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NANCY GRACE

Van Der Sloot Trial Postponed in Peru

Aired January 6, 2012 - 20:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


JEAN CASAREZ, GUEST HOST: We begin tonight with breaking news. Natalee Holloway prime murder suspect Joran Van Der Sloot -- he saunters into a courtroom today. Everybody expects him to plead guilty and confess to another young woman`s murder. But at the very last moment, he says, You know, I don`t know. I don`t know. I think I need more time, more time to think about this.

He chickens out, asking the court for more time to, quote, "reflect." Reflect on the case of 21-year-old Stephany Flores? Why? Will Van Der Sloot finally be locked away in a prison in Peru until he`s an old man, or will he somehow manage to get out of trouble yet again?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JORAN VAN DER SLOOT, CHARGED WITH MURDER (through translator): It was an impulsive act after I received a hit in the head.

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Killing machine.

VAN DER SLOOT (through translator): I want to buy (ph) my confession, but I don`t agree with the aggravating factors mentioned by the minister of justice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joran Van Der Sloot murder case. He was supposed to plead guilty this morning.

GRACE: Killing machine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For the murder of 21-year-old Stephany Flores.

VAN DER SLOOT (through translator): Do I have time to think this further?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never happened. Changed his mind.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Guilty or innocent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here`s when he made the dramatic confession to Peruvian authorities.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "I used the comforter and the sheets to clean the blood from the floor of the room. I only cleaned the floor."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He knew he had to flee. He knew he had to leave.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He recounts the murder.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "After killing her, I took the cards and the money."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What police are pointing to as a possible motive. They think Van Der Sloot allegedly killed Flores to steal her gambling winnings.

GRACE: Moment by moment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Once suspected in Natalee Holloway`s disappearance but never charged.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never thought I`d see this time come.

GRACES: Van Der Sloot confesses to the murder of Stephany and divulges motive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Considered himself (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joran has lied from the beginning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I want to kill him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anybody confess to anything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "I just touched her, and there wasn`t anything anymore. It was over."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Jean Casarez of "In Session" on the truTV network, in for Nancy Grace. Thank you so much for joining us tonight.

Breaking news. Natalee Holloway prime murder suspect Joran Van Der Sloot -- he`s expected to plead guilty and confess to murder, but at the very last moment, he chickens out.

I want to go straight to Jane Velez-Mitchell, the host of "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL." Jane, we watched this unfold together. I`ve got to be honest with you, I was shocked. I could not believe what I saw in this very serious courtroom because I thought we were going to see Joran Van Der Sloot be a man, be a man and stand up there and admit and accept the responsibility for murder!

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL": No, he`s doing the same old game-playing he`s always done. And in between yawns and smirks, he backed out of his plan. And I think what happened is he thought he was going to go in there and waltz in and kind of slip through the cracks and say, Oh, yes, I killed her, but no big deal.

You know, I was emotionally fragile. I was under the microscope for five years, and I just snapped because, oh, the Natalee Holloway anniversary of her disappearance. Please feel sorry for me. I did it because, oh, I`m emotionally fragile.

But then he might have read the mood in this courtroom as the prosecutor described a vicious, vicious, brutal killing in very graphic detail, talking about how Joran Van Der Sloot hit Stephany Flores and pummeled her and throttled her and choked her, strangled her, and left blood everywhere.

And at that moment, he might have said, My game plan might not work. I think I`m going to go for a time-out.

CASAREZ: That`s right. And he strangled her, Jane, and it didn`t work. She was still alive, so he had to suffocate her with his shirt.

I want to go to Ellie Jostad, NANCY GRACE producer. As Jane says, there was a very effective prosecution opening statement today. Take us back to that, as prosecutors describe what happened in that room, and that is according to the confession by Joran Van Der Sloot.

ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Right. And they laid out the witnesses that they would present or they could present that would talk about that night, what Joran Van Der Sloot allegedly said in his own words what happened that night, which, remember, was the five-year anniversary of Natalee Holloway`s disappearance.

He, allegedly, according to his own confession, strangled her. And like you said, when that didn`t work, he removed his own bloody shirt, his shirt that had her blood on it from him slamming her in the face, breaking her nose -- he took that shirt, held it over her head -- or held it over her face, said he didn`t know how long he had to do it, but he had to press hard to finally smother her to death.

There was blood all over that hotel room. It was in the bathroom. It`s on the shirt that you see right there. A very violent scene in that room.

CASAREZ: And you know, Lisa Pulitzer, author of "Portrait of a Monster," joining us from New York tonight, you see, this wasn`t the plan today because his attorney had told us minutes before this trial began that he was going to accept the responsibility and plead guilty to the charges the prosecutor had brought.

It`s qualified murder, which in U.S. terms is probably about second- degree murder, an intent to kill but it doesn`t have the premeditation or the aggravating factors of a robbery and commission of a felony murder situation. But he wouldn`t even admit, Lisa Pulitzer, to committing that qualified murder.

LISA PULITZER, AUTHOR, "PORTRAIT OF A MONSTER": Exactly. And it seemed -- I was really shock that had he back-pedaled because I think he realized that he was not going to be able to cop a plea to the lesser charge and that there was no room for negotiation or plea bargaining. It was either the actual murder charge that would carry that 30-year sentence or nothing.

CASAREZ: Well, here, let`s go to the attorneys. First of all, Michael Griffith joining us tonight, international criminal law attorney joining us from the Bahamas, Meg Strickler, international criminal defense attorney joining us from Atlanta, and Randy Kessler, defense lawyer joining us also from Atlanta.

Michael Griffith, you are in the Bahamas tonight. You`re an expert in international law, and I want your take on what happened today because here`s what I think, all right? Originally, his attorney said he will plead guilty to civil murder, but we don`t agree that there were aggravators. He didn`t do this in a cruel manner or a brutal manner.

But all of a sudden, everything changed. His attorney tells us he`s going to plead guilty to qualified murder. That comes with it some aggravators, right, Michael Griffith?

MICHAEL GRIFFITH, INT`L CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY (via telephone): It does. And I want to say buenos noches from the beautiful Ocean Club, just a stone`s throw from where you covered the Anna Nicole case.

CASAREZ: I was at that courthouse, too. You`re exactly right.

GRIFFITH: I`m right down the street from it. Jean, yes, you know, what happened today was the prosecutor gave his -- his statement recounting what the crime should be and what the sentence -- leading up to the sentence.

And I`ll tell you, his lawyer, I think, did a smart thing. He probably told Van Der Sloot beforehand, since he`s not the sharpest pencil in the pack, that, We`re not going to give a statement until after the prosecutor speaks. So I suspect what happened was in the five or six days in between, they`ll talk about the aggravators and they`ll have a retort to the prosecutor, in an attempt to get a lesser sentence.

CASAREZ: So it was all planned out, is what you`re saying.

Everybody, we want to take you into that courtroom. We want you to hear Joran Van Der Sloot as he`s speaking before a three-judge panel. But by the way, they`re all women. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): How do you plead, guilty or innocent? Do you accept the charges presented?

VAN DER SLOOT (through translator): I want to buy (ph) my confession, but I don`t agree with the aggravating factors mentioned by the minister of justice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): So you don`t deem yourself guilty, according to what the prosecution has stated?

VAN DER SLOOT (through translator): Do I have time to think this further?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: OK. He`s only had, what is it, a year and eight months to think about it, but he needs more time.

We have got a lot of callers tonight. I want to go to Tiffany in Tennessee. Hi, Tiffany.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, there.

CASAREZ: Thank you for calling.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you for having me. I appreciate you letting me speak on your show. The one question I have about the Peruvians` prosecution -- do they have enough substantial evidence where they can stop Joran`s sadistic, narcissistic, sociopathic tendencies from dragging out this poor, poor case for so long?

CASAREZ: Well, Tiffany, I guess time will tell. They are back in court on Wednesday.

But I want to go to Meg Strickler, international criminal defense attorney joining us tonight, an expert in international criminal law. Meg Strickler, there is a lot of evidence. It is strong evidence. There is video evidence at the casino with Stephany Flores. There is video evidence at the hotel as they are going into his room. And finally, there is so much blood in that room, Meg Strickler.

How is he going to say that he didn`t do this in a cruel manner to Stephany Flores?

MEG STRICKLER, INT`L CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, his ship has sunk when it comes to evidence. You`re absolutely right. There`s nothing here that has to do with -- to a jury trial. So this case is going to end sooner than later.

But what the defense attorney is trying to do, and defense attorney`s doing what a defense attorney should do, is work the case in the mitigating circumstances, say, Look, let`s work this out, let`s come up with an agreement that everybody is happy with, and then let`s try to get this closed and end it.

So right now, they`re going to come back on Wednesday and, hopefully, get -- I`m not saying it`s going to happen, but they`re going to try to negotiate this down to that second degree, that sincere confession that we`re all hearing about and hope that then he`s only sentenced to 8 to 30 years. That`s what the defense is trying to do, and they may get it.

It seems like they may get it because so far, there is the door open in the fact that the prosecution let or the judges allowed him to have this delay. They didn`t say, OK, you`ve got to enter your plea now. He offered. He said, Look, I need some time to think about this. That`s very normal. They want to make sure that everybody is happy with how this case ends. And that`s what`s going on here.

CASAREZ: But to Howard Oliver, former deputy medical examiner, forensic pathologist from Los Angeles, here`s the problem. This confession has to be sincere. That means honest. It has to be truthful.

He says that he wasn`t cruel and he wasn`t brutal to Stephany Flores when he killed her because he had so much anger in him because he`s been pegged for the Natalee Holloway disappearance. But the fact is, there was blood all over that room, all over the clothes, all over the floor, all over the bathroom floor.

That`s brutal and that is cruel, don`t you agree?

HOWARD OLIVER, FMR. DEPUTY MEDICAL EXAMINER: I certainly agree. And even with the things he said, describing how he killed this girl, points to the fact that it was cruel. It was terrifying. She was starving for air. Had he any -- had he used any anatomical knowledge of how to strangle a person, you can do that within 20 seconds and they`d pass out. They wouldn`t struggle. There wouldn`t be blood. There wouldn`t be a broken nose.

This person was strangled by closing off her breathing tubes and she air-starved. And then she panicked. And it`s just as clear as day from his testimony and from the physical evidence there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Did you kill Stephany Tatiana?

VAN DER SLOOT (through translator): Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not only behaved (ph) with impunity but managed to...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His attorneys say he was not given a translator during his interrogation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... get other people, including the authorities, to sort of go along with his bad behavior.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Van Der Sloot initially confessed to killing Flores.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He could be out in a couple of years.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Did you kill Stephany?

VAN DER SLOOT (through translator): I lost control of my actions, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The man once suspected in Natalee Holloway`s disappearance but never charged goes on trial in Peru for murder.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we were expected to hear a guilty plea from Joran Van Der Sloot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "I took my shirt and put it on her face, pressing hard, until I killed Stephany."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why`d you kill her?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "I don`t remember. I have no idea."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) look like new woman and I`m sure you feel like one, too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s really cooked on this one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice will come.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want justice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want justice!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She sacrificed her life to put this killer in jail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: I`m Jean Casarez of "In Session," in for Nancy Grace tonight. You`ve got to see this to believe it because, you know, all the years that we have watched, listened and learned from Joran Van Der Sloot, this is the first time we`ve ever seen him in a courtroom.

I want you to watch some of the antics that he did in that courtroom today. He`s bored. He`s wiping his brow. He`s yawning. Many times did he yawn. Looking around. That`s him sleeping. He decided to take a little nap during his murder trial, first day. Rubbing his eyes. And I don`t know if we have the video where he looks at his watch to see what time it is.

The only problem is, he`s not wearing a watch, Caryn Stark. When you look at all this, Caryn Stark, psychologist joining us from New York tonight, wouldn`t you put on a show, Caryn Stark? This is your murder trial.

CARYN STARK, PSYCHOLOGIST: He`s not capable of putting on a show, Jean. And he`s not going to be a man, I have to tell you, the way that you mentioned. He`s not going to be a normal person. He doesn`t care what the prosecutor said.

This is somebody who not only doesn`t have emotions, but he enjoyed killing her. How do we know that? Because he kept on strangling her. He broke her nose. He planned it, too. He`s not just another pencil in the pack. He`s sharper than that because it was exactly on the anniversary of Natalee Holloway`s death. I don`t believe that`s an accident for a second. That`s a narcissistic, pathological, self-proclaimed pathological liar, who knew exactly what he was doing and enjoyed it.

CASAREZ: You know, to Jane Velez-Mitchell, host of "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL," I`ve been in the courtrooms in Lima, and I think you can see it, too, but he is facing the three-judge panel. So as they are believing and thinking that he`s going to offer a sincere confession for the murder of Stephany Flores, they`re watching him do all of this. Your thoughts, Jane?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I think, on a conscious level, they`re angry with him. He was scolded and told to comport himself more properly. But on a subconscious level, I wonder, with fear and consternation, whether, as women, they might be swayed by his perverse, bad boy charm.

He is a notorious ladies` man. Women keep writing him in prison. He has a woman who in the past has been his guardian angel, some middle-aged woman. So I hope, unconsciously, these women judges do not get swayed by - - I don`t find him charming. He doesn`t rock my boat, that`s for sure. But apparently, he does have certain je ne sais quoi that works on women. And I hope it doesn`t work on these female judges!

CASAREZ: Oh, Jane, I hope you`re right. Do you know that I saw him look at his female translators and smile at both of them, and they smiled back.

Let`s go to the callers. Patsy in Arkansas. Hi, Patsy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello.

CASAREZ: Thank you for calling.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I have a comment, not a question. Why don`t they put this Van Der Sloot in a cell and feed him and don`t let anybody talk to him anymore except for his lawyers? And another thing. Natalee and Stephany`s privileges have all been taken away from them already. Why don`t they take all his privileges away from him, too?

CASAREZ: Well, you know, Patsy, I was in his cell in Lima, in Castro Castro, and you know what? It`s a pretty darn nice cell. I mean, yes, the toilet is a hole in the floor. But besides that, he had a mattress and he had books and toothpaste and his clothes. I mean, he`s living high on the hog there, in a sense.

To Ellie Jostad, NANCY GRACE producer, you know, there was a lot of talk -- there was a video of Joran Van Der Sloot buying some drugs in Castro Castro. He has had it pretty good there. He`s gotten what he`s wanted, right?

JOSTAD: Well, and there have been all kinds of rumors about exactly how Joran Van Der Sloot was spending his time behind bars. There was the marijuana he purchased from another inmate. There were tabloid reports that he was getting special food, paying other inmates to take care of him, do special favors for him. As you know, as Jane mentioned, there`s this woman who`s been sending him care packages, buying him clothing, sending his books, CDs, et cetera.

And all of that, you know, has people who believe he`s responsible for this, as well as Natalee Holloway`s disappearance, very upset.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he yawned about four times, smiling, kind of slouching back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "I lost control of my actions."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this a man who was capable of this kind of brutality? Could he have done this with Natalee Holloway? And will we ever have (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "It was impulsive act."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice, I pray, will be served.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Late-breaking developments in the Joran Van Der Sloot case.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): How do you plead, guilty or innocent? Do you accept the charges presented?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was supposed to plead guilty to all charges. Well, that never happened.

VAN DER SLOOT (through translator): I don`t agree with the aggravating factors mentioned by the minister of justice.

GRACE: Oh, boo-hoo!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not going away for our family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Confessed killer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dumped Natalie`s body.

VAN DER SLOOT (through translator): Do I have time to think this further?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know he knows.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will there finally be justice for Natalee?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: I`m Jean Casarez, in for Nancy Grace. Joran Van Der Sloot - - he took control of that courtroom today, beyond anybody, the prosecution, the judges. It was believed he was going to accept the responsibility for killing Stephany Flores, but no. No, he said, I`ve got to think about it a while. He`s had a year-and-a-half in solitary confinement to think about it.

You know, we`re all talking about Joran Van Der Sloot. We want to talk to someone that has a favorable opinion of him. Exclusively with us tonight is John Ludwick. He is a friend of Joran Van Der Sloot. He associated with him before he was arrested in Peru, knows him well.

John Ludwick, thank you very much for joining us. The demeanor that you saw of Joran Van Der Sloot in that courtroom today -- is that the Joran you knew?

JOHN LUDWICK, FRIEND OF JORAN VAN DER SLOOT: No, he really looks shaken up right now. The yawning and all, he probably has been completely sleepless. He -- I say the continuance right now without the plea, he really doesn`t want to lock himself into something. He`s just -- hopefully, he can try to get some kind of deal worked out with the prosecution because 35 years to life is not acceptable right now.

CASAREZ: So why do you think he looked scared? Because I don`t think most people think they saw that in him today, that they saw actually an arrogance in him today.

LUDWICK: He`s always had that kind of persona. You know, he`s just - - he doesn`t want to look scared. He wants to look like the tough guy. But I can guarantee he`s been sleepless and he`s a nervous wreck. And he is scared. He`s just trying to be lackadaisical about it, but I`m sure he`s scared to death.

CASAREZ: Caryn Stark, isn`t it true that when someone is nervous, that they can start to yawn?

STARK: Yes, when someone`s anxious, they actually can start to yawn. But that`s not what we`re seeing here. I don`t believe that, Jean. And I feel like his friend is projecting his own feelings onto him. This doesn`t look like a guy who could care less. I mean, he really is making a point of acting bored and tired, and sleeping. And he knows better, but he`s been able to get away with it up until now. So he`s continuing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "I was really scared during the interrogations. I was confused and just wanted it to end."

VAN DER SLOOT (through translator): I don`t agree with the aggravating factors mentioned by the minister of justice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just so cavalier. He was yawning. It almost seemed like he couldn`t be bothered.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: He yawned about four times, smiling, kind of slouching back.

JORAN VAN DER SLOOT, SUSPECT IN THE DISAPPEARANCE OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY CASE (Through Translator): Do I have time to think this further?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: More time to consider a plea.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He tried to avoid this justice system.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: More time to decide. Then he got it. Van Der Sloot initially told the magistrate he wanted to give a sincere confession.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Arrested twice for the murder of American teenager Natalee Holloway.

JEAN CASAREZ, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION": Joran Van Der Sloot has confessed several times.

PATRICK VAN DER EEM, POSED AS JORAN VAN DER SLOOT`S FRIEND (Through Translator): How do you know she`s dead, Joran?

CASAREZ: Knowing what happened to Natalee Holloway.

VAN DER SLOOT (Through Translator): I just know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joran has lied from the beginning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I want to kill him.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: One of the judges even said you have to show respect. Sit up.

VAN DER SLOOT (Through Translator): Do I have time to think this further?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want answer now and we want them today.

VAN DER SLOOT (Through Translator): I just touched her and there wasn`t anything anymore. It was over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: I`m Jean Casarez of "In Session" in for Nancy Grace. And a big day today. This was to be the day, the first day of the murder trial of Joran Van Der Sloot. His attorney confirmed before the proceedings that he was going to accept the responsibility of killing Stephany Flores. Why? He wants to serve a lesser term, and that can do it for him if it`s a sincere confession.

But he walked into that courtroom, Ellie Jostad, today with a sports jacket on, a bulletproof vest, and within seconds he was just taking it off. And then he didn`t stand up when the court began and everybody stood up to show respect for the judges. Take us from the top.

ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE CHIEF EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Right. Well, and Joran Van Der Sloot actually had to be admonished by the judge to behave appropriately in court. He was supposed to -- and we had word that he was going to plead guilty to all the charges. The murder and the robbery.

Then at the very last minute, after prosecutors had laid out the case that they could prove, they say, he decides that he needs more time, he`s not ready to take that plea that we had already thought he was going to take. His attorneys said he was going to take. And so that`s where we are now. He gets an extension. He`s going to back in court next week.

CASAREZ: And we want everybody to listen to that moment. That very first moment when Joran Van Der Sloot speaks in court to the three-judge panel -- of female-three judge panel, because they had some poignant questions for him. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Through Translator): How do you plead? Guilty or innocent? Do you accept the charges presented?

VAN DER SLOOT (Through Translator): I want to buy my confession, but I don`t agree with the aggravating factors mentioned by the minister of justice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Through Translator): So you don`t deem yourself guilty according to what the prosecution has stated?

VAN DER SLOOT (Through Translator): Do I have time to think this further?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: Joining us tonight exclusively is a friend of Joran Van Der Sloot. He associated with Joran quite extensively before Joran went to Peru. John Ludwick is joining us exclusively out of Washington, D.C.

You know what everybody really wants to know, John, how did you meet Joran Van Der Sloot?

JOHN LUDWICK, FRIEND OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY`S ACCUSED MURDERER, JORAN VAN DER SLOOT: It happened right after his father died. And he came back from Thailand to Aruba for his dad`s memorial. I just happened to bump into him at a gas station one day a couple of days before memorial. And he gave me his number. We ended up going out and hanging out that night, going to a bar. And we just had a bond just instantly.

I ended up going to his dad`s memorial. And I was really the only friend of his that I even showed up there. And since then he knew I was a friend and just about every day we were together going to casinos and fishing and all kinds of stuff.

CASAREZ: Have you corresponded with him since he`s been in Lima?

LUDWICK: Yes, about six or seven months after he got locked up we did some correspondence. Since then I haven`t really been able to correspond as much with him for whatever reason.

CASAREZ: So why do you think everybody has it so wrong? Because in this country we look at him as a murderer. We look at someone -- Joran Van Der Sloot was a very bad person. Where is everybody going wrong on this?

LUDWICK: One thing that doesn`t sit right with me is the clip we keep hearing of Stephany Flores` father saying that he`s glad that his daughter, you know, gave her life to lock up a killer. As far as we know, his daughter created a killer by going on his laptop and looking up stuff about Natalee and then -- when he came back the room confronting him about, you know, what did you do to the girl?

And you know that`s when, I guess, the altercation happened and Stephany lost her life. If she hadn`t have been nosey and confronted him about that, and maybe she would have died. If she -- if she was worried, she should have just left the room and not made a confrontation like that. She created a killer as far as I`m concerned. We don`t know if he was a killer before that.

CASAREZ: In other words what you`re saying is to blame the victim, and that is definitely sometimes where the defense goes.

I want to bring in a very special guest tonight. It is the father of Natalee Holloway. He`s joining us exclusively tonight from Meridian, Mississippi.

I`m sure those words are so hard for you to hear, Dave Holloway. As you watched the court proceeding today and you saw Joran Van Der Sloot in rare form, what were the emotions inside of you, besides, I`m sure, rage.

DAVE HOLLOWAY, FATHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: Well, I really felt sorry for the Flores family after they gave a statement. And I knew that they were really expecting justice today. And we have been in that situation many times before where we expect the best, and then you get -- your emotions are down on the ground. So I`m sure they`ll pick themselves up and, Wednesday morning, hope for the best.

CASAREZ: You know, Dave Holloway, what you just made me realize is that the modus operandi, the way Joran Van Der Sloot goes about this was repeated in the courtroom today. How many times did he say, I will tell everyone what happened to Natalee Holloway, and the expectation has built, and then it doesn`t happen, or it`s a lie.

And today the expectation was there that he would accept the responsibility, and once again, it didn`t happen. He didn`t come through.

HOLLOWAY: No, he`s done this many times before. And he didn`t come into that courtroom unprepared. I think this was all planned out. And I was kind of surprised when he was coming into the court saying that he was going to plead guilty, and then when the judge asked him to behave in court, his behavior got worse. And I was thinking, you know, he`s just -- you know, killing himself in front of the judge by acting in the manner he was acting in.

I said, I was thinking, you know, if he continues the judge is going to slap him for the full 30. And then when he asked for more time, I thought, well, he`s intentionally angered the judge. Hopefully she won`t react out of emotion rather than rationality. And they did give him the extra time. I thought well, he`s trying to do what he did in our case, is try to cause enough issues and problems where he can get this to appeal to a higher court and possibly out of the country of Peru.

CASAREZ: You know, Dave Holloway, I think you`re right. And what Dave is referring to is if Joran wasn`t sleeping this morning, he was yawning, he was looking at his watch. But he didn`t have a watch. He was just looking at his wrist.

Want to go out to the callers. To Sheila in Colorado. Hi, Shiela.

SHIELA, CALLER FROM COLORADO: Hi. I guess I really have a comment and a question. First of all, it`s pretty evident he`s a non-functional psychopath. He`ll never have any contributions to -- for society. He has admitted that he killed this girl. And so to me, they needed to go ahead and put him down. And as far as him getting special treatment and everything in jail, where is he getting his money?

And I`ve worked in the judicial system. And a prisoner who comes in for a hearing, if they are not standing up for the judge, they are yanked up. And why they keep treating him with such coddling hands and letting him constantly control. He surrounds himself with dysfunctional people to make himself feel superior. But it`s pretty evident he`s a dysfunctional psychopath that needs to be put down and go on.

CASAREZ: You know, Sheila, you`re right. He took control of that courtroom today. No question about it.

To Randy Kessler, defense attorney joining us out of Atlanta. Here`s the question. I just don`t understand. Prosecutors could have brought this as an aggravated murder because the motive was money. He was a gambling addict. He needed money. Stephany Flores got winnings that night at the casino. He lured here to the apartment and he robbed her.

They brought this such as like a second-degree murder where the maximum is about 35 years. Only asking for 30 years. Why didn`t they go the whole way, Randy Kessler?

RANDY KESSLER, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, you know, we don`t know that. We don`t know all the details. And we don`t know everything they know. But the one thing is, he`s like a rat trying to get out of a sinking hole. My colleague here, Meg, said it`s a sinking ship. Rats get off of ships. They want to get him. And if you overcharge, sometimes you don`t get him. They may have overcharged Casey Anthony. Maybe that`s why they didn`t get her. They want to get him, they should get him. They should cut a deal and throw away the key and put him for whatever they can. It`s 30 years is 30 years. It`s better than not getting him at all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VAN DER SLOOT (Through Translator): In my blind panic, I signed everything. But never knew what was written on them. I was very scared and confused during the interrogations and wanted to get away. I was tricked. I`ll explain later how it all happened. How exactly all this has gone, I`ll tell you later. I was framed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Joran Van Der Sloot appeared bored, tired, even briefly fell asleep in a courtroom.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Did you kill Stephany Tatiana?

VAN DER SLOOT (Through Translator): Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: But Van Der Sloot later recanted.

VAN DER SLOOT (Through Translator): I was tricked. I`ll explain later how it all happened.

CASAREZ: This is his clothes. Remember, you saw him on television in these clothes? He still has him here. I see toothpaste. I see the bible right there. I see books that are written in Dutch. And then over here he has his own bathroom. As we`ve heard, it is a hole.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Van Der Sloot was twice arrested but never charged in that case.

HOLLOWAY: Whether we get the justice Natalee deserves, that`s the ultimate question.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: I`m Jean Casarez in for Nancy Grace.

Joran Van Der Sloot who once confessed to killing Natalee Holloway now wants to confess for killing another woman, but yet, it ended because he needs time to think about it.

I want to go to Elizabeth in Illinois. Hi, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH, CALLER FROM ILLINOIS: Hi. Thanks for taking my call.

CASAREZ: Thank you for calling, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH: I was just wondering, are there any other cases or victims prior to Natalee Holloway?

CASAREZ: Well, that`s a good question. Let`s go out to Les Lavine. He is a private investigator. He worked with the defense, Van Der Sloot`s attorney in the Natalee Holloway case.

Les Lavine, prior to Natalee Holloway, what was Joran Van Der Sloot`s background? Were there any suspicious circumstances with women?

LES LEVINE, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR WHO WORKED WITH VAN DER SLOOT`S ATTORNEY IN NATALEE HOLLOWAY CASE: Absolutely not. Joran never had a problem with the law. So he has this kind of magnet to -- and what astounds me when I listen to all of these people ranting and raving about him being a psychopath, let`s not try him on something that the FBI and the Aruban authorities and some of the best private investigators in the country weren`t able to prove. Try him on what happened in Peru and leave Aruba out of the picture. It`s irrelevant in this particular instance.

CASAREZ: It is irrelevant except for that the United States now has federal extortion charges based on Joran Van Der Sloot agreeing to tell Natalee Holloway`s mother where Natalee`s body was if he would get $250,000. He took $25,000. Those are federal charges, and he can be extradited back to the United States to serve possibly the rest of his life in this country.

I want to go back, though, to John Ludwick, who is a friend of Joran Van Der Sloot.

John, you said that you`ve communicated, you`ve written letters back and forth a bit while Joran has been in custody at Castro Castro. What did you talk about in those letters?

LUDWICK: Well, he was surprisingly upbeat most of the times I`ve talked about him. And it mainly -- one thing I want to talk about now that you mention the extortion is, I don`t consider it extortion. I consider it entrapment. Once the facts come out you`ll see that he might not have been the one who contacted the Holloways and Mr. Kelly in the first place. Just like Beth Holloway went to prison and tricked him into doing that. It`s more of an entrapment than extortion. I think there`s something fishy going on with that.

CASAREZ: Now did Joran tell you that, or are you looking at that with your own mind, in a legal sense?

LUDWICK: Me and Joran, we were together at that time. And it definitely was a conversation that came up, that he had received an e-mail from them. So I believe you can`t -- it can`t be extortion if someone throws a line at you first, I believe.

CASAREZ: You know here`s what I want to ask you, and a lot of people want to ask you this question. You know, Joran confessed to being responsible for the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. There were many versions, but there was a taped response where he confessed. He wants to plead guilty now for killing, and his confession is dramatic, what he did to Stephany Flores.

Doesn`t it concern you at all to be his friend because you obviously do, and you trust him?

LUDWICK: I absolutely trust him. And what happened in Aruba, no one really knows except Joran, no matter what he might have told me or other people. So I don`t believe any of those confessions he might have had. It might have been, you know, for money or for whatever reasons. But you know what happened to Stephany was definitely an incident that shouldn`t have happened. And it only happened because of Stephany`s actions.

CASAREZ: And Michael Griffith, joining us tonight from the Bahamas, international law attorney, criminal law.

Michael Griffith, if Joran Van Der Sloot does not have a sincere confession, if he talks about the facts of what happened, and they don`t match the forensic evidence of all the blood in the room, the judges don`t have to accept it. He is gambling now. And he could have to serve that full 30-year term.

MICHAEL GRIFFITH, INTERNATIONAL LAW ATTORNEY/CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY (via phone): Yes. You know, you`ve got three women here. I suspect that they`ll be very sensitive to what happened to Flores.

But you know, Jean, I want to say something to you. This Mr. Ludwick, I don`t know what`s wrong with this man. This is a first class idiot. For him to go on national television and to say because she looked into his computer that this was her fault, and that he was entrapped. OK. When Van Der Sloot accepted $25,000 -- now I can see why this man is friends with Joran Van Der Sloot. This guy is a complete cretin. And for him to go on national TV to say this I think disgusting. OK? I mean how dare him.

CASAREZ: John Ludwick, your response to that. Because Michael Griffith, who is a criminal law attorney, respected all over the world, cannot believe that you are standing up for Joran Van Der Sloot when the facts are there.

LUDWICK: Coming from a criminal attorney, what kind of creep says he defended and stood up for? I`m not sure he`s got the best of company either. So coming from him, what does that mean? He stood up for some of the dirtiest people and pleaded their innocence.

CASAREZ: Well, he defends people for a living, but he obviously can`t defend this.

Tonight, everyone, CNN Heroes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight we gather to honor the best that humanity has to offer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you join us, we`ll be unstoppable.

COOPER: CNN Heroes is looking for everyday people who are changing the world. How do we find these extraordinary people? Well, with your help. You can nominate someone right now at CNNheroes.com.

Maybe your hero is defending the planet by protecting the environment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are people that care and I am one of them.

COOPER: Or helping people overcome obstacles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There will be no man left behind as long as we are this nation.

COOPER: We are finding a unique approach to solving a problem.

Whatever their cause, nominating a CNN Hero is easy. First go to CNNheroes.com. Then click nominate. We ask basic information about you and your nominee. Then tell us what makes your hero extraordinary. How are they changing lives for the better.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`re doing a great job.

COOPER: It`s really important to write from your heart because it is your words that will make your hero`s story stand out. A couple of tips, please don`t nominate yourself. It is against the rules. It is not necessary to nominate someone over and over. We read each and every nomination, really, we do. And be selective. Those honored as CNN Heroes are truly dedicating their lives to serving others.

After you told us about your hero, click submit. It`s that simple and that worthwhile. So nominate someone deserving today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much for this incredible honor. This has been the greatest night of my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It didn`t even seem like he was trying to be respectful in court today.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Through Translator): So you don`t deem yourself guilty according to what the prosecution has stated?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He wanted to kind of slip through the cracks. He was never charged.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What really happened to Natalee Holloway?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Natalee Holloway`s disappearance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This case is an absolute nightmare already.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: People think he`s a murderer.

VAN DER SLOOT (Through Translator): It was an impulsive act after I received a hit to the head.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The family would like to see him in prison for life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: Two women whose lives should not have been lost. I`m Jean Casarez in for Nancy Grace.

I want to go out to Tina in Canada. Hi, Tina.

TINA, CALLER FROM CANADA: Hi, how are you?

CASAREZ: I`m fine. Thank you so much for calling.

TINA: It seems to me that this Joran has absolutely complete disregard and disrespect for women. Could his behavior today be because those judges were women?

CASAREZ: You know, that is a very interesting point, Tina. Tina, I got a hold of when I was down in Lima the psychological reports by the prosecution. They said the words you just said, that he had total disregard and disrespect for women.

To Lisa Pulitzer, the author of "Profiler of a Monster." You have read all the reports, you have written a book on Joran Van Der Sloot. What`s going to happen in this case? Is his confession going to be sincere or will the judges say this is not sincere, Joran Van Der Sloot, it won`t work?

LISA PULITZER, SPENT TIME WITH FAMILY OF ACCUSED MURDERER, JORAN VAN DER SLOOT, AUTHOR, "PORTRAIT OF A MONSTER": His confession will not be sincere, and after speaking with the captain in the case who actually took Joran`s confession, Stephany Flores had bruising all over her body, and he actually told the captain that Stephany had fought hard. So if he is saying that she fought hard, then clearly it was -- it was a fight, and something that he realized at some point he could stop, but he continued. And in fact, I do not believe he can be sincere. The psychological report shows that he has a dominance over the opposite sex.

CASAREZ: And that sounds, Lisa Pulitzer, pretty cruel and pretty brutal.

Tonight, everybody, let`s stop to remember Army Sergeant 1st Class Christopher Robinson, 36 years old, from Brandon, Mississippi. He was killed in Afghanistan. He was awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the Mississippi Medal of Valor. He was honored as an Eagle Scout. He loved parachuting, James Bond and Clint Eastwood movies, the outdoors, and playing guitar. Leaves behind his mother Mary, his sister Denise, his wife Tamara, his daughter Savannah, and son Patrick.

Christopher Robinson, a true American hero.

Thank you so much to all of our guests and to you at home. See you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. Until then, good night, everybody.

END