Zulma Guzmán charged over deaths of two girls poisoned with thallium in Bogotá
The Colombian Public Prosecutor's Office will present charges of homicide and attempted homicide on 9 June against Guzmán, detained in the United Kingdom.
Hearing to charge suspect in thallium poisoning case in Bogotá scheduled for Monday
The Public Prosecutor's Office of Colombia has scheduled for Monday 9 June at 9:00 am a hearing to charge Zulma Guzmán, identified as the alleged perpetrator of thallium poisoning of three minors in northern Bogotá. The investigating authority confirmed this, according to pulzo.com. The formal charges will be for homicide and attempted homicide.
The hearing will take place virtually, as Guzmán remains detained in the United Kingdom and her extradition to Colombia is still ongoing. The Public Prosecutor's Office announced on 19 October the filing of the hearing, a sign that the legal process is advancing despite the international context of her detention.
The package with raspberries that arrived at the De Bedout family home
The case dates back to 3 April 2025, when a parcel arrived at the residence of the De Bedout family in northern Bogotá. The package, presented as an institutional gift, contained raspberries that were consumed the following day by four people: three girls and an adult. Two of the minors, aged 13 and 14, died from thallium poisoning, an extremely toxic chemical element that can be fatal even in low doses. A third girl and the adult were also poisoned.
The Public Prosecutor's investigations point to Guzmán as the alleged sender of the package. According to the investigation, between 2017 and 2018 she allegedly maintained an extramarital relationship with Juan de Bedout, father of one of the deceased girls. De Bedout stated that the relationship ended before the death of his former wife, Alicia Graham, in 2021.
Prior conduct and lost lead in London
After the end of the relationship, Guzmán allegedly attempted to resume contact with De Bedout, according to statements from him collected by the Public Prosecutor's Office. Among the conduct described are the interference with the GPS of De Bedout's vehicle, a temporary move to Argentina and reactions when he began a new relationship.
The lead on Guzmán was lost until 17 December, when she was located in London after being rescued from the River Thames. Since then she has remained detained, first in a hospital and subsequently in Bronzefield prison, whilst the extradition proceedings are resolved. An active Interpol red notice has been issued against her, which facilitates her search and capture internationally.
The extradition has been delayed by legal proceedings and the evaluation of prison conditions and judicial guarantees in Colombia. The Office of the Procurator General of the Nation has already issued a technical opinion on this matter.
Guzmán denies her involvement
Despite the evidence gathered by the Public Prosecutor's Office, Guzmán has denied any involvement in the case from the outset. "The guilty person you are looking for is not me. That is what I am trying to prove with my lawyer and the evidence I have," she declared in an interview cited by El Espectador.
Source: Google News CO — Bogotá