Legal Commentary

Peru Reports Joran Van der Sloot Has Confessed to Killing Stephany Flores

By Jeralyn

El Comercio.pe is reporting Joran Van Der Sloot has confessed to killing Stephany Flores. [Google translation here.] Keep in mind the Google translations are very poor.

The motive, according to the report: When he came back from getting coffee, she was examining his computer looking for information about Natalee Holloway, he got angry, snapped, grabbed her and killed her. The report says she died instantly.

The video is in Spanish, but it includes photos of the hotel room and what purports to be Stephany's body on the floor, fully dressed. (Would they show that, or is it a re-enactment?) She's fully dressed.

NBC now repeating the story here, which it says it got from La Republica here (Google translation here.) [More...]

Earlier today, the head of Peru's prison system said Joran would not be sent to Lurigancho or San Jorge prisons (Google translation here)as they were over-crowded. He said Miguel Castro Castro or, as we reported this morning, Piedras Gordas is more likely. Other possibilities: Carquín en Cañete o Aucayama en Huaral.

La Republica says he denied involvement until 5:30 pm today. Is anyone else skeptical about this confession?

Had robbery been the motive, he was looking at life. Without it, it was a maximum of 35. If it's manslaughter, like if he just snapped and lost it, it might only be 6 to 20 years, according to a Peruvian lawyer. They've had days to convince him that their justice system works differently and he'd get life unless he confessed and gave a "heat of passion" explanation, in which case he might get as little as 6 and up to 35, but not life. Sounds like they plea bargained with him and helped him come up with the best possible explanation. Who chose the Peruvian lawyer who was with him during todsy's questioning? The prosecutor. That's how their system works.

The prison director says they'll be sure to keep Joran safe. Sure they will, but for how long? A week, until everyone forgets about him and moves on to the next crime, and the world is no longer watching?

He never stood a chance in Peru, which is probably why I've been covering it so closely. If the process is not going to be fair, at least we can try to make it transparent.

All of coverage of the Peru case is accessible here.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on June 08, 2010 (boomark / email).