Influencer, 21, is murdered by 'besotted classmate' who thought she was 'the love of his life': Body is found burned in the back of a car after victim vanished while on her way to visit friends

An Argentinian influencer has been found dead in a car park after being murdered by a 'besotted classmate' who said she was the love of his life.

Catalina Gutierrez, 21, was found dead inside her mother's Renault Clio in a vacant car park in the Argentinian city of Cordoba on Wednesday night. 

Her body was partially burned in the back seat, according to reports.

The woman, who had 100,000 followers on Instagram and 36,000 on TikTok, was last seen leaving her home to go bowling with her friends at the Patio Olmos shopping center. 

She reportedly sent an audio message to her boyfriend to let him know she was on her way, but when she failed to show up or answer messages, her friends informed her family.

An Argentinian influencer was found dead on Wednesday night after she was murdered by a 'besotted' classmate who said she was the love of his life

21-year-old Catalina Guitierrez was last seen leaving her house on Wednesday to go and meet her friends and boyfriend at a shopping centre

Guitierrez's body was found later that night inside her mother's car in an empty car park. When police started interviewing her friends and family, classmate Nestor Soto (pictured) broke down and admitted to murdering the young woman. He has now been arrested and charged with homicide

Her body was discovered the same night after her sister managed to ping her phone's location. 

Investigators started interviewing her friends and family members to gather information about the horrifying murder until one friend, architecture student Néstor Soto, then allegedly broke down and confessed to the crime.

Soto, who had moved to Cordoba from Bariloche to attend the National University of Cordoba in 2021, studied architecture alongside Guitierrez. The two were part of the same friend group. Guitierrez's father Marcelo told Argentinian news outlet El Doce that the man had been to the family home 'a thousand times'.

Local police said that the man 'suddenly admitted that he killed her and said she was 'the love of his life', even though they were not romantically involved.

Soto was arrested and charged with homicide.

Guitierrez, who had 100,000 Instagram followers, shared her life on social media

An autopsy revealed that the woman's exact cause of death was asphyxiation by strangulation

Guitierrez's father Marcelo said he wanted soto to 'rot' in prison 'for the rest of his life'

Guitierrez with her father Marcelo

The suspect said he had asked the victim to stop by his house to pick him up on the way to the shopping center.

Investigators believe he attacked Guitierrez in his house until she was unconscious before moving her body to her car, which he then set on fire. 

Investigators are still trying to determine whether this was done in an attempt to erase evidence by the killer.

An autopsy revealed that her cause of death was asphyxiation by strangulation, according to Perfil Cordoba. The woman was also found to have multiple injuries caused by 'several blows', and also had burns on her body which are believed to have been caused after her death. 

The autopsy also ruled out that the victim had suffered any sexual abuse. 

Speaking of his daughter, Guitierrez's devastated father told El Doce: 'I am in pain, my heart is breaking and I don't understand it. 

 'The only thing I want is justice and for him to rot in prison for the rest of his life because she doesn't deserve to live in this society'. 

He also described the young woman as 'an excellent daughter', who was 'happy' and a 'perfect student'. 

He also said that his daughter had never mentioned anything about Soto acting strangely towards her.