Four arrested after British scientist found dismembered in a suitcase in Colombia
24 June 2025, 20:33 | Updated: 25 June 2025, 09:46
Four people have been detained on suspicion of aggravated homicide after Alessandro Coatti’s remains were found in a suitcase in Santa Marta.
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The Colombian authorities have confirmed the arrest of four suspects after the 42-year-old biologist’s remains were found in a suitcase by a group of children in Santa Marta.
The suspects were arrested on suspicion of aggravated homicide: Oswal Moisés Ospino Navarro, Isaac Enrique Márquez Charris, Andrea Camila Berdugo Escorcia and Brian Augusto Cantillo Salcedo were all taken into custody on June 24.
Mr Coatti’s hands and feet were discovered in the suitcase, and his torso and remaining body parts were found two weeks later.
A post-mortem examination found Mr Coatti, a post-graduate neuroscience researcher at UCL, had been killed by blunt force trauma to the head.
The motive for Mr Coatti's murder has not yet been confirmed - but authorities had previously suspected he'd either been lured to his death in a Grindr 'honeytrap', or trafficked for organs.
Mr Coatti had also been a policy adviser in Parliament, and had worked for 8 years with the prestigious Royal Society of Biology (RSB).
The RSB has paid tribute to the Italian-born scientist, describing him as “passionate and dedicated”.
“The RSB is devastated to announce the death of former colleague Alessandro Coatti who was murdered in Colombia,” they said.
“Alessandro, known as Ale, worked for the Royal Society of Biology for eight years as Science Policy Officer in the Science Policy team before being promoted to Senior Science Policy Officer.”
“He was a passionate and dedicated scientist, leading RSB animal science work, writing numerous submissions, organising events, and giving evidence in the House of Commons. He left the RSB at the end of 2024 to volunteer in Ecuador and travel in South America.”
“Ale was funny, warm, intelligent, loved by everyone he worked with, and will be deeply missed by all who knew and worked with him. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to his friends and family at this truly awful time.”
Mr Coatti’s mother, Sandra Lovato, also shared her grief on social media.
“I miss you so much, I can’t breathe,” she said. “I miss you, I miss you so much.”
He had written to his mother five days before his disappearance: “Hi Mum, I want to come back. I love you, so much."
Santa Marta is a popular tourist destination in the Magdalena district of Colombia. Bordering the Caribbean Sea, the area is popular for its beaches and nightlife.
