Natalee Holloway is Dead: Judge Declares Missing Teen Legally Deceased

Natalee Holloway went missing in Aruba more than six years ago, but it wasn’t until today that she was declared legally dead.

Alabama probate judge Alan King announced today that he will sign an order declaring Natalee Holloway dead. The decision comes six-and-a-half years after the Alabama teen’s disappearance in Aruba.

David Holloway made the request in September. Holloway said that he wanted to use Natalee’s college fund to help her young brother and that he wanted to stop making payments on her medical insurance

Earlier this week, Joran van der Sloot, the main suspect in Holloway’s disappearance, plead guilty to the murder of Stephany Flores. Van der Sloot is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow. Holloway said:

“I was just happy to see that the Flores family finally got justice. I just hope that on Friday that he gets the proper sentence that he deserves.”

The judges ruling today will gave Holloway’s father some added closure, but Holloway’s mother, Beth, was less welcoming of the ruling. Beth’s attorney said:

“Beth’s position is she has no proof or indication that Natalee is still alive, but absent any proof or indication that she is dead, she always wants to hang onto that slight glimmer of hope. No mother likes to, without evidence, have her daughter declared dead. She wants to carry around her around in her heart.”

CBS reports that once van der Sloot is sentenced it is possible that he is brought to the United States to face additional charges. Authorities haven’t been able to link van der Sloot to Holloway’s murder, van der Sloot is being accused of trying to extort $25,000 from Beth Holloway with the promise of revealing the location of Natalee’s body.

Do you think the judge made the right decision to declare Natalee Holloway dead?