Grindr serial killer suspect arrested after police detect date rape drug in victim’s remains
Nelson David MB is escorted to a police car by Basque police officers. (Europa Press via Getty)
A man has been arrested in connection with a string of murders of gay men in Bilbao, Spain, after turning himself in to police.
It emerged last week that Basque Country police were searching for a suspected serial killer linked to at least four deaths in Bilbao, who had allegedly contacted his victims on queer dating apps like Grindr.
The deaths were originally not treated as suspicious, but in October 2021, the family of one of the victims noticed that a large sum of money had been taken from his bank account after his death, according to Spanish News Today.
Although the man had already been cremated, analysis of his remains revealed that he had traces of the date rape drug GHB in his system. As police investigated, they found that one of his last contacts was a man he met on a dating app.
Soon afterwards, a survivor came forward who said a man he’d met on a dating app had tried to strangle him. He managed to escape, and his attacker left behind a backpack containing identification documents and drugs, allowing police to identify a suspect.
The LGBTQ+ community in Bilbao has been on high alert, encouraging others to be vigilant while using dating apps.
On Thursday (5 May), the suspect handed himself in to Irun police station.
Nelson David MB, 25, from Colombia, was immediately arrested, although he has reportedly professed his innocence.
The suspected serial killer is escorted by Basque police officers after turning himself in. (Europa Press via Getty)
A spokesperson for Basque Country police, known as the Ertaintza, told The Mirror in a statement: “I can confirm a man has handed himself in to police after seeing himself being alluded to in the media and WhatsApp groups.
“He was formally arrested after he handed himself in. We are not saying why or where he was arrested.”
Four other deaths which occurred in similar circumstances, also initially treated as unsuspicious, are now being investigated in other regions of Spain, El Mundo reported.
