John Poulos: Man accused of killing GF, stuffing body in suitcase claims he has evidence to clear all charges
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA: An American man accused of strangling his Colombian DJ girlfriend and hiding her body in a suitcase before abandoning it in a dumpster is currently on trial in Colombia.
John Poulos, who is suspected to have killed Valentina Tespalacios on January 22, 2023, spoke out for the first time, asserting that he possesses evidence that will exonerate him from the charges related to the murder.
The Franklin native talked to the Semana news magazine, opening up to the publication about the timeline of the duo's relationship as well as conveyed a message to the victim's family, as per Daily Mail.
Accused killer John Poulos opens up about his relationship with Colombian DJ girlfriend Valentina Tespalacios
According to Daily Mail, Poulos asserted that he was deeply in love with Trespalacios, with whom he consumed alcohol and drugs the day before her body was discovered inside a suitcase found at a dumpster by a man looking for recyclables.
The suspect further claimed, "The thing is that my version of the story and what really happened has not been revealed to Colombia or the world, but soon everyone will see that I am the only person who tells the truth and I have all the evidence."
He is looking to avoid serving a 50-year sentence.
Recalling their initial encounter on Tinder in 2022, Poulos stated that he took Trespalacios on a vacation to Cancun. Despite the differences in their lives, he said that they seemed to match well, which led him to express his love for her.
He then traveled to Bogota, the Colombian capital, to meet her for the first time, just a day before her tragic demise.
Poulos asserted that after he arrived in Bogota on January 19, 2023, for two days, they consumed tusi, a combination of ketamine and ecstasy, along with liquor.
On the night of January 20, he apparently accompanied Trespalacios to a local bar where she worked as a DJ. They joined a group of people, used drugs, and consumed alcohol before returning to the apartment he rented on the northern side of Bogota to continue the party.
Poulos noted, "We had a good time that night. So here we are, the next day, partying again. It was a lot of partying in a short time and from then on I don't remember exactly what happened. We both fell asleep, that's the last thing I remember."
Footage allegedly shows John Poulos placing the suitcase with Valentina Tespalacios' body inside the trunk of a rental car
Prosecutors allege that in the early morning of January 22, 2023, Poulos engaged in sexual activity with Trespalacios and subsequently beat and strangled her to death.
Surveillance footage from the apartment building's hallway captured Poulos apparently pushing a shopping cart containing pieces of luggage, including the one with Trespalacios's body. He is said to have wrapped the suitcase with a blanket as her head protruded out of it.
Furthermore, a security camera in the building's garage recorded Poulos placing the cart next to his rental car, struggling to lift the bag before successfully placing it in the trunk.
Prosecutors maintain that the suspect then drove to the south side of Bogota to dispose of the suitcase, carefully taped up to prevent Trespalacios's body from falling out, at a dumpster.
Afterward, Poulos drove to El Dorado International Airport and boarded a flight to Panama City. He was later apprehended at Tocumen International Airport on January 24, 2023, moments before he was scheduled to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey.
The suspected murderer was seemingly planning to fly to Montenegro, a country that does not have an extradition agreement with Colombia.
John Poulos shares message to Valentina Tespalacios' family
During the September 2023 trial, Poulos maintained that he was not responsible for Trespalacios' death.
Additionally, he asserted that both her family and acquaintances, who were interviewed by prosecutors, have been consistently lying and wrongly accusing him of being responsible for their loved one's gruesome killing.
He claimed, "In reality, the mother, the friend, the club owner, the ex-boyfriend, they are all lying, Colombia has decided to deny my rights. For example, my capture was completely illegal and there is a list of things and ways in which Colombia has denied my rights, but one of the biggest is that I have not been allowed to present my evidence."
In his latest note to Tespalacios' family, Poulos said, "My message to her family is that I feel completely horrible about what happened, I wish it hadn't happened. In fact, I wish I could change places with Valentina, that I was dead and she was alive. I don't think or feel anything bad about her family or anyone in Colombia."
He concluded, "Valentina's family, you know, they lost her, and I know they hate me. Right now I have empathy for that, her feelings are completely acceptable and I only wish them the best in the future. I'm sorry for what happened, I feel horrible."
