PLEASE NOTE THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL
Joran Van der Sloot is charged with killing a young Peruvian woman, Stephany Flores in 2010.
Today he apologised, accepting the charges against him.
(SOUNDBITE) MURDER SUSPECT JORAN VAN DER SLOOT SAYING(Spanish):
"I want to accept my anticipated confession. And I thought from the first moment to give a sincere confession and truly I am sorry. The truth is I feel very bad."
(SOUNDBITE) JUDGE VICTORIA MONTOYA SAYING TO JORAN VAN DER SLOOT(Spanish):
"So you are saying that you are guilty of these deeds?"
(SOUNDBITE) MURDER SUSPECT JORAN VAN DER SLOOT RESPONDING(Spanish):
"Yes, ma'am."
He killed the 21 year old business student after meeting her in a casino in Lima.
Previously, he had been arrested but never charged in connection with the disappearance of 18-year-old Alabama native Natalee Holloway.
Legal expert Luis Lamas said the plea could lighten his sentence.
(SOUNDBITE) LEGAL EXPERT LUIS LAMAS SAYING(Spanish):
"Considering the magnitude of the evidence, we could be talking about a reduction between one to five years from the 30 years the prosecution is soliciting. In other words, the anticipated conclusion could carry with it a sentence of 25 years in prison."
The Flores family lawyer said he should not be freed.
(SOUNDBITE) EDWAR ALVAREZ, THE FLORES FAMILY LAWYER, SAYING(Spanish):
"In this case Van der Sloot has been given a psychological assessment and this man is a psychopath and a psychopath cannot be set free."
Van der Sloot told police he strangled Flores after he found her looking at his laptop computer in his hotel room.
It contained emails about Holloway's death.
In asking for a "forstalled conclusion" to the murder trial, which is similar to pleading "no contest" in other countries, the judges could sentence him on Friday.
Marie-Claire Fennessy, Reuters
