'I put Valentina into the garbage': Franklin man accused of killing girlfriend testifies in Colombia

FRANKLIN, Wis. (CBS 58) – A Franklin man accused of killing his Colombian girlfriend took the stand on Wednesday, March 6. 

"When I checked her pulse, I was looking at her color and everything. I knew that she was dead," John Poulos said in court.

Poulos, a divorced father of three from Franklin, testified that he stuffed the dead body of 23-year-old Valentina Trespalacios into a suitcase in January 2023. Poulos said he woke up to find the well-known Colombian DJ's lifeless body in bed with a zip tie wrapped tightly around her neck.

"I tried to wake up Valentina, and she didn't respond. When I initially saw her, I knew right away that something was wrong. She was very pale. Right away I checked for a pulse, and I noticed she had one of the sex toys that we used around her neck," he explained.

"I just completely broke down. This was a girl that I loved. I had talked to her for 9 months. Every single day for nine months, and I loved her. So, imagine killing someone that you loved."

Despite admitting to disposing of her body, Poulos said he does not remember how the well-known Colombian DJ died because his judgment and memory were impaired that night due to a combination of alcohol and drugs, like ecstasy.

"I'd never done drugs before I met Valentina," he said. "My guess is, what happened, I was in a drug-induced, alcohol-induced, I wasn't completely lucid at that time, and I don't know if I did it, I don't know if she did it."

After dumping the suitcase in the garbage, Poulos fled the country.

"To me, it's life or death at the same time. If I go to prison, I'm likely to be killed there. If I go to trial, I didn't think my rights would be observed," he said. "But either way, I regret making that decision to put her in the suitcase."

Poulos was detained in Panama with a ticket to fly to Turkey.

While on the stand, Poulos claimed there is evidence that the judge did not deem admissible that proves the pair was under the influence that night. He said there are videos of him and Trespalacios using drugs, as well an alleged toxicology report he claims shows she had drugs in her system.

"If anyone doesn't believe what I'm talking about on the drug piece, the proof exists. I understand it hasn't been entered evidence here because my evidence was denied," he claimed.

If convicted on the charge of femicide, a charge in South America associated with the killing of women, Poulos faces up to 50 years in prison.