Brit suspect hunted by cops after model’s body found dumped in suitcase

WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Cleaners made a grim discovery after they entered an apartment in Colombian. The shower was still running when they found a suitcase with a dead body dumped inside

A Brit is being hunted by police over the death of a 36-year-old model whose body was dumped inside a suitcase and left in a rented apartment. The body of Natalia Villalba Angarita, a model from Cucuta, northern Colombia, was found by cleaning staff who entered the property after the rental period ended.

They discovered the victim’s remains concealed inside a grey suitcase in the bathroom where the shower was still running. Personal belongings, including two of her passports – one expired and one valid with stamps showing recent travel to Spain – were recovered from the scene.

The alleged murder occurred in a seventh-floor apartment in the Colombian capital Bogot. Forensic experts sent the body for a post-mortem examination to establish the precise cause and time of death, along with fingerprint and trace evidence.

The rental started on June 3 and was extended until June 21. A US citizen from Texas was present during the early part of her stay.

A British national entered the property on June 17 and left the following day, with CCTV footage capturing the British man carrying bed linen to a laundry area. The video corroborates his presence inside the apartment on June 17, helps establish his precise movements during the critical period, and directs investigators to specific items and locations for potential DNA, fibre, and trace evidence recovery.

Security camera recordings, building entry logs and the movements of the two foreign men are being analysed as part of the ongoing investigation. The American and British nationals are being actively sought.

No motive has been confirmed and no arrests have been made yet. The investigation continues.

The case has drawn comparisons to the 2023 murder of DJ Valentina Trespalacios, whose body was also found in a suitcase.

In June 2024, a Colombian court found US citizen John Nelson Poulos guilty of Valentina’s aggravated femicide along with concealment and alteration of evidence.

He was sentenced to 42 years and 8 months in prison.