A British former doctor has been arrested in Ecuador in connection with the killing of Colombian model and graphic designer Natalia Villalba, whose body was found inside a suitcase at a rented apartment in Bogotá, according to Colombian authorities.
Videos by Suggest
Authorities identified the suspect as Matthew Ashley Foster-Smith, 46. Police arrested him at Quito International Airport after Colombian investigators issued an Interpol Red Notice and sought his extradition. Prosecutors allege he planned to leave Ecuador for Europe using false identification.
Villalba, 36, had been staying at a short-term rental apartment in Bogotá’s El Chicó neighborhood. A cleaner discovered her body inside a suitcase beneath a running shower after she failed to check out of the property as scheduled. Colombian investigators allege Villalba died on June 18.
Matthew Foster-Smith Finally Charged With Murder
The Colombian Attorney General’s Office intends to charge Foster-Smith with aggravated femicide and evidence tampering. Authorities allege he assaulted Villalba inside the apartment before attempting to conceal the crime and fleeing Colombia. Prosecutors have not announced a trial date, and Foster-Smith has not been convicted.
Before his arrest, Foster-Smith denied any involvement during a telephone interview with The Sun. He claimed he had watched an England World Cup match at an Irish bar during the relevant period and said he could not have committed the crime. Investigators have disputed that account, citing surveillance footage and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Colombian officials credited cooperation among authorities in Colombia, Ecuador, Interpol, and the United Kingdom with locating and arresting the suspect. Bogotá Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán announced the arrest on social media and said the case would not go unpunished.
Court records in the United Kingdom show Foster-Smith previously served a prison sentence for stalking offenses and remained subject to a stalking prevention order before leaving the country. Authorities have said that history formed part of the broader background to the investigation but have not suggested it establishes guilt in Villalba’s case.
Villalba’s death has drawn widespread attention in Colombia and abroad. Her family has called for justice, while investigators continue to pursue the case through the Colombian legal system. Foster-Smith remains entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until a court finds him guilty.