Cunanans ride: Cunanan is shown parking a red Jeep with Minnesota plates near the Miglin home before the attack. "Would this guy let some stranger in off the street? He made seemingly little attempt to stay under the radar, despite being on the FBIs Most Wanted list; at one point, he even used his own name to pawn a gold coin he stole from Miglin. The 72-year-old real estate agent was found bludgeoned and stabbed by the man who later killed Versace. But that doesn't mean that what The Assassination Of Gianni Versace portrays is fully accurate. His wife Marilyn had become suspicious when she arrived home from a business trip to Canada that morning, only to find her husband missing and a handgun in a bathroom though the gun later turned out to be a replica. After the killing, Cunanan took Miglin's Lexus and drove to New Jersey. Brad Edwards is an investigative reporter and main anchor at CBS2 Chicago. Trail had reportedly told friends that he had had a big fallout with Andrew and never wished to see him again.. Miglin family members did not return a Tribune request for comment. In an emailed statement to The Chicago Sun-Times, American Crime Story executive producer Brad Simpson said: Bustle reached out to FX and the network declined to give additional comment. That Sunday night, CBS 2's Jodine Costanzo reported police found Miglin, 72, with his throat slashed ear-to-ear and his feet bound with masking tape. Yet, this version of events goes against what Miglin's family has. Cunanan did not torture Reese like he did Miglin, and that makes it seem like perhaps there was something more personal about Miglin's murder. She also said that, according to a Minneapolis homicide sergeant, the FBI had been told by a witness that Cunanan had told her he was going into business with Duke Miglin but that the Chicago police were ignoring this. The initial Chicago Tribune article reported that the 72-year-old Miglin was found dead in his garage. So far, they have refused. According to Cunanan's friends, Cunanan considered David Madson to be the love of his life, even though their relationship ended in the spring of 1996. Days later, Cunanan shot and killed his former lover David Madson, 33, and dumped his body near a lake in Minnesota. Police had gone to Madson's apartment after he hadn't shown up for work, and found Trail's body there, CBS News reported. Man With 'Interest in Killing Black People' Charged With Terrorism After Attempted Train Attack, The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election. After the standoff, police went in and found the body speculated to be Cunanan's inside though police were not yet identifying Cunanan at that point. According to ABC-7 Chicago's recent look back at Miglin's death on the 20th anniversary of the murder, Cunanan covered Miglin's head and face with tape, tortured him with a screwdriver and. Check out Romper's new video series, Romper's Doula Diaries: Watch full episodes of Romper's Doula Diaries on Facebook Watch. Investigators said that Madsons body showed no sign of restraints, and his only defensive wounds were in his fingers, suggesting that he had raised his hands to try and deflect one of the shots. His mouth was gagged with a white garden glove with numerous black rubber dots. Wednesday's new episode of "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" didn't feature the famed designer at all, instead focusing . "I lived the life of a fairy princess and I had a prince for 38 years, and then one day my prince went to war and didn't come back," she said. At any rate, the FBI looked into these claims that Cunanan knew Miglin or his family, but no link was ever established. And if we didn't know, we really tried to allow for interpretation. Miglin was Cunanan's third victim (out of what would become five total), and the show bluntly depicts the way Cunanan bound him with tape and brutally tortured and murdered him in Miglin's garage while his wife, Marilyn, was out of town on business. The pair engage in an intimate conversation onstage after the show. On the road he hears over the car radio that the police are able to track his movements through the cars phone. "What do you say about a man you loved passionately for 38 years a man who exemplified courage, and honor, and dignity, and a code of ethics beyond any that I think anybody's ever had?" The Cook County Medical Examiner's office said his clothes were saturated in blood, but the area around him was clean suggesting that his body may have been moved. Former U.S. naval officer Jeffrey Trail had become friends with Cunanan in San Diego in 1991, while Trail was stationed there. All Rights Reserved. According to ABC-7 Chicago's recent look back at Miglin's death on the 20th anniversary of the murder, Cunanan covered Miglin's head and face with tape, tortured him with a screwdriver and. Police also later found a duffel bag in Madson's apartment with Cunanan's name and a La Jolla, California address on it. Instead, she took care of Miglin's 98-year-old mother and brother-in-law, who was very close to Lee, the fourth of seven children. Cunanan and Miglin are shown sharing a long embrace and kiss. "A lot of false things were brought up and they were very hurtful, very painful, for me personally and there were attacks on me as well that I really didn't appreciate. Instead, he was targeted by a lone gunman who wasn't out to rob his victim, but rather fired at point-blank range before running off. He said if you don't help me I'm going to proceed to file a lawsuit against you, your mother and your wife for the garage," Duke said. Another man, Jeffrey Trail, 28, had been found beaten to death with a hammer and rolled in a carpet in Madson's apartment on April 29, 1997. Death. Simpson told the paper that producers also studied FBI records and witness accounts. Matt Rodriguez arrives at the Miglin home to oversee the crime scene. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. The only source for the latter is Orth, who, quoting several anonymous sex workers, claims it was well-known in Chicagos gay community that Miglin was gay. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. As depicted in 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,' Cunanan killed four other men before murdering Versace in July 1997. Marilyn Miglin died just this past March at the age of 83, and maintained to her death that her husband and Cunanan never knew each other. An open pint of chocolate ice cream and a Coke can are shown on the kitchen counter. The only evidence there is points toward Cunanan killing Miglin for his car and his money, even if that means there is a lot left unexplained about the murder itself. Miglin proudly shows Cunanan the plans for his dream project, the Sky Needle, that at 125 stories was to be the tallest building in the world. The skyscraper was never built. Then in May, Cunanan repeatedly stabbed Lee Miglin, a 72-year-old Chicago real estate developer and wealthy businessman, according to authorities. Miami Beach police and FBI agents surround the houseboat where Andrew Cunanan's body was later found. Naval Academy in Annapolis and a Gulf War veteran. According to ABC-7 Chicago's recent look back at Miglin's death on the 20th anniversary of the murder, Cunanan covered Miglin's head and face with tape, tortured him with a screwdriver and garden saw, and broke his ribs with multiple blows to the chest and torso, all of which is re-created in the FX drama. Egan has offered to allow the Miglins to continue using the garage if they pay $1,400 a month. All rights reserved. Orth called Madson the great unrequited love of Cunanans life and noted that although the pair had broken up in the spring of 1996, Cunanan kept a picture of Madson on his refrigerator door. The first episode shows Versace and Cunanan meeting in the VIP area of a nightclub, where an initially irritated Versace is eventually won over by Cunanans story about his mothers upbringing in Italy. As CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reported from Miami, police quickly dismissed the idea that Versace's murder was a random act. Matt Rodriguez. Police press conference: We consider Andrew Cunanan to be armed and to be extremely dangerous. Though his mother would later bitterly describe him as a "high-class male prostitute," Cunanan was actually more of a male mistress or giggolo - the kept companion of a succession of older gay men who would lavish clothes . Is Prince Andrew Moving to Frogmore Cottage? Ms. Miglin called 911 and reported her husband missing, and also reported the couple's 1994 green Lexus missing from the garage. Federal investigators believed Cunanan may have been targeting gay men. The episode's version of events depicts that Lee Miglin knew Andrew Cunanan before Cunanan allegedly killed him. Miglin was also known for philanthropic activities, including fundraising for the University of Chicago Medical Center and the Museum of Science and Industry. Police also noticed the suspect or suspects had helped themselves to a ham in the refrigerator, and left a half-eaten apple behind, before fleeing in Miglin's Lexus. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. The FBI painted Cunanan as a highly intelligent and dangerous man who desired a life of luxury. Despite Miglin's wife and their son Duke vehemently denying any previous connection between Cunanan and Miglin, reports from several people indicate Miglin and Cunanan may have been involved on a romantic or even sexual level, according to ABC7Chicago. Madsons family members suspected that he had accidentally walked in on the killing of Trail, and subsequently been taken hostage by Cunanan, and this is the version of events that plays out in American Crime Story. "We don't even think about it," said Marylin. Yet, this version of events goes against what Miglin's family has maintained for 21 years. Cook County medical examiner Edmund Donoghue dismisses the element of ritualistic torture. Either [Cunanan] knew of the guy or knew his son. 25 years ago: Andrew Cunanan's murder spree takes Lee Miglin's life. "I'd say it's highly probable that he knew Miglin," said McCrary. As a police assault team closed in on a houseboat which Cunanan had broken into, Cunanan shot himself in the mouth using the same gun he had used to kill Madson, Reese, and Versace. I am rather leaning towards Miglin being a closeted gay older man that Andrew connected with by chance rather than it being a "random killing." What the executive producers told me at the 2018 TCA Winter press tour is that they tried to do justice to the victims as best they could based on the differing statements and accounts. When he didn't show up, she became suspicious about her husband's whereabouts, according to the Chicago Tribune. CHICAGO (WLS) -- Twenty years after the murder of Chicago real estate mogul Lee Miglin, the garage where he was killed is still causing pain for his family. "My reaction, of course, is sad, because there are a lot of matters we want to clear up with respect to our case here in the city of Chicago," said then-police Supt. Egan, CEO of Roseland Hospital, lost a 2011 campaign for 43rd ward alderman. Police believed Miglin had been murdered between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. the day before. Marilyn also reported at the time that she found a handgun in the bathroom, which turned out to be a replica. After murdering Miglin in his garage, Cunanan went into the family's home, ate a ham sandwich, shaved and rested. A socialite and philanthropist, Miglin was a resident of Chicago's wealthy Gold Coast Historic District. His watch had stopped at 9:55 pm, which investigators believed was the time of his killing on Sunday, April 27. Miglins family has consistently and vigorously denied that Leeor his 25-year-old son Duke, a rising actor whose name Cunanan had reportedly dropped to friendshad ever met Cunanan. An initial theory told to Morrell by sources was that Miglin had parked his Lexus in a garage and walked across the alleyway, and was in the process of opening his back gate when someone stuck what Miglin believed to be a loaded gun in his back and ordered him into his other garage. Child on bike hit by school bus in Mount Prospect: police, Chicago mayoral race down to Vallas, Johnson in runoff election. William Reese, a 45-year-old caretaker at the Finns Point National Cemetery in Pennsville, New Jersey, was found dead in the cemeterys office on May 10. The FBI also reported there had been sightings of Cunanan in the Palm Beach and Miami areas in the weeks prior. Morrell's source said in that garage, Miglin was nearly decapitated with a pair of five-foot-long pruning shears, which were recovered in the garage. After killing Miglin, Cunanan left with his car, several items of clothing, $2,000 in cash, and some gold coins from the safe. He also appeared to have been tortured with a screwdriver. Morgan Doughty Filed A Lawsuit Against The Murdaugh Family, Heres How To Watch The Alex Murdaugh Trial Live, Sophie Turners Joan Charts The Rise Of A Famous British Jewel Thief, Alex Murdaugh Faces Life In Prison For Allegedly Killing His Wife & Son, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. On May 8, 1997, everything changed in the investigation theories about random street crime were no more. But that doesn't seem to account for the grotesque violence of Miglin's death. "I've never seen any credible evidence to show that there was a relationship," said Milan. Because of these details, there were rumors that Miglin had known the young man who allegedly killed him and perhaps even had a sexual relationship with him. At the time of his death, Versace was one of the most high-profile fashion designers in the world, dressing the likes of Princess Diana, Madonna and Elton John. We don't know, and we were always trying to get it as close to right as we could, knowing that there was not as much information to draw from, and try to do justice to people who were impacted by it.". "We know who we are and what we stand for.". So what is the truth behind the artistic license? The show sticks closely to this gruesome version of events. About three years ago, Marlena Miglin added Egan to the title when she was trying to get a business loan. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The Tribune explores what Wednesdays episode got right and wrong about the events that occurred in Chicago, based on reporting at the time. As noted in published reports, Miglin was born in 1924 in downstate Illinois the son of a Lithuanian immigrant coal miner. The minute you start feeling sorry for yourself, everyone else falls.". Police response: Chicago Police Supt. From Vulgar Favors: Two leather coats were missing, one of them (Miglins son) Duke's, a couple of suits, along with some insignificant ladies jewelry and a dozen pairs of new Sulka black socks from the bedroom.. Cunanan was visiting Minnesota at the time, had stayed at Trails apartment the night before his murder, and called Trail on Sunday evening to invite him over to Madsons apartment. The episode leaves it for viewers to puzzle out, but in real life, Cunanan's motivations are similarly mysterious. CBS 2's Geoff Morrell reported that detectives initially believed Miglin did not know his killer or killers but rather believed it was a crime of opportunity, and Miglin was targeted because he was rich and vulnerable. The FX series doesn't touch this alleged connection, at least not in this episode. Sample Page; ; Versaces longtime partner and family have said portions of the series are inaccurate. The police deemed the murder a crime of opportunity, according to the Chicago Tribune. Their two children, Marlena and Duke, an actor, were adults at the time of Miglin's murder. Darren Criss, left, plays con artist Andrew Cunanan and Mike Farrell plays Chicago real estate tycoon Lee Miglin on "American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace. (Matt Dinerstein / FX). Witnesses quickly identified someone matchingCunanan's description at the scene, and a manhunt for Cunanan was under way in Miami that night. The mentions of Cunanan's connection to the Miglin family are more along the lines of his actually knowing Duke, the Miglins' son. It happened that Schlesinger had interviewed Trail years before he was murdered for a story on gays in the military. He killed William Reese, a 45-year-old. So it's important to remember that this episode is a dramatization of an incomplete set of facts. It premieres Wednesday. He was pursuing a career with the California Highway Patrol before suddenly and unexpectedly moving to Minneapolis. Meanwhile, investigators later learned that after murdering Miglin, Cunanan not only ate some ham and left a sliced ham on Miglin's desk, but he also hung around at the Miglin home to shave and take a shower. However, there were no signs of forced entry into the Miglins home, and Orth noted in her coverage that as an older, wealthy, and socially influential man, Miglin was a type Cunanan was known to research carefully.. Kate Recreated a Past Outfit for St. David's Day, American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, shooting Gianni Versace on the front steps of his mansion, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. The car belonged to one of the men that Cunanan was suspected of murdering in Minneapolis. Miglin was meant to pick Marilyn up from Chicago O'Hare airport that morning. Magazines, Digital On July 15, 1997, Cunanan approached the famed Italian designer as he returned to his Miami Beach mansion after a morning trip to a nearby caf. The 27-year-old was on the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, suspected in the killings of four other people in Minnesota, Illinois and New Jersey. At 10 p.m. Monday on ABC7, Chuck Goudie's "Evil Memories" will look at Lee Miglin's murder by psychopath Andrew Cunanan. A Complete Timeline of Andrew Cunanan's Murders, had a big fallout with Andrew and never wished to see him again., Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in US History, was found in a Minneapolis loft apartment, found dead in the cemeterys office on May 10, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Miglin family members have long denied Lee Miglin and Cunanan knew each other before the attack. Shortly after Miglins murder, Cunanan became the 449th fugitive listed on the FBIs Most Wanted list. Cunanan's string of murders ended on July 23 of that year with his suicide by firearm. The series, which premiered Jan. 17, is slated for a nine-episode run. All Rights Reserved. Trail had been beaten to death with a claw hammer, and his body rolled up in a rug. Indeed, according to the 1997 Chicago Tribune report of the murder, "There was no forced entry to the home, suggesting that Miglin knew his assailant or was accosted outside and forced into the home.". Then in May, Cunanan repeatedly stabbed Lee Miglin, a 72-year-old Chicago real estate developer and wealthy businessman, according to authorities. Marilyn Miglin said on Tuesday, May 6. Cunanan had tucked Miglin's body under a car in the garage and attempted to obscure it with trash cans, according to the Chicago Tribune. Miglin was known for being meticulous, which is why his wife Marilyn found it strange that the front gate was unlocked when she returned home from a business trip Sunday morning. The Chicago Tribune reported on the murder after Miglin was killed in May 1997 and before Cunanan was named as a suspect. A suspect seen any credible evidence to show that there was a relationship, '' said Marylin police FBI... 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