During his court testimony in Bogota, Colombia, John Poulos, a 36-year-old man from Tennessee, USA, who stands accused of killing his girlfriend in January 2023, stated that he couldn't recall strangling her due to being under the influence of drugs. However, he vividly remembered the disturbing act of stuffing her lifeless body into a suitcase and discarding it in the garbage.
Poulos recounted waking up next to Valentina Trespalacios, a 23-year-old Colombian DJ, with a zip tie, previously used as a sex toy, tightened around her neck. He described his shock upon realizing something was wrong, noticing her pallid complexion and lack of response to his attempts to rouse her.
Expressing deep remorse, Poulos acknowledged the emotional turmoil he experienced upon discovering Trespalacios's condition, emphasizing the affection he held for her. He attributed his involvement in drugs and alcohol with Trespalacios, which, he claimed, clouded his judgment and memory on the fateful night of January 22, 2023.
Poulos admitted to the court his culpability in disposing of his girlfriend's body and fleeing the scene, citing panic as the driving force behind his actions. He pleaded against imprisonment, fearing for his safety, and recounted the genesis of his relationship with Trespalacios, initiated through a dating app in 2022, culminating in marriage after nine months.
Poulos's arrest in Panama while attempting to board a flight to Turkey followed the discovery of Trespalacios's body by a homeless individual near Bogotá's main airport. The autopsy revealed Trespalacios's cause of death as "mechanical asphyxia" or "strangulation," casting a dark shadow over Poulos's future, as he faces the possibility of up to 50 years in a Colombian prison if convicted.
