John Poulos: Texas man accused of killing DJ GF tried to buy 'pink cocaine' from Uber driver days before murder
BOGOTA, COLUMBIA: Shortly after leaving the airport, the Texas man suspected of strangling his DJ girlfriend Valentina Trespalacios in Colombia asked an Uber driver for help finding a store where he could buy a hallucinogenic drug. The disturbing information was revealed during Wednesday's court proceedings, which John Poulos, 35, heard in a courtroom of a prison in the Attorney General's office building in Bogotá.
The hearings resumed Wednesday, a day after Poulos' lawyer resigned from his defense team following death threats. In addition, a court-appointed interpreter resigned Tuesday after Poulos decided not to use him due to translation errors during the initial hearings. Poulos is accused of killing Valentina Trespalacios, 21, whom he had planned to marry. The divorced Dallas resident, who has three children living in the US, is charged with murder of a woman and concealing evidence.
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Poulos tried to buy pink synthetic narcotic, Tusi
The presiding judge heard arguments from the Colombian prosecutor's office and Trespalacios' family's attorney, both of whom had requested that Poulos be remanded in custody. According to a court document, Poulos inquired of the Uber driver about the whereabouts of a pink synthetic narcotic called "Tusi." The driver replied that he did not know where it could be purchased. As tpoftampa reports, pink cocaine is also known as phenylethylamine 2C-B, which has recently raised public health concerns and developed a reputation as a high-risk substance that often has a severe impact on the user's health.
Poulos' failed escape attempt
Many reports say that the prosecution has shown for the first time the surveillance footage that shows Poulos on January 22 carrying a cart with Trespalacios in it and loading the suitcase into his rental car, which was parked in the garage of the building in northern Bogotá where he rented an apartment. According to the Daily Mail report, Daniel Trespalacios, Trespalacios' brother, sobbed when he saw the video.
The prosecutor claimed that the killer threw away Trespalacios' cell phone at El Dorado International Airport before boarding a flight to Panamá City, Panamá, to escape. Shortly before he was to board the Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul, he was arrested by Panamanian immigration officials and Interpol at Tocumen International Airport on Tuesday evening, January 10.
Trespalacios' family had previously claimed that Poulos had traveled to Colombia because he intended to settle there to marry his DJ girlfriend. The two met through an online dating service and have been together for eight months.
