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Valentina Trespalacios victim of femicide at the hands of American John Poulos
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BOGOTA, Colombia – A Bogotá judge sentenced American John Poulos to 512 months – 42 years and six months – in prison for the brutal femicide of 23-year-old DJ Valentina Trespalacios, whose body was found in a suitcase dumped in a trash garbage can on January 22, 2023. Poulos is guilty of the crimes of aggravated femicide and concealment, alteration or destruction of evidentiary material.
Throughout the reading of the sentence, the judge highlighted Poulos’ controlling and jealous behavior that led him to commit the heinous crime. The judge questioned Poulos’ allegation of involuntary manslaughter and noted his lack of remorse and his efforts to escape justice. “His jealousy drove him to it and that is why he punished Valentina, by murdering her,” the judge stated unequivocally. “It is a matter of common sense, of logic, one goes to the doctor if one sees that the young woman is unconscious, but no, he runs to put her in a suitcase and throw her in the trash.”
It was clear to the judge that Poulos’ actions were not those of someone accidentally causing a death, but rather the result of his need for control and dominance over the victim. He also asked Poulos if his 3 children in the United States crossed his mind when he committed the crime.
The Crime
The tragic events took place in January 2023, when Poulos, a 30-year-old American, and Trespalacios, 23, met through the dating app Tinder. They had been romantically involved for several months and Poulos had convinced her to move in together in an apartment in Bogota where he would end up taking her life.
According to his confession, under the influence of drugs, they were having sex when he strangled Trespalacios with a necklace she had around her neck. However, instead of seeking medical help, when he realized she was dead, he stuffed her body in a suitcase and threw it in a trash can. After committing the crime, Poulos fled to Montenegro, his trip had a stopover in Panama, where authorities arrested him and extradited him back to Colombia.
This feminicide triggered a wave of protests in Colombia, where citizens demanded justice for Trespalacios and for all women victims of gender-based violence. Today, finally, justice has been served.