Man charged with killing estranged wife in Spain found dead in apparent suicide

A Florida businessman who was charged with kidnapping and killing his estranged wife in Spain died in an apparent suicide, his defense attorney said.

David Knezevich, 37, was found dead at the Federal Detention Center in Miami, where he was awaiting trial.

Knezevich’s attorney, Jayne Weintraub, said she learned that he was found dead in his cell but didn't offer any details about how he died.

“The defense team is devastated to learn of this news," Weintraub said. "We sincerely hope that an appropriate and prompt investigation will be conducted.”

Mr Knezevich was charged last year with kidnapping and killing his estranged wife, Ana Hedao Knezevich, 40, who went missing in a case that has drawn international media attention.

She disappeared from her Madrid apartment in February 2024, five weeks after she had moved there. Her body still hasn't been found.

A man in a motorcycle helmet was seen sneaking into her apartment building and disabling a security camera by spray painting its lens, and was later seen wheeling out a suitcase.

Prosecutors say they have strong evidence that Knezevich was the man in the helmet. They say he flew to Turkey from Miami six days before Ana’s disappearance, then immediately travelled to his native Serbia, where he rented a car.

Security video captured Knezevich at a Madrid hardware store the same day his wife disappeared, using cash to buy duct tape and the same brand of spray paint the man in the motorcycle helmet used on the security camera, according to prosecutors. His rental car had been driven 4,800 miles (7,700km) when it was returned five weeks later, officials said.

Two of the victim’s friends received unusual texts from her, explaining that she was running off for a few days with a man she had just met.

The couple was in the middle of a contentious divorce while fighting over millions of dollars in properties, according to prosecutors. They had been married for 13 years.

Weintraub has said the split was amicable and the financial arrangements were being worked out.