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| -Lurid Crime Tales- | |
| Dismembered UK scientist may have been killed by organ traffickers, his horrified relatives fear as map shows how hacked up body was scattered around Colombian town | |
| 2025-04-10 | |
| [DM] Relatives of the UK scientist found dismembered in Colombia fear he may have been murdered by organ traffickers. Alessandro Coatti's remains have been found scattered around a town in Colombia, with his torso found miles away from his dismembered legs, head, hands and feet. The discovery in the Colombian port city of Santa Marta has left police and his family in Italy in shock. Police are still scrambling to understand how the London-based 38-year-old was killed on a trip to the South American country, just days before he was due to return. Mr Coatti's family fear he may have been killed by organ traffickers. 'Alessandro didn't have any enemies; he was a quiet person,' said his uncle, Giovanni Coatti. He certainly is now 'The theory of a robbery doesn't convince me; he didn't have anything of value. What's really troubling us is another possibility, that of organ trafficking.
Mr Coatti's head, hands and feet were found in a suitcase near the Sierra Nevada stadium on April 6, two days after he was last seen leaving his hotel by the coast. His torso and other body parts were then found near the Minuto de Dios bridge a day later, before his legs were found in a coffee sack near the stadium on Tuesday. Mr Coatti, originally from Longastrino, Ravenna, was visiting the country in the hopes of one day moving there. 'He wanted to go and live in South America so he went for a trip to see; he was supposed to be back next week,' his uncle shared. The molecular biologist had left the Royal Society of Biology in 2024 to volunteer in Ecuador and travel to South America. While in Colombia, he had asked about the local area, showing interest in learning about the local fauna and vegetation, Agenzia Nova reports. Investigators believe he had taken the evening of April 4 to go to a local club before vanishing. They are still working to understand whether or not he ever arrived, scouring CCTV and phone records. According to his uncle, he would not have been an obvious target for thieves. 'He never had much money in his pockets, or a watch or other precious objects,' he said. 'All he had was a new mobile phone to take pictures but even that was a cheap one.' A parallel investigation has also been opened in Italy and his parents have handed over devices containing his last messages. Officers are also expected to travel to Colombia to assist in their probe. | |
| Posted by:Skidmark |