British suspect Matthew Foster captured in Ecuador, extradited to Colombia over Natalia Villalba femicide

Colombian model Natalia Villalba, 36, was found dead inside a suitcase in a rented apartment in Bogotá’s Chicó neighbourhood on 18 June 2026. Prosecutors classified the killing as aggravated femicide.

The main suspect, 46‑year‑old British citizen Matthew Ashley Foster‑Smith (also identified as Foster Martinson), a former doctor with previous stalking convictions, fled Colombia via the Rumichaca border crossing and entered Ecuador. He attempted to leave the continent from Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport, using false identities, but was arrested there on 27 June after an Interpol Red Notice and coordinated efforts by Colombian and Ecuadorian authorities.

Following his capture, Ecuador expelled the suspect and he was flown to Bogotá, where Migration Colombia handed him over to the Fiscalía’s Technical Investigation Corps. He now faces charges of aggravated femicide and evidence tampering, with a potential sentence of 40–50 years. The case highlights intensive bilateral cooperation between Colombia, Ecuador and international agencies.