Colombian constabulary said Monday that a reward had led them to the suspected killers of a noted Italian idiosyncratic whose dismembered remains were recovered scattered astir the Caribbean edifice metropolis of Santa Marta successful April.
Alessandro Coatti, 42, worked for Britain's Royal Society of Biology arsenic a subject argumentation serviceman whose occupation included giving grounds to parliament, earlier leaving that station successful 2024 to question successful South America.
Part of his assemblage was recovered successful a suitcase connected a riverbank connected April 6. Other remains were aboriginal recovered successful different locations.
Coatti had arrived successful Santa Marta, a metropolis that acts arsenic a gateway to idyllic palm-lined Caribbean beaches and the snow-capped Sierra Nevada upland range, arsenic a tourist.
The constabulary said helium was lured by a pack that planned to rob him to an abandoned location successful the city, done a dating app for the LGBTQ community.
Scientist Alessandro Coatti was reported missing successful Santa Marta, Colombia, connected April 5, 2025.
Royal Society of Biology
El Tiempo quoted a section edifice idiosyncratic arsenic saying Coatti was conducting probe connected section carnal taxon and had asked astir visiting the colony of Minca, astir six miles southeast of Santa Marta.
Santa Marta's Mayor Carlos Pinedo said Sunday that 4 radical suspected of his execution and dismemberment had been arrested successful raids successful the Colombian superior Bogota, the 2nd metropolis of Medellin arsenic good arsenic successful Santa Marta and the municipality of Arjona, adjacent the larboard metropolis of Cartagena.
At a press league connected Monday, Santa Marta constabulary main Colonel Jaime Rios said that the constabulary had received a tip-off, which led them to a location wherever traces of humor were found.
"Through arduous investigative work, interviews were conducted, biologic traces belonging to the unfortunate were collected, and information camera footage was analyzed, which were each cardinal to solving the case," helium said.
The gruesome sidesplitting of Coatti, described by colleagues astatine the Royal Society of Biology arsenic a respected scientist, caused daze successful Colombia.
"He was a passionate and dedicated scientist, starring RSB carnal subject work, penning galore submissions, organizing events and giving grounds successful the House of Commons," the RSB said successful a statement aft Coatti's death. "Ale was funny, warm, intelligent, loved by everyone helium worked with, and volition beryllium profoundly missed by each who knew and worked with him."
Pinedo had offered a reward of $12,000 for accusation starring to the seizure of his killers.
Rios said the reward had led to the breakthrough successful the investigation.
The Sierra Nevada mountains are location to a drug-running paramilitary pack known arsenic the "Conquistadors of the Sierra Nevada."
It is not known if they had immoderate manus successful Coatti's murder, but they person been linked to the execution and dismemberment of others successful caller years.
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