A Florida man accused of kidnapping and killing his estranged wife—who lived in an apartment in Madrid—owned a notebook containing quotes that reference killing and death, federal authorities said.
The FBI recovered the notebook during a search of the suspect's home, according to a court motion to oppose bond filed on January 31.
Why It Matters
David Knezevich was indicted last year on federal charges of kidnapping resulting in death, foreign domestic violence resulting in death and foreign murder of a U.S. national.
Authorities accuse Knezevich of killing Ana Maria Knezevich after he flew from Miami to Serbia, then drove to Madrid. She was last seen in February 2024 and her body has not been found.
What To Know
In May, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the suspect's home in Fort Lauderdale. In court filings, prosecutors argue that a notebook containing famous quotes show the "defendant's murder mindset." The quotes include one attributed to Josef Stalin, former prime minister of the Soviet Union: "Death solves all problems. No man. No problem," and another attributed to former U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill: "When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite," according to the motion.
Before her disappearance, the estranged wife was seeking half the assets she shared with the suspect, prosecutors said. In WhatsApp messages to friends, she said the suspect was offering 25 percent instead, per court documents.
The Knezeviches had "significant marital assets" from an IT company they owned and buying and renting out vacation properties in southern Florida, the federal government said. The total was "certainly in the millions."
The suspect's brother, Ugljesa Knezevich, is being investigated in the tampering of evidence, but has not been charged, Law & Crime reported.
The FBI said the brother told agents that he was estranged from the suspect, but the two have exchanged multiple phone calls and emails since the suspect has been jailed, according to a warrant filed by the federal government.
David Knezevich's attorneys filed a motion objecting to the review of the brother's electronic devices.
Ken Padowitz, attorney representing the suspect, told the Associated Press (AP) that the couple's split was amicable.
"That they were having 'a nasty divorce,' that's just blatantly false," Padowitz said.
What People Are Saying
Padowitz, in an interview with AP: "David has worked with authorities. He has talked to detectives in Spain on a number of occasions. He's provided credit card information ... He obtained a lawyer in Spain to sign documents that might help the Spanish authorities go into the apartment that his wife had rented. He is doing everything that he possibly can."
What's Next
David Knezevich's trial is scheduled to start June 16. He is being held in jail without bond.
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