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
Richard Morales
This article was very interesting. It provided all the details of the man who murdered the world famous Gianni Versace. It was interesting to learn of the events that took place in Cunanan’s life before he became the infamous murderer he is seen as today. It is sad that his mental illness wasn’t treated properly before he claimed so many victims. It is also sad how he wanted attention so desperately that he would take the lives of innocent people just to get it.
Caden Floyd
Ive seen the TV show about the murder of Gianni Versace and now I believe that it did not do it justice. Everyone knows the brand Versace, but this article really gave you a look into his life and also some insight on his killer as well. It was a very well structured article and was very informative, I was hooked from the title and learned even more about this crime.
Adam Portillo
For the longest time I had no prior knowledge about the murder of Gianni Versace. It’s crazy to think that the founder of such a renown brand was horrifically murdered. It seems like all of Cunanan’s behavior stems from his father leaving the family when Cunanan was young. He definitely had a traumatic upbringing which I feel contributed to many of his heinous acts that occurred during his lifetime. Awesome article to read.
Valeria Perez
Versace is such an elegant and influential brand that I would have never imagined that its founder would have such a shocking death. Though I do pity Cunanan for his tragic and traumatic upbringings that is still not a justification to go on a killing spree. His mental illness should have been treatment early on that way he would not have derailed so badly. Despite this Gianni Versace was amazing brand that creating a legacy for himself.
Miguel Rivera
This reminds me of a quote by Kendrick Lamar, “everybody’s going to respect the shooter, but the one in front of the gun lives forever.” In this case, Cunanan’s name is not something that is familiar with many people. Versace, though, is a world-wide name who still lives on today. I never knew who Versace’s killer was or why he did it, but the article is very informative and it captured my attention all throughout.
Micaela Cruz
Earlier this year, the television network FX released FX American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, and I loved it. Reading this article took me back to watching the short series and I can recall everything from the show and associate it with what I read in the article. It’s saddening that one of the best fashion designers at the time was murdered in such a cold way, and I feel that individuals such as Andrew Cunanan would highly benefit from psychological help in order to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
Madison Downing
I honestly never knew that the man who made the company Versace was actually murdered, it’s crazy that even though I purchase merchandise from that brand I know very little about it. You’re article was a great read and I feel so terrible on how Cunanan’s father abandoned his family and when Cunanan followed he just saw the man who was suppose to be responsible for caring for him living in poverty. There were probably so many reasons that made Cunanan feel the need to get attention from killing but that still isn’t an excuse, such a great read!
Mariah Cavanaugh
This summer I watched the FX American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace so I was very excited to see your article! I am fascinated with true crime and there are times I come across articles or stories that are filled with theories and conspiracies. Although that stuff is fun, most of the time it is false information and takes away from the actual story. I enjoyed the fact that your article contained facts and a concise timeline of events leading up to the assassination.
Angel Torres
The article accurately predicted the fact that not a lot of people know that the Gianni Versace was murdered by a serial killer. I always knew about the luxurious brand but never knew the story of Gianni Versace. The article provided an informative look into Gianni Versace and into Cunanan. Its unfortunate that such talent in the fashion industry was taken too soon. The story of serial killer Cunanan is tragic. He had a troubled childhood with eventually lead to the killing spree later in his life.
Crystal Baeza
I found this article quite fascinating and was engaged throughout the entire reading. I never knew about Versace’s murderer and his reason to do. Cunanan was only looking for attention and for someone to give it to him but unfortunately looked in all the wrong directions. I would believe his mental illness was the reason behind his killing spree and if he had the proper attention from medical he wouldn’t have continued his killings. Cunanan was just another criminal raised in the wrong way into becoming one.