How Serial Killer Andrew Cunanan Evaded Capture Before Murdering Gianni Versace

Andrew Cunanan’s three-month 1997 killing spree spanned four states and left five men dead, ending with the high-profile murder of iconic fashion designer Gianni Versace. Even after landing on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list, Cunanan remained at large, slipping through a law enforcement system hampered by outdated technology, internal biases and minimal national coordination. The drawn-out pursuit has since become a case study in missed opportunities, raising questions about how many lives might have been spared with more modern investigative techniques.

Cunanan, 27, was added to the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list on June 12, 1997, and remained there until his death by suicide on July 23, 1997. He was hiding on a houseboat in Miami Beach before his death, which occurred eight days after he killed Versace on the steps of the fashion icon’s opulent Miami home. Versace was the fifth person Cunanan had killed in cold blood—the previous victims (David Madson, 33; Lee Miglin, 72; William Reese, 45; Jeffrey Trail, 28) lived in other states, and Cunanan had stolen cars to travel across the country and commit his crimes.

Police found Cunanan dead after a caretaker heard a gunshot and checked the unoccupied houseboat where the fugitive was hiding. Authorities concluded that Cunanan had shot himself in the mouth, leaving no suicide note. There remains no solid motive for why Cunanan, a gay man who targeted fellow gay men, did what he did. He seemed to be on a quest for fame and notoriety, and had long been obsessed with money and status, according to a 1997 Vanity Fair article by Maureen Orth.

"If he's going to be a serial killer, he probably wants to be the most famous in the world,” Nicole Ramirez-Murray, a society columnist for the San Diego Gay and Lesbian Times, told the San Francisco Chronicle before Cunanan’s death.

In the documentary Killing Versace: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, Maureen Orth concurred, “He was determined to be remembered, and he was willing to kill for fame.”

But the holdup in locating Cunanan, considering the breadth and visibility of the manhunt for him, remains suspicious.

Police did not initially connect all the crimes Cunanan had committed. The murders occurred in different states, and it took time for authorities to recognize they were linked before naming Cunanan as the suspect.

By the time it was clear they were dealing with a serial killer, Cunanan—who used different aliases and traveled in stolen vehicles—already had a major head start.

Cunanan was often described as a “chameleon,” frequently changing his appearance and behavior. As a result, many tips from the public turned out to be wrong. This spread police resources thin and delayed focused searches. Cunanan used aliases, deception and social manipulation to evade capture, and regularly introduced himself under different names.

He sometimes stayed in seedy motels and other under-the-radar spots instead of in places that could attract attention. He also hung out in busy cities and tourist areas, such as Miami Beach, and moved quickly across several states (Florida, Illinois, Minnesota and New Jersey). Crowded environments made it harder for police to isolate him.

He didn’t follow a clear pattern or return to familiar places, which made predicting his next move difficult. By traveling across states and not staying in one place for long, he made it harder for any one police department to keep tabs on him. Plus, investigators were getting tips about Cunanan sightings from all over the world; most of these sightings were incorrect, and it was impossible for authorities to follow up on every potential sighting.

He often claimed to be wealthy and well-connected, which helped justify his sudden travels and lack of employment. Cunanan was very smart and socially confident and was accustomed to living off of wealthy friends and acquaintances, especially older gay men. Early on, Cunanan used his victims’ money, credit cards and property to move around without drawing attention.

In June 1997, just over one month before he killed Versace, Cunanan became the 449th fugitive placed on the FBI’s online Most Wanted List in 1997. He also appeared on the influential TV show America’s Most Wanted.

Still, the murders occurred before the existence of widespread cell-phone tracking, modern surveillance networks and rapid information-sharing between agencies. Tips traveled slowly, and real-time location tracking wasn’t available. Police often learned about sightings of Cunanan hours or days later, when he had already moved on to a new location.

The murders, which involved gay victims, were not treated with the same gravitas they likely would have received if Cunanan’s victims had been heterosexual. This suggested prejudice within law enforcement at the time. Stigma surrounding some victims’ backgrounds—including links to “sugar daddies” or the sex trade—led the media and authorities to focus on sensationalized details instead of concrete leads.

A lack of cooperation between law enforcement and the gay community, including police failing to distribute Cunanan’s wanted posters in gay venues, forged a sense of police distrust among the LGBTQ+ community that may have discouraged potential witnesses from coming forward.

Sensational 1990s media coverage sometimes conflated Cunanan’s sexuality with his crimes, which led to misleading ideas. One theory was that Cunanan thought he had HIV and that some of his victims were people he believed could have infected him, but his autopsy concluded that Cunanan was actually HIV-negative.

Because some early Cunanan sightings occurred in predominantly gay neighborhoods or venues, people incorrectly generalized that members of the community had covered for him. However, claims that the LGBTQ+ community helped Cunanan evade capture are unsupported and rooted in stigma, not evidence.