She also said that, according to a Minneapolis homicide sergeant, the FBI had been told by a witness that Cunanan had told her he was going into business with Duke Miglin but that the Chicago police were ignoring this. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CBS 2's Geoff Morrell reported that detectives initially believed Miglin did not know his killer or killers but rather believed it was a crime of opportunity, and Miglin was targeted because he was rich and vulnerable. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Cunanan travels to New Jersey, where he kills a cemetery caretaker, and takes his red pickup truck while leaving behind Miglins Lexus. Wednesday evening, police sources said the proximity of the Jeep to Miglin's Gold Coast townhouse remained the only concrete clue to link Cunanan to the Chicago slaying.. Marilyn Miglin said on Tuesday, May 6. 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. Miglin was meant to pick Marilyn up from Chicago O'Hare airport that morning. 25 years ago: Andrew Cunanan's murder spree takes Lee Miglin's life. After starting his career as a door-to-door salesman and then broker, Miglin became a successful real estate developer. However, an autopsy showed Cunanan to be HIV-negative. What American Crime Story Makes Up About Lee Miglin's Horrific Murder, American Crime Story The Assassination Of Gianni Versace. Miglin's body had been found that morning in the garage behind the mansion at 25 E. Scott St. where he lived with his wife, cosmetics entrepreneur, "Home Shopping Network" host, and "Queen of Makeovers" Marilyn Miglin. Iconic Chicago columnist and longtime CBS 2 contributor Irv Kupcinet had once described Lee and Marilyn Miglin as two of Chicago's finest citizens. Certainly any sexual relationship was not an angle the police gave much credence to, at least publicly. Earlier the same day, he'd gotten a haircut at Cote d'Or Coiffures, 40 E. Oak St. "He was in a very good mood," said Cote d'Or owner Delores Kimmel. CBS 2's Mike Parker reported Chicago Police had been aching to talk with Cunanan about the murder of Miglin. On 4 May 1997, Miglin was murdered by a serial killer named Andrew Cunanan, whose case, The Assassination of Gianni Versace, was created into a television series. 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. 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. The book includes more details about the crime scene and the conditions in which Miglin's body was found, Vanity Fair noted. After the killing, Cunanan took Miglin's Lexus and drove to New Jersey. Among Cunanan's many victims was Chicago real estate tycoon Lee Miglinthe third individual to die in the serial killer's murderous spree. Despite what the Miglin family says, The Assassination Of Gianni Versace gives a version of events where Miglin did know Cunanan. Instead, she took care of Miglin's 98-year-old mother and brother-in-law, who was very close to Lee, the fourth of seven children. They were tracking every lead they could -- hunting for Gianni Versace's suspected killer:. So far, they have refused. In episode three, Cunanan shows up at Miglin's house and is invited in. There were over two dozen blows causing bruises or lacerations to his head, face, and chin; the blood from these wounds soaked through layer upon layer of three-quarter-inch masking tape that had been wound around his head mummy-style, except for an opening at the nostrils and at the top of his head. Gay pornographic magazines had been left not far away.. I have wanted to share this with you for a long time, but never had the chance, Lee Miglin is shown saying to Cunanan as he divulges his plans for the Skyneedle, which at 1,952 feet and 125 stories would be the tallest building in the world. I promise you, this will happen, Miglin tells Cunanan. However, the dominance and submission play quickly took a violent turn. Witnesses quickly identified someone matchingCunanan's description at the scene, and a manhunt for Cunanan was under way in Miami that night. As ACS executive producer Simpson said, no one will ever know what happened in the moments leading up to Miglin's murder. The garage where Chicago real estate mogul Lee Miglin was murdered on May 4, 1997 by serial killer Andrew Cunanan. Miglin was killed in the garage on May 3, 1997 by serial killer Andrew Cunanan. 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. Egan has offered to allow the Miglins to continue using the garage if they pay $1,400 a month. From Vulgar Favors: Lee Miglin's ankles were bound with an orange extension cord wrapped tightly around eight times and tied with a double knot. Miglin was Cunanan's third victim (out of what would become five total), and the show bluntly depicts the way Cunanan bound him with tape and brutally tortured and murdered him in Miglin's garage while his wife, Marilyn, was out of town on business. Attention was now focused on a 27-year-old fugitive named Andrew Cunanan. The 72-year-old real estate agent was found bludgeoned and stabbed by the man who later killed Versace. A Chicago murder mystery becomes a mushroom cloud. Scenes for American Crime Story were filmed in September outside 2104 N. Fremont St., in Lincoln Park. After the standoff, police went in and found the body speculated to be Cunanan's inside though police were not yet identifying Cunanan at that point. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sample Page; ; Meanwhile, investigators later learned that after murdering Miglin, Cunanan not only ate some ham and left a sliced ham on Miglin's desk, but he also hung around at the Miglin home to shave and take a shower. The car belonged to one of the men that Cunanan was suspected of murdering in Minneapolis. 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.. The FBI also reported there had been sightings of Cunanan in the Palm Beach and Miami areas in the weeks prior. As for the murder, the details are particularly disturbing. Both the FBI and the Cook County State's Attorney's office looked into possible links between the spree killer and the Miglins, but no unimpeachable link was ever established. This echoes the scene in the drama where, after reminding him of her connections, Marilyn emphasizes to Rodriguez that, despite there being no sign of forced entry, the murder was nothing more than an opportunistic attack, repeating that the killer took money, two suits, some insignificant jewelry, two leather coats, some gold coins (one of which turned up in a South Beach pawn shop), and the Lexusplus a dozen silk Sulka socks. Because of these details, there were rumors that Miglin had known the young man who allegedly killed him and perhaps even had a sexual relationship with him. Cunanan bound Miglin with duct tape, stabbed him 20 times with a screwdriver, then cut his throat with a hacksaw (Dibdin, 2018). Days later, Cunanan shot and killed his former lover David Madson, 33, and dumped his body near a lake in Minnesota. Miglin was found in his garage, partially hidden under a car, with several stab wounds, all his ribs broken, his throat slashed, his feet bound, his face wrapped in masking tape with just a small hole below his nose for him to breathe through, and his body partially covered in plastic and brown wrapping paper. "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. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles. Cunanan did not torture Reese like he did Miglin, and that makes it seem like perhaps there was something more personal about Miglin's murder. There had been no forced entry into his home, which implied that Miglin could have known his assailant. Police still did not know why Cunanan had tortured and murdered Miglin and after Cunanan took his own life without leaving a suicide note, there was no way to find out from him. There has been speculation in the quarter century since. The reason Andrew Cunanan murdered real estate developer Lee Miglin is uncertain, and it's not any more clear after the third episode of The Assassination of Gianni Versace. 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. He bound Miglin's hands and feet and wrapped his head with duct tape, then stabbed him more than twenty times with a screwdriver, slit his throat with a hacksaw, and stole his car. Though his mother would later bitterly describe him as a "high-class male prostitute," Cunanan was actually more of a male mistress or giggolo - the kept companion of a succession of older gay men who would lavish clothes . As depicted in 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,' Cunanan killed four other men before murdering Versace in July 1997. According to Orth's book, the two met in mid-1994, three years before the murders. Miglin was killed in the garage on May 3, 1997 by serial killer Andrew Cunanan. Kate Middleton Makes the Case for Houndstooth, Prince William & Kate Middleton Visit Wales, Courteney Cox Hasn't Read Prince Harry's Memoir, Historic Photos of King George VI's Coronation. Matt Rodriguez. Miglins family has consistently and vigorously denied that Leeor his 25-year-old son Duke, a rising actor whose name Cunanan had reportedly dropped to friendshad ever met Cunanan. In addition to running her business, Marilyn is a recipient of the Raoul Wallenberg International Humanitarian Award. Vulgar Favors noted that there was pornography found near his body and Miglin was wearing bikini-style underwear. Authorities believe Cunanans killing spree before Versace targeted ex-lovers, including some he may have believed may have given him HIV. Miglins green Lexus was also missing from the garage. Andrew Cunanan was entirely dependent on the property of others, who really did have power in social environments. Lee Miglin was found in his garage with several shallow stab wounds, his throat slit by a bow saw, his feet bound, and his head wrapped in tape, according to a May, 1997 article in Newsweek. Heres what to know about suspected serial killer Andrew Cunanan: Hours after Versaces shooting death, authorities identified Andrew Cunanan as the prime suspect. Cunanan would then travel to Miami before shooting Gianni Versace on the front steps of his mansion on July 15, 1997. "I made an effort to be all right, so everyone else could be all right," she told the Chicago Tribune. A lot of false things were brought up and they were very hurtful, very painful, for me personally and there were attacks on me as well that I really didnt appreciate. The mentions of Cunanan's connection to the Miglin family are more along the lines of his actually knowing Duke, the Miglins' son. Miglin's son, Duke, added, "There was no relationship whatsoever.". CBS 2's Brad Edwards went back to our archive to watch a Betamax tape of our 10 p.m. news from May 4, 1997 "News 2 Chicago," as our news was known at the time anchored by Lester Holt and Linda MacLennan. The steps of Versaces Miami Beach home shortly after his murder. Morrell's source said in that garage, Miglin was nearly decapitated with a pair of five-foot-long pruning shears, which were recovered in the garage. Emma Dibdin is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles who writes about culture, mental health, and true crime. ", "In the Miglin case, this was such a horrible crime. Miglin's daughter, Marlena Miglin, is now going through a bitter divorce from Tim Egan, 2nd Ward Democratic committeeman. Here's what we know about Miglin and his family. Cunanan then came to Chicago and brutally murdered Miglin. While her husband's murder was a tragedy, Marilyn did not let it define her. All Rights Reserved. Per Orth, Cunanan considered Trail to be his best friend, and referred to him as my brother." Cunanan wanted to disgrace Miglin. 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. 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. But in published reports, Miglin's family has consistently maintained there was no connection between Miglin and Cunanan. Duke Miglin was an aspiring actor in the 1990s, with a role in Air Force One. As told by the FX series, Miglin was a closeted, 72-year-old real estate magnate who paid for Cunanan's services as a gigolo while his wife (played by Judith Light) was out of town. However, Advocate writer Ted Gideonse disputes this, saying it was not, and suggests that had Miglin lived, Orth could be sued for libel. 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. "I don't think you healyou never close up that gaping woundbut you adjust," Marilyn told the Chicago Tribune. The episode opens with Miglins wife, Marilyn (the always excellent Judith Light), promoting her fragrance Pheromone on the Home Shopping Network. "American Crime Story" executive producer Brad Simpson told the Chicago Sun-Times that he and his team came to the conclusion that Miglin and Cunanan knew each other because all of Cunanan's attacks were "targeted and specific" except for the one on William Reese. On July 10, Versace arrived in Miami to stay at his opulent mansion in the South Beach area. 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