The main suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, Joran van der Sloot, confessed to having murdered the young woman in Aruba in 2005. He also pleaded guilty in federal court in Alabama to two counts of extortion and wire fraud.

The investigating judge of the case, Anna Manasco, accepted van der Sloot's plea. He is also guilty of murdering another young woman in Peru five years later. He is currently serving a 28-year sentence.

"I have considered your confession to the brutal murder of Natalee Holloway. You have brutally murdered, in separate incidents, years apart, two beautiful women who refused your sexual advances," Judge Manasco said.

Holloway's body was never found. Van der Sloot pleaded guilty to extortion and wire fraud after he was accused of trying to sell information to the young woman's family, so they would know where her remains were located. He asked for $250,000 in exchange for the information.

According to the Associated Press, after hearing van der Sloot's confession, Beth Holloway, Natalee's mother, told the murderer: