Murder defendant Van der Sloot refuses to talk to trial judge in prison visit
By APMonday, June 21, 2010
Van der Sloot refuses to talk to judge
LIMA, Peru — Murder defendant Joran van der Sloot has refused to discuss his case with the Peruvian judge assigned to it.
Judge Carlos Morales visited the 22-year-old Dutchman on Monday at Castro Castro prison in eastern Lima.
Van der Sloot is charged with murder in the May 30 killing in his hotel room of a 21-year-old Lima woman he met playing poker.
He also remains the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance in Aruba of U.S. teen Natalee Holloway.
The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported Monday that Van der Sloot retracted his confession to police in the killing of the Peruvian woman, Stephany Flores.
His lawyer has petitioned for the confession to be declared invalid because the defense lawyer present during it was state appointed.
