Man Accused of Killing Estranged Wife Found Dead in Jail: What To Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
David Knezevich, a South Florida business owner charged with kidnapping and killing his estranged wife, was found dead in his Miami jail cell on Sunday.
Knezevich, 37, had been awaiting trial at the Federal Detention Center in Miami. He was facing charges that included kidnapping resulting in death, foreign domestic violence resulting in death and foreign murder of a U.S. national in connection with Ana Knezevich Henao's disappearance in Madrid in February 2024.
His attorney, Jayne Weintraub, said he died by suicide. Newsweek contacted Weintraub via email for comment.
An undated photo provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami of David Knezevich.
An undated photo provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami of David Knezevich.
U.S. Attorney's Office Miami via AP, File
What To Know
Knezevich Henao's body is missing and her family has said Knezevich's death means they are less likely to find out where she is buried.
Knezevich pleaded not guilty to the charges in 2024. He was accused of kidnapping and killing his estranged wife in 2024, after she went missing from her apartment in Madrid, Spain.
The pair shared a multimillion-dollar real-estate portfolio in Florida but were fighting over their shared assets when she left for Spain at the end of 2023. Knezevich sold a number of their homes worth nearly $7 million between December 2023 and February 2024, shortly before his wife of 13 years disappeared.
There is no physical evidence tying Knezevich to the disappearance of his wife, and no evidence of blood or of a struggle inside of her apartment. However, prosecutors allege that on the evening of February 2, 2024, he carried his wife out of her Madrid apartment in a suitcase.
Footage of him exiting the elevator in her apartment building, as well as CCTV footage of him at a Madrid hardware store, fabricated messages between Knezevich Henao and her husband and the use of stolen license plates on a rental car, made prosecution suspicious of Knezevich, and tied him to the crime circumstantially.
They believe he rented a car to drive her body into Italy, as the GPS picked him up in the woods near Vincenza, Italy. However, a search led by the FBI, Spanish and Italian investigators uncovered nothing and nobody.
When police searched his home, however, they reported finding a notebook containing references to death and killing. According to law enforcement, the notebook contained one quote from Joseph Stalin, former general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, that read: "Death solves all problems. No man. No problem."
Knezevich Henao was a naturalized U.S. citizen, while her husband was a Serbian national. He was being held in Miami after being deemed a flight risk and had been denied bond.
What People Are Saying
Jayne Weintraub, David Knezevich's attorney, in a statement, per CNN: "The defense team is devastated to learn of this news. We sincerely hope that an appropriate and prompt investigation will be conducted."
The family of Ana Maria Knezevich Henao, in a statement, per the Miami Herald: "The suicide of Ana's murderer closes a painful chapter in our lives, previously filled with the dread that he might not face justice. Now, we may never know where he put Ana's body. It is a cruel final insult that we may never recover Ana's remains or know the full extent of the betrayal she suffered."
What Happens Next
Knezevich's trial was scheduled to begin in June. With his death, the criminal case against him is expected to be closed. The investigation into Knezevich Henao's disappearance may continue as authorities seek to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the case. Her death is also being investigated by the FBI.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal ideation, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
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