Thomas McIntosh
BBC News
Royal Society Biology
Alessandro Coatie worked for the Royal Biological Society in London.
After it was discovered that he was murdered in northern Columbia, he is honored by a London-based scientist who previously worked for the Royal Biological Society (RSB).
The body of Alessandro Coatti was found on Sunday outside Santa Marta, a port city on the Caribbean coast, investigators say.
Santa Marta mayor Carlos Pineco Cuero said Colombian 50,000 pesos (£8,940) have been paid for Colombian 50,000 pesos (£8,940) for information that led to the capture of the person responsible for the death of Italian citizens.
In a statement issued Tuesday. The RSB said it was “devastated” by news of Coatti’s murder.
“He is a passionate and dedicated scientist, leading the RSB’s animal science work, writing numerous submissions, organising events and giving evidence in the House,” the RSB said.
“Yel is funny, warm, intelligent, loved by everyone he worked with and deeply overlooked by everyone he knew and worked with.
“Our thoughts and greatest wishes go out to his friends and family at this really awful time.”
Santa Marta is the gateway to Colombia’s most popular tourist destinations, including Teirona National Park, Minca and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Malta Mountains.
Coatti, who earned a Masters degree from University College London (UCL), worked for RSB for eight years as a science policy officer before being promoted to senior science policy officer.
He left RSB at the end of 2024, volunteered in Ecuador and traveled in South America.
Part of the scientist’s dismembered body was found in suitcases dumped in streams.
Posting on X, Pinedo Cuero said: “This crime will not be punished. Criminals need to know that crimes have no place in Santa Malta.
A hotel worker who spoke to Colombian newspaper El Tiempo said he was asking Coatti about visiting the village of Minka and was conducting research on local animal species.
