Joran van der Sloot Defiantly Won't Talk to Peru Judge
Accused killer now says he was tricked into falsely confessing murder.
June 21, 2010— -- Murder suspect Joran van der Sloot refused to speak to a Peruvian judge today who travled to the Lima prison to grill the Dutch playboy about the murder of Stephany Flores.
Van der Sloot's refusal to cooperate came after he told a Dutch newspaper that he was tricked into signing a confession that he killed Flores.
Out of concern for van der Sloot's safety, Superior Court Judge Carlos Morales went to the prison to take a statement from the 22-year-old murder suspect rather than bringing van der Sloot to court.
But when Morales appeared, van der Sloot defiantly refused to cooperate. Before he makes any statement, he wants his confession thrown out of court.
Van der Sloot's lawyer Maximo Altez, told the Associated Press the confession isn't valid because the defense lawyer present when Van der Sloot made it was state-appointed.
Van der Sloot is accused of murdering Flores, 21, on May 30 and is the prime suspect in the disappearance of American teen Natalee Holloway in Aruba five years ago.
Van der Sloot is arguing that he didn't realize he was signing a murder confession, which was written in Spanish. Van der Sloot speaks some Spanish.
"During the interrogations I was very frightened and confused, and I wanted to leave," van der Sloot told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf in the notorious Castro Castro jail in Lima, Peru.
"'If you sign these papers you will be extradited to the Netherlands,' they were telling me all the time. In my blind panic I then signed everything, but I did not even know what was written down," he told the newspaper.
When asked about the murder of Flores, van der Sloot replied, "I have been framed. What happened exactly, I will explain later."
He also complained to the newspaper that he has to share his prison cellblock with a Colombian murderer, a corrupt Peruvian general and rats that creep into his cell through the toilet at night.
In the alleged confession, van der Sloot is quoted as saying he met Flores at a Lima casino and they were playing poker in his room when an email popped up on his computer linking him to the Holloway case.
He claims Flores became upset and struck him. Enraged, van der Sloot allegedly smashed her in the nose with his elbow. Blood gushed out and she nearly fainted from the blow, the confession states. He then grabbed her by the throat and banged her head against the wall, the confession says. He finally used his shirt to smother her, according to the reputed confession.
As ABC News reported at the time of his arrest, van der Sloot appeared confused before signing some police documents. He even asked his interrogatiors, "This only says I understand what my rights are, correct?"
