Beth Holloway, the mother of Mountain Brook teen Natalee Holloway, has endorsed Republican House candidate Lloyd Peeples in the race for Alabama House District 48.
Peeples, a former federal prosecutor, is challenging longtime State Rep. Jim Carns (R-Vestavia Hills) in the Republican primary for the district, which covers portions of Jefferson and Shelby counties.
Peeples previously served as Senior Trial Counsel for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, where he prosecuted Joran van der Sloot on federal extortion charges connected to Natalee Holloway’s disappearance and death.
“I know Lloyd will fight for you the way he fought for me,” Beth Holloway said in a statement released by the campaign.
Peeples said the Holloway case left a lasting impact on him both personally and professionally.
“I think everyone knows that what Beth Holloway and her family endured is every parent’s worst nightmare, a joyous occasion that turns into a tragedy in an instant. It’s the kind of thing we all lie awake at night worrying about,” Peeples said.
“I was honored to be part of bringing some measure of justice to the Holloway story and to see up close how Beth fought for Natalee when Natalee couldn’t fight for herself. Even when most of the news crews left Aruba and moved on to other stories, Beth fought on. That’s the same kind of motivation that drew me to be a prosecutor, and exactly why I’m running to represent House District 48 now.”
Natalee Holloway disappeared in Aruba in 2005 during a graduation trip following her senior year at Mountain Brook High School. The case drew international attention and remained unresolved for years.
In 2023, van der Sloot admitted to killing Holloway as part of federal proceedings in Birmingham tied to extortion and wire fraud charges involving Holloway’s family.
Peeples said his campaign is centered on representing residents frustrated with what he described as “business-as-usual politics.”
“I want to stand up for the people who are tired of business-as-usual politics and feel like nobody in government listens. I’m running to be a voice for our community and make sure that voice is heard in Montgomery,” Peeples said.
“When you work that closely with a victim, they get to know you. They know your character. They know whether you’re the kind of person who is going to run or the kind who is going to fight,” he added. “Beth knows better than almost anyone what it means to have someone in your corner who won’t quit, and I’m deeply honored that she chose to support my candidacy for House District 48.”
The Alabama primary election is scheduled for May 19.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
