Introduction to the Case
A South Florida businessman charged in the murder and disappearance of his estranged wife in Spain last year has been found dead in jail, his attorney confirmed Monday.
David Knezevich had been charged with kidnapping resulting in death, foreign domestic violence resulting in death and foreign murder of a United States national in the Feb. 2, 2024 disappearance of Ana Maria Henao Knezevich.
Background of the Accused
Broward Sheriff’s Office
David Knezevich
His attorney, Jayne Weintraub, confirmed his death in a brief statement.
"The Defense team was devastated to learn about it this morning. We trust than an appropriate investigation will be conducted," her statement read.
Further details of his death weren’t available.
Knezevich, 37, was arrested in May of 2024 after arriving at Miami International Airport on a flight from Serbia. He had been behind bars without bond while awaiting trial.
The Disappearance of Ana Maria Henao Knezevich
Family Photos
Ana Maria Henao Knezevich was allegedly kidnapped by estranged husband David Knezevich
Henao Knezevich, a Colombian native and naturalized American who had lived in Fort Lauderdale, was last seen in Madrid last year, after heading to Spain amid a contentious divorce from her estranged husband.
Federal prosecutor Lacee Monk said in court last May that prosecutors believe Ana is dead and that the FBI and Spain’s national police have substantial evidence that Knezevich had been behind his wife’s disappearance, which happened five weeks after she left him and moved to Madrid.
The Investigation and Evidence
She said the couple had been going through a nasty divorce after 13 years of marriage, fighting over how to split a substantial fortune they had amassed from their computer firm and real estate investments. He didn’t want her to have an equal share, Monk said.
According to an indictment filed in November, 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.
Court documents show that authorities believe Knezevich resembles the man wearing a motorcycle helmet who spray painted the security camera lens outside her Madrid apartment on Feb. 2, 2024. The man left an hour later carrying a suitcase.
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.
TELEMUNDO 51
Ana Maria Henao Knezevich
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. The driver could not be seen because the windows were tinted.
The Suspect’s Alibi and Trial
The morning after his wife disappeared, prosecutors say Knezevich texted a Colombian woman he met on a dating app to translate into “perfect Colombian” Spanish two English messages. After the woman sent those back to Knezevich, two of Ana’s friends received those exact messages from her cellphone. The messages said Ana was going off with a man she had just met on the street, something the friends say she would have never done.
Knezevich’s attorney said he was in his native Serbia on the day his 40-year-old wife disappeared, 1,600 miles away. But agents say Knezevich rented a Peugeot in the Serbian capital Belgrade four days earlier.
When Knezevich returned the Peugeot to the rental agency five weeks later, it had been driven 4,800 miles, its windows had been tinted, two identifying stickers had been removed and there was evidence its license plate had been removed and then put back, prosecutors said.
Knezevich had pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his attorneys had maintained his innocence.
Conclusion
The case garnered international attention as law enforcement from several different countries came together to try to help find Henao Knezevich and the person responsible for her disappearance.
Henao Knezevich’s family had filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Knezevich in February,
FAQs
Q: Who was David Knezevich?
A: David Knezevich was a South Florida businessman charged in the murder and disappearance of his estranged wife, Ana Maria Henao Knezevich, in Spain.
Q: What were the charges against David Knezevich?
A: Knezevich was charged with kidnapping resulting in death, foreign domestic violence resulting in death, and foreign murder of a United States national.
Q: How did David Knezevich die?
A: The details of his death were not available.
Q: What was the status of the case before David Knezevich’s death?
A: Knezevich had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was awaiting trial.
