British Man Arrested in Ecuador After Woman’s Body Found in Suitcase in Colombia

A 46-year-old British man, Matthew Ashley Foster-Smith from Bournemouth, was arrested in Quito, Ecuador, after the body of 36-year-old Natalia Villalba was discovered inside a suitcase in her apartment in the upscale Chico neighborhood of Bogotá, Colombia. Authorities suspect Foster-Smith killed Villalba on June 18, placed her body in a suitcase, and fled to Ecuador. Colombian police issued an arrest warrant and Interpol issued a red notice, leading to his capture at Quito’s international airport. Investigators are examining whether he used false documents or another identity.

Villalba had rented the apartment since early June and was due to leave on June 21. Her body was found by a cleaning worker a few days after the estimated murder date, inside a suitcase in the bathroom. Her passport was found in the apartment, but her mobile phone was missing. Security camera footage showed Foster-Smith entering the apartment on June 17 and leaving the next day, as well as carrying sheets to the building’s laundry room, possibly to destroy evidence.

In an unusual development, Foster-Smith contacted the British tabloid The Sun before his arrest, attempting to provide an alibi. He claimed he was watching England’s World Cup match against Croatia in a pub on June 17, the day before the murder, and sent a photo purportedly showing his hand holding a beer with the game on a screen. He also said he bought ice cream and later returned to watch more matches. Police, however, believe the murder occurred on June 18 between 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., contradicting his alibi. Foster-Smith also sent photos from a Thai restaurant on June 18 and claimed he was seen taking out trash, not laundry sheets, and denied fleeing Colombia initially, later stating he left due to threats from local criminals over a debt.

Foster-Smith has a criminal record in the UK for harassment and distributing intimate images of ex-partners, with prison sentences in 2020 and 2023. Although described as a former doctor by The Sun, he is not registered with the UK General Medical Council. He faces charges of aggravated murder and evidence tampering. Bogotá’s mayor, Carlos Fernando Galán, said British police assisted in the arrest and vowed the case would not go unpunished.

This case follows a similar recent incident in Thailand, where Australian Simon Peter Kerman was arrested after the body of 17-year-old Thai girl Tonchanok Dunhummala was found in a suitcase near railway tracks in Pattaya. Kerman was charged with murder, concealment of a body, and taking a minor for sexual purposes. He denies the charges, claiming self-defense and that the girl disappeared from the hotel room while he slept. The next court date will be set after the investigation concludes.