Florida-based David Knezevich is accused of travelling from Miami to Madrid through his native Serbia earlier than kidnapping and murdering his estranged spouse, Ana Maria Henao.
A person who was accused of kidnapping his estranged spouse after she went lacking in Spain 9 months in the past has now been charged along with her homicide by a US court docket.
A federal grand jury in Miami this week charged David Knezevich, also called Dušan Knežević, with kidnapping leading to dying, overseas home violence leading to dying and overseas homicide of a US nationwide. If convicted, he may face the dying penalty.
US citizen Ana Maria Henao, 40, went lacking in February in Madrid, the place she was residing. Authorities in Spain and throughout Europe have since been looking for her physique.
Knezevich, 36, a Florida-based businessman who was arrested in Could after flying into Miami Worldwide Airport from his native Serbia, was initially charged with kidnapping leading to dying. In June, Knezevich pleaded not responsible to the kidnapping cost.
In response to the brand new indictment, Knezevich travelled to Madrid from Miami through Turkey and Serbia earlier this 12 months “with the intent to kill, injure, harass, and intimidate his partner and intimate companion, and dedicated against the law of violence towards her, leading to her dying.”
Knezevich’s lead legal professional, Jayne Weintraub, stated on Thursday that his shopper deliberate to plead not responsible at an arraignment listening to subsequent week.
“It’s a determined try by the federal government to cost all the pieces attainable and see what sticks,” Weintraub stated in an electronic mail. “There is no such thing as a proof that David Knezevich kidnapped or murdered his spouse.”
US prosecutors say Knezevich flew to Turkey from Miami in January, six days earlier than Ana’s disappearance, then travelled to his native Serbia, the place he rented a Peugeot automotive.
Safety cameras captured Knezevich shopping for spray paint and duct tape at a {hardware} store in Madrid on the identical day that Henao was final seen — 2 February — in accordance with the court docket information. Knezevich then entered his estranged spouse’s residence constructing and disabled a safety digicam with spray paint, in accordance with prosecutors. He was later seen leaving the constructing with a suitcase, the court docket information stated.
When Knezevich returned the Peugeot car to the rental company in Serbia 5 weeks later, it had been pushed 7,700 kilometres, its home windows had been tinted, and there was proof that its license plate had been eliminated after which put again, prosecutors stated.
The couple had been in the course of a contentious divorce whereas preventing over tens of millions of {dollars} in properties, in accordance with prosecutors. That they had been married for 13 years.
Henao’s brother Diego instructed US media this week that the household welcomed the brand new expenses, and that they might proceed to seek for solutions.
Her kin have beforehand warned of attainable foul play, stating they obtained messages purportedly from Ana phrased in non-native Spanish amid her disappearance.
Extra sources • AP
