After being accused of poisoning two schoolgirls with tainted chocolate-covered raspberries, a female entrepreneur allegedly planned to escape. Zulma Guzman, aged 54, was apprehended following the revelation that she had booked a flight to Brazil after being rescued from the River Thames the previous month. The allegations against her involve the deaths of Ines de Bedout, 14, and Emilia Forero, 13, who reportedly ingested raspberries laced with the toxic metal thallium that were delivered to their residence in Colombia. It is claimed that Guzman sought retribution after being jilted by Juan de Bedout, Ines’ father, following an extramarital affair.
Authorities in the UK became aware of Guzman’s presence when she entered Manchester Airport months after departing Colombia, subsequently identifying her as the primary suspect in the case.
Guzman was discovered on Battersea Bridge in London at 6:15 am on December 16, just before she leapt into the River Thames. Following her rescue from the water and subsequent mental health evaluation, she was arrested on January 6 and is currently detained in a Kent prison after an international pursuit. Guzman has denied any involvement in the poisoning incident.
According to a Colombian TV presenter, Maria Elvira Aranga, the businesswoman had purchased a ticket to Brazil before her encounter with the Thames. Aranga alleged that Guzman’s plunge into the river was an attempt to evade law enforcement.
Aranga stated, “A reliable Interpol source informed me that the account of Zulma Guzman, accused of poisoning three girls in Bogota with thallium, throwing herself into the River Thames in a suicide bid in mid-December, is false. The police approached Guzman, who was carrying a package she intended to deliver, to notify her of the Colombian authorities’ pursuit, prompting her to jump into the river.”
After receiving medical treatment and learning of Colombia’s extradition request, Guzman was formally arrested. Aranga added, “Prior to her apprehension, she procured a flight to Brazil, which raised suspicions with Interpol, leading to her detention. While the extradition process may be protracted, Colombian officials are optimistic that Zulma Guzman will return for clarification.”
Although Guzman is the sole suspect in the poisoning case, another woman who allegedly handed the raspberry package to a courier has been questioned. She maintains her innocence, citing identity theft.
Colombian authorities are actively investigating the death of Juan de Bedout’s late wife, Alicia Graham Sardi, who passed away on August 17, 2021, following a cancer diagnosis. A former family doctor disclosed that tests revealed abnormally high thallium levels in Sardi’s body, coinciding with her hair loss and severe leg pain.
In an interview post her departure from Colombia, Guzman asserted her innocence in the girls’ deaths. She expressed, “I am a mother, and I can imagine the unbearable grief, which is why there’s a quest for the perpetrator using all possible means. However, I am not that person.”
Flight records indicate Guzman’s presence in the UK during the interview, which occurred as she sipped on a bottle of Buxton water. She flew from Madrid to Manchester on November 11 before traveling to London. Her son is reportedly enrolled in a private school in the UK.
Guzman appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on January 6 and was detained after refusing extradition. A case management hearing is scheduled for February 9.