Zunilda Hoyos Mendez, a Colombian bodybuilding athlete identified internationally by her on-line title “Amy Muscle”, was discovered overwhelmed to dying with a hammer at a luxurious residence on Spain’s Costa del Sol on Thursday. Her companion, 46-year-old Jarrod Gelling, was additionally discovered useless in the identical property, with what Spanish authorities describe as self-inflicted stab wounds.Police are investigating the case as a suspected murder-suicide, with early proof pointing to gender-based violence, Spain’s authorized classification for home murders.
Zunilda Hoyos Mendez, 43, was an expert bodybuilder who competed throughout Latin America and internationally. She gained prominence after ending second on the NPC Worldwide Latin American Championships in 2021, and was a constant presence at regional competitions in Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil.Her most up-to-date titles included prime placements at IFBB-sanctioned occasions, and she had been getting ready for an upcoming competitors in Portugal on the time of her dying. According to her coach, she was aiming to interrupt into the worldwide prime 10 this yr.In addition to her aggressive profession, Zunilda was well-known within the on-line health neighborhood by way of her social media presence beneath the title Amy Muscle. She had constructed a following of over 100,000 subscribers on platforms like OnlyFans and Fansly, the place she mixed health content material with premium modelling work. She was additionally a frequent topic of curiosity on fitness-focused Reddit boards, the place followers adopted her progress and posted about her coaching routines and competitors prep.
Zunilda had arrived in Fuengirola, a city on the southern Spanish coast, from Dubai, the place she and Gelling had reportedly been primarily based in latest months. Family members say she had travelled to Spain to assist take care of Gelling following a knee operation, however had already made the choice to finish the connection on account of what they described as persistent aggression.Her niece Yuleydis advised native Spanish media that Zunilda deliberate to journey to Portugal for a contest after which return to Colombia alone. “She had taken the decision to split from her husband,” she stated. “For my aunt, it was the last trip—a goodbye.”She had not been seen since June 14. On Wednesday, a good friend filed a lacking individuals report in Torremolinos. When police entered the house on Thursday round 1:45pm, they found her physique with indicators of blunt drive trauma, and Gelling’s physique within the rest room with knife wounds. An post-mortem is pending.
Spanish police suspect Gelling, who held each US and Colombian nationality, could have killed Zunilda earlier than taking his personal life. Authorities stated there have been no prior complaints of home violence involving the couple on file.The case is being handled as a suspected gender-based murder, pending affirmation from forensic studies. If confirmed, it will be the third such case in Málaga province this yr and the fifth within the Andalusia area.
Tributes have poured in from the bodybuilding and health neighborhood. Her coach, Branden Rey, stated in an emotional social media submit:“We had 17 days until we were going to hit the stage and shock the world. I told you that you could be top 10 in the world this year.”Another fellow competitor and good friend, Behnaz Azar, wrote:“You weren’t just a friend, you were my teammate and my safe place. We had dreams. Now all that’s left is silence.”Zunilda’s dying has despatched shockwaves by way of each the skilled bodybuilding world and her on-line following, the place she was seen as an aspirational determine who broke by way of stereotypes round ladies in power sports activities.
Authorities in Málaga are awaiting post-mortem and toxicology outcomes. An investigation is ongoing. If the dying is confirmed as a case of gender violence, Spanish authorized proceedings may proceed even within the absence of a surviving suspect.Meanwhile, the health world mourns the lack of a competitor who was on the peak of her profession—one who balanced self-discipline, digital affect, and a dedication to her craft.