Joran van der Sloot’s estranged wife is Leidy Figueroa, a Peruvian accountant whom he married inside a maximum-security prison in Lima on July 4, 2014. The couple welcomed a daughter, Dushy van der Sloot, later that year. Their relationship eventually deteriorated, and in May 2023, van der Sloot’s lawyer confirmed that they were divorcing. As of November 2026, Figueroa is frequently described as his former wife, although the precise date their divorce became legally final has not been publicly established.
Who Is Leidy Figueroa?
Leidy Figueroa is a Peruvian accountant best known for her marriage to convicted murderer Joran van der Sloot.
She attracted international media attention in 2014 after marrying the Dutch national while he was serving a prison sentence in Peru.
Before the wedding, Figueroa had largely remained outside the public spotlight.
Her relationship with van der Sloot became a major news story because of his involvement in two internationally recognized criminal cases.
Although she spoke publicly about their relationship during their marriage, detailed information about her current occupation and personal life remains limited.
Figueroa is also the mother of van der Sloot’s daughter, Dushy, who was born in September 2014.
How Did They Meet?
Joran van der Sloot and Leidy Figueroa reportedly met at Lurigancho prison in Lima, Peru.
At the time, van der Sloot was serving a lengthy sentence for the murder of Peruvian student Stephany Flores Ramírez.
According to reports, Figueroa was visiting another inmate when she encountered him.
Their acquaintance eventually developed into a romantic relationship despite the restrictions surrounding his imprisonment.
The relationship attracted considerable attention because van der Sloot was already internationally known through the investigation into American teenager Natalee Holloway’s disappearance.
Figueroa continued the relationship while he remained incarcerated, and the couple later decided to marry.
Their Prison Wedding
Van der Sloot married Leidy Figueroa on July 4, 2014, during a civil ceremony inside a maximum-security prison in Peru.
The wedding was held under prison restrictions rather than in a traditional public venue.
At the time, Figueroa was pregnant with their first child.
The ceremony attracted international news coverage, including reports from CNN and Sky News.
Their marriage was legally recognized in Peru, but it did not change the criminal sentence van der Sloot was serving.
The wedding also raised questions about whether marriage to a Peruvian citizen could affect his nationality or legal circumstances.
However, the marriage did not automatically grant him Peruvian citizenship or prevent his eventual transfer to the United States.
Their Daughter Dushy
Joran van der Sloot and Leidy Figueroa welcomed their daughter, Dushy van der Sloot, in September 2014.
Figueroa was already expecting the baby when the couple married that July.
Dushy’s birth marked an important personal development for the couple, although her father remained incarcerated.
As of November 2026, their daughter is approximately 12 years old.
Little reliable public information is available about her education, daily life or current living arrangements.
Because Dushy is a minor and is not responsible for her father’s actions, details about her private life should remain separate from coverage of his criminal history.
She remains the only child publicly confirmed from van der Sloot’s marriage to Figueroa.
Why Did They Separate?
In May 2023, van der Sloot’s defense lawyer confirmed that he and Figueroa were divorcing.
The announcement came nearly nine years after their prison wedding.
Reports suggested that van der Sloot had developed a relationship with another woman who visited him while he was incarcerated.
However, the complete private circumstances surrounding the marriage’s breakdown have not been independently established.
Neither a comprehensive divorce agreement nor a verified final divorce date has been widely documented.
For that reason, it is important to distinguish the confirmed announcement of divorce proceedings from the legal completion of their separation.
Figueroa has largely remained outside international headlines since reports of the split emerged.
Did He Remarry?
There is no reliable public confirmation that Joran van der Sloot remarried after his separation from Leidy Figueroa.
Although reports have linked him to another woman during his imprisonment, a romantic relationship does not establish that a new marriage occurred.
The identity and current status of any subsequent partner have not been consistently verified through authoritative sources.
As of November 2026, Figueroa remains the only publicly documented woman he legally married.
Claims about a second wife or another prison wedding should therefore be treated cautiously unless supported by official records or credible reporting.
Who Is Joran van der Sloot?
Joran van der Sloot is a Dutch convicted murderer whose name became internationally known following the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba.
Holloway, an American teenager, disappeared during a graduation trip.
Van der Sloot was among the last people known to have been with her before she vanished.
The case attracted enormous international attention and remained unresolved for years.
In 2010, van der Sloot was arrested in Peru following the killing of 21-year-old Stephany Flores Ramírez.
He was subsequently convicted of her murder and received a 28-year prison sentence in 2012.
His conviction established the criminal case that resulted in his long-term imprisonment in Peru.
The Natalee Holloway Case
Van der Sloot’s connection to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway continued to attract international attention after his conviction in Peru.
In 2023, he was temporarily transferred to the United States to face federal charges involving extortion and wire fraud.
The charges arose from his attempts to obtain money from Holloway’s family in exchange for information about her disappearance.
During the American proceedings, van der Sloot admitted that he killed Natalee Holloway in 2005.
He pleaded guilty to the federal extortion and wire fraud charges and received a 20-year sentence.
His confession provided long-awaited answers about his involvement in Holloway’s death, although he was not separately tried for her murder in the United States.
Where Is He Now?
Following the conclusion of his American federal proceedings, van der Sloot was returned to Peru in 2023 to continue serving his sentence for the murder of Stephany Flores.
His American sentence was arranged to run concurrently with his Peruvian sentence.
The legal proceedings did not eliminate his responsibility to serve the punishment imposed by the Peruvian court.
His incarceration has continued to shape the limited public information available about his personal relationships.
As of November 2026, there is no reliable information in the supplied reports establishing that he has been released from custody.
Leidy Figueroa’s Life Today
Leidy Figueroa has maintained a relatively private life since the reported breakdown of her marriage.
Her public profile remains closely connected to the 2014 prison wedding and the birth of her daughter.
There is limited verified information about whether she has entered another relationship or remarried.
Likewise, details about her current professional activities and family arrangements have not been widely confirmed.
Most recent coverage of Figueroa focuses on her past marriage rather than her present circumstances.
Her daughter Dushy is now approaching adolescence, but the family has not publicly disclosed extensive details about her upbringing.
Latest Relationship Update
As of November 5, 2026, Leidy Figueroa remains Joran van der Sloot’s only publicly confirmed wife, with divorce proceedings reported in May 2023.
The couple married on July 4, 2014, while van der Sloot was imprisoned in Peru, and welcomed their daughter Dushy two months later.
Their separation became public shortly before his temporary transfer to the United States for federal criminal proceedings.
Although Figueroa is widely described as his ex-wife, the exact date of a finalized divorce remains unverified.
For readers searching for Joran van der Sloot’s wife, the central facts are his marriage to Leidy Figueroa, their daughter Dushy, and the reported end of their relationship after nearly nine years.
