Overview
- The body of 36-year-old Natalia Villalba Angarita was found inside a gray suitcase in a temporary‑rental apartment in north Bogotá on Monday, June 22, after cleaning staff entered the unit.
- Colombian prosecutors have identified a British national, named in reports as Matthew Ashley Foster‑Smith, as the main person of interest and say he left Colombia soon after the events; no formal charges or arrests have been reported.
- Investigators say the suitcase was placed in the shower with the tap running, a condition that likely degraded biological traces and complicated determination of cause and timing of death.
- Forensic teams from the Fiscalía and CTI are examining necropsy, toxicology and trace evidence while officials review building footage, access logs and migratory records and consider international cooperation such as an Interpol notice.
- The case has reignited public concern about feminicides in Bogotá and echoes a 2023 suitcase homicide, and Villalba’s family says they have been unable to contact her phone as authorities continue the active investigation.