More than two decades after American teenager Natalee Holloway disappeared during a holiday in Aruba, the man who admitted killing her has still never been convicted of her murder.
Joran van der Sloot, a Dutch national who was among the last people known to have seen the 18-year-old alive, confessed to killing her in 2023.
His admission brought long-awaited answers to Natalee's family, who had spent almost 20 years trying to establish what happened to her.
However, despite his confession and his imprisonment for other serious crimes, van der Sloot has never faced a murder conviction in connection with Holloway's death.
Now, Netflix's documentary Taken: Natalee Holloway has brought renewed attention to the case and the legal circumstances surrounding it.
What happened to Natalee Holloway?
Natalee Holloway was an 18-year-old American student from Alabama who disappeared while celebrating her high school graduation in Aruba in May 2005.
She had travelled to the Caribbean island with classmates for a graduation trip when she vanished after a night out.
Her disappearance triggered an extensive search and attracted international media attention.
Van der Sloot, who was among the last people known to have seen her alive, became a central figure in the investigation.
Over the following years, he gave differing accounts of the events surrounding her disappearance, while investigators continued trying to establish what had happened.
Natalee's body was never recovered, leaving her family without answers for nearly two decades.
In 2012, an Alabama judge legally declared her dead.
Why has Joran van der Sloot never been convicted of Natalee Holloway's murder?
Despite admitting to killing Natalee, van der Sloot has never been convicted of her murder because of legal jurisdiction and the statute of limitations applicable to the case in Aruba.
Natalee disappeared and was killed in Aruba, meaning the island's authorities have jurisdiction over the homicide investigation.
Although she was an American citizen, her nationality does not automatically give US prosecutors the power to bring an ordinary murder charge for a killing committed abroad.
By the time van der Sloot confessed in 2023, the limitation period identified by legal experts as applying to the case had already expired.
Former prosecutor Michael Whisonant explained the problem during an interview with NewsNation.
He said the crime occurred in Aruba and that any homicide prosecution would therefore fall to authorities there.
Whisonant stated that his understanding was that Aruba's applicable limitation period was 12 years, which would prevent charges being brought after that deadline.
As a result, van der Sloot's confession did not automatically allow prosecutors to pursue a murder conviction.
The legal position is based on the circumstances of this particular case and should not be taken to mean that every murder committed in Aruba today is subject to the same limitation period.
What did Joran van der Sloot confess to?
In October 2023, van der Sloot admitted responsibility for Natalee's death as part of proceedings involving separate federal charges in the United States.
His account described an encounter on an Aruba beach that ended with him fatally attacking the teenager.
According to his confession, he struck Natalee with a cinder block before disposing of her body in the sea.
He claimed that offshore conditions subsequently carried her remains away.
Her body has never been found, meaning some aspects of his account have not been independently verified through the recovery of physical remains.
Nevertheless, the confession marked a significant development for the Holloway family after years of uncertainty.
Why was van der Sloot prosecuted in the United States?
Although van der Sloot was not prosecuted in America for Natalee's murder, he did face federal charges connected to an attempt to extort her family.
Prosecutors alleged that he demanded $250,000 in exchange for information about the location of Natalee's remains and the circumstances of her death.
The Holloway family's attorney, John Q. Kelly, became involved in efforts to expose the scheme.
Speaking in Netflix's documentary, Kelly explained that he was sceptical van der Sloot would provide truthful information but believed the situation could establish evidence of extortion and fraud.
Van der Sloot was subsequently prosecuted over the scheme.
In 2023, he pleaded guilty to federal extortion and wire fraud charges and received a 20-year prison sentence.
His confession to killing Natalee formed part of the resolution of those proceedings, but the resulting conviction was for the financial crimes rather than homicide.
What did Natalee Holloway's mother say about the confession?
Natalee's mother, Beth Holloway, spent years campaigning for answers about her daughter's disappearance.
Following van der Sloot's 2023 confession, she publicly declared that the uncertainty surrounding his involvement had finally ended.
Speaking at a press conference, Beth said: "It's over. Joran van der Sloot is no longer the suspect in my daughter's murder. He is the killer."
Her comments reflected the emotional significance of finally hearing an admission from the man long suspected of being responsible.
In the Netflix documentary, Beth also discussed how difficult it had been to listen to his account.
Despite the distressing details, she explained that hearing the confession had helped provide a sense of closure.
However, the absence of a murder conviction remains a significant distinction between the family's understanding of what happened and the outcome of the criminal justice process.
Is Joran van der Sloot currently in prison?
Yes. Van der Sloot is serving a prison sentence in Peru for the murder of another young woman, Stephany Flores Ramírez.
Flores Ramírez was killed in Lima in 2010, five years after Natalee disappeared.
Van der Sloot was subsequently convicted of her murder and sentenced to 28 years in prison.
He later faced separate proceedings in the United States over the attempt to extort the Holloway family.
The 20-year US sentence imposed in 2023 was ordered to run concurrently with his Peruvian sentence.
This means that although he has not been convicted of Natalee's murder, he remains imprisoned for other offences.
Could Joran van der Sloot ever face charges over Natalee's death?
Whether any further proceedings could take place would depend on Aruban law and decisions by the relevant authorities.
According to reporting on the case, officials in Aruba requested documents from US authorities following van der Sloot's 2023 confession.
That indicated continued interest in examining the information he had provided.
However, requesting evidence does not necessarily mean that a prosecution is legally possible.
The limitation issue identified by legal experts remains a central obstacle, and the supplied reporting does not establish that any new murder charges have been filed.
What does Netflix's Taken: Natalee Holloway reveal?
The documentary revisits Natalee's disappearance, the years-long investigation and the impact of the case on her family.
It includes interviews with Beth Holloway and people involved in the efforts to uncover what happened.
The programme also explores van der Sloot's eventual confession and the separate criminal proceedings that brought him before a US court.
For viewers unfamiliar with the case, one of its most striking elements is the distinction between a confession to murder and a conviction for that crime.
Van der Sloot's admission provided Natalee's family with answers they had sought for almost 20 years, but it did not overcome the legal barriers to prosecuting her killing.
Taken: Natalee Holloway is available on Netflix.
