Brit arrested after body of Colombian model found in suitcase
Matthew Foster-Smith was arrested in Quito airport and had previously been jailed twice in the UK for stalking multiple women.
A British man has been arrested after the body of a Colombian model was found inside a suitcase in Bogota.
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Matthew Foster-Smith, 46, was arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of Natalia Villalba, 36, was found by cleaning staff in the bathroom of the apartment she was renting in the Colombian capital.
Foster-Smith, from Dorset, had previously gone to jail twice in the UK for stalking. Interpol issued a Red Notice for his arrest after Villalba’s body was found.
The victim's cousin told LBC: "We're happy they've located the person who did it and he's going to pay what he owes."
Hours before he was detained, Foster-Smith told the Sun he was innocent and had an alibi. “I was watching England versus Croatia on a big screen in an Irish bar, so it wasn’t me. I didn’t leave with anyone and went to bed myself at around 11pm local time.”
Colombian prosecutors, confirming his arrest, said that their evidence “indicates that he allegedly entered the apartment where the victim was alone, physically assaulted her until she died, and manipulated the body to place it inside a suitcase.
‘He then carried out various actions aimed at concealing what had happened, altering the crime scene, and fleeing the location.’
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CCTV footage appears to have played a key role in the investigation, with reports indicating the suspect was seen arriving at the apartment and leaving the following day.
He is also said to have been filmed taking bedsheets to a laundry area inside the building, while passports found at the property helped police identify him.
Authorities believe he crossed from Colombia into Ecuador before his arrest in Quito. He is said to have been trying to secure a flight back to Europe and was tracked through his phone.
Bogota’s mayor publicly praised the operation and said local police had worked alongside Dorset Police to help secure the arrest.
Foster-Smith had a history of stalking convictions in the UK. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2020 for stalking his partner, posting revenge porn online and threatening to attack her with an axe. He wrote in a message: “If I’m going to get banged up, let’s make it worth it”, and eventually pled guilty to the charges.
Following his release, he began stalking another woman. He was charged again with the crime in 2024, leading Dorset Police to issue a public warning about him. He skipped bail and went on the run before being arrested again a month later and sentenced to more than two years in October 2025.
Carlos Fernando Galán, Bogotá’s mayor, thanked police for securing Foster-Smith’s arrest on Friday. Writing on social media, he also revealed that Dorset Police had assisted in the operation.
Natalia Villalba’s mother Claudia said she last spoke with her daughter last Tuesday, six days before her body was found. In an interview with Colombia’s Caracol Radio, Mrs Villalba described her daughter as a “hard-working and determined woman” who wanted to improve her life.