South Florida Businessman Charged with Murder in Wife’s Disappearance
New Indictment Filed
A grand jury indictment filed on Wednesday charges David Knezevich with kidnapping resulting in death, foreign domestic violence resulting in death, and foreign murder of a United States national.
Background
Knezevich, 36, had previously only been charged with kidnapping his 40-year-old wife, Ana Maria Henao Knezevich. She has been missing since February 2 when she was last seen in Madrid, Spain.
Indictment Details
According to the new indictment, Knezevich traveled from Miami-Dade to Madrid "with the intent to kill, injure, harass, and intimidate his spouse and intimate partner" and committed a crime of violence against her that resulted in her death. The indictment states that Knezevich "did willfully and unlawfully seize, confine, kidnap, abduct, and carry away" Henao Knezevich and did "willfully, deliberatively, maliciously, and with premeditation and malice aforethought, unlawfully kill" her.
Investigation
Prosecutors said security video showed Knezevich in a Madrid hardware store using cash to buy duct tape and the same brand of spray paint the man in the motorcycle helmet used on the security camera. They also allege the man in the motorcycle helmet is the same height and has the same eyebrows as Knezevich and that his cellphone connected to Facebook from Madrid.
Evidence
Court documents show that authorities believe Knezevich resembles the man wearing a motorcycle helmet who spray painted the security camera lens outside hers Madrid apartment on February 2. The man left an hour later carrying a suitcase. License plates that were stolen in Madrid in that period were spotted by police plate readers both near a motorcycle shop where an identical helmet was purchased and on Ana’s street the night she disappeared. Hours after the helmeted man left the apartment, a Peugeot identical to the one Knezevich rented and sporting the stolen plates was recorded going through a toll booth near Madrid.
Attorney’s Response
Knezevich’s attorneys on Thursday questioned the evidence in the case and maintained their client’s innocence. "There’s no evidence then and there’s no evidence now that David kidnapped her, murdered her, there just is no evidence of any of this and we’re just as dumbfounded," attorney Jane Weintraub said.
Conclusion
The case has garnered international attention as law enforcement from several different countries have come together to help find Henao Knezevich and the person responsible for her disappearance. Her family has held out hope that she would be found alive but said the filing of the new charges "confirms their worst fears."
FAQs
Q: What is the new indictment charging David Knezevich with?
A: The new indictment charges Knezevich with kidnapping resulting in death, foreign domestic violence resulting in death, and foreign murder of a United States national.
Q: What is the evidence against Knezevich?
A: The evidence against Knezevich includes security video showing him in a Madrid hardware store, a man in a motorcycle helmet resembling Knezevich, and license plates that were stolen in Madrid being spotted on police plate readers.
Q: Has Knezevich been charged before?
A: Yes, Knezevich had previously only been charged with kidnapping his wife.
Q: What is the status of Knezevich’s case?
A: Knezevich has pleaded not guilty to the initial kidnapping charge and has remained jailed without bond. His attorneys are seeking his release from jail while he awaits trial.
