Walter Finch
A FEMALE bodybuilder dubbed the ‘Colombian She-Hulk’ was bludgeoned to death with a hammer by her husband in a brutal murder-suicide in Fuengirola, Malaga Hoy reports.
The Colombian victim, known as Amy in bodybuilding circles (real name Zunilda Hoyos Mendez), had been missing for five days before officers discovered her body in a luxury flat in the Higueron West development.
Her husband, Jarrod Gelling, also a bodybuilder and US citizen, was found dead in the bathroom with apparent stab wounds consistent with suicide. The couple had returned from a bodybuilding competition in Dubai.
Police were alerted after a friend filed a missing persons report at Torremolinos police station on Wednesday, having not heard from Amy since the previous weekend.
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Officers forced entry into the apartment around 1.45pm on Thursday and made the grim discovery.
Amy, 43, had suffered multiple blows from a blunt object, believed to be a hammer.
Her body was found in the bedroom, while Jarrod, 47, was discovered nearby.
Autopsies are due to be carried out to determine the exact time and cause of death.
The couple had no children and were mostly based in Dubai, where they competed in international bodybuilding competitions.
Amy, who had been due to visit her family in Colombia in July following a competition in Portugal, had told relatives she planned to separate from her husband.
According to her niece, he refused to accept her decision to divorce and she had intended to finalise the break-up upon her return home.
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“She was full of dreams and so determined,” Yuleydis Paola, her niece, told Malaga Hoy. “She told him clearly she would leave him after her trip.”
Her trainer Branden Ray paid tribute on Instagram: “We had 17 days until we were going to hit the stage and shock the world, my friend.
“I todl you that you could possible be top 10 in the world by the end of this year and I meant it. Rest in Paradise, Amy.”
He added: “We were so close to the end, but the closest person to you ended it too soon. Domestic violence should never be taken lightly, because it can leave many with a heavy heart.”
The pair had married in 2023, but family members suggested the relationship had become strained following an earlier betrayal.
Despite this, there were no recorded complaints against Jarrod, and Amy was not listed in Spain’s Viogén system for gender-based violence protection.
Amy had been active on social media, amassing nearly 80,000 Instagram followers.
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A disturbing post appeared shortly before the murder, blaming steroids for supposed mental instability. The family believe it was written by the killer in an attempt to justify his actions, describing it as ‘completely false’ and unrepresentative of Amy’s character.
“She was kind, disciplined, and supportive of everyone,” said her niece. “There was never any aggression or erratic behaviour.”
Police sources confirmed that neither Amy nor Jarrod had been involved in any prior incidents known to the authorities.
Investigators are continuing to examine the couple’s background and the circumstances leading up to the tragedy.
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