Medellín, Colombia — Authorities have discovered a body during an intensive search for Eric Fernando Gutiérrez Molina, a 32-year-old American Airlines flight attendant who vanished during a routine layover in Medellín, Colombia.

Medellín Mayor Federico Gutiérrez announced the grim discovery on Friday, stating that the lifeless body was found in a rural area between the municipalities of Jericó and Puente Iglesias, south of the city. The mayor noted there is a “very high probability” that the remains belong to the missing U.S. citizen, who had been reported missing since the previous Sunday.

“I have to deliver some sad news. Since last Sunday, we have been searching for Eric Gutiérrez, a US citizen who is missing. Unfortunately, a lifeless body has just been found between the municipality of Jericó and Puente Iglesias. There is a very high probability that it is this person,” Mayor Gutiérrez wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The body was transported to Medellín for formal identification and an autopsy. The mayor personally delivered the painful news to Molina’s father, who had traveled to Colombia to assist in the search efforts. Gutiérrez also expressed solidarity with the victim’s family and friends.

“ We express our solidarity to his family and friends,” the mayor added.

Gutiérrez Molina, a Dallas-Fort Worth-based flight attendant, had arrived in Medellín on March 21 aboard a flight from Miami. He was scheduled to work a return flight the following morning after an overnight layover but failed to report for duty at the airport.

According to officials, he was last seen in Medellín’s La América neighborhood, a residential area not typically frequented by tourists. His close friend told local media outlet Telemedellín that Molina had allegedly been invited to go out partying and was later found disoriented and taken to a medical center.

Molina was last heard from on Sunday morning, when he sent a message sharing his location at an Airbnb in the El Poblado neighborhood, approximately 12 miles (about 19 kilometers) from José María Córdova International Airport.

While the exact circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain under investigation, Mayor Gutiérrez hinted at the possibility of foul play, stating “justice be done” for those responsible. He added that investigations by the Police and the Prosecutor’s Office are “very advanced” and that authorities have “very clear leads on those responsible.”

No suspects have been arrested so far, and the cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.

On Thursday, as the search continued, Molina’s partner, Ernesto Carranza, expressed growing despair in an interview with CBS News.

“I want to believe that he’s alive, and I want to continue believing that he’s alive, but throughout each day you wake up not knowing anything and it makes the days go by longer and slower,” Carranza said.

Officials are scheduled to hold a press conference on Saturday afternoon to provide further details about the discovery and the ongoing investigation.

The case has drawn significant attention both in Colombia and the United States, highlighting the risks that can sometimes accompany layovers in popular international destinations. American Airlines has not yet issued a public statement on the matter.