{"id":1560,"date":"2021-04-27T07:17:50","date_gmt":"2021-04-27T11:17:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/?p=1560"},"modified":"2021-04-27T07:17:50","modified_gmt":"2021-04-27T11:17:50","slug":"from-gigolo-to-spree-killer-the-tragic-life-of-andrew-cunanan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/2021\/04\/27\/from-gigolo-to-spree-killer-the-tragic-life-of-andrew-cunanan\/","title":{"rendered":"From Gigolo to Spree Killer: The Tragic Life of Andrew Cunanan"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Andrew Cunanan grew up in San Diego, California who seemed to be on his way to success.\u00a0 He was the youngest of four children and considered to be the white sheep of the family.\u00a0 When he was in the third grade, Cunanan had an IQ of 147, making him incredibly bright for his age. \u00a0As a teenager, he was accepted into The Bishop\u2019s School, which was considered one of the top college preparatory schools in the country.\u00a0 After graduating high school, he enrolled at the University of California-San Diego, where he majored in American History.\u00a0 Cunanan seemed to be on his way to success.\u00a0 So how did a bright student end up becoming a spree killer? \u00a0I believe his traumatic upbringing, rejection by loved ones, hatred towards the gay community, and obsession of becoming rich and famous contributed to his demise.<\/p>\n

Upbringing and First Betrayal<\/strong><\/p>\n

Andrew Cunanan was born on August 31, 1969, in National City, California.\u00a0 While growing up, his parents told him that he\u2019s more special and deserving than others and that someday he will be rich and famous.\u00a0 His parents were subservient and submissive to his needs so he can have the high-class lifestyle they wanted for him.\u00a0 They bought him a sports car, gave him the master bedroom, and let him have his own bathroom (Pearson et al., 2018).\u00a0 However, his parents\u2019 marriage deteriorated after his mother, Mary Anne, suffered chronic depression due to the verbal abuse from his father, Modesto.\u00a0 Andrew coped with the trauma at home by telling classmates outlandish tales of his perfect life and bragging about how rich his family is. Fantasy played a role in helping Cunanan cope with the domestic problems he was having at home.\u00a0 He would read novels, comic books and tell tall tales about how perfect everything was with his family (Crime & Investigation, 2009).<\/p>\n

In 1988, when Cunanan was 19, his world was shattered after his father abandons the family.\u00a0 Modesto, a stockbroker, fled to the Philippines after being suspected of embezzling $100,000.\u00a0 He took almost all the money the family had and sold the house from under them (Cipriano, 2019). \u00a0During the same year, Cunanan spent more time partying at gay clubs, which his mother disapproved of.\u00a0 During an argument with his mother over his gay lifestyle, he threw her against a wall and dislocated her shoulder.\u00a0 In 1989, Andrew dropped out of school and moved to the Castro District of San Francisco, a center for LGBTQ culture.<\/p>\n

I think that Andrew\u2019s violent behavior against his mother was due to social learning through observing his father abuse his mother.\u00a0 Social learning theory suggests human behavior is \u201cbased on learning from watching others in the social environment. This leads to an individual\u2019s development of his or her own perceptions, thoughts, expectancies, competencies, and values.\u201d (Bartol & Bartol, 2021, p. 106).\u00a0 By observing abusive behavior from an authoritative figure, he grew up learning that aggressive behavior was acceptable against his mom and probably against others.<\/p>\n

I also think Modesto abandoning the family traumatized Andrew, which may have contributed to his pathological lying as a way to cope with rejection. \u00a0Some pathological liars lie in order to gain sympathy (Cipriano, 2019). \u00a0In addition, after observing the verbal abuse his mother endured and the depression she suffered, Cunanan coped by lying to others about how rich his family was and creating a fantasy world for himself.\u00a0 However, his stories became so unbelievable that he was known to be a pathological liar (Mantziou, 2006).\u00a0 Cunanan also lied about his poor social background and true identity so he can associate himself with wealthy older men in the gay community and live the high-class lifestyle he wanted.<\/p>\n

Obsession With Being Rich and Famous<\/strong><\/p>\n

While in college, he focused on targeting wealthy older gay men at nightclubs and parties in California so they can provide for him as sugar daddies. \u00a0He hid his poor social background from these men and created a false identity of wealth and privilege.\u00a0 He was obsessed with being accepted in high society and by wealthy people, even if it meant lying about his true identity. \u00a0He also spent time selling himself as a prostitute targeting older and wealthy gay men and developed a good reputation among them.\u00a0 He was known to idolize Gianni Versace since he was a rich and famous gay man with a luxurious lifestyle.\u00a0 Cunanan claims to have met Versace in San Francisco, although this has not been confirmed.<\/p>\n

Rejection By Loved Ones<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1995, Cunanan identified himself as Andrew DeSilva to Norman Blachford, who was a wealthy gay man, and the two later moved in together. \u00a0Blachford supported Cunanan by buying him a car and gave access to his credit cards so he can buy whatever he wanted (Pearson et al., 2018).\u00a0 However, in 1996, Blachford ended their relationship when he tracked Cunanan\u2019s spending habits and discovered that he was not Andrew DeSilva, the son of a pineapple plantation owner he claimed to be.\u00a0 By this time, Cunanan lost his most supportive sugar daddy and no longer living the luxurious lifestyle he wanted.<\/p>\n

In 1996, his boyfriend David Madson broke off the relationship with him, crushing Cunanan.\u00a0 Madson was someone Cunanan loved very much, but Madson wanted nothing to do with him.\u00a0 Cunanan\u2019s friend, Jeffrey Trail, also broke off his friendship because he was tired of Cunan\u2019s lying and erratic behavior.\u00a0 At one time, Cunanan asked Trail to join him to sell drugs, but Trail refused (Kosin, 2018) \u00a0\u00a0Both Madson and Trail moved away from Cunanan and relocated to Minneapolis, which devastated Cunanan.<\/p>\n

Cunanan has experienced abandonment by people he loved to include his father, sugar daddy Blachford, ex-boyfriend Madson, and ex-friend Trail.\u00a0 These multiple rejections may have traumatized Cunanan, leading him to feel depressed, insecure, lonely, and vulnerable, which paved the way for his killings.<\/p>\n

Hatred Towards Gay Community<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1997, Cunanan believed he was HIV positive and expressed his fears to a counselor.\u00a0 However, an autopsy on Cunanan proved that he did not have HIV.\u00a0 After believing he may be infected, it\u2019s possible he may have developed a hatred towards wealthy gay men for doing this to him.\u00a0 This hatred may have been part of why Cunanan targeted Gianni Versace since he symbolized the successful gay celebrity.<\/p>\n

Murders Begin<\/strong><\/p>\n

In April 1997, Cunanan traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to meet with Trail and Madson to discuss rekindling their relationship.\u00a0 However, they have no intention of getting back together with Cunanan. \u00a0On April 27, 1997, Cunanan called Trail to come over to Madson\u2019s apartment and when Trail enters, Cunanan beats Trail to death with a hammer in front of Madson. \u00a0Madson and Cunanan stay in the apartment for two days.<\/p>\n

On May 3, 1997, Madson\u2019s body was found on the shore of Rush Lake in Minnesota.\u00a0 They were at the shore talking inside Madson\u2019s jeep when Madson jumped out of the vehicle and ran away.\u00a0 Cunanan shot him in the back, turned him over, and shot him in the head.<\/p>\n

On May 4, 1997, Cunanan drove to Chicago, Illinois, and killed Lee Miglin, a prominent real estate developer.\u00a0 Cunanan bound Miglin with duct tape, stabbed him 20 times with a screwdriver, then cut his throat with a hacksaw (Dibdin, 2018).\u00a0 After the killing, Cunanan took Miglin\u2019s Lexus and drove to New Jersey.<\/p>\n

On May 9, 1997, Cunanan killed William Reese, a caretaker at a cemetery in Pennsville Township, New Jersey.\u00a0 Cunanan took William down to the basement and shot him in the head.\u00a0 It was believed that Cunanan killed Reese just so Cunanan can take his truck since the Lexus was being tracked by the police through its phone.<\/p>\n

On July 15, 1997, Cunanan killed Versace in front of his mansion in Miami Beach, Florida.\u00a0 Cunanan shot Versace twice in the head with the same pistol he used to kill Madson and Reese.\u00a0 Afterward, Cunanan ran away to a nearby parking garage.<\/p>\n

On July 23, 1997, Cunanan committed suicide.\u00a0 There was a massive manhunt with about 1,000 agents looking for Cunanan throughout the country (Dibdin, 2018).\u00a0 He hid in a houseboat and shot himself in the mouth with the same pistol he used to kill Madson, Reese, and Versace.<\/p>\n

Jealousy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jealousy seemed to play a big part in some of his murders.\u00a0 Not only was Cunanan hurt after being rejected by Trail and Madson, but he was also jealous of them.\u00a0 They were both successful professionals, while Cunanan\u2019s career was not.\u00a0 In fact, Cunanan never really held a steady job since he survived off of sugar daddies and as a prostitute.\u00a0 Plus, their families accepted their homosexuality, but Cunanan\u2019s family did not.\u00a0 Cunanan was also jealous of Versace, who was seen as an icon for the gay community.\u00a0 Versace was a rich and successful gay celebrity, which is what Cunanan wanted to be but could not.\u00a0 Due to the rejection and jealousy of these individuals, it\u2019s possible this is why Cunanan killed them.\u00a0 However, some believe that Cunanan killed Versace in order to gain fame and notoriety by killing a celebrity.\u00a0 So even if Cunanan could not be rich and famous through legitimate means, at least he\u2019ll be famous for killing Versace.<\/p>\n

Spree or Serial Killer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A number of psychologists consider Cunanan a spree killer, while others categorize him as a serial killer.\u00a0 Which one was he?\u00a0 A serial murder is one where one or more individuals kill two or more victims in separate events (Rousseau, 2021). Criminologists have used three or more victims to define serial murders, while the FBI lowered the victim count to two or more.\u00a0 The time between serial murders, called the cooling-off period, is usually months or years but may also be days or weeks (Bartol & Bartol, 2020, p. 342).<\/p>\n

On the other hand, a spree murder is one where three or more individuals are killed without a cooling-off period, which normally occurs at two or more locations (Bartol & Bartol, 2020, p. 344).<\/p>\n

I would consider Cunanan a spree killer mainly because he does not fully meet the definition of a serial killer. \u00a0He did kill two or more victims in separate events with a cooling-off period since he stayed in Miami for two months before killing Versace.\u00a0 However, serial murders are premeditated and planned, and the offender usually selects victims with specific characteristics such as age, hair color or occupation (Bartol & Bartol, 2020, p. 344).\u00a0 In most serial murders, there\u2019s a similarity in how the victims are killed.\u00a0 However, for Cunanan\u2019s murders, there is no pattern.\u00a0 He killed Trail with a hammer out of rage and Madson by pistol after he ran away.\u00a0 Miglin was tortured to death while Reese was shot simply over his truck.\u00a0 Versace\u2019s murder was planned and premeditated, but the other murders seemed more like targets of opportunity, which is why I would identify him more as a spree killer.<\/p>\n

Was Cunanan a Psychopath?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cunanan never underwent a psychological evaluation so we may never know for sure.\u00a0 However, he did exhibit some behavioral features of a psychopath but not all.\u00a0 Cunanan has been described as glib and superficial since he used his charm and good looks to seduce older gay men.\u00a0 He was also an entertaining conversationalist who told unlikely but convincing stories about himself in a positive light believing that the world revolved around him.\u00a0 He exhibited early behavior problems since he started pathological lying at an early age by claiming his parents were rich and telling outlandish stories about himself, which continued as he got older. \u00a0He was known as an intelligent con man.\u00a0 He was a chameleon since he was a master of disguise and deception.\u00a0 Not only could he change his outer appearance, but he used different names.\u00a0 For each of his murders, he showed little remorse or guilt and showed a lack of empathy.\u00a0 He lacked responsibility since he never held a steady job.\u00a0 All the money he received was from his parents, sugar daddies, and prostitution.<\/p>\n

Based on his characteristics, I would say he possibly suffered from antisocial personality disorder (APD).\u00a0 APD is a disorder characterized by a history of continuous behavior in which the rights of others are violated (Bartol & Bartol, 2020, p. 210).\u00a0 This term is used by mental health professionals to describe \u201ca pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others, occurring since age 15\u201d (Bartol & Bartol, 2020, p. 210).\u00a0 This definition is followed by seven additional criteria, any three or more of which must be met, such as repetitive lying, impulsiveness, and disregard for the safety of others (Bartol & Bartol, 2020, p. 210).\u00a0 Cunanan was impulsive with his killings, a pathological liar, and had no regard for the safety of others. In addition, while APD by definition always involves criminal behavior, not all psychopaths are criminal, and not all criminals are psychopaths (Bartol & Bartol, 2020, p. 210).\u00a0 Cunanan exhibited criminal behavior with his murders which ranged from bludgeoning Trail with a hammer, to torturing Miglin and shooting Madson, Reese and Versace.\u00a0 Based on this definition, Cunanan probably satisfies the criteria for APD.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a child, Cunanan was told by his parents that he will grow up to be rich and famous and that he was more privileged than others. \u00a0He also grew up traumatized watching his father abuse his mother, which led to him creating fantasies for himself and developing a reputation as a pathological liar.\u00a0 He was overly obsessed with being rich and famous, even if it meant lying his way up the social ladder so he can live a high-class lifestyle through wealthy sugar daddies.\u00a0 Cunanan ended up believing he contracted HIV, which led to him later developing a hatred towards the gay community.\u00a0 He was also the center of attention wherever he went and couldn\u2019t accept rejection.\u00a0 However, he was rejected multiple times by people he loved, which led to his killing spree.<\/p>\n

After murdering multiple people, he planned his final kill against Versace with the intent of turning into somewhat of a celebrity himself.\u00a0 By murdering someone rich and famous, this made him feel important.\u00a0 The act of taking a celebrity\u2019s life dampened the pain of his reality, which was that his boyfriend rejected him, his father abandoned him, and he never became a member of high society, which has always been his dream.\u00a0 Versace\u2019s life represented everything Cunanan hoped to be but was not.\u00a0 By taking Versace\u2019s life and committing suicide after, this made Cunanan feel empowered and assured his place in infamy since he will be remembered forever as Versace\u2019s killer.<\/p>\n

References:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bartol C., & Bartol A. (2020). Criminal Behavior. <\/em>[VitalSource Bookshelf]. Retrieved from https:\/\/bookshelf.vitalsource.com\/#\/books\/9780135618813\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Cipriano, A. (2019, March 15). Andrew Cunanan: An In-depth Profile of The Versace Killer<\/em>. The Crime Sheet. https:\/\/www.thecrimesheet.com\/post\/andrew-cunanan-a-profile-of-the-versace-killer<\/a><\/p>\n

Crime & Investigation. (2009). Andrew Cunanan – Famous Criminal – Biography – Page 1 of 2 – Crime And Investigation Network<\/em>. Crime & Investigation Network. https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20090709185826\/http:\/\/www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk\/famous_criminal\/6\/biography\/1\/Andrew_Cunanan.htm<\/a><\/p>\n

Dibdin, E. (2018, March 1). A Complete Timeline of Andrew Cunanan\u2019s Murders<\/em>. Harper\u2019s BAZAAR. https:\/\/www.harpersbazaar.com\/culture\/film-tv\/a15842736\/andrew-cunanan-murders-gianni-versace-timeline\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Kosin, J. (2018, February 14). What Really Happened When Andrew Cunanan Murdered Jeff Trail and David Madson<\/em>. Harper\u2019s BAZAAR. https:\/\/www.harpersbazaar.com\/culture\/film-tv\/a16753109\/jeffrey-trail-david-madson-murders-andrew-cunanan\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Mantziou, C. (2006). Crime Classification Manual (A standard system for investigating and classifying violent crimes)<\/em>. Academia. https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/13271399\/Crime_Classification_Manual_A_standard_system_for_investigating_and_classifying_violent_crimes_<\/a><\/p>\n

Pearson, M., Dubreuil, J., & Valiente, A. (2018, March 8). Inside the mind of the serial killer who murdered Gianni Versace<\/em>. ABC News. https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/US\/inside-mind-serial-killer-murdered-fashion-icon-gianni\/story?id=48459029<\/a><\/p>\n

Rousseau, D. (2021).\u00a0 Module 6 Lecture Notes. Boston University.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Andrew Cunanan grew up in San Diego, California who seemed to be on his way to success.\u00a0 He was the youngest of four children and considered to be the white sheep of the family.\u00a0 When he was in the third grade, Cunanan had an IQ of 147, making him incredibly bright for his age. \u00a0As […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19131,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1560"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1560"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1560\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1600,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1560\/revisions\/1600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}