We strive for accuracy and fairness. The Assassination of Gianni Versace has told every part of Andrew Cunanan's story except for the end. What happened next was a four-hour standoff. On July 15, 1997, Cunanan approached the famed Italian designer as he returned to his Miami Beach mansion after a morning trip to a nearby caf. Would love your thoughts, please comment. In fact, he was the last person he would ultimately murder. [22] Cunanan also was known to regularly consume these drugs, especially methamphetamine. [18], Cunanan allegedly first met fashion designer Gianni Versace in San Francisco in October 1990,[19] when Versace was in town to be recognized for the costumes he had designed for the San Francisco Opera production of Richard Strauss's opera Capriccio,[20] although Versace's family has always denied that the two men ever met. Two months before Andrew Cunanan killed Gianni Versace, another murder was already making national. It contained Cunanan's clothes and clippings of newspaper reports about the earlier murders. As a police assault team swarmed onto the boat, Cunanan is reported to have killed himself with a bullet through the mouth. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. The gruesome murder started a killing spree that left the FBI stumped. Police found bloody bandages,. At school, he was remembered as being bright and very talkative, and testing with an IQ of 147. As executive producer Nina Jacobson told me at the 2018 TCA winter press tour, this was a tricky sequence to depict and the main goal was simply to stay as authentic as possible to who Madson was. At the time, Williams thought Trail was using a figure of speech in speaking about his new job, as in the job, the hours, the weather it was going to kill him. There Cunanan met his lifelong best friend, Elizabeth "Liz" Cote. On the surface, the highly intelligent Cunanan reveled in his life as a young, attractive gay male. The 27-year-old was on the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, suspected in the killings of four other people in Minnesota, Illinois and New Jersey. The Assassination of Gianni Versace is based on true events, surrounding the death of fashion legend Gianni Versace, but, it is also shown from the fabricated point of view of Versaces murderer, serial killer Andrew Cunanan. The murder set off one of the biggest and most intense manhunts of the '90s. "The SRT (special response team) from Metro-Dade police
department found the body within two minutes of entering the
houseboat," insisted Miami Beach police Sergeant Howard
Zeifman. After a widespread manhunt in Miami led by the FBI lasting 8 days, all of Andrew Cunanan's secrets and motives died with him when he put a revolver in his mouth and pulled the trigger. Here, we're laying out the facts, so you can separate them from American Crime Story's fiction. He was in a situation
where it was very, very difficult for him to move about.". [5], The youngest of four children, Andrew Phillip Cunanan was born August 31, 1969, in National City, California, to Modesto "Pete" Dungao Cunanan (1930-2005), a Filipino-American,[6] and Mary Anne Schillaci (1938-2012), an Italian-American. The California native, who could speak two languages, dropped out of college and funded his lifestyle thanks to relationships with older, wealthier gay men, federal investigations found. Cunanan opened fire at point-blank range, shooting Versace twice in the back of the head, according to FBI records. Cunanan had actually been on the FBIs 10 Most Wanted List for months. Authorities began monitoring the phone's activity and found it was also activated on May 8 in Philadelphia and on May 9 near Penns Grove and Carneys Point Township, New Jersey. Heres what to know about suspected serial killer Andrew Cunanan: Hours after Versaces shooting death, authorities identified Andrew Cunanan as the prime suspect. ", Cunanan, a 27-year-old San Diego native, was on the FBI's 10 Most
Wanted list and had eluded a nationwide manhunt for nearly
three months. Helicopters, boats and dogs surrounded the houseboat. Trail had moved to Minneapolis for a job a few months before the murders, and Cunanan's ex, David Madson, also lived there. [9], As a teenager, Cunanan developed a reputation as a prolific liar, given to telling tall tales about his family and personal life. At the time of his death, Versace was one of the most high-profile fashion designers in the world, dressing the likes of Princess Diana, Madonna and Elton John. Trails murder set Cunanan off on a nationwide killing spree that ended in July when he killed himself on a houseboat in Miami Beach. Police fired eight rounds of tear gas into the home before huddling behind shields and entering the home. No solid motive for Cunanans murders has emerged, although rumors abound that he was HIV positive and sought to take revenge for his condition. The boat reportedly had a problem with its bilge pump. Murderer Andrew Cunanan was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on June 12, 1997, shortly before he killed Gianni Versace. According to TIME, Madson's apartment was rife with evidence, including the murder weapon, though Orth reports in Vulgar Favors that investigators bungled the recovery of other important evidence. Here, we sift through the facts and fiction. Cunanan would never budge or come out even after the houseboat was engulfed with tear gas. A witness pursued Cunanan but was unable to catch him as he fled into a nearby parking garage. Magazines, Digital Witnesses identified Cunanan as the shooter but he fled. Andrew Cunanan, who murdered four individuals before gunning down Gianni Versace in 1997, has been described as a pathological liar with a genius IQ by friends, acquaintances, and. On it were the
words, "Found Dead. According to authorities, Cunanan shot himself after he was trapped inside the boathouse by a SWAT team and the Miami police. Andrew Cunanan kills Jeffrey Trail by beating him to death with a claw hammer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. However, he actually bought a one-way ticket to Minnesota after begging his credit card company to extend his credit limit. Cunanan was NOT a serial killer, he was a SPREE killer. It is not clear if he knew
Cunanan. "We can account for every matching round," Navarro said. However, beneath this cheerful facade lurked a much darker side that became exacerbated by an insatiable need for drugs, kinky sex and material wealth. From Gigolo to Spree Killer: The Tragic Life of Andrew Cunanan. After Trail's murder, Madson is shown as going along with Cunanan's crazy plan because he fears Cunanan would kill him as well essentially Madson is Cunanan's hostage for several days, though the way Cunanan talks, the two are simply leaving to go start their life together. Immediately, they suspected Madson, still missing. Newsweek reports that Cunanan's murders were brutal, and several were people he already knew. In an article by the Miami Herald, Cunanan was reported to have been hiding out on Indian Creek in Miami Beach. Initial statements from law enforcement officials indicated
that Cunanan's body was not found until a third inspection of
the boat. The houseboat was located at 5250 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida, 41 blocks north of Versaces mansion. [8] In 1981, his father enrolled him in The Bishop's School, an independent day school located in the affluent La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego. The spree killer murdered his best friend and his ex-boyfriend over the span of a week in April and May 1997. The same gun Cunanan used on himself was also used to kill Versace and his four other victims: Jeffrey Trail, David Madson, Lee Miglin, and William Reese. MIAMI BEACH, Florida (CNN) -- With the death of Andrew Cunanan
confirmed on Thursday, the mystery of "Where is he?" announces negligence caused death of The Crow actor Brandon Lee, Union soldiers die in steamship explosion. But we don't know what happened in that time. Authorities know only that Cunanan killed Trail with a hammer and then went to East Rush Lake, where he killed Madson two days later with one shot to the head. What Really Happened When Andrew Cunanan Murdered Jeff Trail and David Madson, 'Impeachment' Will Focus on Lewinsky and Tripp. [7] He was adept at changing his appearance according to what he felt was most attractive at a given moment. His description matched the looks of Cunanan, so police zeroed in on him. The show colors the episode with scenes of Madson's parents and paints Madson as a caring, gentle soul, so the narrative here is that he was not involved in Trail's death in any way. This photo shows a houseboat that was stormed by a SWAT team in Miami Beach on reports that Andrew Cunanan was inside. The second season of American Crime Story depicted Cunanan's killing spree in The Asssasination of Gianni Versace. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR. Apparently, Cunanan went there in an attempt to continue the relationship. 18 hours ago, by Njera Perkins Cunanan rang Trail from Madson's apartment to come and retrieve his gun. Versace was Andrew Cunanan's fifth victim. Andrew Cunanan and Gianni Versace meet in San Francisco. Barreto said the tear gas made the initial search
more difficult. Detective Gus Sanchez told Orth that they had reason to believe Cunanan was hiding on a boat in the area, so they very quickly assumed that it was him inside the houseboat. The show is not a docuseries, but it does incorporate various facts in its story. Unable to catch Cunanan, authorities had all but given up, and the media seemed to have cooled as well. "[11] After graduating from high school in 1987, Cunanan enrolled at the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego), where he majored in American history. A poster of Andrew Cunanan, the number one suspect in the killing of designer Gianni Versace, is displayed at the entrance of a bar in West Hollywood, CA. [43] Investigators noted Cunanan's reputation for acquiring money and expensive possessions from wealthy older men. The houseboat is owned by a man wanted on fraud charges in his
native Germany. In the end, Cunanan lived up to a high school classmates billing as the student most likely not to be forgotten.. PHOTOS: Andrew Cunanans Death & Suicide Crime Scene, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Authorities don't really know what Cunanan and Madson did between Trail's death and Madson's murder, or what exactly Cunanan did after killing Madson. [16][21] Cunanan told friends that Madson was the "love of my life". [10] He was voted "least likely to be forgotten. He killed himself a week after his final murder, killing Gianni Versace. 15 hours ago, by Emily Weaver 1) Key relationships in his life had broken down. Inside this houseboat is were Cunanan took his own life, shooting himself with the same gun that he used on several of his victims in 1997. Cunanan had eluded an intensive nationwide search that
generated hundreds of claimed sightings all over the country. [12], In 1988, when Cunanan was 19, his father deserted his family and moved to the Philippines to evade arrest for embezzlement. By the time he was 21 years old, he spoke seven languages and was becoming well acquainted with the finer things in life. Cunanan was the youngest of four, his brother and sisters being: Christopher Cunanan, Elena Cunanan, and Regina Cunanan. But on CNN's "Burden of Proof" Thursday afternoon, a Miami
Beach police sergeant challenged that account, saying the
body was found just minutes into the search. In a 2018 Saturday Night Live sketch featuring John Mulaney, he is mentioned as having portrayed the son in the fictional incest-themed sitcom from 1987, Switcheroo. Authorities believe Cunanans killing spree before Versace targeted ex-lovers, including some he may have believed may have given him HIV. Later examination of his behavior indicates that he may have suffered from antisocial personality disorder, characterized by a lack of remorse and empathy. [13][16] Later that month, he told friends he was leaving San Diego for Minneapolis to "take care of some business matters" with Trail,[17] who had recently distanced himself from Cunanan. Around 8: . Though a disciplinarian, his father was not violent, and Cunanan did not experience the early childhood traumas that experts often tag as typical of violent criminals. He was later pronounced dead at the nearby Jackson Memorial Hospital. His celebrity reached its peak on July 15, when Cunanan killed famous designer Gianni Versace outside his mansion in the South Beach section of Miami. Four hours later, officers fired tear gas and six SWAT team
members dressed in black flak jackets and armed with rifles
and a shield moved in. Cunanan (Darren Criss) sees a number of people from his life in the news coverage about him in the wake of his murder of Gianni Versace (Edgar Ramirez). The 27-year-old former resident of San Diego was the prime suspect in the murder of several gay men in other parts of the country. FX The first kill At 9:45 PM Sunday, April 27, Trail entered. Correspondents Robert Vito and Brian Jenkins contributed to this report. Cunanan has been used in songs by Shyne ("Bad Boyz", 2000) and Modest Mouse ("Pistol (A. Cunanan, Miami, FL. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Current one is: April 27. Its his apartment. What we do know is he murdered his close friend, Jeffrey Trail, with a claw hammer in the Minneapolis apartment of Cunanan's ex, David Madson. The following afternoon, Trail told Hackett that he needed to have a "pretty important" conversation with Cunanan. Actor Darren Criss played the role of Cunanan. Man With 'Interest in Killing Black People' Charged With Terrorism After Attempted Train Attack, Underwater Noise Pollution Is Disrupting Ocean LifeBut We Can Fix It, 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Stone.[51]. Versace had been returning to his home just after a morning trip to a nearby cafe. Andrew Cunanan could've happily lived a billionaire lifestyle with his boyfriend in LA. [11] That night, Cunanan and Madson dined at Nye's Restaurant and visited The Gay 90's nightclub. He was on the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, the subject of a national manhunt, and was hiding out in Miami Beachs gay scene at the time he killed Versace. His autopsy showed he did not have HIV which debunked the theory that the diagnosis triggered his murderous spree. What could've happened, knowing that David was in fear for his life and felt trapped. Andrew Cunanan and Jeff Trail were very good friendsCunanan would describe Trail as "my brother," according to Maureen Orth at Vanity Fair. Rather than going into hiding, Cunanan flouted authorities, killing three others before reentering the gay social scene, this time in Miami, Florida. At around 8:30 a.m., Versace took a stroll as he often did to the News Cafe, located about 0.3 miles south at 800 Ocean Drive. Andrew Cunanan and Jeff Trail met sometime in late 1992 or early 1993. When it comes to the owner of the houseboat on which Cunanan was staying, the NY Times reported that it belonged to a Leipzig businessman, who also was a fugitive. In April 1997, Cunanan flew to Minneapolis to visit two friends, Jeff Trail and David Madson. Fernando Carreira was the caretaker of the houseboat where Cunanan had holed up. On arrival Cunanan beat Trail to death with a hammer in front of Madson. Cunanan still resided in San Diego at the time, and before he left for his trip to Minneapolis, he reportedly told friends he had "unfinished business" with Trail. He evaded police across the country for months. Cunanan used this truck to drive to Florida. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. 16 hours ago, by Sabienna Bowman ; previously, he'd fled the state after a murder and the police had no expectation that this would be any different. As the show portrays it, shortly after arriving, Cunanan invites Trail to Madson's loft apartment and then bludgeons him to death with a hammer as Madson looks on, horrified. Police are waiting to see if the body found inside the boat is that of Andrew Cunanan, who is the lead suspect in the killing of Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace. Versace's family released a brief statement Thursday
expressing "both gratitude and sorrow in thanking those who
have contributed to resolving the horrible assassination of
Gianni. Instead of risking that, Madson's co-workers called his superintendent to open the door. For a week, investigators would put together clues and eventually discovered that a month earlier, the FBI designated Cunanan as a wanted fugitive, and he was being sought in connection to four other murders in Minnesota, Illinois, and New Jersey. ", "La Jolla gentlemen and the party boy: Andrew Cunanan boy toy for socialites Norman Blachford and Lincoln Aston", "Double Life of the party boy: a dark side foretold years ago", "Killer queen: Andrew Cunanan, my love rival", "Fugitive's death leaves a trail of contradictions", "The Truth About Gianni Versace and Andrew Cunanan's Relationship", "Death Removes Mystique from Cunanan's Life", "Friends remember Cunanan victim: Ex-Navy officer Jeff Trail killed with claw hammer", "Assassination of Gianni Versace, Episode 5, Fact vs. fiction: What, "First Killing May Offer Clues to Four Others", "A Complete Timeline of Andrew Cunanan's Murders", "Portrait Emerges of a Fugitive's Daily Life", "The True Story of Gianni Versace's Murder", "Versace May Have Looked at Killer, Autopsy Shows", "Versace, Fashion Innovator, Slain in Miami Beach", "FBI: Cunanan may have used the boathouse as base", "Suspect's suicide brings relief and normality", "Reimagining the culprit in Versace's murder", "Dying to be famous: The Versace murders", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Andrew_Cunanan&oldid=1162369851, This page was last edited on 28 June 2023, at 17:52. In fact, a friend of Jeff Trail's named Michael Williams told the San Diego Reader about a phone conversation where Trail said to him, "You know, I've got to get out of here. In his later years, he didn't come to our Christmases and Thanksgivings.". ", American Crime Story The Assassination Of Gianni Versace, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The day that Gianni Versace died started like any other. He left immediately and called his son, who alerted police. In April 1997, Cunanan told his friends that he was moving to San Francisco. Houseboat owner wanted in Germany Related stories and sites MIAMI BEACH, Florida (CNN) -- With the death of Andrew Cunanan confirmed on Thursday, the mystery of "Where is he?" became "How. Records showed the houseboat, which had been vacant for several months, is owned by Torsten Reineck, who has lived
both in Germany and the United States and owns the Apollo
Spa, a gay health spa in Las Vegas. They said Cunanan's death "brings to an end a
vicious crime spree. Reineck had actually been trying to sell the boat and, according to The Washington Post, the houseboat actually sank months after Cunanans suicide, in December 2017. He was put inside a mausoleum for his final resting place. On April 27, Jeffrey Trail, an acquaintance of both Cunanan and Madson, met the two at Madsons apartment, but the details of what happened there are still unknown. ET and, at 8:03 p.m. The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story airs Wednesday at 10 PM on FX. The first two of Andrew Cunanan's victims were killed in Minnesota. According to Orth's book about the Cunanan murder spree, Vulgar Favors, Cunanan often showed up in Minneapolis unannounced to visit Trail and Madson.
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