On July 15, 1997 Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace’s life abruptly ended with a gunshot on the doorstep of his Miami beach mansion. Many of us know and love the Italian fashion line known as Versace, but most people aren’t aware of the murder of its founder, Gianni Versace. His life was taken by a 27-year-old serial killer, Andrew Cunanan. Cunanan was a desperate man craving attention in all the wrong ways and found that attention by murdering men. 1
Cunanan’s road to murdering Versace began when Cunanan was 19. His father abandoned his family and fled to the Philippines to avoid embezzlement charges. He left his wife and kids broke and alone. Cunanan followed his father to the Philippines. He later returned shocked at the poor conditions his father was living in. Cunanan started spiraling downward. He acted out in hopes of attention, and sometimes he resulted to violence. There was one incident where he shoved his mother so hard he dislocated her shoulder. Later observation of his behaviors suggested he suffered from antisocial personality disorder, which results in a lack of remorse for one’s actions. Cunanan craved any kind of attention he could get. He would do anything to get what he wanted. His spiraling life led him cross country on a murder spree killing without motivation except for the attention he would gain by doing so.2
In 1989 Cunanan dropped out of the University of California, San Diego and moved to the San Francisco area where took on many aliases such as Andrew DeSilva, Lieutenant Commander Andy Cummings, Drew Cunningham, and Curt Matthew Demaris. He made up lies about where his money came from, but, in many cases, he appeared wealthy because he befriended and lived off wealthy older men. He began playing parts in creating violent pornography.3 He was often found at parties and high class clubs, which was how he met the Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace at a San Francisco club. But this life of luxury didn’t last long.4 In 1996 Cunanan broke up with Norman Blachford, who at the time was financially supporting him and his expensive gay playboy lifestyle. Broke, Cunanan, maxed out his credit cards and sold drugs to survive. Not long after that, he got a one-way ticket to Minneapolis to visit a former lover.5
On April 27,1997 Andrew Cunanan committed his first murder, killing Jeffrey Trail, a former navy lieutenant who he had met at a bar in San Diego. His body was found two days later in David Madson’s apartment wrapped up in a rug after being beaten to death. Cunanan had been staying with Madson, one of his former lovers, at the time of Trail’s disappearance. Four days later the second murder was confirmed when David Madson’s body was discovered by fishermen near a lake north of Minneapolis on May 3,1997.6
With the car he stole from his second victim, Cunanan made his way to Chicago where he tortured 72-year-old Lee Miglin to death and left him bound in his house where Marilyn Miglin found her husband on May 4, 1997. Cunanan left Madson’s car in a garage a few blocks from Miglin’s home and murder spree, but not before he took all the money he could find in Miglin’s home and his jade green Lexus. Cunanan had no prior relations to Lee Miglin, and so he was believed to had been in the wrong place at the wrong time when Cunanan found him.7 After this murder, Cunanan was placed on the FBI’s Ten most wanted list.8 Still on the run, Cunanan made his way to New Jersey where he claimed his fourth victim by the name of William Reese. Reese was a custodian and Finn’s Point National Cemetery. He was found in the basement of his office with a gunshot wound to head. Cunanan then dumped the stolen Lexus nearby and drove off with Reese’s red pickup truck.9
Now in Miami, Cunanan left his red pickup in plain sight a few blocks away from Gianni Versace’s mansion.10 After the 50-year-old fashion designer returned from his morning walk, he found Andrew Cunanan at his front steps. Cunanan then shot and killed Versace on July 15, 1997.11 To kill Versace, he used the same gun that he stole from his first victim, Jeffery Trail, and that he also used to murder David Madson and William Reese.12 Cunanan fled the scene and hid out in a nearby house boat to avoid being found. Eight days after the murder of his last victim, Gianni Versace, Andrew Cunanan was discovered by the houseboat’s owner, who then shot Cunanan.13 Andrew Cunanan looked for attention his whole life, and he found it in all the wrong ways, but just like his personality, he ended everything with a bang.
- Gary Indiana, Three Month Fever: The Andrew Cunanan Story (New York: Cliff Street Books, 1999). ↵
- Evan Thomas, and Richard Alleman, “Facing death,” Newsweek (28 July 1997): 20. ↵
- Wikipedia, 2018, s.v. “Andrew Cunanan.” ↵
- Evan Thomas, and Richard Alleman, “Facing death,” Newsweek, (28 July 1997): 20. ↵
- Wikipedia, 2018, s.v. “Andrew Cunanan.” ↵
- John MCormick and Evan Thomas, “A lethal road trip: a gay socialite is suspected of taking off on a killing spree from Minnesota to Chicago to the Northeast,” Newsweek (19 May 1997): 52. ↵
- John MCormick and Evan Thomas, “A lethal road trip: a gay socialite is suspected of taking off on a killing spree from Minnesota to Chicago to the Northeast,” Newsweek, (19 May 1997): 52. ↵
- Andrew Phillips, “The Cunanan enigma: Versace’s killer takes his own life and leaves a mystery,” Maclean’s, (4 Aug. 1997): 32. ↵
- John MCormick and Evan Thomas, “A lethal road trip: a gay socialite is suspected of taking off on a killing spree from Minnesota to Chicago to the Northeast,” Newsweek, (19 May 1997): 52. ↵
- Evan Thomas, “End of the road,” Newsweek, (4 Aug. 1997): 22. ↵
- Evan Thomas, and Richard Alleman, “Facing death,” Newsweek, (28 July 1997): 20. ↵
- John MCormick and Evan Thomas, “A lethal road trip: a gay socialite is suspected of taking off on a killing spree from Minnesota to Chicago to the Northeast,” Newsweek, (19 May 1997): 52. ↵
- Evan Thomas, “End of the road,” Newsweek, (4 Aug. 1997): 22. ↵
110 comments
Emily Velazquez
I had never even heard anything about the murder or murderer of Gianna Versace. This was very interesting to learn about. After reading about Andrew Cunanan, I am interested in learning more about his childhood because it seems as if he lived a very rough life in the beginning and it may have been part of the reason, he turned out the way he was. It also may not have been relevant to why he murdered but it was still interesting and sad, just the little part I read about in this article.
Eric Ortega Rodriguez
Everyone knows the brand Versace for its clothing, perfume, and accessories. However, not many people know the background of the person responsible for the making of the brand so this article has a good topic selection. I find so hard to believe that Andrew Cunanan was able to murder another human being. I find it very disappointing that Cunanan might have done this just for attention. Overall, glad I ran into this article because it is very interesting. I am glad the terror Cunanan was causing ultimately came to an end.
Danniella Villarreal
This is a really interesting topic, I first heard about this case from the T.V series that was made based on this story The murderer in this article did truly horrific things. It definitely seems like he had some problems that date back to his early childhood, and his father’s sudden abandonment of the family which is what usually happens to people who grow up to become such monsters.
Amariz Puerta
This article was very interesting and i would totally recommend this to someone to read. I really liked how to the author structured the article it was very easy to follow. I had no previous knowledge over this murder spree espically with Gianni Versace. Reading this article was really helpful becuase the order of event was stated very clearly, and easy to follow
Christopher Hohman
Nice article. The murderer in this article did truly terrible things. It definitely seems like he had some problems that date back to his early childhood, and his father’s sudden abandonment of the family. This may be why he sought so much attention because he did not get attention from his father or maybe the rest of his family. He killed four people and became a notorious murderer just because he sought attention. And that is so wrong.
Mia Morales
This is a really intriguing topic, I first heard about this case from the T.V series that was made based on this story. It was interesting to see the life of Andrew Cunanan and how he developed from what it seemed as nothing to become someone that is notoriously known in history today. This was a well written article about how Versace was killed.
Leeza Cordova
There has been a recent tv show that has came out concerning the murder of Gianni Versace, and this article gives good background on the topic. It made me wonder if Gianni had any connection to Cunanan or if he was just an innocent person who happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. I also wondered if anyone was really on the lookout for him, since he killed so many people and not once was he stopped.
Bianca-Rhae Jacquez
This article provided the information that led up to the murder of Gianni Versace. The timeline was very clear to understand and gave insight into how the murder got to Versace’s doorstep. The information to how the murdered lived his life was very helpful in understanding why he went on a killing spree. It seems as though that Versace was a random victim because they had no connection other than being at the same parties.
Yazmin Garza
The fact that Cunanan got so far so far so fast is amazing, and the fact that Gianni Versace was his last victim and that he stopped killing after him makes me wonder if Versace was the intended target from the beginning and if the other murders were just victims of opportunity. I’m also curious what triggered Cunanan to commit his first murder or what finally drove him over the edge. My best guess was that it had to do with money and the recent loss of his favored lavish lifestyle.
Alexandra Lopez
I did not have any previous knowledge about the murder of Gianni Versace but after reading this article I have a better understanding. This article was very informative and had a creative ending to it. The author was unbiased and explained the events in a clear manner. I have always found it interesting to read about the lives of serial killers that made them the way they are. (reposted)