Convicted killer Joran van der Sloot, who confessed to the 2005 murder of Natalee Holloway in Aruba, was delayed in his extradition back to Peru due to mechanical issues with his plane. 

“The extradition of Joran van der Sloot to Peru is delayed because of mechanical issues with the aircraft. The U.S. Marshals Service will coordinate with the Peruvian Officials to reschedule the extradition. No Additional information is available,” U.S. Marshal’s Service said Monday, Fox News has learned. 

Van der Sloot had been temporarily extradited to the U.S. to face charges linked to Holloway’s disappearance. He’s currently serving a 28-year prison sentence for killing Stephany Flores in 2010 in Lima, Peru.

He admitted this month to killing Holloway and disposing of her remains. Holloway’s disappearance in 2005 caught international and national attention for 18 years. 

JORAN VAN DER SLOOT HAS CONFESSED TO KILLING NATALEE HOLLOWAY

Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot is driven in a police vehicle from the Ancon I maximum-security prison, outskirts of Lima, Peru, Thursday, June 8, 2023. The main suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway on the Caribbean island of Aruba is expected to be extradited Thursday from Peru to the United States. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

His confession came as he also pleaded guilty to charges of trying to extort money from Holloway’s mother in exchange for information on the location of the missing woman’s body. 

Van der Sloot was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the U.S. for extortion and wire fraud. Under his plea agreement, his sentence will run concurrently to the Peru sentence. 

TIMELINE OF ALABAMA TEEN NATALEE HOLLOWAY’S DEATH

Natalee Holloway was last seen alive in Aruba while on a Mountain Brook high school senior trip. (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

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He can not be prosecuted in the U.S. as the statute of limitations has expired on the murder in Aruba. The statute of limitations for homicide in Aruba is 12 years.

The Dutch man told authorities he bludgeoned the young woman after she refused his advances. 

“I smash her head in with it completely,” he said according to a transcript of his confession.

“Her face basically, you know, collapses in,” he added. “Even though it’s dark, I can see her face is collapsed in.”

Joran van der Sloot (L) and Natalee Holloway (R) (Shelby County Jail, AP)

He then allegedly pushed her body out to sea. 

FOLLOW NATALEE HOLLOWAY CASE ON FOX NEWS

“Today, I can tell you with certainty after eighteen years, that as far as I’m concerned, Natalee’s case is solved,” Beth Holloway said in a statement this month.” It is over. Joran van der Sloot is no longer the suspect in my daughter’s murder. He is the killer.”

The Associated Press contributed to this article.