The son of the third-highest official in Colombia’s National Police was murdered on Sunday morning under murky circumstances in Bogotá’s Quiroga neighbourhood.
In the days since the killing, new details have further complicated the high-profile case. Fresh revelations suggest Juan Felipe Rincón Morales, 21, was attacked as revenge for sending and requesting explicit images with minors as young as 8.
The case is made even more complex by witness testimonies that claim that the fatal shots were fired by Rincón Morales’ own police bodyguard, who multiple sources described as being under the influence of drugs.
What do officials say?
The official account of the crime was provided by the Technical Investigation Body (Cuerpo Técnico de Investigación-CTI), a division of the Colombian Attorney General’s Office.
According to officials, the 21-year-old son of Police Inspector General William Rincón was reported to have been dropping off his 15-year-old romantic partner at her house after a date.
His armed escort stayed in the car but went to investigate when Rincón Morales did not return. The bodyguard then allegedly found the man he was entrusted to protect being attacked by a group of seven to nine people.
The bodyguard’s intervention sparked an exchange of fire with an armed man, who had a revolver. Rincón Morales was said to have been caught in the crossfire, sustaining fatal wounds.
The police arrested Andrés Camilo Sotelo Torres, 27, who they say was found in possession of a revolver. He was brought before the Prosecutor’s Office and charged with murder, which he denied.
The suspect maintains that his weapon was a pellet gun and that Rincón Morales was shot by his own bodyguard.
Allegations of child abuse
In recent days, new revelations have emerged suggesting that the 21-year-old policeman’s son was messaging at least two underage girls in the Quiroga neighbourhood.
Colombian media have published chats between Rincón Morales and the 15-year-old, in addition to CCTV footage from an apartment showing they spent the night together.
Others report that Rincón Morales’ social media accounts reveal conversations with an eight-year-old girl on Instagram, requesting explicit pictures from her and sending her lewd images.
According to witnesses, the altercation on Sunday began when family members and neighbors of one of the minors angrily confronted the 21-year-old.
The stepfather to the 15-year-old girl spoke to El Tiempo, sharing his account of how the 8-year-old’s mother had laid a trap for the policeman’s son.
“The deceased was sending messages and photos to the 8-year-old girl on social media. The mother noticed this and set a trap for him to go to the house,” he recounted.
He then described that when Rincón Morales arrived at the house, the young girl’s mother confronted him and was joined by several angry family members and neighbors.
A CCTV video shows part of the fight between the neighborhood locals and the policeman’s son, with the bodyguard intervening with his gun drawn.
One of those confronting the policeman’s son was Sotelo Torres, the 15-year-old girl’s uncle, who is accused of murdering the 21-year-old.
It is unclear if there is any relation between the two minors who were approached by Rincón Morales.
Did the bodyguard do it?
The partner of the accused Sotelo Torres spoke to Caracol Radio, accusing the police bodyguard of shooting indiscriminately into the crowd as they fought with Rincón Morales.
“The bodyguard, I don’t know if he was under the influence of a drug, began to draw his weapon and started shooting at us all,” she claimed.
The 15-year-old girl’s stepfather also suggested that the guard was acting erratically and appeared to be “on drugs.”
Both witnesses maintain that it was the bodyguard who killed Rincón Morales, not the accused Sotelo Torres.
This alternative version of events has complicated the ongoing investigation and the prosecutor has announced a new line of inquiry into the policeman’s son’s relationships with underage girls.
Nevertheless, Sotelo Torres remains the key suspect in the murder inquiry. Court proceedings have been paused while the 27-year-old receives treatment for a gunshot wound to his left leg.
Much remains unclear about the killing and police inquiries continue.
