Van der Sloot: I'm a Snake

Joran Van der Sloot knows something that shouldn't surprise anyone: "If I had to describe myself as an animal, it would be a snake," he has revealed on YouTube. But he has higher aspirations. "I want to be a lion and one day I will be a lion," he adds. Instead, the reptile-who-wants-to-be-a-wild cat has run a Thai coffee shop, allegedly extorted money, suffered the death of his dad, and gambled professionally. Along the way, he became the prime suspect in the disappearance of one young woman and admittedly killed another.

How did a handsome high school tennis star who grew up privileged in Aruba reach this point? He describes himself on social network and dating sites as "attractive, agnostic, a smoker, regular drinker" who likes "pissing in random places when totally drunk/wasted," reports AP. A friend describes him as "arrogant, like nobody can do anything to me; he wasn't shy about it." One defender, a cousin, described Van der Sloot as seriously twisted, but with an excuse. "I think that Joran needs help," she said. "Because something is bad in his head." (More Joran Van der Sloot stories.)