun and possessing a weapon on school grounds.
Officials didn’t say what type of gun was seized or how the child acquired the gun.
BODYCAM FOOTAGE RELEASED OF 2023 INTERVIEW WITH COLIN GRAY
In response to the incident, the Barrow County School System canceled Thursday’s classes at the high school and called for a meeting to discuss immediate safety enhancement options.
“We understand this brings up many different feelings in each of us,” the school system said. “We will update you all following the board meeting tomorrow with any changes regarding school procedures.”
COLT GRAY PLEADS NOT GUILTY, DEMANDS JURY TRIAL
On Sept. 4, 14-year-old student Colt Gray allegedly opened fire at Apalachee High School, killing two teachers and two students.
Teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, were killed.
Gray has since been indicted on 55 counts as an adult, including 25 counts of aggravated assault. He has pleaded not guilty and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole or life with the possibility of parole if convicted.
His father, Colin Gray, who was arrested and charged with buying the semiautomatic AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting and giving it to Colt for Christmas, is facing 29 counts, including two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of involuntary manslaughter. He has also pleaded not guilty.
Georgia is one of 42 states in the U.S. that holds parents criminally responsible for their children.
Read the full article from Here
Southeast
I know Pam Bondi personally and she will make an amazing attorney general
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
As someone deeply invested in the safety of our communities – as someone who’s lost a baby brother to senseless murder – I’m asking you to join me in full support of Pam Bondi as our next attorney general of the United States.
For the past four years, the U.S. Attorney General’s Office has been plagued by partisanship, inconsistent justice enforcement and prioritizing political agendas over public good. From selective prosecutions to eroding public trust, its failure to act independently has undermined the rule of law, creating a perception of bias and deepening divisions within the country.
With Bondi at the helm, I have no doubt the Department of Justice will usher in a new period of genuine integrity and rise to meet our time’s challenges. Admittedly, one of the reasons I’m so enthusiastic about Bondi’s potential as our next attorney general is her work with the Caldwell Institute for Public Safety.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SPENT OVER $100 MILLION ON DEI EDUCATION PROGRAMS OVER LAST FOUR YEARS: REPORT
Bondi, who’s been on our advisory board since our launch, has been an active mentor and ally of mine. So, I’ve gotten a front-row seat to how she’ll handle the challenges America faces in combating violent crime and gang violence, addressing the opioid epidemic and safeguarding victims of human trafficking.
Our organization is focused on reducing violent crime through innovative strategies and evidence-based policies, and Bondi’s expertise and commitment to real solutions, and real justice, have made her an invaluable advisor in this effort.
Bondi’s record speaks for itself. During her tenure as Florida’s attorney general from 2011 to 2019, she transformed the office into a powerhouse for consumer protection, crime prevention and justice reform. She took on powerful interests, negotiating billions of dollars for the economic damages suffered by the State of Florida due to the BP oil spill, including lost tax revenues. In addition, she negotiated settlements to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for the opioid crisis and worked tirelessly to dismantle human trafficking networks.
For example, Bondi’s leadership in holding pharmaceutical companies accountable was groundbreaking as she secured significant financial settlements that funded treatment and prevention programs, saving lives and giving hope to those struggling with addiction. Bondi also pushed for stronger laws to curb the spread of synthetic opioids, ensuring that Florida was at the forefront of the fight against this deadly scourge. Imagine what she could achieve on a national level with the resources of the Department of Justice at her disposal.
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She’s been a relentless advocate for crime victims, championing measures like Marsy’s Law to ensure their voices are heard, and their rights are protected. And under her leadership, Florida became a national leader in anti-trafficking efforts, setting an example for other states to follow. Her experience tackling complex issues — from gang violence to synthetic drugs — aligns perfectly with our mission to address the root causes of crime and foster safer communities.
With Bondi at the helm, I have no doubt the Department of Justice will usher in a new period of genuine integrity and rise to meet our time’s challenges. Admittedly, one of the reasons I’m so enthusiastic about Bondi’s potential as our next attorney general is her work with the Caldwell Institute for Public Safety.
What really sets Bondi apart may be her ability to now lead on a national stage. As a former president of the National Association of Attorneys General, she’s already demonstrated her skill in building coalitions and working across state lines to address pressing issues like cybercrime and drug trafficking. She has consistently defended state sovereignty while respecting the balance of power between state and federal governments. This collaborative approach to governance is exactly what we need in an attorney general.
As someone who has worked closely with her through the Caldwell Institute, I can attest to her passion for justice and her relentless drive to make our communities safer.
America stands at a crossroads. The challenges we face are immense, but they are not insurmountable. We need leaders who are not only qualified but who also possess the moral clarity and determination to guide us forward. The Honorable Pam Bondi is such a leader.
Join me in urging the Senate to confirm Bondi without delay. Our nation needs her leadership, experience and unwavering commitment to the principles of justice. We deserve, and clearly require, no less.
Read the full article from Here
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