Police give update on Clifton Suspension Bridge yob Yostin Mosquera after murders
Police have as yet found no evidence a double murderer committed any further crimes, officers said today.
Yostin Andres Mosquera, 35, decapitated his victims and dumped their bodies in a suitcase on Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. He was yesterday found guilty of the murders of civil partners Albert Alfonso and Paul Longworth.
Metropolitan Police had initially believed Mosquera was linked to other crimes prior to the killings, but the force has now confirmed no evidence has been discovered connecting the man to anything, including drug offences.
Detective Chief Inspector Ollie Stride said: "Our first thought was that this is not your first crime so we have done quite a lot of work looking at previous offending either here, or there or anywhere. We have not come across anything. We have got no evidence that he was involved in drug gangs but that was something that we thought about and looked at."
Mosquera, who will be sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court in October, had claimed Mr Alfonso, 62, had killed his long-term partner Mr Longworth, 72, but was convicted of two murder charges after a trial.
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The court heard Mosquera, a dad, had planned to hurl two suitcases containing his victims' dismembered bodies over the bridge into the Avon Gorge 245ft below. He had taken the suitcases from Shepherd's Bush, west London, to Bristol following the harrowing murders on Monday July 8, 2024.
Scotland Yard investigated these and while they had enough evidence for charges, officers were unable to link Mosquera, a Columbian national, with any further offences in the UK or abroad.
"These crimes were truly horrific and our thoughts are with the families and friends of Albert and Paul. Yostin Mosquera's actions have had a significant impact on our communities in Avon and Somerset and I'm very grateful for the support we received at the time of the incident and have received since," Detective Inspector Neil Meade, of Avon and Somerset Police's Major Crime Investigation Team, said.
"It was an extremely fast-moving and complex investigation and their understanding, particularly in those early days, was hugely appreciated. Mosquera had no connection to Bristol and during the trial we've heard he chose to travel here in an attempt to dispose of Albert and Paul's remains and hide his despicable crimes.
"A large number of police officers and members of staff were involved in our investigation and they deserve massive credit, along with colleagues at the Metropolitan Police, in helping ensure he could be brought to justice.
"I know how concerning this incident was - and still is - for our LGBT communities and that some of the details we've heard over the course of the trial will have been deeply distressing. We remain in close contact with community leaders and our partners and are ready to provide any support we can."
Mosquera, who lived in Shepherd's Bush, knew his victims for some time. The murders - two of the most harrowing Det Chief Insp Stride's team have ever seen - happened in the couple's own flat. The officer continued: "Our thoughts and prayers remain with Paul and Albert's family and loved ones and all who knew them, as they continue to process the trauma of what happened."
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