Reward leads to suspected killers of Italian scientist whose dismembered body was found in Colombia, police say

Colombian police said on Monday that a reward had led them to the alleged killers of a renowned Italian scientist whose dismembered remains were found dispersed around the city of Santa Marta of the Caribbean in April.

Alessandro Coatti42 years old, worked for the Royal Society of Biology of Great Britain as a scientific policy officer whose work included evidence in Parliament, before leaving this position in 2024 to travel to South America.

Part of his body was found in a suitcase on a bank on April 6. Other remains were later found in other places.

Coatti had arrived in Santa Marta, a city that acts like a bridge towards the Caribbean beaches lined with idyllic palm trees and the snowy mountain range of Sierra Nevada, as a tourist.

The police said that he had been attracted to a gang which planned to steal it in an abandoned house in the city, thanks to a meeting of meetings for the LGBTQ community.

Time Cited a worker of the local hotel saying that Coatti was doing research on local animal species and had asked questions about the visit to the village of Minca, about six miles southeast of Santa Marta.

The mayor of Santa Marta Carlos Pinedo said Sunday That four people suspected of murder and dismemberment were arrested during raids in the Colombian capital Bogota, the second city of Medellin as well as Santa Marta and in the city of Arjona, near the port city of Cartagena.

To one Press conference on MondaySanta Marta’s police chief, Colonel Jaime Rios, said the police had received a tip, which had led them to a house where traces of blood had been found.

“Thanks to arduous investigation work, interviews has been carried out, biological traces belonging to the victim were collected and images of security cameras were analyzed, which were all essential to resolve the case,” he said.

The horrible murder of Coatti, described by colleagues from the Royal Society of Biology as a respected scientist, caused a shock in Colombia.

“He was a passionate and dedicated scientist, leading the work of Animal Science RSB, writing numerous submissions, organizing events and testimony to the House of Commons,” said the RSB in a statement After the death of Coatti. “Ale was funny, warm, intelligent, loved by all those with whom he worked, and we will deeply miss by all those who knew and worked with him.”

Pinedo had offered a reward of $ 12,000 for information leading to the capture of his killers.

Rios said that the award had led to a breakthrough in the investigation.

The mountains of Sierra Nevada house a paramilitary gang of drug known as “conquistadors of Sierra Nevada”.

It is not known if they have had a hand in the murder of Coatti, but they have been linked to the murder and dismemberment of others in recent years.