A British former medical doctor has been arrested in Ecuador in connection with the murder of Colombian model Natalia Villalba Angarita, whose body was found hidden inside a suitcase in a rented apartment in Bogotá.
The Colombian authorities confirmed the arrest of 46-year-old Matthew Foster-Smith following the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice. He is expected to face extradition proceedings to Colombia, where prosecutors intend to charge him with aggravated femicide alongside the concealment, alteration, or destruction of evidence.
The body of the 36-year-old model was discovered by cleaners on June 22, 2026, after the rental period for her seventh-floor apartment in Bogotá’s Chapinero district had expired. Investigators revealed that the bathroom shower had been left running, and the victim’s remains were packed inside a grey suitcase.
Before his arrest, Foster-Smith denied any involvement in the crime. Speaking to British media, he claimed he was watching the England versus Croatia World Cup match at an Irish bar on the night of the incident.
“I was watching England versus Croatia on a big screen in an Irish bar, so it wasn’t me,” the suspect stated, adding that he later bought an ice cream and went to bed alone.
However, Colombian prosecutors stated that evidence gathered by the Technical Investigation Corps (CTI) contradicts his alibi. Authorities allege that Foster-Smith entered the apartment while the victim was alone, physically assaulted her until she died, and manipulated the body to conceal the crime before fleeing the country.
