South Florida Businessman Accused of Murdering Estranged Wife in Spain
New Charges Filed
A grand jury indictment filed Wednesday charges David Knezevich with kidnapping resulting in death, foreign domestic violence resulting in death, and foreign murder of a United States national. Knezevich, 36, had previously only been charged with kidnapping his 40-year-old wife, Ana Maria Henao Knezevich.
Background
Ana Maria Henao Knezevich, a Colombian native and naturalized American, has been missing since February 2 when she was last seen in Madrid. Knezevich was arrested in May after arriving at Miami International Airport on a flight from Serbia.
Investigation
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. 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.
Evidence
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 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.
Text Messages
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.
Knezevich’s Defense
Knezevich’s attorney has said his client is innocent and was in his native Serbia on the day his wife disappeared, 1,600 miles away. But agents say Knezevich rented a Peugeot in the Serbian capital Belgrade four days earlier.
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 are the new charges against David Knezevich?
A: Knezevich is facing charges of 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 includes security video showing Knezevich in a Madrid hardware store, license plates that were stolen in Madrid, and text messages sent by Knezevich to a Colombian woman.
Q: What is Knezevich’s defense?
A: Knezevich’s attorney has said his client is innocent and was in his native Serbia on the day his wife disappeared.
Q: What is the status of the case?
A: Knezevich has pleaded not guilty to the initial kidnapping charge and has remained jailed without bond. His attorneys plan to seek his release from jail while he awaits trial.
