A body was found on Friday in the Colombian countryside, most certainly ending the week-long search for Eric Fernando Gutiérrez Molina, an American Airlines flight attendant from Texas who vanished in Medellín after a night out last weekend, according to city officials.
A close friend, Sharom Gil, told Telemedellín that Molina and a colleague had ventured out from the hotel to a club, where the two met a pair of strangers. When the club closed, the group decided to move the night somewhere else—and Molina was never seen again. Local authorities issued a missing-persons alert stating he was last spotted early on Sunday in Medellín's La América neighborhood, a mostly residential part of the city.
Gil said missing-persons reports were filed in both Addison, Texas—where Molina was based—and in Medellín. Addison Police confirmed the FBI's Dallas Field Office has taken over management of the case on the U.S. side.
Mayor Gutiérrez said he personally delivered the news to Molina's father, who had traveled to Medellín, and that he had also notified the U.S. Ambassador to Colombia and the U.S. Consul General. He said police and prosecutors have developed strong leads. "The investigations carried out by the Police and the Prosecutor's Office are very advanced and they would have very clear leads on those responsible," the mayor wrote. "Let justice be done. Even, that those responsible be requested in extradition."
American Airlines expressed condolences and said it is cooperating with investigators. "We are actively engaged with local law enforcement officials in their investigation and doing all we can to support our team member's family during this time," the carrier said in a statement on Thursday to the media.
The State Department also weighed in. "We are aware of these reports and are closely tracking the situation," a spokesperson said in a statement to numerous outlets, adding, "The Trump Administration has no greater priority than the safety and security of Americans, and the State Department stands ready to provide all consular assistance to Americans in need abroad."
The case comes as American Airlines has faced a separate, troubling incident tied to the same Colombian route. In late February, one of the airline's Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets—which had overnighted at Medellín's José María Córdova International Airport—landed in Miami with what investigators believe were bullet holes in the right aileron, a wing control surface.
The plane was immediately pulled from service, ferried to a maintenance hub at Dallas/Fort Worth, and was grounded while engineers examined potential damage to hydraulics and wiring. The airline said it would work with authorities to investigate but has made no schedule changes to its Colombia flights.