Tributes have been paid to a “passionate and dedicated” former Royal Society of Biology (RSB) scientist whose dismembered body parts have been found in Colombia.
Some of Alessandro Coatti’s remains were found in a black suitcase, said investigators in Santa Marta, a port city on northern Colombia’s Caribbean coast.
A reward of nearly £9,000 has been offered by the city’s mayor for information that leads to the capture of those responsible.
Carlos Pinedo Cuello said on X the crime “will not go unpunished” and pledged to pursue those responsible “until they are brought to justice”.
Mr Coatti studied a master’s course at University College London (UCL) and spent eight years as the RSB’s science policy officer before being promoted to senior science policy officer.
He left the RSB at the end of 2024 to volunteer in Ecuador and travel in South America.
The RSB said it was “devastated” by his death.
“He was a passionate and dedicated scientist, leading RSB animal science work, writing numerous submissions, organising events and giving evidence in the House of Commons,” it said in a statement.
“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.”
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Santa Marta is a gateway to some of Colombia’s most popular tourist destinations.
These include Tayrona National Park, Minca, and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains.
