Who Is Matthew Foster-Smith? British Doctor Arrested After Model Natalia Villalba Found Dead Inside Suitcase

A British doctor wanted in connection with the killing of a Colombian model whose body was discovered stuffed inside a suitcase in a Bogotá apartment has been arrested in Ecuador, authorities said.

Colombian authorities announced that Matthew Foster-Smith, 46, a British physician who had been living and working in Colombia, was detained at Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport after investigators secured an Interpol Red Notice.

Officials allege Foster-Smith fled Colombia days after the killing and are now seeking his return to Bogotá.

The arrest caps an international manhunt launched after the body of Natalia Villalba, 36, was found concealed inside a suitcase beneath a running shower in a rented apartment in Bogotá’s upscale Chicó neighborhood on June 22.

Authorities believe she was killed several days earlier.

Prosecutors allege woman was beaten to death

According to Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office, Foster-Smith and Villalba knew each other and were believed to have been in a romantic relationship before her death.

Investigators allege Foster-Smith entered the apartment while Villalba was alone, assaulted her until she died and then placed her body inside a suitcase before attempting to hide the crime by altering the scene.

Authorities say he later fled Colombia for neighboring Ecuador.

Prosecutors said Foster-Smith is expected to face charges of aggravated femicide, a crime under Colombian law that applies to the killing of a woman under circumstances involving gender-based violence, along with charges related to concealing or destroying evidence.

International investigation led to airport arrest

Authorities said Foster-Smith was arrested at Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport as part of a coordinated operation involving Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office, the CTI investigative unit, Ecuadorian police, Interpol, Migración Colombia and Dorset Police in the United Kingdom.

Officials said Dorset Police assisted Colombian investigators while confirming the homicide investigation remains under Colombian jurisdiction.

Bogotá Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán praised the multinational operation in a statement posted on social media.

“The cooperation between security and justice agencies at the national and local levels, as well as coordination between the security secretariats of Latin America’s capital cities, is key in the fight against crime. In Bogotá, whoever commits crimes will pay.”

CCTV, forensic evidence and travel records form part of case

Investigators say the case is supported by multiple forms of evidence, including CCTV footage, forensic findings from the apartment and immigration records documenting Foster-Smith’s movements before and after Villalba’s death.

Authorities allege surveillance footage shows Foster-Smith entering the apartment on June 17 and leaving the following day.

Investigators also say CCTV captured him carrying bedding to a laundry area, evidence that has become part of the case.

According to prosecutors, Villalba is believed to have been killed on June 18.

Authorities say Foster-Smith left Colombia for Ecuador on June 21, one day before Villalba’s body was discovered after apartment staff investigated reports of water running continuously from the unit.

Suspect publicly denied involvement

Before authorities announced his arrest, Foster-Smith denied any involvement in Villalba’s death during interviews with British media.

He claimed he had been watching England’s FIFA World Cup match at a Bogotá sports bar around the time investigators believe the killing occurred and insisted he was innocent.

However, Colombian authorities have challenged that account.

Previous UK conviction under renewed scrutiny

British media have also reported that Foster-Smith was previously convicted in stalking-related cases in the United Kingdom before relocating to Colombia.

Those convictions are unrelated to the Colombian investigation and do not form part of the charges prosecutors are seeking in the current case, but they have drawn renewed attention following his arrest.

Colombian authorities are now working through the legal process to return Foster-Smith to Bogotá, where he is expected to appear before a judge if extradition or another transfer mechanism is approved.

Prosecutors have not announced a timetable for those proceedings.