Manhunt for Brit after body of murdered model, 36, is found in a suitcase in Colombian apartment

By PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 11:49, 23 June 2026 | Updated: 11:55, 23 June 2026 Police are searching for a British man over the death of a 36-year-old model whose body was found inside a suitcase in an apartment in Colombia.   The body of Natalia Villalba Angarita, a model from Cúcuta, in northern Colombia, was found by cleaning staff who entered the property in the capital, Bogotá, after the rental period ended on June 22. They discovered the victim’s remains concealed inside a grey suitcase in the bathroom where the shower was still running. Personal belongings, including two of her passports – one expired and one valid with stamps showing recent travel to Spain – were recovered from the scene. The alleged murder occurred in a seventh-floor apartment. It is being treated as a possible wilful homicide and violent death. Forensic experts sent the body for a post-mortem examination to establish the precise cause and time of death, along with fingerprint and trace evidence. A US citizen from Texas was present during the early part of her stay. A British national entered the property on June 17 and left the following day.  CCTV footage captured the British man carrying bed linen to a laundry area.  The body of Natalia Villalba Angarita (pictured), a model from Cúcuta, in northern Colombia, was found by cleaning staff Natalia was just 36 when she died.The investigation into her death continues The victim’s remains concealed inside a grey suitcase in the bathroom where the shower was still running The video corroborates his presence inside the apartment on June 17, helps establish his precise movements during the critical period, and directs investigators to specific items and locations for potential DNA, fibre, and trace evidence recovery. Security camera recordings, building entry logs and the movements of the two foreign men are being analysed as part of the ongoing investigation. The American and British nationals remain at large and are being actively sought. No motive has been confirmed and no arrests have been made yet. The case has drawn comparisons to the 2023 murder of DJ Valentina Trespalacios, whose body was also found in a suitcase. In June 2024, a Colombian court found US citizen John Nelson Poulos guilty of Valentina’s aggravated femicide along with concealment and alteration of evidence. He was sentenced to 42 years and 8 months in prison. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.