British suspect arrested in Ecuador for killing Colombian influencer

A 46‑year‑old British man, Matthew Ashley Foster‑Smith, was arrested in Ecuador on June 27 after an international investigation linked him to the murder of 36‑year‑old Colombian influencer Natalia Villalba. Villalba was killed on June 18 in her Bogotá apartment; her body was discovered days later concealed in a suitcase under a running shower.

Foster‑Smith, who has previous convictions for harassment of women in the United Kingdom, fled Colombia and crossed into Ecuador before being detained at the airport. He told investigators he was watching the England‑Croatia World Cup match in an Irish bar and that he was away from the crime scene. Colombian prosecutors allege he murdered Villalba, placed her corpse in a suitcase, and attempted to destroy evidence before leaving the country. The case involved cooperation between Colombian, British and Ecuadorian authorities.

Colombia’s mayor of Bogotá, Carlos Fernando Galán, pledged that the investigation would bring the perpetrator to justice, emphasizing the shocking nature of the crime.