Syrian national found dead in short-term rental apartment in Medellín as authorities investigate

Employees at a short-term rental apartment in Medellín’s El Poblado district found a 40-year-old Syrian-born man dead inside the property on September 6.

The victim was identified as Fadi Al Refai. Judicial sources told El Tiempo that he reportedly held a German passport. He had been staying in the apartment, which he booked through Airbnb, for several days.

Employees stopped hearing from Al Refai on September 1. After the rental period ended, they repeatedly knocked on the door but received no response. They eventually forced entry and found him lying unresponsive on the bed.

Emergency services arrived with officers from the Metropolitan Police of the Aburrá Valley. They confirmed that the man had no vital signs and had apparently died several hours earlier.

The case was transferred to the Technical Investigation Corps of Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office, which carried out the removal of the body. Authorities initially ruled out violent circumstances because the body showed no signs of violence.