The businessman accused of disappearing his ex-wife in Madrid commits suicide in prison

David Knezevich, ex-husband of Ana María Henao, the woman of Colombian origin and American nationality missing in Madrid since February 2024, was found dead in his cell at a federal prison in Miami this Monday, reported the network Telemundo.

Knezevich, 36 years old and of Serbian origin, was detained without bail while facing charges of kidnapping and the alleged murder of his ex-wife

The couple, who were married for 13 years and resided in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, were in the midst of a complicated divorce process, marked by disputes over a multimillion-dollar estate that included shared businesses and properties.

Ana María, 40 years old, decided to move to Madrid at the end of 2023, seeking a fresh start after her separation.

On February 2, 2024, she was last seen, and the following day, friends received unusual messages from her phone, in which she claimed to have met a man and that she would be spending the weekend at his country house. However, her close ones noticed that the writing style did not match that of Ana María

Investigations revealed that, on the very day of his disappearance, the security cameras in the building where he resided in the Salamanca neighborhood were disabled with spray, and no signs of violence were found in his apartment.

Knezevich, who had traveled to Serbia shortly after the disappearance, was arrested by the FBI in May 2024 upon arriving at Miami International Airport from Belgrade.

Since the beginning, he was considered the main suspect, especially due to his limited cooperation with the authorities and his immediate hiring of a criminal defense lawyer in the United States.

During the judicial process, the prosecution presented evidence linking Knezevich to the disappearance of Ana María, including images from a hardware store in Madrid where he was seen purchasing materials that could have been used to disable the security cameras.

Additionally, it was discovered that he had requested the assistance of a woman to write a fake farewell note in "Colombian Spanish", with the aim of deceiving the authorities.​

Although the possibility of seeking the death penalty was initially considered, this was dismissed due to the lack of discovery of Ana María's body, despite searches conducted in Spain and Italy. The lawyer for the Henao family, Adam Ingber, stated that it was a crime "planned for months and months."​

The investigation into the disappearance of Ana María Henao remains ongoing.

Frequently asked questions about the case of Ana María Henao and David Knezevich