Colombian authorities believe an Italian-born scientist was lured to his death through Grindr before being brutally murdered and dismembered in the coastal city of Santa Marta last month.
Alessandro Coatti, 38, had been travelling and volunteering across South America following an eight-year tenure as a senior policy officer at the Royal Society of Biology in London. According to Colombian newspaper El Tiempo, he was last seen on 3 April leaving a hostel in Santa Marta.
His remains were discovered over several days, with body parts found in suitcases on 6 and 7 April, and his legs recovered from a coffee sack on 8 April. A coroner later confirmed that Coatti died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Initially, investigators considered the possibility of gang involvement, but Colombian police now suspect Coatti was targeted by local thieves using the gay dating app Grindr. Authorities believe he was lured to an abandoned property, where he was attacked and killed.
Human rights activist Norma Vera Salazar described a disturbing trend of similar cases in the region. “There is a clear recurring pattern in these crimes: bodies are tortured, dismembered, stuffed into garbage or coffee sacks, and abandoned along rural roads,” she told El Tiempo. She warned that such acts are often used by criminal groups as a way to instil fear and assert territorial control.
The mayor of Santa Marta, Carlos Pinedo Cuello, has announced a reward of 50 million pesos (approximately $1,900 AUD) for information leading to the perpetrators. “This crime will not go unpunished,” he said in a public statement. “The criminals must know that crime has no place in Santa Marta. We will pursue them until they are brought to justice.”
The Royal Society of Biology paid tribute to Coatti following the confirmation of his death, describing him as a “passionate and dedicated scientist.”
“Ale was funny, warm, intelligent, loved by everyone he worked with, and will be deeply missed by all who knew and worked with him. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to his friends and family at this truly awful time,” the organisation stated.
The investigation remains ongoing, as authorities continue their efforts to identify those responsible and address growing concerns about safety for LGBTQ+ individuals in the region.
