Shivangi Sinha
Joran van der Sloot faced a murder conviction in 2010 for Stephany Flores’ death and had long been suspected in Natalee Holloway’s 2005 murder. Holloway’s family found comfort in his imprisonment for Flores’ murder. However, their disappointment grew in 2014 upon learning of Joran’s marriage and impending fatherhood, feeling he was granted a life denied to Flores and Holloway. Peacock’s ‘Pathological: The Lies of Joran van der Sloot’ provides insight into Joran’s marriage with Leidy Figueroa and explores the circumstances that led to their relationship.
Who is Leidy Figueroa?
Leidy Figueroa crossed paths with Joran van der Sloot while he was serving time at the Miguel Castro Castro prison in Lima. Engaged in selling candies and cigarettes to inmates, Leidy, who was studying to become an accountant, began visiting the prison regularly. Unlike U.S. regulations, this prison allowed daytime visitors, leading to frequent visits from her, eventually twice a week. The couple expressed their love through exchanged letters, and by the start of 2014, she was expecting their child.
While talking about the beginning of their relationship, she said, “The first time I saw him I was a little scared because he’s such a big man and the newspapers were saying he is a bad person. But when I started talking to him I discovered a different person, he was lovely and we used to talk a lot…He liked to smoke so I would bring him Marlboro Red and Lucky cigarettes and candy and snacks. Sometimes I would take him home-cooked meals and he always needed toilet paper.”
In July 2014, the couple tied the knot, with Leidy being seven months pregnant at the time. In an interview shortly after their marriage, she spoke to the media and portrayed Joran as an extremely kind, sensitive, and gentleman. She sought to dispel the perception of him as a monster, asserting that he had undergone significant positive changes since their meeting. She shared that she questioned Joran about the hypothetical scenario of their having a daughter and whether he would regret it if similar harm befell her. According to her, Joran expressed remorse for his past actions in response to this question.
She added, “I know he has killed, but he is now paying for what he did. He is asking God for forgiveness and praying every day… I have never been scared of Joran hurting me. He has never mistreated me, harmed me, or hit me. I don’t think he’s capable of hurting me. He loves me too much.” Leidy even provided insights into their wedding, which took place in a private ceremony at Piedras Gordas prison, and she described him as looking very handsome on that happy day. Following the wedding, she hosted a reception for her family and friends, acknowledging the difficult circumstances of their relationship.
Leidy Figueroa and Joran van der Sloot are Now Divorced
In September 2014, the couple celebrated the arrival of their daughter, whom they named Dusha Trudie van der Sloot in honor of Joran’s grandmother. Despite the unconventional circumstances of their marriage, the prison’s policy allowing conjugal visits enabled them to maintain their relationship. However, in 2020, when news broke out about Joran’s girlfriend, Eva Pacohuanaco, smuggling drugs into the jail, Leidy Figueroa was displeased. She discovered that Joran had been unfaithful, engaging in multiple affairs with several women.
Despite the knowledge of her husband’s infidelity, she continued the relationship. However, in 2022, Joran served her with a divorce notice, claiming to have found someone “prettier and younger” in Eva. The divorce was finalized in 2023, and she has since expressed her desire to change her daughter’s last name to disassociate her from her father’s criminal activities, emphasizing her wish to prevent any contact between Joran and their daughter. She has not come into the public light for a while now and chooses to keep quite a low profile.
Read More: Eva Pacohuanaco: Where is Joran van der Sloot’s Girlfriend Now?
