Two teenage girls have tragically lost their lives, and the global pursuit of the suspected killer has come to a close in London.
Zulma Guzman Castro, a 54-year-old entrepreneur accused of using poisoned raspberries to end the lives of the girls, was allegedly involved in a tumultuous affair with the father of one of the victims. Despite her polished image on Shark Tank, a show akin to Dragon’s Den, where she sought funding for her business, those who closely collaborated with her assert that her private behavior was far from admirable. An employee even claims that when Castro’s lover, Juan de Bedout, whom Castro admitted to tracking with a GPS device, visited her home-based office, she would dismiss her staff abruptly to engage in intimate activities with him.
The accused perpetrator adamantly refutes all charges against her, brushing them off as mere “gossip” to acquaintances. Nevertheless, the case has garnered widespread attention globally. Following a dramatic confrontation that led to Castro throwing herself off Battersea Bridge into the chilly River Thames, she was apprehended in London, potentially paving the way for the victims’ families to obtain closure.
On a regular Spring day in Bogota, Colombia, Ines de Bedout, 14, and Emilia Forero, 13, returned from school and decided to bake cookies in Bedout’s lavish apartment. While engrossed in their baking venture, they received a delivery of chocolate-covered raspberries, a favored treat of Ines. Castro, allegedly a long-time family friend well-versed in the girls’ routines, orchestrated the delivery. Tragically, the teenagers initially declined the package as it was unexpected, but later accepted it at 7 pm, leading to their untimely demise due to thallium poisoning.
Described as an “act of vengeance” by the accused, Castro purportedly had a falling out with Ines’ father, Juan, with whom she had a past romantic involvement. Castro contends that their affair had concluded a year prior to Juan’s wife’s death. Authorities are now re-examining the death of Alicia Graham Sardi in 2021 for potential thallium poisoning.
Castro’s former employees, reflecting on her tumultuous tenure at the car-sharing company Car-B, have reignited discussions after an international manhunt for Castro was initiated. Allegations of mistreatment and financial mismanagement have surfaced, with some speculating that the closure of her company in 2019 saved them from further ordeal.
In a candid interview before her apprehension, Castro vehemently denied the accusations against her, emphasizing her role as a mother and expressing disbelief at the allegations leveled against her. She acknowledged her past affair with Juan and divulged details of their turbulent relationship, shedding light on her tumultuous past.
Pedro Forero, the father of Emilia, lamented the loss of his daughter on her would-be birthday, highlighting the profound impact of her absence on his life. Authorities in the UK finally caught up with Castro on 16 December, leading to her detainment under the Mental Health Act. She is now facing extradition to Colombia to face charges related to the poisonings, with authorities reminding the public to uphold the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.