John Poulos: American accused of Columbian DJ girlfriend’s murder blames drug use for blurred memory
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA: John Poulos, a 36-year-old American on trial for the murder of his DJ girlfriend, Valentina Trespalacios, 23, made shocking revelations, blaming drug-induced memory loss for his actions, on Wednesday, March 6.
Poulos is charged with strangling Trespalacios at a rented home in Bogota and then placing her lifeless body in a suitcase and leaving it in a dumpster in a state of panic before fleeing the country in January 2023.
John Poulos and Valentina Trespalacios' romance ends in fatal tragedy
The couple met on a dating site in 2022, vacationing in Cancun before entering a long-distance relationship.
Poulos flew to Bogota to meet his girlfriend's family for the first time in January of the following year. Recounting the events leading to Trespalacios' death, he mentioned accompanying her to a DJ gig on the night of January 21, 2023, and returning to their rental for intimacy in the early morning hours of January 22.
Poulos disclosed that he and Trespalacios had consumed drugs together, leading to an encounter where he allegedly choked her with jewelry during sex, using a knife to cut the accessory.
The divorced father-of-three from Wisconsin claimed he woke up to find her dead beside him, admitting to being in a state of drug and alcohol-induced confusion, prompting him to panic and attempt to hide her body.
John Poulos claims blurred memory amid drug-induced confusion
Poulos claimed a hazy memory, stating, "I don't remember how I got back to the apartment. I remember waking up with my clothes and shoes on. Valentina was next to me... I was in a state induced by drugs and alcohol."
The boyfriend mentioned that he woke up from bed to shower and saw his girlfriend unresponsive upon his return to the bedside.
"Saw Valentina, tried to wake her up, but she didn't respond. I was destroyed, I loved her, I had been with her for nine months. Imagine killing someone you love. The room was spinning," he told the judge during his trial on Wednesday, as reported by Daily Mail.
Poulos, acknowledging the gravity of his decision, described attempting to hide Trespalacios' lifeless body in a suitcase and expressed regret for this.
The subsequent discovery of the suitcase in a dumpster by a homeless man led to Poulos' escape and eventual arrest.
John Poulos reveals escape plan
In his attempt to flee, Poulos shared details of purchasing a new suitcase, returning the rental, and boarding a flight to Panama City with plans for further international travel. However, authorities apprehended him at Tocumen International Airport on January 24, thwarting his escape.
Poulos' unexpected remarks come after a recent interview with Colombian weekly news magazine Semana, where he professed his love for Trespalacios and claimed to possess evidence that would exonerate him.
During a September 2023 hearing, Poulos maintained his innocence, accusing his girlfriend's family and acquaintances of lying and falsely implicating him.
Prosecutors allege that Poulos had sexual relations with Trespalacios on the morning of January 22, 2023, followed by a fatal assault. The charges include aggravated feminicide and concealment of evidence, with prosecutors seeking a 50-year prison sentence.
