American citizen John Poulos, 35, has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend, 21-year-old Colombian DJ Valentina Trespalacios. Prosecutors in Colombia are seeking a sentence of at least 35 years for Poulos, who is accused of strangling and beating Trespalacios to death in their apartment in Bogota.
The case gained attention after a tweet resurfaced in which Poulos boasted about inviting a woman he had never met on a vacation, claiming they were getting married. The tweet, which was posted in December 2022, now includes a note stating that Poulos is charged with murdering the woman in question.
Poulos and Trespalacios met on Tinder in April 2022, and despite never meeting prior to this encounter, they continued to pursue a relationship. Over the course of the following 10 months, Poulos made multiple trips to Colombia, and the couple even planned to buy a house and get married.
However, tragedy struck on January 22, 2023, when Trespalacios was found dead. It is alleged that Poulos had sex with her before beating and choking her to death. Prosecutors claim that Poulos then stuffed Trespalacios’ body into a suitcase, which he later discarded in a dumpster before boarding a flight to Panama.
Poulos was apprehended at Panama City’s airport on January 24 while attempting to board a flight to Turkey. He was then extradited to Colombia, where he now faces charges of aggravated femicide and concealment of evidence. Prosecutors have announced their intention to seek a prison term of at least 35 years for Poulos.
CCTV footage from the apartment where the couple resided allegedly shows Poulos using a supermarket trolley to transport several pieces of luggage to his car. It is believed that one of these bags contained Trespalacios’ body, which was covered with a blanket to conceal her head. Poulos then drove to the south side of Bogota and abandoned the suitcase in a dumpster.
The body was discovered the following day, January 23, by a homeless man. Since his arrest, Poulos has claimed that he did not receive adequate translation services while in custody or during his initial court appearances, leading to a delay in his trial, which was originally scheduled for April.
In conclusion, John Poulos is facing serious charges in Colombia for the murder of his girlfriend, Valentina Trespalacios. The case gained attention after a tweet resurfaced in which Poulos proudly boasted about inviting a woman he had never met on vacation. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of at least 35 years for Poulos, who is accused of strangling and beating Trespalacios to death.
