When Alessandro Coatti left his London lab bench for the sun-drenched vibrancy of South America, he probably imagined sunsets, ceviche, and maybe—just maybe—a local guy who could pronounce “mitochondria” with a sexy accent. What the 38-year-old scientist couldn’t have anticipated was becoming the target of a horrifying hate-adjacent crime that turned a flirtatious swipe into a final, fatal encounter.
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Now, nearly two months after Coatti’s dismembered body was discovered in suitcases strewn across Santa Marta, the investigation into his murder is offering grim revelations that echo loudly in the queer community: Grindr may be a dating app, but for predators, it’s also a hunting ground.
“This crime will not go unpunished. The criminals must know that crime has no place in Santa Marta. We will pursue them until they are brought to justice.”
—Santa Marta Mayor Carlos Pinedo Cuello
He Was One of Us
Coatti wasn’t just a biologist. He was our kind of nerd: passionate, curious, warm, and not above squeezing some protein-pun into casual conversation. Described by the Royal Society of Biology as “a passionate and dedicated scientist,” he wasn’t some anonymous name in a foreign headline. He was the guy we might’ve debated mushroom taxonomy with at a queer science mixer—or the guy who’d send “😏” after finally matching with you after three months of mutual profile stalking.
“Ale was funny, warm, intelligent, loved by everyone he worked with, and will be deeply missed.”
—The Royal Society of Biology
“It is particularly impossible to comprehend how this could happen to someone as friendly, open-minded, optimistic, positive, enthusiastic and kind as Ale. This is a profoundly tragic end to a beautiful life.”
—The Max Planck Institute for Brain Research
The Hookup That Wasn’t
Police now say Coatti was lured via Grindr to an abandoned house in the San José del Pando neighborhood—likely under the promise of intimacy. Instead, he was drugged, robbed, and killed by blunt force trauma. Dismembered post-mortem. His death wasn’t just a robbery gone wrong—it was a grotesque exploitation of vulnerability. A queer vulnerability many of us know too intimately.
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At least four suspects have been identified, including a woman allegedly found with Coatti’s phone. Authorities are offering a reward of 50 million Colombian pesos (about $12,500 USD) for tips leading to arrests.
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t a tragic accident. This was a queer man targeted for his trust, his hope, and maybe even his loneliness. It was predation masquerading as courtship.
A Cautionary Tale, Not a Blame Game
There’s a dangerous tendency—especially among the hetero mainstream—to treat these stories with a whispered “why was he meeting strangers?” rather than a full-throated “why are queer people still being hunted?” Let’s retire the cautionary tale trope that shames queer exploration in unfamiliar places. Coatti wasn’t naive—he was just being human.
We travel to expand ourselves, to flirt with new versions of who we are, to feel something unburdened. For queer people, especially, dating apps like Grindr aren’t just for hookups—they’re lifelines, offering connection in places that might otherwise be steeped in silence or danger.
And yet, those very lifelines can become weapons when bad actors exploit the app’s anonymity. This isn’t just about Coatti. It’s about a global pattern of violence against LGBTQ+ people—especially in countries where queerness is still criminalized, stigmatized, or easily erased.
Remembering Ale, Demanding More
So, what do we do with this heartbreak? We remember Ale. Not just as a victim, but as someone who lived with openness and enthusiasm, who trusted enough to say yes to life—and, tragically, trusted the wrong person.
We also demand more from platforms like Grindr: better safety features, improved location masking, and regional alerts for high-risk zones. And we push local authorities, like those in Santa Marta, to not just talk about justice—but to deliver it.
Because queer people deserve to travel. To fall in love. To make mistakes. And above all, to survive them.
If you knew Alessandro Coatti—or simply want to honor him—consider supporting international LGBTQ+ safety networks like Rainbow Railroad or local watchdogs that track violence against queer travelers. Because the most radical act we can commit in his memory is to make sure fewer stories end like his.
RIP Ale. You were, and always will be, one of us.
Source: VNY
Recently, I wrote an article for Frontiers on gay male vulnerability and the role Grindr (and other hookup apps) play in gbv: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sociology/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2025.1539410/full Coatti’s murder is yet another case in a plethora of hate and discriminatory crimes being perpetrated in increasing numbers and intensity against the LGBTIQ+ community. This could happen to any of us…we need to be seen as a protected group with additional protective (and, when needed, punishment for crimes perpetrated against) support.