The husband of a Florida woman who vanished in Spain is now charged with her murder.
Earlier this year, David Knezevich was charged with kidnapping in connection with the disappearance of his 40-year-old wife, Ana Knezevich.
In U.S. federal court Thursday, Knezevich was also accused of her murder, more than nine months after Ana vanished in Madrid, where she was living amid their separation, according to the superseding indictment obtained by the Lawyer Herald.
"This is a step in the direction to start to mourn while we continue to search for answers and honor Ana's memory by advocating for her story to be told, and for accountability to prevail." Ana's brother Diego Henao said.
"We are grateful for the efforts of law enforcement in Spain, France, Italy, Serbia, and throughout the world for their efforts and cooperation with the international authorities; for the efforts of the FBI and Federal Prosecutors and for the legal system, as they work diligently in that system to seek justice for Ana," sibling Felipe Henao added.
"Our hope is that Ana's life, love, and legacy will not be overshadowed by this tragedy but will instead inspire meaningful conversations about domestic violence and the importance of protecting those at risk, as Ana would have wanted."
The investigation into Ana's whereabouts began Feb. 2, when loved ones reported receiving suspicious text messages from her phone, according to Knezevich's arrest report.
That same day, she was also captured on surveillance footage entering her apartment in Madrid, but she was never seen leaving. Spanish firefighters responding to a welfare check at her unit on Feb. 4 discovered her cell phone and laptop were also missing.
Knezevich "secretly drove across Europe to disable her security cameras, and [Ana] tragically lost her life in an unimaginable act of violence," Henao family attorney Adam Ingber said. While the murder charge "is an important step in the pursuit of justice, it brings no sense of joy to Ana's family, as it confirms their worst fears."
Ana and Knezevich were living separately in the midst of their "contentious" divorce after a 13-year marriage, during which they acquired a substantial amount of assets, family members told investigators. Knezevich stayed behind in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, while she moved overseas.
The day Ana vanished, investigators allegedly discovered someone resembling her husband gained access to her apartment building while other individuals were leaving. He then spray-painted a security camera – unknowingly with a transparent layer of spray paint – the arrest report read. About an hour later, the same man was seen through the spray-painted security camera lens leaving the building with a suitcase.
In August, Spanish police announced renewed efforts to locate Ana brought their investigation to Vincenza, Italy, "to participate in a search operation coordinated by the Italian authorities," according to a post on X, at the time. The search involved firefighters, local law enforcement, and the Rome office of the FBI.
Investigators have not said if Ana's remains were found.
