Colombia prison director is shot dead just a week after inmate made death threat

A prison director was shot dead in Colombia after at least two inmates threatened to kill him over a span of just nine days.

Retired colonel Elmer Fernández, 57, had just dropped off a prison employee at their home when gunmen opened fire on the west side of Bogotá, the Colombia capital, on Thursday.

Fernández, who oversaw the notorious La Modelo prison, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Colombian news outlet Semana learned that at least three shots were fired at the jail and struck a wall when one of the inmates made a threat on May 9.

Elmer Fernández, who was the director of La Modelo prison in Bogotá, Colombia, was murdered on Thursday. He had received two death threats since May 9

Agents assigned to Colombia's Attorney General's Office inspect the vehicle of La Model prison director, retired police colonel Elmer Fernández, who was shot dead Thursday in Bogotá

Prison guards patrol the perimeters of La Modelo prison, in Bogotá, Colombia on Friday, a day after the jail director was shot dead 

'So that you can see that I do have power and if they transfer me I will kill your family,' the brazen threat from the unnamed inmate read.

The second threat was reportedly made by Pedro Caro, otherwise known as 'Pedro Pluma,' who had been jailed 16 times and is serving a five-year sentence.

'From Pedro Pluma to the director: if you get involved with the patio search, I will kill your family,' the handwritten note read.

As a result of death threats, Caro and nine other prisoners locked in the fourth cell block were transferred to different jails in the country on Friday afternoon.

Colombian Minister of Justice Nestor Osuna told reporters Friday that investigators had several leads, but declined to offer any additional details.

'The police investigations in these few hours that have passed since the homicide occurred are very advanced, I will remain confidential as to where they are going,' Osuna said. 'There are several very accurate hypotheses.'

Relatives mourn the death of Elmer Fernández who was shot dead Thursday in Bogotá. Fernández was the director of La Modelo, a notorious prison in Bogotá

Colombian Justice Minister Néstor Osuna told reporters that investigators have leads into the murder of Elmer Fernández, the director of a Bogotá prison who was shot dead Thursday

Riot police stand guard outside La Modelo prison in Bogota during a riot on March 22, 2020

He added that Fernández filed an official report with the National Protection Unit on Tuesday, alerting the agency that he had received the death threats.

National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (INPEC) director Néstor Morales told Blue Radio that Fernández had asked for protection.

'There is nothing regulated so that neither the director of INPEC or any prison director is assigned an armored vehicle,' Morales said.

However, the National Protection Unit (UNP) released a statement countering Morales and said that Fernández had never asked for protection, but that it was alerted by the Attorney General's Office.

'The colonel's protection was under the guidance of INPEC. The murdered director of La Modelo had no request or process for measures at the UNP, but he had let the Prosecutor's Office know about threats against him and his family,' the agency said.

Law enforcement agents cover the scene where retired police colonel Elmer Fernández was gunned down in Bogotá, Colombia on Thursday 

Agents assigned to Colombia's Attorney General's Office inspect the vehicle of La Modelo prison director, retired police colonel Elmer Fernández, who was killed on Thursday 

Fernández's murder led to the abrupt resignation of La Modelo assistant director Óscar Tovar on Friday.

Fernández, was the former colonel of the Bogotá Metropolitan Police and also oversaw the police academy in the province of Santander.

He was tasked directing the Boyacá police and was once assigned to the presidential police headquarters.

Fernández joined the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute five years ago and served as director of La Esperenza prison in the municipality of Guaduas, 103 miles northwest of Bogotá. 

He assumed the role of director at La Modelo on April 4.