Van der Sloot attorney "confident" he can prove temporary insanity in Stephany Flores killing, say report
(CBS/AP) LIMA, Peru - Joran van der Sloot's attorney claims he's "confident" he can prove his client was temporarily insane when he allegedly murdered Stephany Flores.
Van der Sloot met the 21-year-old Peruvian woman while gambling last May.
PICTURES: Joran van der Sloot: Natalee Holloway and Peru
Van der Sloot, who is also the prime suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, plans to plead guilty and argue temporary insanity in a bid to significantly shorten his sentence, his defense lawyer said Monday.
"I'm confident that we can win our temporary insanity plea," lawyer Maximo Altez told RadarOnline.
The Dutchman will use a "violent emotion" defense in the slaying of Flores, Altez told The Associated Press.
Altez said he filed papers three weeks ago informing prosecutors of his intent to argue that Van der Sloot became enraged and killed the 21-year-old Peruvian business student last May 30 because she had learned of his relation to Holloway by looking in his laptop.
The 23-year-old Dutchman is accused of first-degree murder, which carries a 15- to 35-year sentence on conviction.
The "violent emotion" plea is typically used in Peru for crimes of passion where a spouse, for example, is surprised in the act of adultery.
If it were to be accepted by a trial judge, Van der Sloot could be sentenced to 3 to 5 years, and Altez said his client could be freed in 20 months.
The lawyer for the victim's family called the proposed plea absurd, saying that given all the factors of the case, Van der Sloot deserved to spend a minimum of 25 years in prison.
"The manner in which the suspect killed Stephany evidenced disproportionate violence," attorney Edward Alvarez said.
Natalee Holloway disappeared on a 2005 trip to Aruba with classmates from Mountain Brook High School in Alabama. She was last seen leaving a nightclub with Van der Sloot. He was questioned several times by Aruban authorities, but never charged in her disappearance.
Flores' body was found in van der Sloot's hotel room five years to the day of Natalee's disappearance.
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