In February, Ana Maria Knezevich, 40, disappeared in Spain after leaving her Madrid apartment building. Surveillance footage showed a man resembling David Knezevich, her estranged husband, entering her building wearing a motorcycle helmet with a can of spray paint. This man disabled a surveillance camera and was seen leaving the building with what appeared to be a suitcase. Ana’s loved ones reported her missing after she failed to show up for a planned trip to Barcelona. Spanish authorities could not locate Ana when they visited her apartment a few days later.
David Knezevich, 36, was arrested at Miami International Airport in connection with his wife’s disappearance. A friend of Ana’s from Florida received strange text messages from Ana on the day she disappeared, suggesting she was taken against her will by someone she met. The FBI learned that David had asked a Colombian woman to translate similar messages from English to “perfect Colombian,” claiming he had a writer friend creating a script about a Colombian character. The Colombian woman later discovered news articles about Ana’s disappearance that matched the messages she helped translate.
Evidence obtained by law enforcement showed that David had rented a vehicle in his home country of Serbia in January and drove it to Spain and back. The vehicle had its windows tinted, license plate frames changed, and stickers removed upon return. The new license plates were stolen from the same street where Ana’s apartment building is located. Spanish authorities were able to identify the brand of spray paint used to disable security cameras in Ana’s building and obtained footage of a man, believed to be Knezevich, purchasing the spray paint in Madrid.
In March, a woman claiming to be Ana called an insurance carrier to cancel policies held under the business she shared with David. It was also revealed that one of David’s employees impersonated Ana to open a new bank account using Ana’s Social Security number at his request. David and Ana were going through a contentious divorce, and authorities believe David did not want to split assets evenly with Ana. David’s attorney declined to make any statements at the time.
The investigation into Ana’s disappearance uncovered a series of suspicious actions by David leading up to and following her disappearance. The evidence suggests that David may have been involved in her disappearance or at least had knowledge of her whereabouts. The case highlights the complexities of domestic disputes and the lengths to which some individuals may go to gain an advantage in such situations. It also sheds light on the challenges faced by law enforcement in cases involving international borders and jurisdictions. The ongoing investigation will hopefully provide answers and bring closure to Ana’s loved ones.
