The Richest Person Murdered In Florida’s History
If you can’t tell by now, I am really into true crime stories. “The richest person murdered in Florida’s History.” I literally was just watching the season of American Crime Story when they covered this. This wealthy Florida resident and Icon lived in Miami which is about 4 hours from where I stay in St. Petersburg. His former home is open to the public! Many have been there, but I have yet to visit this beautiful mansion. Have any idea who Im talking about yet? Well, you will find out below.
The Assassination Of Gianni Versace
Gianni Versace is one of the most influential designers in fashion history. At the time of his murder his empire was worth $807M. He founded his company in 1978 and from there he became a house hold name. In July of 1997 he was sadly murdered by a man named Andrew Cunanan. Reports tell us that on the morning of July 15th Versace walked outside of his mansion onto Ocean drive. He was headed to a nearby cafe to get his magazine which he liked to read every morning.
As he returned to his home and was walking up the steps, Cunanan shot him with a .40 caliber. Versace was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead at Jackson memorial in Miami. He was only 50 years old. Why did Andrew Cunanan kill Versace? his motivation is still unknown. Cunanan never served time either because he committed suicide.
Cunanan was a serial killer who had murdered four other men before he killed Versace. Cunanan as apparently obsessed with Versace and claimed they had a friendship. Versace’s family however says that the two never met. Cunanan would always claim to have met celebrities which always turned out to be false.
Versace lives on through his designs and impact he left on the world.
Florida National Park Named Popular Place For Murderers To Dump Bodies In The U.S.
Louisiana Swamps
The Louisiana Swamps is an area full of culture an adventure. They have exciting tours and great food. Sadly it is also home to frequent body dumps. In 1995, 24 people were killed and most of the victims were prostitutes. Reports tell us the that women had been dumped in different locations throughout the swamps. Also between 2005-2009, eight women from Louisiana were murdered. Their bodies were found in the swamps and ditches along the interstate.
Pocono Mountains
The Pocono Mountains cover 4 counties in region of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The area is full of tourist activity. Sadly it is also a popular place to dump bodies. In 2008, 8 bags filled with body parts were found along two highways in the Pocono Mountains. A year later human remains were also found on a different highway in the mountains. Reports tell us that in 2011 a motorist stopped and found a headless torso wrapped in a plastic bag.
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert takes up land in 4 states. Those states are California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada. The Mojave desert is believed to be a dumping ground for the Mafia. Serial killer William Richard Braford dumped a lot of his bodies in the Mojave desert. In 2013 skeletal remains were found of four more bodies in the Mojave desert.
Everglades
Everglades National Park is located in Florida and is great for tourist attraction. Sadly the isolation makes it a great place to get rid of bodies. One of the most eerie stories involves serial killers Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Elwood Toole. Toole was sentenced to life in prison for arson and raping and eating people. Lucas was arrested and claimed to have participated in about 3k murders. The two told police they were approached by a man about joining a cult called ” The Hand Of Death.” The cult was located in a secret location in the Everglades. Police however searched and found no sign of the cult. According to Crime Reads,” Since 1965 alone, there have been 175 unsolved cases involving deaths and murders in the Everglades.”
East River
East River is located in New York City and has been a dumping ground for dead bodies. New York Magazine once reported that bodies dumped in the East River during winter resurface just in time for “April Showers.” One of the most notorious incidents happened in November 2000. A teen from Manhattan killed her parents and dumped the bodies in the East River a few days later. Serial Killer Joel David Rifkin also dumped body parts in the East River.
