A British citizen has been arrested in Ecuador after being suspected of being behind the murder of a Colombian influencer, a case that has sparked a strong reaction in both South America and the United Kingdom.
Colombian authorities accuse 46-year-old Briton Matthew Ashley Foster-Smith of killing 36-year-old Natalie Villalba in Bogota on June 18. According to the accusation, he then tried to conceal the crime by placing her body in a suitcase and leaving the scene.
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The victim’s body was discovered several days later in the hotel where she had been staying. According to the indictment, building cleaners entered the room on June 21 after the rental period had ended. Investigators suspect she was beaten to death and that the body was later hidden to cover up evidence of the crime.
The investigation found that security cameras captured the suspect in the same building transporting bedsheets to a laundry facility in the days following the killing, a detail that has strengthened the prosecution’s suspicions.
After initially leaving Colombia, Foster-Smith was tracked down in Ecuador. He was arrested at an airport in Quito as he was preparing to depart for Britain. An international arrest warrant had previously been issued against him by Interpol, while Colombia accuses him of murder and attempting to conceal evidence.
During questioning, the 46-year-old denied any involvement in the incident. He claimed that at the time the crime occurred he was watching a football match in a bar, citing the “World Cup” and his movements around the city, including visits to a shopping centre and a cafe, as his alibi.
He also said that he had received death threats from unidentified individuals and that he was leaving the country when he was stopped by authorities.
According to British media reports, the suspect had previous criminal records in Britain for offences related to harassment and abusive behaviour toward women, including earlier cases that led to imprisonment. The investigation into the case is ongoing.
