In an emotionally charged hearing in Birmingham’s federal court Wednesday morning, it was revealed Joran van der Sloot had confessed to killing Mountain Brook teen Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005.

The Dutch national from Aruba was long suspected in the disappearance and death and pleaded guilty today to the extortion of Natalee’s mother, Beth. He waived his right to appeal.

Van der Sloot, 36, received a 20-year sentence on each of the two convictions. Those sentences will be served concurrently with each other and also concurrently with his sentence in Peru.

During a press conference following the hearing U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and Natalee's mother, Beth, spoke to reporters

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