The Murder of Gianni Versace and the Hunt For Andrew Cunanan
On the steps of his home in Miami, world-renowned fashion designer Gianni Versace was murdered on July 15, 1997, by serial killer Andrew Cunanan.
As one of the most famous fashion designers in the world, Gianni Versace was a household name. His Fall 1997 Atelier Versace Couture Collection show in Paris opened to rave reviews. Supermodel Naomi Campbell was the show’s front and center.
The morning of July 15, 1997, began like many mornings for Versace. After waking up at his home on Ocean Drive in Miami, Florida, he decided to walk to a newsstand only a few blocks from his home. After buying five magazines, he walked home.
As he was opening the gates to his mansion, Andrew Cunanan approached Versace from behind and shot him twice in the head with a .40 caliber handgun at point blank range. In an interview with The Guardian, Antonio D’Amico said an ominous feeling immediately came over him. When he saw Versace laying on the steps, he said everything went black, and was pulled away.
Versace was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center seven miles from his home. Despite the efforts of a medical team, he was pronounced dead at 9:15 a.m. Media quickly descended upon South Beach, as did the FBI.
Already on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List, Andrew Cunanan was hiding in Miami Beach when he killed Versace-his fifth and final victim. Cunanan was described as incredibly intelligent and lusting after a life of luxury. With the ability to charm many using half-truths, he was able to work his way into the social circles of the rich and sometimes famous.
Some sources claim Versace and Cunanan met in San Diego in 1995. Versace’s family adamantly denies these claims, saying the two never met.
Before the spring of 1997, Cunanan did not have a criminal history. Although an autopsy confirmed Cunanan did not have HIV, it was widely believed that Cunanan believed he had it. In an FBI file that has since been released, he told friends that he was going to kill those with whom he had unprotected sex.
Andrew Cunanan’s first victim was a friend of his named Jeffrey Trail. As a veteran of the Gulf War and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Trail lived in San Diego at the same time as Cunanan. Various sources have claimed Trail and Cunanan were romantically linked, although his family denies this.
Trail’s sister spoke about Cunanan’s “fascination” with Trail, saying if Trail were to get a haircut, Cunanan would do the same. A friend of Cunanan’s revealed to The London Telegraph that Cunanan was “very hurt” by a breakup with Trail. Trail eventually moved to Minnesota when he accepted a job at a propane gas company.
Cunanan’s second victim was his ex-boyfriend, David Madson. They met in December 1995 and dated long-distance. Madson lived in Minneapolis as an architect. The pair met in December 1995 and Cunanan considered Madson to be the love of his life. After they broke up, Cunanan believed the reason Trail moved to Minnesota was to be with Madson.
In April 1997, Cunanan told friends he was going to Minneapolis to “visit an old friend with whom he had unfinished business.” When he arrived in Minnesota, he first saw Madson for drinks. Cunanan then allegedly spent the night in Trail’s apartment when he was gone on a trip with his new partner. On a Sunday evening, Cunanan went to Madson’s apartment, leaving a message for Trail to visit him.
On April 27, 1997, Cunanan killed Trail in front of Madson by beating him to death with a claw hammer over 25 times. Trail’s body was wrapped in a carpet and discovered in Madson’s apartment by coworkers of Madson’s. Police believe he died at 9:55 p.m. because his watch was stopped at that time. Cunanan left a duffle bag with his name on it and a message on Trail’s phone. Police believed he wanted to be found.
Initially, police believed Madson was an accomplice to Trail’s murder. Madson was killed and found on the shore of East Rush Lake an hour north of Minneapolis. Madson was shot in the head multiple times. Cunanan stole Madson’s red Jeep Cherokee and headed to Chicago, where he would go on to kill real estate mogul Lee Miglin.
Miglin was killed on May 4 in his home while his wife, Marilyn Miglin, was away for a business trip. Miglin’s feet were bound together, his face covered in duct tape, suffered broken ribs, stabbed four times in the chest, and his throat was cut. When Miglin’s 94-year-old mother heard the details of what happened to him, she said her son “died a worse death than Christ.”
After Miglin’s murder, Cunanan slept in their bed, made food, took $10,000 in cash, and helped himself to several of Miglin’s suits. Miglin did not have defensive wounds when he died. There were no signs of forced entry in their home, suggesting Miglin may have either known Cunanan, or did not think him to be a threatening murderer.
Although police did not initially link the three murders, once police found Madson’s car around the corner from the Miglin’s home. Cunanan stole Miglin’s 1994 Lexus LS Sedan. The Lexus was equipped with a car phone, which was activated in Union County, Pennsylvania on May 4.
On May 9, Cunanan killed 45-year-old cemetery caretaker William Reese at Finn’s Point National Cemetery in Pennsville Township, New Jersey. Unlike the other murders which seemingly had personal motives, authorities believe Cunanan killed Reese simply for his 1995 red Chevrolet pickup truck. Cunanan drove this truck to Florida.
For two months, Cunanan lived in Miami Beach while he was on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. He made little attempt to stay under the radar and even used his own name to pawn a gold coin he stole from Miglin. He stayed at the Normany Hotel where he paid $29 a night.
On July 15, 1997, Cunanan killed Versace. Due to his international fame, Cunanan was forced to keep a lower profile until his own death a week later. Versace’s funeral in Milan attracted 2,000 people including celebrities like Princess Diana, Elton John, and other fashion icons such as Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld.
Despite evading police for months, the FBI flooded the Miami area with agents, as well as police officers from the Miami Police Department conducting investigations. Over 1,000 agents were looking for Cunanan across the country. Officers soon found Reese’s stolen truck in a nearby parking garage.
In an attempt to evade and hide from police, Cunanan broke into a luxury houseboat in Miami Beach. On July 23, 1997, Cunanan was found dead from an apparent suicide. His suicide ended the high-profile manhunt and the global news coverage of Versace’s murder.
