Is He Lying Now Or Was He Lying Then?

Dutch student Joran van der Sloot was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering American student Natalee Holloway in Aruba on May 30, 2005. He was released a few months later because there was insufficient evidence to hold him. He was arrested again in November of 2007 and released a month later, again because there was insufficient evidence to hold him.

Through all of this, his story regarding the events of that night have changed several times. Now, after being recorded telling a supposed friend that he was with Natalee, that she died in his arms, and that he and another friend disposed of her body at sea, he has again changed his story, insisting he was lying to his friend and that he really had nothing to do with Natalee’s death.

It’s certainly not unheard of for an accused, when under intense police interrogation or when suffering from diminished mental capacity, to confess to a crime he didn’t commit. But van der Sloot, attending university and studying international business management, was just sitting in a car, talking to a friend. There was no pressure to confess. He says now that he simply told his friend what he wanted to hear.

So, did he lie about lying? Or is he telling the truth when he says he lied?