John Poulos, the American citizen charged with the violent murder of Colombian DJ Valentina Trespalacios, confessed to killing the 23-year-old woman during a sexual encounter. The chilling details emerged during Poulos’ hearing on March 6, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding the final hours of Trespalacios. “Imagine killing someone you love,” Poulos uttered during the court proceedings, acknowledging his role in the crime that took place just over a year ago.
Poulos then admitted to strangling Trespalacios and subsequently waking up beside the young woman with little memory of how he returned to the apartment after a night at a Bogotá nightclub. “I was in a state induced by drugs and alcohol,” Poulos confessed. “I don’t remember how I got back to the apartment. Valentina was beside me. I was completely devastated; I loved her. The room was spinning for me.”
The confession continued as Poulos shared the haunting details of discovering Trespalacios’ lifeless body. He then admitted to the “terrible decision” of escaping the crime scene and placing her body in his blue suitcase. Poulos explained his rationale, citing fears for his life, as he believed the DJ had “dangerous friends” within the industry.
“I left the apartment, went down to the rented car. It was a day of panic. I had never been in such a situation,” he recounted. “I thought about what to do with Valentina’s body. I went to the airport. I passed the car rental place, saw a trash container, stopped to see if there were cameras,” he recalled. “That’s where I put Valentina’s body.”
In this latest court hearing, Poulos also revealed how Trespalacios was strangled with an item she had around her neck during their sexual encounter. When he realized she was losing her breath, Poulos resorted to using a “knife with a yellow handle” to cut through the object constricting her breath. “When I checked her pulse, she was already dead,” he admitted.
The murder suspect also expressed concerns about receiving a fair trial in Colombia, claiming a perception of corruption within the justice system. “I was still under the influence of alcohol and drugs, but I thought about saving my life, that’s why I tried to escape,” Poulos stated. He emphasized the perceived threat from persons close to Trespalacios and that further justified his decision to flee.
Poulos’ detailed confessions could carry legal weight, providing grounds for the Attorney General’s Office and the judge to reduce his murder sentence. Presently, Poulos faces charges of aggravated femicide and alteration or destruction of evidence, potentially resulting in a 20 to 40-year prison term. His decision to abandon his family in Texas for a virtual romance with a 23-year-old DJ and subsequent attempts to maintain his “innocence” have fueled public outrage.
The case has first garnered nationwide attention after CCTV photos revealed the gruesome disposal of Trespalacios’ body in a blue suitcase bound in industrial tape. Surveillance footage at the Bogotá Airbnb also captured Poulos leaving his temporary residence with the suitcase in a shopping cart, eventually discarding it in a trash container near Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport.
Poulos was apprehended in Panama just as he attempted to board a flight to Istanbul. He was extradited back to Colombia, where he remains in custody at Bogotá’s La Picota maximum security prison.”
