tell that to the holloway family because just yesterday a judge declared natalee holloway dead even though nobody has ever found her remains. joran van der sloot is still the prime suspect in the 18-year-old's disappearance. he is also facing extortion charges here in the united states. prosecutors here say he promised to tell holloway's mother where natalie's remains are in exchange for $25,000. instead, he took the money and ran off to peru where he met stephany flores. today, her father's lawyer says he respects the court's decision but he was hoping for a much longer sentence. steve harrigan is live in our south florida newsroom tonight. it was a brutal day in court, steve, for the flores family. >> shepard, hard to imagine what that was like for more than two hours, the 21-year-old's father and two brothers just had to watch and endure a step-by-step forensic recreation of what even the justices are calling a murder of ferocious violence. >> he hit her face using his elbow, causing her to have a bloody nose and causing her to faint. then he held her by the neck with both hands and str

have to find natalee holloway. they have to find our daughter. >> shepard: investigators had a suspect, but they never found her body. now, a judge making a big call in the case. but first from fox this thursday night, the mississippi governor haley barbour is defending his decision to grant clemency to hundreds of prisoners. some of them rapists and quicked murders. governor barbour's term ended on tuesday. just before he left office he gave pardons and suspended sentences to more than 200 convicts. but a judge there temporarily blocked the release of 21 inmaghts after the state's attorney general said the governor might have violated mississippi's constitution. and the attorney general was far from the only critic. >> the governor himself going to have to look me and the family in the eye and say hey, i'm going to let this guy go. there wasn't any of that that's the coward's way out if you ask me. this, again, has given mississippi a black eye. >> shepard: in a statement, former governor barbour indicated that pe

flores was killed five years to the day after natalee holloway.very closely. finally, jane, finally, we see this guy and he's admitting he's a killer. satisfying. >> we can say he is a convicted murderer. i mean, this guy is a murderer. we know that now. and he is going to be sentenced on friday the 13th, which given the fact that he is a gambler, is not such a good turn of events for him because he probably attaches a lot of significance to random numbers. but here's what's outrageous about what happened today. first of all, i think it was a bit of a charade. i think there was some behind the scenes dealing going on -- >> what do you mean? >> sources close to the defense said, before the hearing even started, we expect a reduction in the sentence in return for this confession. so, essentially, they must have had some indication of what kind of reduction. we don't know, it's a big question mark as to what kind of reduction he's going to get, but the general consensus is in return for uttering those few words where he seemed to be trying to suppres

how many versions has he given to natalie holloway.there are federal extorsion charges against him in the united states because he accepted $25,000 from natalie holloway's mother saying he would tell her where natalie was buried and he would get $250,000 total. he took the attorney to a location and lied about where the body was because the building he said she was under wasn't even built when natalee disappeared. there are federal charges. once he finishes his years in peru he'll be brought back. >> you have to do that in the united states? >> yes. here's the concern. he could potentially serve his time in the netherlands instead of peru. is the netherlands going to want to extra diet him to the united states in they may not want to. >> if he's convict the in peru he could serve time in the netherlands? >> potentially. >> they would be a lot better than peru. >> i would think so. potentially that could happen. yes. >>> coming up a crash in new zealand kills everyone aboard a hot air balloon. also new information about the dead body th

how many versions has he given to natalee holloway? there are federal extorsion charges against him in the united states because he accepted $25,000 from natalee holloway's mother saying he would tell her where natalee was buried and he would get $250,000 total. he took the attorney to a location and lied about where the body was because the building he said she was under wasn't even built when natalee disappeared. there are federal charges. once he finishes his years in peru, most likely he will be extradited to the united states. >> you have to do that in the united states? >> yes. here's the concern. he could potentially serve his time in the netherlands instead of peru. is the netherlands going to want to extra diet him to the united states. they may not want to. >> if he's convict in peru, he could serve time in the netherlands? >> potentially. >> they would be a lot better than peru. >> i would think so. potentially that could happen. yes. >>> coming up, a crash in new zealand kills everyone aboard a hot air balloon. >>> also new

nat heat holloway disappeared in 2005 on -- natalee holloway disappeared in 2005. she was on a high school trip in aruba, where joran van der sloot grew up. >>> the 10th and verse -- in 29 president obama signed an executive order to close guantanamo bay within a year congressional road s have stalled efforts to make that happen. last july, 171 were still detained there at its height the prison held more than 750. >>> this morning two good samaritans who saved an elderly union city couple from their burning home were honored as heroes. i was an emotional first reunion between the -- it was an emotional first reunion between between them. >> you don't see people like that much any more. >> reporter: he's talking about acts tan by complete strangers last week after -- about actions taken by complete strangers last week. kevin and jonathan both of fremont were working nearby. they were not closest to the scene they were a mile and a half away. when they saw the smoke they went there to see if they could help out. >> they found them inhuczv/$ the yard trying to exit th

nat heat holloway disappeared in 2005 on -- natalee holloway disappeared in 2005.he was on a high school trip in aruba, where joran van der sloot grew up. >>> the 10th and verse -- in 29 president obama signed an executive order to close guantanamo bay within a year congressional road s have stalled efforts to make that happen. last july, 171 were still detained there at its height the prison held more than 750. >>> this morning two good samaritans who saved an elderly union city couple from their burning home were honored as heroes. i was an emotional first reunion between the -- it was an emotional first reunion between between them. >> you don't see people like that much any more. >> reporter: he's talking about acts tan by complete strangers last week after -- about actions taken by complete strangers last week. kevin and jonathan both of fremont were working nearby. they were not closest to the scene they were a mile and a half away. when they saw the smoke they went there to see if they could help out. >> they found them inhuczv/$ the yard trying to exit the

an attorney for holloway's father says no new evidence has come out to suggest holloway is still alive meantime, the chief suspect in her disappearance joran van der sloot expected to be sentenced tomorrow in peru after confessing, yes, in fact he did kill another young woman five years to the day after holloway disappeared. >> also this morning new and disturbing images out of afghanistan prompting a full investigation by the marine corps. this picture released to nbc news appears to show four marines urinating on the bodies of dead taliban fighters. the marines believed to be part of a sniper team based at the camp lejeune, secretary of defense leon panetta calls these images utterly deplorable. a taliban spokesperson telling reuters, that is, the images are shocking, but most likely not going to affect negotiations between the united states and the taliban. >>> this morning people in northeast japan are bracing for aftershocks after a strong earthquake rattled the east coast. the 5.7 quake struck just 75 miles southeast of fukushima. that's, of course, the site of a 9.0 magnitude ea

moments ago a judge in alabama declared natalee holloway legally dead. she is the 18-year-old high school senior who van iraned on -- who vanished on a trip. her father asked the judge to making the ruling and her mother says she will not contest it. they divorces after she disappeared. the fair said he needs her college fund to pay for her brother's education. he cannot access that money. today's decision is a day after the prime suspect, joran van der sloot pleaded guilty to killing another woman to purr free five years to the day after natalee holloway disappeared. trace is live in the west coast. why is the mom, here, no longer contesting this? >> because she says that she is ready to put an end to the chapter and to move on and she says she understands the reasons her ex-husband is doing this. you mentioned one, he wants to use her college fund to pay for the younger brother, and he wants to stop paying her hospital insurance and he needs this to do so. back in september the judge ruled that it is not about proving she is dead. it is now about provi

holloway's parents hope this will move their quest for justice forward. >> the holloways continue to cooperate with all the law enforcement agencies and remain hopeful that someday, someone will be held accountable and brought to justice. here in alabama. >> reporter: today, an alabama judge is scheduled to decide whether to declare natalee holloway dead. here in peru, van der sloot will be sentenced tomorrow morning for the murder of stephany flores. natalie? >> lilia luciano in peru, thank you. >>> no more surprises when it comes to the extra fees you pay when you fly. according to transportation department will now require that airlines advertise prices, including those hefty taxes and fees, that can add more than 20% to the original fare. airlines are fighting the new rules, though, saying that other industries are not required to include taxes in their advertised prices. >>> new york state health officials have dismissed complaints that some new parents were mistreated at lennox hill hospital during the high-profile birth of beyonce and jay-z's daughter. the hospital is still in

holloway's parents say they want him to be sent to alabama, to extort money from holloway saying he paider where natalie's body is. >> greta: coming up, no signs of improvement. consider john mccain turn it around. see what happens when he takes it to late night tv. you must stick around for this. we may be able to help you decide what to do this weekend. we have a special segment about the hollywood movie "the iron lady." >> many men have underestimated.... and rushes relief to the site of your tough pain. it's proven to relieve pain twice as fast as before. bayer advanced aspirin. with scottrader streaming quotes, any way you want. fully customize it for your trading process -- from thought to trade, on every screen. and all in real time. which makes it just like having your own trading floor, right at your fingertips. [ rodger ] at scottrade, seven dollar trades are just the start. try our easy-to-use scottrader streaming quotes. it's another reason more investors are saying... [ all ] i'm with scottrade. of how a shippingiant can befriend a forest may seem lie the stuff of fairy tale

>>shepard: a much stronger case this murder case than the case of natalee holloway?ter: no body was found seven years ago and in this case there was a body, a 21-year-old murdered in the hotel room and videotape evidence and two people entering the hotel room and absolute lute and the murdered woman, just one, leading the hotel room and the police in peru have a taped confession, two times they asked joran van der sloot, did you murder her, and two times he answers in spanish "yes," and the tones are fighting that intelligence saying he needed an interpreter and there was not one provided so on wednesday we will see what the three female judges will think about joran van der sloot's sincere apology. >>shepard: thank you, steve, from south florida and now to the legal panel, former prosecutor and fox news legal analyst arthur aidala and randy zelin on the right. what are they trying to do? >>arthur: trying to avoid life in prison. >>shepard: he could get only eight years it sounds to me. >>arthur: what steve reported is 30 years or less. his attitude in court cannot b

teenager natalie holloway.that's the question today, you have this guy being sentenced for a murder he confessed to, but there's still this question of whether or not natalie holloway's family will get justice, whatever that means? >> i think it's interesting, jenna, first of all, that he got nearly the maximum sentence. in peru there are no life sentences or death penalties. thirty years was the max he could have gotten. he got 28. he got two years off because of his confession to the murder of stephany flores ramirez, so he did confess to one of the crimes, he got the near maximum, 28 years. he's 24 years old now, plus 28, 52 years old. so if he survives his very harsh existence in a maximum security prove yang prison -- peruvian prison high in the andes on the bolivian border, then i think he can still be brought back to the united states to face the charges that he attempted to extort $250,000 from beth holloway, the family of natalie holloway, in exchange for information as to where she was buried. so i th

. >>> he was the prime suspect in the disappearance of american natalee holloway. now this morning, joran van der sloot convicted of a murder of a peruvian woman. two years ago today a massive earthquake killed thousands in haiti. now there's even a larger problem this morning. you're watching "good morning maryland." we're monitoring what is going on in north carolina. >>> joran van der sloot pleading guilty wednesday to the 2010 murder of a 21-year-old peruvian woman. he met at a lima casino, who was killed five years to the day of the unsolved disappearance of american teen natalee holloway. he remains the prime suspect. this morning holloway's father is speaking out about joran van der sloot's plea. >> the we'll see what kind of sentence he gets. i don't think he's sincere to be honest. >> a judge will sentence him tomorrow. holloway, an alabama teen disappeared during a high school graduation trip to the caribbean island of aruba. where van der sloot grew up. >>> two years ago today, 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck haiti, sending an already struggling nation i

i get chills when i talk about this because what the holloway family has gone through, the holloway familyswers. >> he's the prime suspect and has always been. he was the last person seen with her. he claims he left her drunk on a beach and body never found and that is probably every parents' nightmare. >> i actually sort of thought a p profunthry thing but you have to fight for this and dave holloway kind of did. he put in the application to have natalee declared dead in alabama. >> her mother fought that and she has now come to peace with it and comes to terms with it and contesting this hearing that will happen today, on thursday. one of the reasons is they have this sort of scholarship money that they want to used that was earmarked for natalee and they want to use it for one of their other children and health insurance issues, as well. of course, we're talking about almost seven years of natalee holloway, you know, body never having been found and it's very difficult for the family, but, perhaps today they will get a little bit of closure. >> whatever that's worth. closure. >> i know,

holloway's parents say they want him sent to alabama.he paid him, he would tell her where natalie's body is. >> and consider john mccain turn around. see what happens when he takes it to late night tv. you must stick around for this. we may be able to help you decide what to do this weekend. we have a special segment about the special hollywood movie "the iron lady." that is next. our trading proces- from thought to trade, on every screen. and all in real time. which makes it just like having your own trading floor, right at your fingertips. [ rodger ] at scottrade, seven dollar trades are just the start. try our easy-to-use scottrader streaming quotes. it's another reason more investors are saying... [ all ] i'm with scottrade. of how a shippingiant can befriend a forest may seem lie the stuff of fairy tales. but if you take aw the faces on the trees... take away the pixie dust. take away the singing animals, and the storybook narrator... [ man ] you're ft with more electric trucks. more recycled shipping materials... and a growing numb

i knew that already. >> now more on natalee holloway.after she vanished an aruba judge declared her legally dead. teen's parents attending hearing. they asked for the declaration back in september. it frees the parents to give her college fund to her brother. dave holloway is able to stop payments on the health insurance. dave holloway's lawyer says there is no evidence that natalie is alive. as you recall, her she was last seen in may, leaving anaruban bar with joran van der sloot. he pleaded guilty to murdering another woman in peru. >> laura bush wants to add a name to the gop ballot. find out who she wants in the white house. and the world's famous mother gets a new gig. and grandma scores big. a footbal what makes the sleep number store different? you walk into a conventional mattress store, it's really not about you. they say, "well, if you want a firm bed you can lie on one of those, if you want a soft bed you can lie on one of those." we provide the exact individualization that your body needs. welcome to the sleep number year-en

it closing a chapter mother opposed the petition still praying for daughters' safety. >> natalie hollowaye this through and of course makes me very sad. >> any sense of closure >> nothing to say. a day after joran van der sloot the prime suspect of natalie holloway disappearance pled guilty to killing a peruvian woman apparently because she had done some sort of google search of joran van der sloot osby natalie holloway like never charged in the case. remembering haiti two years after earthquake devastated the nation today hundreds of thousands of people still homeless anniversary of the tragedy 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the country killing more than 300 leading 1 million without a place to live local organizations continue to help build haiti trying to build a new children's hospital >> they need help but want help they did not want handouts they want education and expertise >> already the poorest nation in the western hemisphere before the earthquake haiti. health benefits of blogging may actually be therapeutic. disturbing picture of the marine desecrating human remains remands t

in 2006, he said he left the intoxicated holloway on the beach and in 2010 surfaced in peru, the prime suspect in a young woman's murder. van der sloot confessed after he was arrested. his attorney said his client was deeply affected by the strain of holloway's case and the death of his father. if this case had gone to trial, van der sloot would have faced 30 years in prison. >>> we have the latest on a missing montana teacher. after four days of looking for sherry arnold police are scaling back their search. arnold left for an early morning run and never returned. so far, the only clue in her disappearance was a single running shoe found by a ditch along her running route in sydney. overnight the fbi interviewed ronnie white and believes he might be one of the last persons to see her as she jogged past his car. meanwhile the family, neighbors and friends have been praying for her return. >> it's horrible. it's a nightmare. >> the fbi said hundreds of tips are pouring in, but there's still no solid leads. >>> get this. a boy blew up a building and police do not want to talk to him abou

today his attorney said it was the fallout the holloway case that made his client snap.r happened five years to the day after the 18-year-old natalee holloway vanished in aruba. she was last seen leaving a nightclub with joran van der sloot and he is the main suspect in that case. the court will sentence him on friday in this peru case. prosecutors have said they will not go after life in prison. and we're told today's confession could knock years off any prison time. steve harrigan with the news. he is in our south florida newsroom tonight. steve, there was a bit of a battle i understand in court over whether they would be allowed to bring up the natalee holloway case in the middle of these proceedings. >> that's right, shepard. the defense attorney for joran van der sloot tried and failed to bring in the natalee holloway case. he said since that case his client joran van der sloot has been made into a monster by the media he also said because of persecution that joran van der sloot now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. that that disorder that caused the viol

what does it mean for the natalie holloway case?econd place finish make him the top alternative to mitt romney. we'll look what his chances might be in south carolina. >> i think it intellectual revolution is going on now to restore liberty in this country is well on its way and there is no way they will stop the momentum that we have started. [cheers and applause] martha: oh, boy. this morning even more snow is falling on the poor beleaguered town of cordova, alaska which has been hit with 18 feet of snow already on the ground there seems like all the snow in the world is going to one place right now. people are facing a new problem. a shortage of shovels in alaska. the national guard in cordova is there helping to remove all the snow. too much for the hearty folks of alaska who are used to all of this maria molina joins me live from the fox news extreme weather center. too extreme for alaska is pretty extreme. >> you know it is bad when it is too extreme for alaska. show you quickly why it is so bad. 176 inches of snow so far sinc

the prime suspect in natalee holloway's disappearance. >>> moving south. he felt as the candidates head from new hampshire to north carolina. >>> first lady michelle obama opens up about her goals for her programs. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> it is about 6:30. 45 degrees with light rain in central maryland. good evening. thanks for staying with wjz. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. the prime suspect in the aruba disappearance of natalee holloway, pleads guilty to killing another woman in peru. alison harmelin reports for wjz. >> reporter: joran van der sloot told the court he is, quote, really sorry for what happened. in spanish, he confessed to the panel of three women judges that he robbed and then killed 21-year-old stephany flores in 2010. the confession ends the trial that started just last week and gives van der sloot the possibility of a lighter sentence. >> reporter: van der sloot is well known in the u.s. as the prime suspect in the disappearance of 18-year-old natalee holloway in aruba. the 24-year-old dutch citizen was a

the murder in peru he extorted $25,000 to natalee holloway's murder saying he would lead the mother for her body in aruba. that never happened. why is joran van der sloot apology seen as "sincere." >>reporter: he used those words. it is hard to say how much sincerity was behind it. it could seven a couple of effects. it means they will not have to go to trial. both hoped to avoid and trial and could cut some years off the possible 30-year sentence but the apology was very brief without emotion and after a year and a half in jail he was able to deliver it in spanish. (speaking spanish). >> i am truly very sorry for what i have done, i feel very bad. >> the family hope he got life in prison and the prosecution says he is a danger psychopath and should never be allowed out. friday morning before a panel of three women judges we will find out what they think. that is the sentencing. >>shepard: he confessed, apologiesed and pleaded guilty. did he put on any defense at all? >>reporter: a very weak start for the defense today. his attorney showed up half an hour late for the murder time se

. >>> the natalee holloway suspect confesses to a disappearance crime. >>> the incredible way one man survived this freak accident. ,, >>> it's 5:30. 45 degrees, with rain in spots. good evening. thank you for staying with wjz, eyewitness news. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. neighbors near reisterstown call police, after someone witnesses something being thrown from the balcony. it turns out to be a york shire terrier. mike schuh reports, that dog barely survived. >> a neighbor there reported that she saw a man launch an object from a balcony. >> reporter: it's the higher of the two. >> she heard this object land with a thud. and when she went over to investigate what it was, she found that it was a small dog. >> reporter: the dog's name is louie. he's a 3-year-old york shire terrier. police say louie was intentionally thrown. >> about how tall was that deck? i'm taking these pictures with a small, handheld camera. when thrown, it takes more than a second for it to reach to the ground. >> he's definitely a lucky guy. >> reporter: louie lived. his eye is

the prime suspect in the disappearance of natalee holloway. a switch yesterday. after fighting the charges, he confessed just before sentencing. his lawyer is not saying -- the murder, they blame it on the stress caused by the holloway case. we'll find out if it gets him a lighter sentence. >> still very bizarre. people hoping he will not get a lighter sentence. >>> let's get to the wild weather first in the south. that unexpected tornado touching down in at least two places. sam has the latest. >>> let's get to the wild weather in the west. unexpected tornado. sam has been tracking it. >> robin, this is so bizarre. few if any tornadoes happen in the country, none in this part of western north carolina before january. so imagine, things like this, when you wake up and see things like this. imagine the surprise and shock that you went through. they were thunderstorms were forecasted. but not anything near severe as this. as robin said, at least 50 structures in one county. they haven't counted the other county yet. they were waiting until daylight to go back in. a

he also remains a prime suspect in the disappearance of natalie holloway in 2005.anie flores died after days to the day after holloway vanished from the island. prosecutors say he strangled her when he discovered his connection to the holloway case. >> this man is not remorseful for anything. these are the things the court has to take into account. >> and he maintains he had nothing to do with holloway's disappearance and he will be sentenced friday. >> the death of a iranian nuclear scientist is fueling tensions between the u.s. and iran. a bomb exploded in his car, the fourth targeted hit against members of the nuclear brain trust in the past two years. officials are claiming agents went to israel and the united states. >> i want to deny any united states involvement in any kind of act of violence inside iran. >> and mahmoud ahmadinejad arrived in cuba today and plans to travel to ecuador tomorrow. >> president obama had celebrity guests today. he was chatting with brad pitt and angelina jolie to discuss jolie's work on combatting sexual violence against women. t

he was arrested twice but never charged for holloway's disappearance in aruba. joran van der sloot faces up to 25 years in jail. >>> an iranian nuclear scientist was killed in a car bomb attack in tehran. the man is the fourth scientist to be killed since 2010. two suspects on a motorcycle stuck magnetic bombs to his car. the explosion happened near a technical university. iranians blame israel for the assassination. the obama administration denies any involvement. iran is believed to be developing a nuclear bomb, though. >>> on a lighter side, it is a story that's nothing short of incredible. >> that's right. a california man manages to cheat death on highway 99. marcus says he was driving around 65 miles an hour in bakersfield yesterday when suddenly, a metal bar smashes through his windshield stopping just inches away from his face. >> i was in shock at first. and all i could stare at after my car stopped was the bottom of the pipe. >> can you imagine? the chp says that the pipe may have been kicked up by a truck or maybe even fallen off of one. his saving gr

investigators say he killed flores five years to the day that natalee holloway disappeared. stephanie flores was kill ed after finding information about natalee holloway's disappearance on his laptop. >>> charged with a misdemeanor, his wife reportedly told neighbors her husband grabbed her on new year's eve and did it with enough force to leave a bruise. he and his wife both deny the charges. >>> months s after a 6-year-ol girl was killed in a dangerous intersection, no permanent procedures are put in place. flashing lights should be tested before installing a stop sign. neighbors insist a stop sign is the only way to make that intersection safe. the 6-year-old sioreli torres was walking to school last fall when she was hit and killed by a teacher. >>> students may have to get past drug-sniffing dogs before they're actually allowed in classes. christie smith is live in pleasanton where dog koss soon patrol lockers and parking lots. good morning, christie. >> reporter: good morning, jon. part of the problem is that drug and alcohol suspensions are on the rise. i spoke with t

. >>> it is a moment natalee holloway's family has wanted for years. the prime suspect in the disappearance of their daughter pleads guilty to killing another woman. alison harmelin reports for wjz. >>> joran van der sloot told the court in lima, peru he is, quote, really sorry for what happened. >> reporter: in spanish, he confessed to the panel of three women judges, that he robbed and killed 21-year-old stephany flores. the confession ends the trial that end the just last week and gives van der sloot the possibility of a lighter sentence. van der sloot is well-known in the u.s. as the primary suspect in the disappearance of 18-year- old natalee holloway in aruba. his lawyers argued that the investigation left him traumatized. van der sloot met flores. and later admitted he snapped her neck when she got onto his computer and found information about the holloway case. lawyers for flores argue there should be some kind of payback for her life. they don'ting think the court will go easy on van der sloot because they think he could be a danger to society