Police in Santa Marta in Colombia are in hunt for the killers of a biological scientist Alessandro Coatti, whose dismembered body was found in a black suitcase.
The mayor of Santa Marta, Carlos Pinedo Cuello, said authorities had offered a reward of around €10,000 for information that leads to the capture of those responsible.
In a statement posted on X, Mr Pinedo Cuello said: “This crime will not go unpunished. The criminals must know that crime has no place in Santa Marta.
“We will pursue them until they are brought to justice.”
Italian-born Mr. Coatti, who studied a master’s course at UCL, worked for the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) for eight years as science policy officer before being promoted to senior science policy officer.
He left the RSB at the end of 2024 to volunteer in Ecuador and travel in South America.
In a statement, the RSB said: “He was a passionate and dedicated scientist, leading RSB animal science work, writing numerous submissions, organising events and giving evidence in the House of Commons.
“Ale was funny, warm, intelligent, loved by everyone he worked with and will be deeply missed by all who knew and worked with him.
“Our thoughts and best wishes go out to his friends and family at this truly awful time.”
Santa Marta is a gateway to some of Colombia’s most popular tourist destinations including Tayrona National Park, Minca, and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains.
