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Italian designer and founder of the glamorous Versace empire, Gianni Versace was murdered by spree killer Andrew Cunanan in July 1997. The shooter reportedly bragged about his "friendship" with the designer, a claim the latter's family has been denying for over 25 years.
At the time, Cunanan was hiding in Miami after committing four killings across three different states. He then gunned down Versace outside his South Beach mansion in broad daylight days before shooting himself in the head.
The sensational case has gained significant media traction over the years and will also feature on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered's upcoming episode titled The Death of Gianni Versace on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
The synopsis reads:
"Gianni Versace's longtime partner, Antonio D'Amico, speaks about the murder of the fashion icon; Versace's murder came amid a monthslong manhunt for Andrew Cunanan, who was accused of committing four other murders throughout the U.S. in 1997."
The all-new episode will premiere on Oxygen at 8.00 pm ET.
Gianni Versace's cause of death, his killer's previous crimes, and more details about the case
1) Versace was shot twice while returning to his South Beach mansion on July 15, 1997
In the early hours of July 15, 1997, Gianni Versace was gunned down right outside Casa Casuarina while climbing the stairs of the mansion. At the time, he was returning home after running a few errands on Ocean Drive, Florida. According to ABC News, a dark-haired assailant shot him twice in the head at close range with a .40 caliber firearm. The 50-year-old was declared dead at 9.21 am.
2) Gianni Versace's shooter was later identified as Andrew Cunanan
According to reports by Vanity Fair, the man who shot Versace had dark hair and was wearing a gray T-shirt, black shorts, a baseball cap, and was carrying a backpack at the time. The perpetrator, later identified as Andrew Cunanan, 27, was reportedly on the run. He was hiding in Miami as a wanted fugitive suspected of four killings across three states. Cunanan's killing spree started in April of the same year.
3) 27-year-old Cunanan killed four men before Versace
Starting in April 1997, Andrew Cunanan committed four murders across the states of Minnesota, Illinois, and New Jersey before finally arriving in Florida, where he murdered the Italian designer. The first two victims he murdered were his friend Jeffrey Trail on April 26 and his former lover David Madson on May 2. He bludgeoned Trail to death while Madson was found with a gunshot wound.
Cunanan's third victim was 72-year-old prominent real estate developer Lee Miglin from Chicago. Miglin was stabbed more than 20 times with a screwdriver on May 3. Moreover, the crime scene showed clear signs of torture. He then shot and killed 45-year-old cemetery caretaker William Reese in New Jersey on May 9.
4) Just days after Gianni Versace's murder, Andrew Cunanan shot himself
On July 23, about eight days after Versace was shot outside his South Beach mansion, the suspected shooter Andrew Cunanan was found dead. He died on the second floor of a luxury houseboat in Miami Beach, a few blocks away from the scene of the Italian designer's murder. 27-year-old Cunanan reportedly shot himself in the head using the same pistol he used to shoot Versace. His death was ruled a suicide.
5) A significant part of Versace's murder remains a mystery to date
The motive behind Versace's killing remains a mystery to date. Multiple theories have surfaced throughout the decades and one even suggests that the two knew each other prior to the crime, which the victim's family has denied. Some reports suggest witnesses saw Andrew Cunanan and Gianni Versace meet in a San Francisco nightclub in 1990.
Oxygen's Dateline: Secrets Uncovered will shed light on Gianni Versace's murder on March 1, 2023, at 8.00 pm ET.
