A Colombian businesswoman accused of murdering two girls with poisoned raspberries is fighting extradition from the UK to face trial. Zulma Guzman Castro, 55, is alleged to have tricked Ines de Bedout, 14, and her friend Emilia Forero, 13, into believing the chocolate-covered raspberries were a free gift.
The girls died days after eating the raspberries, which were laced with the highly toxic metal thallium, in April last year. A third girl and the 21-year-old brother of one of the victims also ate the berries and were hospitalized.
Guzman Castro was discovered to be living in the UK after being seen drinking from a Buxton water bottle during a television interview. She was arrested in January after jumping into the River Thames near Battersea Bridge in December 2025, where she was pulled from the water with non-life-threatening injuries and taken to a psychiatric unit.
During a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, the Colombian government's representative stated that a delivery driver brought the parcel to the de Bedout residence on April 4, 2025. The family initially refused the package, but accepted it upon learning it was a complimentary gift from a delivery app. The parcel was then placed in the freezer.
Subsequently, Ines ate eight raspberries, Emilia consumed about five, and a third girl, identified as GBC, ate three. All three were hospitalized, with Emilia dying on April 5 from multiple organ failure. Ines also died, and GBC suffered serious illness, with all three exhibiting symptoms of acute thallium poisoning.
Evidence presented in court included a digital transaction linked to the delivery of the raspberries, similar in value to a payment Guzman Castro allegedly made to a vet in Bogota for vaccinating her cats. A phone number linked to the defendant was geolocated to the delivery address around the time of the pickup, and deleted searches for 'uses of thallium' were found on an email address associated with her.
Guzman Castro's defense team raised concerns about the conditions in Colombian prisons and the potential for pre-trial media leaks to prejudice the case. A Colombian lawyer called as a defense witness testified that such leaks from closed hearings do occur in Colombia, often involving judges, prosecutors, or victims' families.
Rosemary Davidson, representing the Colombian government, dismissed concerns about temporary detention facilities in Colombia, stating that the accused's rights would be respected. The defense, however, highlighted a history of detention issues and requested further information from Colombian authorities.
Guzman Castro faces two charges of murder and two counts of attempted murder in Colombia. The hearing to determine her extradition is ongoing.