Abel Stiven Carabali, once a promising youth player for Deportivo Cali, is accused of the torturous murder of a friend he had known for eight years, in a killing prosecutors say bears the hallmarks of drug trafficking retaliation.
A former Colombian footballer has been arrested in Chile on suspicion of the gruesome murder of his longtime friend, whose decapitated and burned body was found alongside a Bible in a rural area near Santiago.
Abel Stiven Carabali, 30, who was once linked to the youth academy of the renowned Colombian club Deportivo Cali, was detained in the capital following a month-long investigation into what authorities describe as a ritualistic killing tied to organised crime .
The victim, a fellow Colombian national who also had a history of drug trafficking offences, was discovered on the night of April 12 in the Curacaví province. Firefighters had been called to extinguish a grass fire in the wooded area of Cuesta Zapata when they made the grim discovery: charred human remains, with the victim’s severed head placed next to an open Bible .
‘Unnecessary’ Torture Before Death
Prosecutor Carmen Gloria Guevara, from Chile’s Organized Crime and Homicide Investigation Team (ECOH), stated that the level of violence inflicted on the victim suggests a brutal settling of accounts rather than a simple murder.
“Before the decapitation, he suffered multiple stab wounds that would have been unnecessary if the intention was simply to kill him,” Prosecutor Guevara told local media .
She added: “The way they displayed the body, abandoned it, burned it, dismembered it and left a Bible beside the victim’s head, clearly points to the hallmarks of organised crime” .
A Friendship Turned Deadly
Investigators revealed that the victim and Carabali had been close friends for at least eight years, united by their shared passion for football before both men allegedly became entangled in drug trafficking after relocating to Chile .
Prosecutors allege that Carabali, who prosecutors believe rose to a leadership position within a drug trafficking gang, was captured on CCTV leaving a residential parking lot in Santiago pushing a large trolley . Authorities believe the victim’s body was concealed inside a suitcase or heavy bag on this cart.
It is alleged that Carabali was assisted by a second suspect, a 51-year-old Colombian taxi driver. The pair are accused of placing the body in the boot of a taxi and transporting it from the capital to the remote site in Curacaví, where they set the remains on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence .
Raids Uncover Arsenal and Drugs
Following Carabali’s arrest, police conducted raids on properties linked to the suspects. During these operations, officers seized 19 kilograms of drugs and four firearms of various calibres, including one weapon modified to resemble a military assault rifle .
Charges and Manhunt
Both Carabali and the taxi driver have been formally charged with aggravated murder, illegal weapons possession, and drug trafficking offences. The court has ordered them to be held in preventative detention, with prosecutors granted 120 days to complete their investigation .
A manhunt remains underway for two other alleged gang members who have been identified by authorities but are believed to be still at large .
The investigation continues as forensic teams work to formally identify the victim and trace the exact sequence of events that led to the fatal breakdown of the eight-year friendship.
