July 15, 1997. That was the year that Gianni Versace was shot and killed. I had just turned 16 years old. I remember hearing about the murder, and although I was saddened to hear that Gianni Versace lost his life in such a violent matter, it didn’t cause much of an impact on me. I believe there’s two reasons for that: first of all, the only designer brand of clothing my family could afford to give me was from the Arizona Jean Co. (courtesy of JC Penney, for those of you that don’t know), and secondly, I was battling a debilitating case of insomnia that had me and my family worried out of our minds. However, all that changed when FX premiered American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, on Jan. 17 of this year. What moved me even more than the retelling of Versace’s death was delving inside the mind of Andrew Cunanan, Versace’s killer.
After viewing four episodes of American Crime Story, it’s safe to say that it’s more about Cunanan than Versace, despite the show’s title. The creators want the audience to have some sort of idea—although no clear motive has ever been determined—as to why he went on his murder spree in 1997. The series also gives us insight into Cunanan’s other victims, allowing their stories to be heard as well.
As I said before, watching Andrew Cunanan’s disregard for human life is very disturbing. The man is evil incarnate; a sociopath and compulsive liar that kills seemingly for kicks at times, and never has any type of remorse for the lives he destroys. What’s even worse that each time he murders someone, it’s an extremely violent and painful death, as if he wants to inflict the worst form of punishment in addition to killing the victim. Last week’s episode of American Crime Story, “House by the Lake,” featured the most cringe worthy murder yet.
**Spoiler Alert** The show starts off with Cunanan bludgeoning a man named Jeff to death with a hammer over 20 times and then forcing his lover, David, to go on the run with him. When David rebels against Cunanan and attempts to flee, the maniac retaliates by shooting him in the back, and delivering a coup-de-grace by shooting him in the head through his eye. I really can’t stand this guy.
What’s even more alarming is that Cunanan gets away with his crimes for months due to homophobia and grave incompetence. When the FBI first learns of Versace’s death, the agent in charge appears to be more concerned with the definition of the term “partner,” and Versace’s bedroom activities with his distraught boyfriend, Antonio D’Amico. A john that hires Andrew is assaulted, but decides not to report him to the authorities to avoid being outed. After FBI arrives in Miami looking for Cunanan, a local detective suggests they put up flyers and canvas the gay community, including popular nightclubs and hangouts. The agents refuse to do so. Cunanan even used his actual ID in a pawn shop to sell a stolen gold coin. Despite the fact that the pawn shop owner reported it, and the coin could’ve been traced, the authorities ignored it. Last but not least, after Cunanan killed real estate tycoon Lee Miglin, the Chicago Police Department used the car phone in Miglin’s stolen Lexus to track him. Someone alerted the media, which in turn ran the story, causing Cunanan to kill another innocent victim for his truck and escape yet again.
I’m well aware of how Andrew Cunanan’s story ends and I despise this man a little more with each passing week. In spite of all that, I find myself desperately awaiting the next episode. All the actors involved with the series are doing an amazing job. I especially love Penelope Cruz as Dontella Versace and Édgar Ramírez as the man himself, Gianni Versace. Hands down, Darren Criss’s performance is particularly fantastic as the sociopathic Andrew Cunanan. His portrayal gives the audience chills but also manages to make their blood boil at the same time. After watching half of the series, the impact that was lost on me as an adolescent child dealing with her own issues has now hit me threefold, not only for Gianni Versace, but for all the men that Cunanan mercilessly killed. If you haven’t seen the second season of American Crime Story yet, you should definitely tune in.
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace comes on FX at 10:00 PM on Wednesdays.
