Andrew Cunanan’s trail of terror
From beginning to end, the senseless murders carried out by spree killer Andrew Cunanan left five people dead and many more questions in its wake.
Watch: "48 Hours:" Murder by Design
Jeff Trail, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and a Gulf War veteran, was described as an upbeat, fun-loving, compassionate man. He was pursuing a career with the California Highway Patrol before suddenly and unexpectedly moving to Minneapolis.
"48 Hours"' Richard Schlesinger on meeting Jeff Trail
Michael Williams, a close friend of Trail's, recalls the conversation they had right before he left. "I said 'please be safe' and he reached under the seat [of his car] and pulled out his handgun, and he said, 'I'm gonna be safe, I've got this…' "
The First Murder
On April 29, 1997, when David Madson didn't show up at work, police went to his apartment and discovered the body of Jeff Trail rolled up in a carpet. He had been beaten to death with a hammer. On further investigation, police would discover a duffle bag with the name Andrew Cunanan written on it, giving them their first lead.
David Madson
David Madson, 33, was described an intelligent, handsome, young man with a promising future; he was the entire package. Madson was so driven, he applied to law school and architecture school. He was accepted to both.
According to Andrew Cunanan's friends, Cunanan considered David Madson to be the love of his life, even though their relationship ended in the spring of 1996.
The Second Murder
On the morning of May 3, 1997, Kyle Hilken and Scott Schmidt were out looking for a fishing spot at East Rush Lake when they stumbled upon the body of David Madson in some nearby brush. He was shot in the head with Jeff Trail's handgun. Andrew Cunanan would use that weapon throughout his murder spree.
Lee Miglin
Lee Miglin was a high-powered real estate tycoon beloved by many in Chicago. He was also known for his charitable donations to institutions such as the Museum of Science and Industry. Born to immigrant parents in Illinois, Miglin rose prominently in his chosen career.
Miglin's wife, Marilyn, easily matched him in popularity. The businesswoman and cosmetics mogul appeared regularly on the Home Shopping Network.
Lee Miglin's family vehemently denies that he had ever met Andrew Cunanan.
Bizarre Evidence
Lee Miglin was the third victim in Andrew Cunanan's murderous rampage. The murder of the 72-year-old was particularly brutal and strange. An autopsy revealed that Miglin was repeatedly stabbed and slashed, but even more alarming, investigators found evidence that Cunanan had stayed in Miglin's home to shave, take a shower, and strangest of all, left a sliced ham on his desk.
Lee Miglin's body was discovered on May 4, 1997, bound and stuffed under a vehicle in his garage.
William Reese
William Reese, the sole caretaker at Finn's Point National Cemetery in Pennsville, N.J., was loved dearly by friends and family.
Reese lived with his wife, Rebecca, and their son, Troy, in Upper Deerfield Township. According to his son Troy, William Reese loved Civil War reenactments -- so much so that he was an extra in the 1993 film, "Gettysburg." Troy also fondly recalls something his father always told him, "Never give up and reach for the stars." He says his mother and father made him the man that he became.
William Reese became the fourth victim in Cunanan's murder spree, but his murder was different from the others. Police say Andrew Cunanan murdered William Reese in order to steal his truck.
Crime of Opportunity
William Reese's Red Chevrolet pickup truck stolen from New Jersey was discovered in a Miami parking garage not far from where Gianni Versace was shot. Police believed that articles of clothing discovered next to the truck belonged to Andrew Cunanan and that he quickly changed to throw them off.
Police also discovered that the license plates on the truck were from another vehicle. On his drive down to Miami, Cunanan had stopped off in South Carolina and replaced the truck's N.J. plates with stolen ones.
Wanted by the FBI
On June 12, 1997, Andrew Cunanan became the 449th addition to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list. He would stay on that list for a little over a month.
According to acquaintances, Cunanan always needed to be the center of attention.
"Andrew was very pretentious, loud -- you know, always had to be the center of -- the party -- you know, flaunted his money, which essentially wasn't really his money," said Michael Williams, a close friend of Jeff Trails – Cunanan's first victim.
Gianni Versace
Gianni Versace was born in the town of Reggio Calabria, Italy, on Dec. 2, 1946. His mother, a dressmaker, helped Versace discover his passion for design at a young age. He also looked to the Greek and Roman influences around his town for inspiration.
''When you are born in such a place as Calabria and there is beauty all around, a Roman bath, a Greek remain, you cannot help but be influenced by the classical past,'' he told the New York Times.
Gianni Versace was only 50 when he was shot and killed by Andrew Cunanan.
The Fifth Murder
Gianni Versace was murdered on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion, Casa Casuarina, on July 15, 1997. The fashion designer was returning home from his morning walk to the News Café, where he went to purchase magazines, when Andrew Cunanan approached and fired two shots into his head.
Conspiracy Theories
In a bizarre twist of events, a dead turtle dove was found next to the body of Gianni Versace. Police had written the event off as freak coincidence. One of the bullets Cunanan had fired had struck the gate of Versace's mansion and a fragment had ricocheted and hit the dove. That explanation however, did not stop conspiracy theories that the dove was left as a message.
"One of the first motives that we felt was a possibility, was… that it was a contract hit, or organized crime, Mafia if you will because there was a dead bird found next to the body," said Carlos Noriega, a former lieutenant with the Miami Beach Police Department.
Cunanan's Last Stand
It was on the second floor of this houseboat alongside Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, Fla., that Andrew Cunanan fatally shot himself. The houseboat was under siege for more than four hours before police stormed inside. Authorities would discover Cunanan's body, gun in hand, lying in the upstairs bed. With Cunanan's death went any chance of determining a motive to all these murders.
"There is some sense of it's not complete … why did he do it?... we'll never know," said former prosecutor Michael Band.