Natalee's Mom Clams Up About Van der Sloot

Natalee Holloway's mother held a press conference this morning, but an "FBI directive" kept her from discussing Joran Van der Sloot's possible involvement in her daughter's disappearance, the Birmingham News reports. Van der Sloot is the prime suspect in that case and has confessed to murdering Stephany Flores Ramirez, but the issue at hand is the federal extortion charges pending against the Dutch citizen in Alabama.

Van der Sloot allegedly shook down the Holloway family, demanding $250,000 for information about Natalee, and received $15,000. Speaking in Washington about the new Natalee Holloway Resource Center, which assists families of missing persons, Beth Holloway strayed into current events just once. "Let's keep the Flores family in our hearts and prayers," she said. (More Joran Van der Sloot stories.)