Who Killed Gianni Versace & Why?

On July 15, 1997, an unknown assailant fatally shot Gianni Versace in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida. Many were shocked by Versace’s death, and people began to believe that his murder might be the result of a hate crime. 

As the investigation commenced, Versace’s former senior stylist, Dean Aslett, came forward and informed the authorities that he witnessed the murder. Soon, the police identified a suspect, and his name was Andrew Cunanan. This was not the first time when Cunanan’s name had come up in a murder case. Authorities suspected him in the killings of four more people in three different US states.

According to the authorities, Cunanan allegedly killed Versace because of his sexual orientation as a gay man. Shockingly, Cunanan evaded police, who, despite an extensive manhunt, couldn’t capture him alive for his alleged crimes.

But why couldn’t the police catch him? Let’s delve deeper and learn more about the case.

Gianni Versace’s murderer: Who was Andrew Cunanan & how did he die?

Born on August 31, 1969, in California, Andrew Cunanan was the youngest of four children. An incredibly bright student, he reportedly attended a private school in California where most of the students came from wealthier families than his. According to ABC News, Cunanan lied to his peers about his family, telling some that he was a member of the Philippine royal family. 

As an adult, Cunanan experienced a luxurious life thanks to his healthy sugar daddy. However, once his sugar daddy dumped him, things went downhill. This is when his killing spree began, and he started to target gay men. FBI believed Cunanan sought revenge on his ex-lovers, suspecting them of giving him HIV. 

Cunanan’s last victim and the most high-profile one was Gianni Versace. Unfortunately, authorities couldn’t apprehend the killer. The murder case closed when Cunanan fatally shot himself in a Miami Beach boat house.

In 2018, the FX series, The Assassination of Gianni Versace, intricately examined the killing of the designer. The series is available for streaming on Prime Video.