Natalee Holloway's Mom Seeks 'Swift Justice'

(June 4) -- Natalee Holloway's mother expressed sympathy for the family of a slain Peruvian woman and prayed "for swift and sure justice" before the Dutchman who had been a suspect in her daughter's disappearance headed back to Peru today to face possible homicide charges.

Joran van der Sloot was flown from Chile to Peru to face questioning in the killing of 21-year-old Stephany Flores.

Van der Sloot, the 22-year-old Dutchman who had been a suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Holloway in Aruba, was handcuffed and placed aboard a police plane in the Chilean capital Santiago this morning. He was flown to the border with Peru, where authorities had him don a bulletproof vest before driving him to a police post, The Associated Press reported.

He insisted that he didn't kill Flores, Chilean police said, according to the AP.

The victim's father, Peruvian businessman and race car driver Ricardo Flores, says he is happy that van der Sloot is in custody but is anxious for him to be brought back to Peru.

"Joran was able to laugh at the crime he committed in Aruba, but in Peru he won't be able to laugh," Flores told ABC's "Good Morning America" today. "I will not rest until he is back in Peru."

Peruvian police say Stephany Flores, who was found stabbed to death in a Lima hotel room Wednesday morning, was reportedly seen with van der Sloot on Saturday at a Lima casino, where he was said to have been participating in a poker tournament, and on Sunday, at the hotel where the victim's body was found.

Police also say Flores was likely killed on Sunday, the five-year anniversary of the disappearance of Holloway, an 18-year-old woman from Mountain Brook, Ala., who vanished while on a trip to Aruba. She was last seen leaving an Oranjestad nightclub with van der Sloot, then a 17-year-old Dutch honors student living in Aruba. Her body has never been found.

Holloway's mother, Beth Holloway, has not spoken with the media about van der Sloot's arrest; however her spokeswoman, Sunny Tillman, did release a brief statement on her behalf to Alabama Live.

"Regarding the recent news from Peru, Beth Holloway extends her deepest sympathy to the family of Stephany Flores Ramirez and prays for swift and sure justice. She is also very grateful for the outpouring of prayers and support for Natalee and her family," the statement reads.

Holloway's uncle, Paul Reynolds, shared his own reaction to the latest developments with NBC's "Today" show this morning.

"The first reaction was disbelief that this had happened, but knowing Joran and knowing what we know he's done, it kind of makes sense that this is something that would happen later for him," Reynolds said.

Reynolds also shared his thoughts on an arrest warrant that was issued in the U.S. on Thursday, charging van der Sloot with extortion and wire fraud in connection with his niece's disappearance.

"It's such a despicable act," Reynolds said. "Combining that with his actions in Peru, certainly we would hope that the people that were protecting him -- that tried to help him -- see what he really is."

The U.S. criminal complaint alleges van der Sloot not only agreed to provide the location of Holloway's body but also information about the "circumstances of her death" upon receipt of $250,000 from someone in Birmingham. The alleged scheme was an attempt to "defraud" or obtain money or property by means of "false or fraudulent pretenses," the complaint alleges.

The investigation into the extortion allegations expanded today to the Netherlands, where authorities raided the home of Jaap Amesz, a reporter who interviewed van der Sloot last year and claims to possess knowledge on his alleged criminal activities, Radio Netherlands Worldwide reported.

During the raid, which was carried out at the request of the U.S. Justice Department, investigators confiscated computers, USB memory sticks and cell phones.

A second home in Limburg was also searched; however, police have not identified the owner or any details on what, if anything, was confiscated.

While it is unlikely van der Sloot will be brought back to the U.S. to face the extortion and wire fraud charges, he may have plenty of time to contemplate his next move. Officials in Peru say that once charges are filed, he will likely be held for six months before the case goes to trial. In Peru, there are no juries, so three judges will be assigned to decide his fate. Because the country also has no death penalty, the maximum sentence he would face would be life in prison.

"I want to see him behind bars," Reynolds said. "I want to see him locked up [and] I want him to have a lot of time to think about what he's done. I think that's the best thing."