David Knezevich, accused of killing his missing wife in Spain, found dead in jail cell

MIAMI (TCN) -- A 37-year-old man who was in federal custody for allegedly killing his missing wife in Spain was found dead in his jail cell Monday from apparent suicide.

WTVJ-TV reports David Knezevich was found dead in his cell Monday, April 28, at approximately 8:15 a.m. at the Federal Detention Center in Miami. The Federal Bureau of Prisons said in a statement, "The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Marshals Service were notified. No employees or other incarcerated individuals were injured and at no time was the public in danger."

Knezevich’s attorney, Jayne Weintraub, said he died by suicide, adding, "The Defense team was devastated to learn about it this morning. We trust that an appropriate investigation will be conducted."

Knezevich was arrested in May 2024 on suspicion of kidnapping his estranged wife, Ana Knezevich, but a superseding indictment filed in November charged him with kidnapping resulting in death, foreign domestic violence resulting in death, and foreign murder of a United States national. Ana Knezevich and her husband were separated and reportedly had plans to divorce.

According to Knezevich’s criminal complaint, Ana Knezevich traveled from Miami to Madrid on Dec. 26, 2023, but she stopped communicating with her family and friends on Feb. 2, 2024. Video footage showed her walking into her apartment building that day at 2:20 p.m., but she was never seen alive again. That night, at around 9:30 p.m., a man wearing a helmet entered the apartment and disabled a security camera by covering it with spray paint, then duct taped the front door shut. The man, who has "physical characteristics that resemble those of Knezevich," left the building at 10:30 p.m. with a suitcase.

Firefighters conducted a welfare check at her apartment on Feb. 4, 2024, and saw that her phone, laptop, and chargers were missing. Detectives located the retailer who sold the helmeted man the spray paint and viewed video footage of a man who allegedly looked like Knezevich purchasing the supplies.

Knezevich allegedly matched with a Colombian woman on a dating app in October 2023, and he messaged her Feb. 3, 2024, on WhatsApp asking her to translate a message for him that read, "I met someone wonderful. He has a summer house about 2h from Madrid. We are going there now and I will spend a few days there. There is barely any signal though. I’ll call you when I’m back. Kisses."

He also asked her to write another message saying, "Yesterday after therapy I needed a walk and he approached me on the street! Amazing connection. Like I never had before."

The Colombian woman reportedly searched Knezevich’s name online and saw an article about how his wife was missing and that a message allegedly sent from Ana Knezevich matched the one she helped translate.

Flight records showed Knezevich flew from Miami to Istanbul, Turkey, on Jan. 27, 2024, then traveled to Serbia. He left Serbia on Jan. 30, 2024, and returned on Feb. 5, 2024. The complaint said it takes about 26 hours to drive from Serbia to Madrid. Around the same time, a man in Spain told law enforcement that his license plates were stolen. The stolen plates were found on a car parked on the same street as Ana Knezevich’s apartment and were seen driving through toll booths.

About a month after her disappearance, a woman claiming to be Ana Knezevich called one of her insurance carriers and asked to cancel three policies she and Knezevich had for their business. One of their employees told investigators that Knezevich allegedly asked her to pretend to be his missing wife so he could open a new bank account.

Ana Knezevich’s remains have not yet been found. Knezevich could have faced the death penalty or a life sentence if he went to prison and was convicted of kidnapping resulting in death.

WTVJ reports Ana Knezevich’s family said in a statement following the news of Knezevich’s death, "The suicide of Ana’s murderer closes a painful chapter in our lives, previously filled with the dread that he might not face justice. Now, we may never know where he put Ana’s body. It is a cruel final insult that we may never recover Ana’s remains or know the full extent of the betrayal she suffered."

The statement continued, "Still, we remain committed to seeking the truth and justice for Ana through our attorney, Mr. Ingber, and to preserving Ana’s memory while honoring her life with dignity, strength, and love. We are thankful to the authorities that they continue to investigate and to search for Ana’s body."

Be sure to watch the "True Crime News" video above to hear from Ana Knezevich’s best friend.

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