The new season of American Crime Story is called The Assassination of Gianni Versace, and explores the events that led up to the designer's murder in July 1997. But why was Versace's killer, Andrew Cunanan, never caught by the authorities?
Cunanan was a wanted man before he murdered Versace, and was connected to several murders across the country. But there are several reasons the serial killer was never apprehended.
1) Cunanan killed himself before he could be caught.
According to CBS News, "After a nine-day manhunt, Miami Beach Detective Gus Sanchez believed Andrew Cunanan was finally cornered on a houseboat just 40 blocks from where he had shot down Gianni Versace." A SWAT team surrounded the boat, and eventually went inside after a four-hour standoff. It was then that they found Cunanan's body, lying on a bed, with a gunshot wound to the head.
2) He was a talented liar.
Vanity Fair reported in 1997 that Cunanan was a "voracious reader with a reported genius-level I.Q." and that "he coveted the lifestyles of the rich and famous." His obsession with wealth and celebrity is undoubtedly what led him to Versace, but it's also what helped him evade police for so long.
He had a list of aliases, and often appeared to shift identities depending on his needs at the time. As Vanity Fair reported, he "tracked possible sugar daddies," had previously worked as an escort calling himself "Tony," and sometimes went by the name Andrew DeSilva.
3) Cunanan hid out in Miami.
His first four kills occurred relatively close together. He murdered his friend, Jeffrey Trail, on April 27, 1997. He killed ex-boyfriend David Madson on May 3, 1997. Real estate magnate Lee Miglin was tortured and killed in Chicago on May 4, 1997. And cemetery caretaker, William Reese, who Cunanan murdered for his vehicle, was killed on May 9, 1997.
After this, Cunanan went into hiding. He was spotted only once, buying a sandwich, according to Newsweek, and even though an employee called 911, the police reportedly failed to get to the location in time.
4) Pawn shops weren't computerized.
Cunanan sold a gold coin, stolen from victim Lee Miglin, to a pawn shop in Miami before killing Versace. He even used his real name and address to do so, but the police didn't obtain the details in time.
At the time, pawn shop paperwork was sent to police to check that goods weren't stolen, so the police had Cunanan's information before he killed Versace—but no one had read it. In response to this error, computerized systems were introduced into Miami pawn shops by the end of 1997, only a few months after Cunanan's killing spree.
5) Some of his crimes seemed random and unconnected.
While Cunanan's first two murders were an ex-boyfriend (Madson) and a male friend (Trail), the two after that were unexpected.
Lee Miglin was a wealthy 72-year-old real-estate developer in Chicago, and police are still unsure whether Cunanan knew Miglin prior to murdering him. Since Cunanan stole cash and suits from Miglin, as well as a gold coin he later pawned in Miami, it's possible this was an opportunistic kill. But though Miglin's family has always denied any connection between the pair, former FBI agent Gregg McCrary told Vanity Fair it was "highly probable" that Cunanan knew Miglin.
Cunanan's fourth murder was a married cemetery worker, whom police believe Cunanan killed for his vehicle. William Reese was shot in the head with the same gun that would later kill Versace, but it seems Cunanan only killed him to acquire a new mode of transport. There was no evidence suggesting that Versace would be Cunanan's next kill.
6) Some believe homophobia may have contributed to the police's inability to capture Cunanan.
Homophobia might have played an important role in why Cunanan was never caught, despite the fact that he left multiple clues at several of his murders. Days after Versace's murder, TIME reported, "People in the gay community ask whether the bureau cared enough about a serial killer who preyed mostly on homosexuals," though FBI agent Kevin Rickett countered, "We've reached out to every gay community in the nation that we can identify."
Those involved with American Crime Story don't hesitate when it comes to placing their blame. According to Rolling Stone, "Those involved with The Assassination of Gianni Versace have suggested that homophobia, particularly within law enforcement, decreased the urgency of the investigation, as if a gay man who kills other gay men was considered less of a threat worth prioritizing than the average heterosexual spree killer."
Actor Édgar Ramírez, who plays Versace in American Crime Story, told AP of the new season, "The underlying subject is homophobia and how homophobia killed [Versace]... Cunanan was on the news every night, on the most-wanted list, and for some reason all the law enforcement authorities couldn’t get him."
Creator Murphy confirmed this focus, revealing to reporters last summer, "One of the reasons Cunanan was able to make his way across the country and pick off these victims, many of whom were gay, was because of homophobia at the time."
