Is Joran van der Sloot a psychopath—and could Natalee Holloway and Stephany Flores be only two of his victims?
In 2023, eighteen years after Natalee Holloway disappeared in Aruba, Joran van der Sloot finally confessed to her murder. But what does his confession reveal about the psychology of a killer?
In this episode of UNMARKED, journalist and filmmaker James Buddy Day examines Joran van der Sloot's own words, breaking down his confession to uncover patterns of manipulation, sexual entitlement, deception, and violence.
From his privileged childhood in Aruba and allegations of drug-facilitated sexual assault to his international travels, suspected involvement in sex trafficking in Thailand, and the murder of Stephany Flores in Peru, we trace the disturbing trajectory of a man who evaded prosecution for years.
Featuring archival interviews with private investigator TJ Ward, who worked on the Natalee Holloway investigation, we examine the evidence, the allegations of corruption surrounding the case, and troubling reports of other possible victims.
Was Joran van der Sloot simply an impulsive, privileged young man whose violence escalated? Or does his behaviour reveal the calculated psychology of a predatory killer whose full history remains unknown?
#truecrime #netflix #nataleeholloway #unmarked #podcast

Research in This Episode:

Abbey A, Jacques-Tiura AJ. Sexual assault perpetrators' tactics: associations with their personal characteristics and aspects of the incident. J Interpers Violence. 2011 Sep;26(14):2866-89.

Show Notes:

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If you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself.

Read it here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7

If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbuddyday/
For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes.
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Was the man at the centre of the Philadelphia serial killer investigation secretly cooperating with federal authorities? And what did investigators know about R.C. Horsch years before seven missing women were linked to his home?

In a stunning development in the Philadelphia serial killer case, newly unsealed federal court records reveal that Raymond "R.C." Horsch provided information to federal prosecutors about child sex trafficking, drug trafficking, and fraud in exchange for a reduced prison sentence.

In 2009, Horsch was arrested twice. First, he was accused of attempting to lure a nine-year-old girl into his vehicle in Kensington, Philadelphia. Just four months later, police raided his home in Chalfont, Pennsylvania, discovering 455 marijuana plants, illegal firearms, and disturbing photographs and videos involving women.

Horsch initially faced a lengthy federal prison sentence. But in 2012, prosecutors negotiated a deal after he supplied information about criminal activity, including crimes against children. Ultimately, he received just four and a half years.

Now, as Philadelphia police and the FBI investigate the disappearances of seven women connected to Horsch's former home on Chew Avenue in Olney, these newly disclosed records raise troubling questions.

What did federal authorities know about Horsch's activities? Why was his information considered valuable? Did anyone connect the evidence recovered in 2009 with the allegations involving vulnerable women in Kensington? And could opportunities to investigate his activities have been missed?

Every Monday, I bring you inside my ongoing investigation of the Philadelphia serial killer case—what I've discovered, what's changed, and what I'm still trying to figure out.

#PhiladelphiaSerialKiller #RCHorsch #Philadelphia #TrueCrime #UNMARKED