Moreover, the crime scene showed . From there, Cunanan drove off in Reese's truck. All Rights Reserved. Look at my husband Lee, one of seven children, the son of an Illinois coal miner. Miglin's daughter, Marlena Miglin, is now going through a bitter divorce from Tim Egan, 2nd Ward Democratic committeeman. But the murder of Miglin, and Cunanan's whereabouts, remained a mystery until Tuesday, July 15, 1997 when fashion icon Gianni Versace was shot on the steps of his oceanfront villa,Casa Casuarina, in Miami's South Beach neighborhood. None of this information really explains why Cunanan did what he did. "Lee Miglin built that garage for his . He was on the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, the subject of a national manhunt, and was hiding out in Miami Beachs gay scene at the time he killed Versace. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. After telling Miglin, Im in control now (a quote added for dramatic effect, since no one else was in the garage to verify), the fictional Cunanan gags the older mans mouth with a gardening glove, ties him up, and hits him repeatedly in the face. "A Random Killing" posits that Cunanan and Miglin knew one another, implying that Miglin was a closeted gay or bisexual man who had hired Cunanan, a sex worker, several times before. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. In the aftermath of the murder, reporters and authorities tried to find a link between Miglin, who appeared to have been happily married for nearly 40 years, and Cunanan. The program recruited 200 of Chicagos most successful women and had them serve as mentors for young women across a variety of professions. 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.. Four mug shots of Andrew Cunanan, who shot and killed fashion designer Gianni Versace. Check out Romper's new video series, Romper's Doula Diaries: Watch full episodes of Romper's Doula Diaries on Facebook Watch. On the morning of Saturday, May 3, Kyle Hilken and Scott Schmidt were out looking for a fishing spot at East Rush Lake when they stumbled upon Madson's body in some nearby brush. The show also includes the rather creepy details about how Cunanan made himself at home at the Miglins' after the murder. He began his career selling premixed pancake batter out of the trunk of a beat-up old car, Marilyn Miglin says at the fundraiser on American Crime Story. She goes on to mention that Miglin built the Chicago Bar Association building (he developed it with business partner J. Paul Beitler in 1990). In 2018, the anthology television series "American Crime Story" issued a nine-part true-crime dramatization of the story of the Cunanan murders titled "The Assassination of Gianni Versace" in which Miglin, played by Mike Farrell, and Cunanan, played by Darren Criss, were presented as having had a furtive personal relationship. Maureen Orth, in her book Vulgar Favors on which the series is based, supports the first two details but is more vague about the concrete block to the head, reporting only that there were two dozen blows to the head, face, and chin. That Cunanan threw a concrete block on Miglins chest is less in doubt, as it would account for the multiple broken ribs. Andrew was thrilled and Eli couldn't believe it. Cunanan later pawns a gold coin in Miami Beach and uses his real name on the pawn shop form, one of the details that comes to light after Cunanan kills Versace in Miami Beach in July 1997. 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. 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. Shortly after Trail, 28, had moved to Minnesota for a new job, his body was found in a Minneapolis loft apartment belonging to his friend, David Madsonan ex-lover of Cunanans. The FBI also reported there had been sightings of Cunanan in the Palm Beach and Miami areas in the weeks prior. Lee, portrayed by Mike Farrell of M*A*S*H, had his real estate company and Marilyn, played by Judith Light of Transparent, owns a cosmetics and fragrance company. 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 . Wednesday's new episode of "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" didn't feature the famed designer at all, instead focusing . Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. "The problem in this case is the only person who knows or the only people who know are dead," Schlesinger said. Miglin family members have long denied Lee Miglin and Cunanan knew each other before the attack. "Because they are refusing to let him have access to the garage, we filed a demand under the law to demand access," said Berton Ring, Egan's eviction case attorney. Some reportsincluding one in the New York Timesclaimed that Cunanan had told friends he was HIV-positive, and that he was murdering former lovers out of a desire for vengeance on whoever had infected him. His face was wrapped in masking tape, his feet were bound, and his throat was slashed. Cunanan's motivations are similarly mysterious, try to pawn one of Miglin's coins in Miami, of friend Jeff Trail and ex-boyfriend David Madson. Investigators still dont know why Andrew Cunanan killed Gianni Versace. In fact, the series depicts Miglin as being a closeted homosexual who hires Cunanan as a sex worker. But on "American Crime Story," Lee Miglin is shown talking with Cunanan on the phone. Miglin was killed in the garage on May 3, 1997 by serial killer Andrew Cunanan. 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.. The perpetrator stole $2,000 and some of Miglin's personal items. Miglin family members have long denied Lee Miglin and Cunanan knew each other before the attack. All Rights Reserved. While her husband's murder was a tragedy, Marilyn did not let it define her. Initially, their interactions played out like the sex work viewers saw Cunanan engage in in the second episode of the series. There is no indisputable evidence to suggest Lee Miglin was involved with men or knew Cunanan specifically. Cunanan then took off. The Sky Needle is grounded in fact (the project was on track until 1990, when financing collapsed), though the portrayal of Miglin showing the drawings to Cunanan is probably entirely invented. The Washington Post noted the link was found in a sport-utility vehicle that had been parked illegally near the Miglin home for several days. It was later determined that Cunanan likely killed Reese solely for his truck, and not for any of the more complex and personal reasons that seemed to define his other four murders. Versace had a longtime boyfriend, Antonio DAmico. The Jan. 31 episode of The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (executive producer: Nina Jacobson), "A Random Killing," focuses on the murder of Lee Miglin, a real estate mogul from Chicago. "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. Death. American Crime Story alleges otherwise. The killer was. 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. Instead, the story delves into the crime Versaces killer, Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss), committed before heading for Miami: the May 1997 murder of successful Chicago real estate developer Lee Miglin. She loves owls, hates cilantro, and can find the queer subtext in literally anything. The California native, who could speak two languages, dropped out of college and funded his lifestyle thanks to relationships with older, wealthier gay men, federal investigations found. From Vulgar Favors: Lee, born Albert Lee Miglin, one of eight children of a central Illinois coal miner, began his career selling stainless steel flatware door to door and premixed pancake batter out of the trunk of his car.. In a 2017 interview with ABC7, the local Chicago affiliate, Duke denied that he or his father ever knew Cunanan. Miglin home after the attack: Marilyn Miglin immediately knows something is wrong when she returns home from her business trip and gets help from a couple walking by the home. The book includes more details about the crime scene and the conditions in which Miglin's body was found, Vanity Fair noted. Who is Lee Miglin, Andrew Cunanan's Third Victim? Shortly after Miglins murder, Cunanan became the 449th fugitive listed on the FBIs Most Wanted list. Today, she still works as a beauty authority, author, and speaker, appearing monthly on the Home Shopping Network to promote products such as her signature fragrance Pheromone, according to her website. Police believed Miglin had been murdered between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. the day before. The Tribune explores what Wednesdays episode got right and wrong about the events that occurred in Chicago, based on reporting at the time. On May 8, 1997, everything changed in the investigation theories about random street crime were no more. 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. "That's right," Andrew answered. The drama introduces a note of ritual humiliation, with Cunanan telling Miglin that when his body is found he will be wearing ladies underwear and surrounded by gay porn magazines. 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. The show sticks closely to this gruesome version of events. 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. There are references made to this not being their first meeting and not their first meeting of a sexual nature. Heres what to know about suspected serial killer Andrew Cunanan: Hours after Versaces shooting death, authorities identified Andrew Cunanan as the prime suspect. The show suggests that Miglin arranged an assignation with Cunanan, an escort whose services he had used before, while his dynamic wife was out of town on business, though there is no hard proof of this and, as in the series, the family denied that the two knew each other. After he murders Miglin, he takes the businessmans dark green Lexus to continue his killing spree. The 72-year-old real estate agent was found bludgeoned and stabbed by the man who later killed Versace. 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. The Medical Examiner found no defensive wounds on Miglin. Cunanans ride: Cunanan is shown parking a red Jeep with Minnesota plates near the Miglin home before the attack. The source also said Miglin had been covered with a plastic bag, and masking tape wrapped around his throat. On the night of May 4, 1997, Andrew Cunanan murdered Miglin and stole his Lexus to flee the scene of the crime. But you know, who knows?" The nature of it suggests that it was personal just as police work 101 when it's up close that way, and stab wounds, all of these types of wounds that's generally people who know the victim. His mouth was gagged with a white garden glove with numerous black rubber dots. The FBI painted Cunanan as a highly intelligent and dangerous man who desired a life of luxury. The only evidence there is points toward Cunanan killing Miglin for his car and. Certainly any sexual relationship was not an angle the police gave much credence to, at least publicly. What truly happened remains a mystery to this day, but Gregg McCrary, former supervisory special agent of the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Unit, told Vanity Fair that he thinks the possibility of Miglin's murder being random is unlikely. According to an article in Newsweek from May 1997, Miglin was found in his garage with stab wounds, and his throat slashed with a gardener's bow saw, his feet constrained, and his head covered in tape. Did Cunanan somehow meet Miglin through Gamma Mu, a secretive gay men's fraternity? The American Crime Story episode scheduled to air next week will follow Cunanan as he kills two men in Minnesota before killing Miglin. Miglin was stabbed more than 20 times with a screwdriver on May 3. 72-year-old real estate tycoon Lee Miglin was found dead in the garage of his Gold Coast home on the morning of May 4. Cunanan's fourth victim, William Reese, was also reported as a crime of opportunity: Cunanan needed his truck, so he shot Reese in the head and stole it. "My father didn't get to see my children, he didn't get to meet my wifeThere's never really closure in a situation like this.". Then in May, Cunanan repeatedly stabbed Lee Miglin, a 72-year-old Chicago real estate developer and wealthy businessman, according to authorities. Then Cunanan is shown laying Miglin down in his garage, wrapping his legs together with orange extension cord, strangling him, punching him in the face, throwing a bag of concrete on his chest and stabbing him. The idea that he just picked him up off the street and stalked him and tortured him and then killed him is bizarre not the most likely scenario.". Miglin's family said the same, releasing the following statement after Cunanan's suicide: "(The car) was taken by a complete stranger in a random act of violence who had no connection whatsoever to any member of the Miglin family.". There are a few places [in the TV show] where things didnt happen at all, Orth told Vanity Fairs Still Watching podcast. ''He went out in the afternoons and late evening,'' William J. Esposito, the bureau's deputy director, said at a Washington news conference, per the New York Times. Episode 3 of The Assassination of Gianni Versace tests whether well still be interested in the series without its title character, who is largely absent from the action. Judith Light portrays Chicago socialite Marilyn Miglin in the series. Madson was so driven, he applied to law school and architecture school. But that's just one theory. The police deemed the murder a crime of opportunity, according to the Chicago Tribune. He was "a man I could have been," as Cunanan remarked to his friend Ronnie in Episode 2. Later, Cunanan goes on a date with Versace to the San Francisco Opera, where the designer is working on Capriccio. Marilyn Miglin, the Chicago beauty mogul who rose to fame as a host of the Home Shopping Network and was thrust into the national limelight again in 1997 when her husband Lee Miglin was. But where the television series begins to diverge from some reports is in what relationship Cunanan had to the Miglin family, if any. Marilyn Miglin called the police around 8 a.m. that Sunday, after discovering a 9 mm handgun in the bathroom. CBS 2's Mike Parker reported Chicago Police had been aching to talk with Cunanan about the murder of Miglin. Episode three focuses on one such incident: Cunanan's brutal murder of Chicago real-estate mogul Lee Miglin in May of that year. 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. Schlesinger said there was some speculation that Versace and Cunanan had met briefly at an opera performance in San Francisco but it would have been in passing. He was accepted to both. Attorneys call the situation an "unfortunate coincidence" which played out Monday in a Cook County courtroom. Cunanan's third victim was 72-year-old prominent real estate developer Lee Miglin from Chicago. "It's a painful, painful thing that's happening," said Duke Miglin, Lee Miglin's son. In the one scene in which the police speak with Duke about Cunanan, he doesn't give any indication that he recognizes Cunanan's name from anywhere. Crime specialists told Orth for her Vanity Fair article that Cunanan randomly killing Miglin didn't make sense to them. While American Crime Story season two is based on the real-life murder spree Andrew Cunanan committed in the Spring and Summer of 1997, there are a number of events the producers had to create by imagining what would have transpired because there are no people still alive who can give firsthand accounts of what happened. "We don't know what happened over that weekend with Lee Miglin, and there are conflicting statements, so it was a real challenge for us to decide: what do we feel is authentically true, what do we believe to be true, and how can we do justice to these characters?" 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Here's what we know about Miglin and his family. 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. Police had gone to Madson's apartment after he hadn't shown up for work, and found Trail's body there, CBS News reported. Miami Beach police and FBI agents surround the houseboat where Andrew Cunanan's body was later found. Cunanan was a serial killer, suspected in four other deaths. Another connection that Orth investigated was one between Cunanan and Lee and Marilyn's son Duke. As CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reported from Miami, police quickly dismissed the idea that Versace's murder was a random act. Miglin and Beitler initially revealed plans for the Skyneedle, which would have soared more than 1,900 feet at the corner of Madison and Wells streets, in the late 80s. 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