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The fashion designer was returning home from his morning walk to the News Caf, where he went to purchase magazines, when a man approached and fired two shots into his head. [RELATED: 'American Crime Story' revisits the Chicago murder of Lee Miglin], [A look at the Chicago TV and film projects set to premiere in 2018], [Taraji P. Henson producing, starring in film about Emmett Till], Darren Criss, left, plays con artist Andrew Cunanan and Mike Farrell plays Chicago real estate tycoon Lee Miglin on "American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace., Lee Miglin told Crains Chicago Business in 1994, have long denied Lee Miglin and Cunanan knew each other, RELATED: 'American Crime Story' revisits the Chicago murder of Lee Miglin, A look at the Chicago TV and film projects set to premiere in 2018, Taraji P. Henson producing, starring in film about Emmett Till, Photos: Chicago cop shot, left very critical on Southwest Side, Colson Montgomery, the Chicago White Soxs top prospect, is taking it all in during major-league camp, Chicago mayor runoff begins with mutual attacks: Brandon Johnson would destroy economy; Paul Vallas failed everywhere he has gone, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. On the show, the handgun briefly makes an appearance when Cunanan and Miglin are in his home office, but Cunanan doesn't end up using it or even letting Miglin see it. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The skyscraper was to be constructed at 201 W. Madison St. downtown. The first episode shows Versace and Cunanan meeting in the VIP area of a nightclub, where an initially irritated Versace is eventually won over by Cunanans story about his mothers upbringing in Italy. A frenzied manhunt for Cunanan, who was immediately labeled a serial killer by the media, led investigators to a luxury houseboat on July 23, where they found him dead of a gunshot wound to the . From a Tribune report at the time: As detectives swarmed the neighborhood for clues, no one paid much attention to the Jeep. The episode builds on the scene from the previous week where Cunanan sells his services to an older, successful man, whom he subjects to some BDSM that looks like its going to go too far and end tragically before Cunanan relents. The Assassination of Gianni Versace writer Tom Rob Smith and producer Ryan Murphy based the series on a book by veteran Vanity Fair writer Maureen Orth, who reported extensively on the case before writing Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in US History. The California native, who could speak two languages, dropped out of college and funded his lifestyle thanks to relationships with older, wealthier gay men, federal investigations found. Notably, Miglin and his business partner, J. Paul Beitler, unveiled plans in 1988 for the Miglin-Beitler Skyneedle, a skyscraper that would have risen 15 stories taller than the Sears Tower to become the new tallest building in the world. Scenes for American Crime Story were filmed in September outside 2104 N. Fremont St., in Lincoln Park. 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 . He killed William Reese, a 45-year-old cemetery worker in New Jersey, less than a week later. Miglin was killed in the garage on May 3, 1997 by serial killer Andrew Cunanan. On May 3, Cunanan drove to Chicago, Illinois, and killed 72-year-old Lee Miglin, a prominent real estate developer. Certainly any sexual relationship was not an angle the police gave much credence to, at least publicly. Again, the only source for the magazines on the scene is Orth, who says they had been left not far away, and even her account maintains Miglin was wearing regular mens Calvin Klein underwear. There are references made to this not being their first meeting and not their first meeting of a sexual nature. By the next night, authorities had positively identified Cunanan, and said he had committed suicide. The episode's version of events depicts that Lee Miglin knew Andrew Cunanan before Cunanan allegedly killed him. Matt Rodriguez. Cunanan would then travel to Miami before shooting Gianni Versace on the front steps of his mansion on July 15, 1997. About three years ago, Marlena Miglin added Egan to the title when she was trying to get a business loan. 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. A knife is stuck in a ham on a desk. 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. As Chicago Police Superintendent Matt Rodriguez (played on the show by Alex Fernandez) told reporters at the time, there was evidence that the person or persons did in fact avail themselves of food at the victims home and was walking around the apartment. Furthermore, while Rodriguez confirmed that Miglin was tortured before he was murdered, he, like the rest of the police department, remained extraordinarily tightlipped about the case, as the Chicago Tribune put it at the time, just as in the show. He also talked about wanting to reveal Miglin's orientation to the world through the manner of his death, leaving his body surrounded by gay pornography and wearing more traditionally feminine underwear. Cunanan's fourth victim, William Reese, was also reported as a crime of opportunity: Cunanan needed his truck, so he shot Reese in the head and stole it. According to ABC-7 Chicago's recent look back at Miglin's death on the 20th anniversary of the murder, Cunanan covered Miglin's head and face with tape, tortured him with a screwdriver and. Miglin made his money as a real estate developer. And in its 2017 article on Duke Miglin, ABC7 also noted, "The FBI looked into a few claims that Cunanan knew Miglin or his family, but no link was ever nailed down.". Ultimately, police ruled Miglin's murder a crime of opportunity, according to the Chicago Tribune. Versaces murder prompted a much more vigorous pursuit of Cunanan, with some 1,000 agents across the country taking part in what became one of the biggest manhunts in history. "No place and no one is immune from violence, yet tonight, we begin with a murder nearly as disturbing from where it happened as it is for who the victim was," Holt read at the top of the newscast. However, Advocate writer Ted Gideonse disputes this, saying it was not, and suggests that had Miglin lived, Orth could be sued for libel. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. The American Crime Story episode scheduled to air next week will follow Cunanan as he kills two men in Minnesota before killing Miglin. His murder, which shocked the nation, is the focus of FXs The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. But the day Miglin's body was found, likely nobody knew Cunanan had been the killer other than Cunanan himself. Detectives had said Cunanan murdered Miglin in a crime of opportunity because he needed Miglin's car. Miglin was also known for philanthropic activities, including fundraising for the University of Chicago Medical Center and the Museum of Science and Industry. 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. That Sunday night, CBS 2's Jodine Costanzo reported police found Miglin, 72, with his throat slashed ear-to-ear and his feet bound with masking tape. In addition to running her business, Marilyn is a recipient of the Raoul Wallenberg International Humanitarian Award. Heres what to know about suspected serial killer Andrew Cunanan: Hours after Versaces shooting death, authorities identified Andrew Cunanan as the prime suspect. 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. The show suggests that Miglin arranged an assignation with Cunanan, an escort whose services he had used before, while his dynamic wife was out of town on business, though there is no hard proof of this and, as in the series, the family denied that the two knew each other. A night later, it remained a mystery who had so brutally murdered Miglin. So far, they have refused. Cook County medical examiner Edmund Donoghue dismisses the element of ritualistic torture. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. 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. All Rights Reserved. "I've never seen any credible evidence to show that there was a relationship," said Milan. From Vulgar Favors: I guessed Lee Miglin would never have left a Coke can in his sink or a pint of ice cream on his countertop, let alone a ham on his desk, said Stephen Byer, who came upon the crime scene with his wife Barbara. On May 4, 1997, Cunanan drove to Chicago, Illinois, and killed Lee Miglin, a prominent real estate developer. The idea that he just picked him up off the street and stalked him and tortured him and then killed him is bizarre not the most likely scenario.". After the killing, Cunanan took Miglin's Lexus and drove to New Jersey. As played by the ever-genial Mike Farrell, Miglin is portrayed as the opposite of a bumptious, hard-charging Trumpian developer, happy to cede the spotlight to his more vivacious wife.This self-effacement is apparently entirely in character. Authorities believe Cunanans killing spree before Versace targeted ex-lovers, including some he may have believed may have given him HIV. According to the Vanity Fair article written by Maureen Orth, the author of the book about Cunanan on which this season of American Crime Story is based, Cunanan slept in Miglin's bed, used the bathtub, and shaved at the vanity. CHICAGO (CBS) -- On May 4, 1997 - 25 years ago Wednesday - Chicago real estate magnate Lee Miglin was found brutally murdered under a car in the garage of his Gold Coast mansion. The episode's version of events depicts that Lee Miglin knew Andrew Cunanan before Cunanan allegedly killed him. Cunanan fled the scene on foot. Miglin-Cunanan relationship: This is probably the most contentious part of the story. There is no indisputable evidence to suggest Lee Miglin was involved with men or knew Cunanan specifically. "A Random Killing" posits that Cunanan and Miglin knew one another, implying that Miglin was a closeted gay or bisexual man who had hired Cunanan, a sex worker, several times before. The killer was Andrew Cunanan a spree killer who murdered a total of five people, including fashion designer Gianni Versace, before he took his own life. Despite what the Miglin family says, The Assassination Of Gianni Versace gives a version of events where Miglin did know Cunanan. The Miglin family has vociferously denied that Lee or his 25-year-old son, Duke, a fledgling actor in Hollywood who has a bit part in this summer's Air Force One, ever met Cunanan. Cunanan had reportedly been living in Miami Beach for two months prior to killing Versace. Their two children, Marlena and Duke, an actor, were adults at the time of Miglin's murder. 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. Finally, as in the show, Cunanan really did make off in Miglins beautiful Lexus sports car. 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. His watch had stopped at 9:55 pm, which investigators believed was the time of his killing on Sunday, April 27. Among Cunanan's many victims was Chicago real estate tycoon Lee Miglinthe third individual to die in the serial killer's murderous spree. But that doesn't mean that what The Assassination Of Gianni Versace portrays is fully accurate. Then Cunanan is shown laying Miglin down in his garage, wrapping his legs together with orange extension cord, strangling him, punching him in the face, throwing a bag of concrete on his chest and stabbing him. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Investigators said that Madsons body showed no sign of restraints, and his only defensive wounds were in his fingers, suggesting that he had raised his hands to try and deflect one of the shots. Marilyn Miglin said on Tuesday, May 6. CBS 2's Mike Parker reported Chicago Police had been aching to talk with Cunanan about the murder of Miglin. The show sticks closely to this gruesome version of events. However, an autopsy showed Cunanan to be HIV-negative. He had been beaten and stabbed. His body was found five days later on the shore of East Rush Lake near Rush City, Minnesota (approximately one hour from Minneapolis by car), with gunshot wounds to his head and back. His wife Marilyn Miglin was also known as the Queen of Makeovers for her work as a successful perfume and cosmetics entrepreneur and for her involvement with the Home Shopping Network. Designer Gianni Versace appearing at a fashion show. It premieres Wednesday. And the show uses real life details to come to these conclusions, such as Cunanan's obsession with wealth and privilege, as well as the manner in which Miglin's body was really found. [27] Death. Police response: Chicago Police Supt. The family of one of Andrew Cunanan's victims disputes the version of events presented in FX series. The show appears to be exploring Cunanan's resentment about his life, as he also struck out at Versace in part because the designer had things Cunanan did not. Egan has offered to allow the Miglins to continue using the garage if they pay $1,400 a month. An initial theory told to Morrell by sources was that Miglin had parked his Lexus in a garage and walked across the alleyway, and was in the process of opening his back gate when someone stuck what Miglin believed to be a loaded gun in his back and ordered him into his other garage. As noted in published reports, Miglin was born in 1924 in downstate Illinois the son of a Lithuanian immigrant coal miner. Federal investigators believed Cunanan may have been targeting gay men. At any rate, the FBI looked into these claims that Cunanan knew Miglin or his family, but no link was ever established. After telling Miglin, Im in control now (a quote added for dramatic effect, since no one else was in the garage to verify), the fictional Cunanan gags the older mans mouth with a gardening glove, ties him up, and hits him repeatedly in the face. An open pint of chocolate ice cream and a Coke can are shown on the kitchen counter. Madsons family members suspected that he had accidentally walked in on the killing of Trail, and subsequently been taken hostage by Cunanan, and this is the version of events that plays out in American Crime Story. Orth called Madson the great unrequited love of Cunanans life and noted that although the pair had broken up in the spring of 1996, Cunanan kept a picture of Madson on his refrigerator door. Madson, 33, failed to show up for work on Monday, April 28, but neighbors saw him walking his dog with Cunanan that day. Its unclear how much of this were meant to take at face value, and how much is Cunanans delusional, grandiose idea of the relationship he feels he deserves to have with Versace. Cunanan used whatever was at hand in the garage, stabbing Miglin with either pruning shears (says Time) or a screwdriver (as several other reports suggest) and inflicting the throat wound with a gardening saw. The show also includes the rather creepy details about how Cunanan made himself at home at the Miglins' after the murder. 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.. 72-year-old real estate tycoon Lee Miglin was found dead in the garage of his Gold Coast home on the morning of May 4. ", "In the Miglin case, this was such a horrible crime. Police officers are later shown examining Miglins bloody body, which was surrounded by male pornographic magazines. 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. 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. So what is the truth behind the artistic license? Miami Beach police and FBI agents surround the houseboat where Andrew Cunanan's body was later found. But on "American Crime Story," Lee Miglin is shown talking with Cunanan on the phone. He had been shot in the head, and his red pickup truck was gone, replaced by a green Lexus with Illinois platesthe same one Cunanan stole from Miglins garage. Miglin's black Lexus was found abandoned in a New Jersey cemetery, near the body of cemetery caretaker, William Reese, Cunanan's fourth victim. "There's so much pain generated from what happened 20 years ago and now another something else that is out of our control here is happening again," Duke Miglin said. Indeed, according to the 1997 Chicago Tribune report of the murder, "There was no forced entry to the home, suggesting that Miglin knew his assailant or was accosted outside and forced into the home.". 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. Man With 'Interest in Killing Black People' Charged With Terrorism After Attempted Train Attack, The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election. There are a few places [in the TV show] where things didnt happen at all, Orth told Vanity Fairs Still Watching podcast. The only evidence there is points toward Cunanan killing Miglin for his car and. All this actually happened. 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