Coroners Corner: Andres Escobar.

Andres Escobar Saldarriaga was born on 13 March 1967 in Medellin Colombia. He grew up in a middle class family and participated in beach soccer teams before turning professional. His brother Santiago played with him
in Atletico Nacional before taking up a management position. Escobar played in defence and wore jersey number 2 and was called "El Caballero del Futbol" (The Gentleman of Football). He signed for Young Boys in Swizerland but never played a game for them and he also helped Nacional win the 1989 Copa Libertadores.

Escobar was engaged to his long term Dentist girlfriend Pamela Cascardo for five years and he was killed five months before his wedding with her. He made his debut against Canada on March 30, 1988 and scored his only goal in the 1988 Rous Cup against England. He played in all the matches of the 1990 World Cup where they lost in the Round of 16 to Cameroon.

In the 1994 World Cup, Escobar did not play any qualifying match but was drafted in during the tournament and made the captain. It was reported he had signed a pre-contract to join Italian Giants AC Milan after the tournament . Gambling syndicates all hung around the Colombian team and even tried to meddle in player selection. The coach was not spared, as he received several death threats all through the tournament . The team did not perform well as the lost 3-1 to Romania in the first game which made the game against the United States a must win in Group A. Things got ugly In the 34th minute when Escobar tried to cut off a pass  from John Harkes of the US and it ended up deflecting into his own net. Colombia lost the match 2-1 and exited the tournament.

Five days later, Escobar went to a liquor pub with his friends in Medellin, Colombia. By  3am, Escobar had split with his friends and was in his car outside the venue when two men approached him and soon after a brief argument,  he was shot six times . The killer was overheard shouting Gol !!!! In reference to the South American football commentators. Escobar bled to death and was pronounced  dead on arrival at the local  hospital . His funeral was attended by more than 12,000 people .

Hunberto Castro Munoz a driver to an active drug cartel was arrested the same night as he confessed to killing the star . It is a known secret that Escobar was killed because the gamblers placed a huge bet on Colombia progressing into the second round of the World Cup and that wasn't the case partly due to Escobar's own goal. Munoz was found guilty in 1995 and was sentenced to 43 years behind bars but released after serving 11 years for good behaviour (2005).