Why Did Andrew Cunanan Kill Gianni Versace? Here’s The True Story

It’s been more than two decades since Andrew Cunanan and Gianni Versace were roped in the unfortunate incident where the former murdered the notable fashion designer in cold blood. To further complicate the matter, the killer was found dead a few days after he murdered the fashion designer and speculations are still being made with regards to his intentions for committing such a crime.

It is also known that Versace was not the only victim of this serial killer as he had murdered a number of other notable gay men before killing the fashion designer. Let’s fill you in on who Andrew Cunanan was and his alleged reasons for killing the popular designer, Gianni Versace in this piece.

Who Is Andrew Cunanan?

Andrew Phillip Cunanan was born on August 31, 1969, in California, U.S.A and he was the last child of Modesto Cunanan and Mary Anne Schillaci. His father was a Filipino American while his mum was an Italian, American which accounts for Cunanan’s mixed ethnicity. He has been described as extremely intelligent and during his early years, he was able to memorize encyclopedias. However, Cunanan did not complete his college education as he dropped out in pursuit of a flamboyant lifestyle.

With his desire set on living in luxury, Cunanan moved to San Fransisco. He started dating older rich men to maintain his lifestyle. He went on several vacations in Europe, wore very expensive clothes, road fancy cars and used his lovers’ credit cards lavishly.

He became notorious in the gay society in San Francisco for his spending sprees and whenever he was out with friends, Cunanan usually pays the bills. It was also not hidden that he got his money from older men which earned him the name “high-class male prostitute,”. However, in spite of his wild lifestyle, the young man was still considered very charming and he uses this trait to manipulate people.

Why Did Andrew Cunanan Kill Gianni Versace?

The name Gianni Versace will ring a bell in the minds of many people as he is the founder of the elite fashion brand, Versace. He was a fashion mogul from Italy who managed to enter into the circle of the entertainment industry and he had quite a number of top celebrities as his friends. He was also a popular face at star-studded events in the company of his lover, Antonio D’Amico.

However, on July 15th, 1997, Gianni Versace was murdered in cold blood by Andrew Cunanan. The sad event occurred right in front of the fashion designer’s mansion in Miami where Cunanan shot Gianni twice.

Prior to this incident, it’s also known that Cunanan has been going on a murder spree. His first victim was Jeffery Trail on April 27th, 1997, in Minneapolis, where he brutally killed him, using a hammer. After that, Cunanan’s former boyfriend, David Madson’s corpse was also found on May 3rd, 1997, by Rush Lake, Minnesota. He was also linked to this murder as the bullets that killed Madson came from a gun Cunanan had stolen from Jeffery Trail’s house.

On May 4th, 1997, Andrew Cunanan also set out to wreak more havoc and this time, he murdered Lee Miglin, a popular real estate developer in Chicago. Lee was tied up by the Cunanan who later stabbed him repeatedly with a screwdriver and used a hacksaw to slit his throat. He made away with the deceased’s car and by then, the FBI was hot on his trail. However, this did not deter the blood bath that Cunanan was bent on creating as he killed yet another person after five days. The man he killed this time around was William Reese and his body was found in Pennsville Township, New Jersey.

The serial killer who stole William’s car damned all the consequences and put it up for sale, using his real name. The police got to know of his move and tracked him down but all they found was the stolen car. In the car, they saw Cunanan’s belongs which include his clothes, passport, and publications that contained the murders he has committed. The cold-blooded killer was eventually found eight days after he had murdered his last victim, Gianni Versace. They got the information when the caretaker of the houseboat in which he occupied heard a gunshot. The SWAT team came on to search the houseboat after unleashing tear gas in it and about 12 hours into their search, they saw Andrew Cunanan’s lifeless body.

It was expected that such a man who has killed notable persons should at least give a clue why he took such an action but to the dismay of many, Cunanan did not leave any clue, talk more of a suicide note. However, the investigators speculated that the man was mainly targeting fellow gay men whom he believed had infected him with HIV. The piece that is yet to fit into this puzzle is why he killed Versace in his killing spree. Many wonder whether Versace had anything to do with him as the pair were never friends. The fashion mogul’s family, to date, opines that he was not even an acquaintance of Cunanan nor have they ever met before.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.