Natalee Holloway suspect Van Der Sloot pleads not guilty in court appearance.

Joran van der Sloot pleaded not guilty in a Birmingham federal courtroom on charges of extortion and wire fraud related to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in 2005. Natalee's parents were present in the courtroom, and her mother stated that "the wheels of justice have finally begun for our family." Van der Sloot is currently serving a 28-year sentence in Peru for the murder of another woman. He is accused of trying to extort $250,000 from Natalee's mother in exchange for information about her daughter's body.