Police in the northern coastal city of Barranquilla are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the stabbing death of a priest on Monday afternoon.
The priest, Jose Antonio Valle Bayona, was 48 years old and had been practicing in the Lipaya neighborhood since December 1998. He was found dead, stabbed 17 times, in the Juan Mina district of the city.
Police in Barranquilla said they have no leads or information on what may have motivated the murder.
“Investigations are already underway to find out what could have happened and together the mayor’s office and the metropolitan police are offering a reward of COP 20,000 [$10,900] for any person who can give us information about this atrocious murder,” said Guillermo Polo, the government’s secretary for the district.
Valle Bayona was reportedly last seen by witnesses at noon on Monday, and CCTV footage apparently shows him getting into his car, but is unable to show whether or not he was accompanied. His body was found at 5PM the same day.