Joran Van Der Sloot Tied to Beth Holloway Extortion Attempt

In an almost surreal set of circumstances, Natalee Holloway's mother, Beth Holloway, seems to have been the focus of an alleged extortion attempt by Joran van er Sloot. According to NBC13 news , law enforcement officials have confirmed that the extortion and wire fraud charges against Joran van der Sloot were primarily aimed at getting as much as $250,000 from Beth Holloway. Now he is the main suspect in another murder case involving a young girl, Stephany Flores, recently found dead in a hotel room registered to van der Sloot.

It was just another sad turn of events for the Holloway family, whose plight continues to grip the hearts of the nation five years after she disappeared on May 30, 2005, while on a senior class trip.

As the parent of three children, one who was Halloway's age at the time of her disappearance, I also found it impossible not to listen to the news and follow each development and lead in the case. This was fairly easy because photos of Natalee Holloway were in the news for week and months to come as the family desperately sought answers to their daughter's whereabouts.

At one point, a Pennsylvania couple's photos seemed to show Natalie Holloway's remains but that was just another possible lead that went nowhere. The latest development has not only raised questions about van der Sloot's potential involvement in the Natalee Holloway case but confusion about why he would continue to draw attention to himself, especially in light of suspicions already cast his way.

He was already a prime suspect when it came to Natalee Holloway's sudden disappearance. Now U.S attorney Beth Vance has made public the extortion and wire fraud charges against van der Sloot. Some questions still remain unanswered, including the person who paid $15,000 to someone in Birmingham. The money was sent from Birmingham to the Netherlands.

Why Can't Joran van der Sloot Stay out of Trouble?

Since van der Sloot was a primary suspect in the Natalee Holloway case, why would he take the risk of calling attention to himself, especially after he was let off the hook in the Natalee Holloway case? At the time, there wasn't enough evidence to convict him.The extortion attempt and purported information about the location of Holloway's body only casts more suspicion on van der Sloot, as well as potential questions about his state of mind.

It certainly doesn't seem rational or logical for a suspect to attempt to contact Beth Holloway and draw attention to himself yet again. Perhaps he thought he could get away with the scheme - or has he simply lost all semblance of control?

Joran van der Sloot's Mother, Anita van der Sloot, in Shock About Latest Charges Against Son

Meanwhile, Joran van der Sloot's mother, Anita, is still supportive of her son, in spite of the fact that 21-year-old Stephany Flores, a University of Lima student, was recently found dead in a hotel room registered to Joran van der Sloot. He currently remains the major suspect in her death. She was reported to have met Joran in a casino the night before she died. Van der Sloot is scheduled to be flown back to the Peruvian border on Friday morning. When it comes to Joran van der Sloot, his actions seem to be getting stranger and stranger.