He boasted about an epic first date on Twitter. Now he’s charged with his fiancée’s murder

Mr. Poulos invited a Colombian woman on vacation without meeting her first, and on 17 December, he wrote in front of ancient ruins, along with a photo featuring Valentina Trespalacios posing. Now, we are getting married.

Just over a month later, on January 22nd, Mr. Poulos allegedly beat and strangled Trespalacios to death in the apartment he had rented in Bogota, the capital of Colombia.

According to prosecutors from the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia, Mr Poulos supposedly placed the body of the 21-year-old DJ into a suitcase and abandoned it in a dumpster while escaping on a flight to Panama.

Mr Poulos was captured on January 24th at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City while trying to get on a plane heading to Turkey.

He was sent back to Colombia where he is facing charges of aggravated femicide and hiding of proof.

Colombian prosecutors announced this week that the father of three, who is divorced and hails from Wisconsin, is requesting a prison sentence exceeding 35 years.

Below Mr Poulos’s tweet announcing his engagement, a somber update has been included through the crowd-sourced Community Notes.

“The individual who posted this tweet is now accused of killing the woman in question,” the update states.

Valentina Trespalacios’ musical journey was on the verge of soaring.

Billboard magazine informed music producer David Sarria that the DJ, who had expertise in the dance style guaracha, had been acknowledged at the Colombia Dance Awards and was in the process of creating her debut album before her untimely demise.

Sarria mentioned that Mr. Colombia was one of the highest-rated young DJs, and she had performed with international stars like Erik Morillo and Steve Aoki.

Trespalacios Daniel’s brother told the Daily Beast that her family was financially supportive enough and she had a fixture at clubs around the country.

Before they had met, Trespalacios invited John Poulos to go on vacation on the dating app Tinder some time in April 2022.

He subsequently took multiple journeys to Colombia during the following ten months.

The pair were planning to purchase a home and tie the knot.

Mr. Poulos, a financial adviser, exhibited signs of controlling behavior and jealousy in the weeks leading up to his fiancée’s murder, according to prosecutors.

During a court hearing in February, it was claimed that Mr. Poulos employed a private detective to follow Trespalacios to Aruba.

As per Colombia.Com, Daniel Gómez Acuña testified in court that Mr Poulos regarded his fiancé as “his possession” and exerted authority over her decisions and relationships, while keeping a close watch on her online activities.

The private investigator from Trespalacios, who allegedly infuriated by a report, had seen Mr. Poulos in Aruba with another man before she returned to Colombia and allegedly killed him days later.

The couple moved into a short-term Airbnb rental on Friday, January 20th, in Bogota, where DJ Trespalacios performed at a nightclub.

She communicated with her sibling through a video conversation on Saturday evening, which was the final occasion she was witnessed alive.

In February, Mr Gómez Acuña informed the court that Poulos engaged in sexual relations with Valentina Trespalacios and subsequently brutally assaulted her physique using his own fists, following which he applied force with his hands around her throat until she perished.

Prosecutors obtained surveillance footage that showed Mr. Poulos leaving his rented vehicle and placing a large blue suitcase into the elevator, next to the apartment.

The following day, Trespalacios’ body was discovered in a garbage bin located in the southern part of the town. Her murder in Colombia has ignited a great deal of anger.

Mr Poulos traveled from Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport to Panama on the same day.

Without any extradition agreement with Colombia, he was scheduled to take a connecting flight to Montenegro. Just before he was about to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul, he was apprehended by Panamanian immigration authorities.

Mr Poulos also bought a ticket from Panama City to São Paulo, Brazil, in an effort to deceive Colombian authorities.

Initially, he informed Panamanian authorities that the Medellin Cartel was responsible for Trespalacios’ assassination.

He was accused of femicide — which is defined as the murder of a woman or girl because of her gender.

According to RCN Noticias, Mr Poulos initially denied being accountable for the dreadful killing.

His team of attorneys were attempting to negotiate a more forgiving punishment in return for a confession, while prosecutors pressed for a 35-year sentence this week.

While being held in custody and during his initial court appearances, Mr. Poulos asserted that he had been provided with insufficient access to translation resources; however, the trial, which was scheduled to commence in April, was postponed.

As reported by RCN Noticias, Mr Poulos was attacked in his prison cell earlier this week.

The news outlet acquired images displaying lacerations and contusions on his face, which he described as not severe. He has asserted that he is apprehensive about his safety.

After finding that their marriage was irreparably damaged, a judge in Wisconsin granted a divorce to Mr. Poulos’ former spouse in 2021.