Birmingham, Ala (WIAT) Why would an American doctor send tens of thousands of dollars to Joran van der Sloot and his mother, Anita?
A variety of Dutch websites are carrying a story by crime reporter John van den Heuvel saying a Florida radiologist has sent tens of thousands of dollars to van der Sloot and his mother to help pay for his legal defense on murder charges he's facing in Peru. According to reports in the Dutch newspaper, De Telegraaf, the woman says she's convinced van der Sloot is the victim of a conspiracy and denies any romantic involvement.
De Telegraaf identifies the doctor as Mary Hamer, a radiologist in Lake City, Florida. A records search also shows a Montgomery, Alabama address for Dr. Hamer. A search of the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners
website shows her license to practice in this state expired in 2004.
Van der Sloot, the prime suspect in the disappearance of Mountain Brook teenager Natalee Holloway is in a Peruvian prison waiting trial on charges he murdered a Peruvian student he met in a casino there.
The body of Stephany Flores was found in van der Sloot's Lima hotel room five years to the day that Natalee Holloway vanished on a graduation trip to Aruba. She was last seen leaving an Oranjestad bar with van der Sloot and two of his friends, the Kalpoe brothers.
Van der Sloot confessed to Peruvian investigators that he killed Flores in a fit of rage when she found material about Natalee on his laptop.
Prosecutors say an examination of van der Sloot's computer debunk the "crime of passion" defense because the Natalee material on his laptop was accessed the day before Stephany Flores died.