A Colombian man has been found guilty of two murders after taking his victims’ bodies in suitcases to Bristol’s Clifton Suspension Bridge last year.
Yostin Mosquera was found guilty today of the murders of Paul Longworth and Albert Alfonso, who were killed in London on 8 July 2024.
The 35-year-old defendant, who worked in the adult film industry, had met 62-year-old Albert Alfonso online before developing a relationship with him and his civil partner, 71-year-old Paul Longworth. The couple had visited Mosquera in Colombia and repeatedly flew him to the UK to stay at their flat in Scotts Road, Shepherd’s Bush, west London.
Planning the Attacks
Evidence presented to the jury at Woolwich Crown Court revealed Mosquera had been planning the murders for weeks. He searched online for a freezer and, on the day of the killings, typed into a search engine: “Where on the head is a knock fatal?”
The prosecution successfully argued that Mosquera was financially motivated. He had repeatedly searched for the value of the couple’s property and attempted to steal money from Mr Alfonso’s accounts after murdering him.
The Brutal Killings
On 8 July 2024, Mosquera killed Mr Longworth by striking him with a hammer, shattering his skull with repeated blows. Later that evening, during a sex session with Mr Alfonso, Mosquera stabbed him with a knife. A post-mortem examination revealed 22 stab wounds.
The gruesome footage of Mr Alfonso’s murder, caught on cameras he had placed around the room for recording sexual encounters, was repeatedly played to the jury during the trial.
Disposal of the Bodies
After the murders, Mosquera decapitated both bodies, storing the heads in a freezer that was delivered on 9 July. He placed the remaining body parts in suitcases and, on 10 July, hired a van with a driver to transport him and the bags to Bristol.
The prosecution argued Mosquera went to Clifton Suspension Bridge with the intention of throwing the suitcases containing the dismembered bodies into the Avon Gorge below.
Discovery and Arrest
Struggling with the weight of the suitcases, Mosquera caught the attention of passers-by on the bridge. When questioned, he told them the cases contained car parts. However, witnesses noticed liquid leaking from the bags—blood—prompting Mosquera to flee the scene.
He was arrested at Bristol Temple Meads station on 13 July 2024 and charged with both murders.
The Trial
The case initially came to trial at the Old Bailey before being moved to Woolwich Crown Court. During the proceedings, Mosquera had admitted the manslaughter of Mr Alfonso by way of loss of self-control but denied both murder charges.
Throughout the trial, Mosquera claimed he had been subjected to abuse and threats by Mr Alfonso, alleging he feared for his life. He also claimed that Mr Alfonso had killed Mr Longworth, not him.
However, the jury rejected these claims, finding Mosquera guilty of the premeditated murders of both men.
The victims, who had entered into a civil partnership in February 2023, were described by neighbours as a “friendly couple who seemed happy together and who were genuinely fond of one another.”
Sentencing is expected to follow at a later date.
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