Andrew Cunanan

Lore & Background

Andrew Cunanan was the youngest of three children, born to Modesto Cunanan, a U.S. Navy veteran and later stockbroker, and Mary Anne Schillaci. He attended The Bishop's School in La Jolla only for his senior year, where he was remembered as bright and talkative, with an IQ of 147. As a teenager, he developed a reputation as a prolific liar, claiming his mother was Jewish or that his father was Filipino royalty. He identified as gay in high school and began liaisons with wealthy older men. After graduating in 1987, he enrolled at UC San Diego, majoring in history, but dropped out in 1988. He then spent a brief period in San Diego before moving to San Francisco's Castro District in 1990. In San Francisco, he continued befriending wealthy older men, reportedly created violent pornography, and dealt drugs including cocaine and methamphetamine. He may have first met Gianni Versace in October 1990, though this claim is unsubstantiated and Versace's family denied the meeting. In December 1995, he met David Madson, a Minneapolis architect, beginning a long-distance relationship that ended in spring 1996. By April 1997, Cunanan was abusing painkillers and alcohol. He told friends he was leaving San Diego for Minneapolis to see Jeffrey Trail, a former Naval officer and friend who had distanced himself from Cunanan. Trail had told his sister he did not want Cunanan to come. Cunanan's killings began on April 27, 1997, with the murder of Trail, whom he beat to death with a hammer in Madson's apartment. He then killed Madson on May 2, shooting him with a pistol taken from Trail's home. On May 3, he killed Lee Miglin in Chicago, binding and stabbing him with a screwdriver and slitting his throat with a hacksaw. On May 9, he shot and killed cemetery caretaker William Reese in Pennsville Township, New Jersey. Cunanan killed himself on July 23, 1997, eight days after murdering Versace.

Reader's Guide

Andrew Cunanan's significance lies in the high-profile nature of his victims, particularly Gianni Versace, and the debate over his classification as a spree killer versus a serial killer. The Federal Bureau of Investigation lists him as a serial killer, but other sources dispute this, reflecting ongoing ambiguity in criminal profiling. His murders, committed over three months, involved a mix of personal acquaintances and strangers, with motives ranging from personal disputes to seemingly random violence. The case highlighted issues of media sensationalism, the challenges of interstate manhunts, and the complexities of defining serial murder. Cunanan's background—a bright, charismatic individual who descended into drug abuse and violence—also raised questions about the intersection of mental health, sexuality, and criminal behavior. His legacy endures in true crime literature and popular culture, often serving as a cautionary tale about the dangers of deception and unchecked rage.

Did You Know?

• Cunanan was voted 'Most Likely Not to Be Forgotten' by his high school classmates.
• He used the surname DeSilva to disassociate from his Filipino heritage and present a Portuguese origin.
• Cunanan's father deserted the family in 1988 to evade arrest for embezzlement.