Peruvian judge affirms extradition to US of chief suspect in Natalee Holloway disappearance

LIMA, Peru (AP) — A Peruvian judge has affirmed this week’s planned extradition to the U.S. of the main suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway. The judge’s ruling Tuesday came less than 24 hours after the attorney for Dutchman Joran van der Sloot filed a writ of habeas corpus in an attempt to stop the custody transfer. The extradition is scheduled for Thursday. Attorney Máximo Altez represents van der Sloot. Altez says he filed the habeas corpus after his client changed his mind and decided to challenge the government’s decision to send him to the U.S. to be prosecuted on wire fraud and extortion charges.