Joran van der Sloot pleaded guilty Wednesday for the murder of 21 year old Stephany Flores of Peru.

The murder took place in his hotel room on May 30, 2010, exactly 5 years after the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, a case in which van der Sloot remains the main suspect. Van der Sloot pled guilty in hopes of receiving a less severe sentence, according to MSNBC.

“I wanted from the first moment to confess sincerely,” van der Sloot said during his trial. “I am truly sorry for this act.”

Van der Sloot faces up to 30 years in prison, although such a lengthy sentence is not likely. Peruvian law confirms that a “sincere confession” can significantly reduce jail time. The sentence will come Friday morning.

It is believed by investigators that van der Sloot killed Flores after she found incriminating evidence on his laptop in the Holloway disappearance case.

Van der Sloot has been arrested twice for the Holloway case, but has never been charged due to a lack of evidence.

Holloway, an Alabama teenager disappeared May 30, 2005 from the Dutch island of Aruba. She was last seen leaving a nightclub with van der Sloot. No body has been found.