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. Death. 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. Now Egan wants access to the garage and is trying to evict his in-laws from the property. Matt Rodriguez arrives at the Miglin home to oversee the crime scene. She also continues to give back to her community by raising more than $1 million to the preservation of Oak Street in Chicago and by founding the Women of Destiny program. Season 2 0f American Crime Story: The Assasination of Gianni Versace airs Wednesdays on FX. As depicted in 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,' Cunanan killed four other men before murdering Versace in July 1997. His face was wrapped in masking tape, his feet were bound, and his throat was slashed. On the morning of July 15, he was returning from a walk when Cunanan approached him and shot him on the steps of his house. 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. Speaking to The Chicago Tribune a year after Lee's murder, Marilyn denied these rumors about her husband and Cunanan. Brad Edwards is an investigative reporter and main anchor at CBS2 Chicago. 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. Miglin's family said the same, releasing the following statement after Cunanan's suicide: "(The car) was taken by a complete stranger in a random act of violence who had no connection whatsoever to any member of the Miglin family.". Cunanan later pawns a gold coin in Miami Beach and uses his real name on the pawn shop form, one of the details that comes to light after Cunanan kills Versace in Miami Beach in July 1997. While her husband's murder was a tragedy, Marilyn did not let it define her. Trail had reportedly told friends that he had had a big fallout with Andrew and never wished to see him again.. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. Some reportsincluding one in the New York Timesclaimed that Cunanan had told friends he was HIV-positive, and that he was murdering former lovers out of a desire for vengeance on whoever had infected him. That. According to Cunanan's friends, Cunanan considered David Madson to be the love of his life, even though their relationship ended in the spring of 1996. But that's just one theory. The only source for the latter is Orth, who, quoting several anonymous sex workers, claims it was well-known in Chicagos gay community that Miglin was gay. The FBI believed Cunanan may have been seeking revenge on former lovers or clients who may have given him HIV, records show. Rodriguez, now in his 80s, told the Tribune Wednesday he didnt know he was going to be portrayed on the show and he didnt personally examine Miglins body as was shown on the series or talk with Marilyn Miglin in her home. 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. As a police assault team closed in on a houseboat which Cunanan had broken into, Cunanan shot himself in the mouth using the same gun he had used to kill Madson, Reese, and Versace. On July 15, 1997, Cunanan approached the famed Italian designer as he returned to his Miami Beach mansion after a morning trip to a nearby caf. After he murders Miglin, he takes the businessmans dark green Lexus to continue his killing spree. But while the pair did meet in San Francisco, according to Orth, it played out quite differently than the series depicts: To confuse things further, the above version of events is the one we see Cunanan describe to friends in the series, but not the one we actually see play out onscreen. None of this information really explains why Cunanan did what he did. As The Assassination Of Gianni Versace (editor: Emily Greene) accurately shows, Miglin and his wife Marilyn were prominent figures in the city. On May 8, 1997, everything changed in the investigation theories about random street crime were no more. The series also shows Marilyn using her influence with city officials to bury this information. However, an autopsy showed Cunanan to be HIV-negative. 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. Andrew was thrilled and Eli couldn't believe it. But the mystery of why he went on a killing spree remained baffling. Madsons body is found on the shore of Rush Lake in Minnesota. The source also said Miglin had been covered with a plastic bag, and masking tape wrapped around his throat. Per Orth, Cunanan considered Trail to be his best friend, and referred to him as my brother." That check showed that the Jeep was being sought by Minnesota authorities in connection with the two killings there. He heads to Miami Beach and fatally shoots Versace before killing himself eight days later. A socialite and philanthropist, Miglin was a resident of Chicago's wealthy Gold Coast Historic District. Miglin's daughter, Marlena Miglin, is now going through a bitter divorce from Tim Egan, 2nd Ward Democratic committeeman. Cunanan's third murder in a spree that spanned Minneapolis to Miami was not immediately linked to him by authorities. Miglin was known for being meticulous, which is why his wife Marilyn found it strange that the front gate was unlocked when she returned home from a business trip Sunday morning. An open pint of chocolate ice cream and a Coke can are shown on the kitchen counter. Miglin family members did not return a Tribune request for comment. Federal investigators believed Cunanan may have been targeting gay men. Schlesinger said, "Cunanan was not a normal guy.". I am an advocate of Edgar from way back, Lee Miglin told Crains Chicago Business in 1994. Authorities believe Cunanans killing spree before Versace targeted ex-lovers, including some he may have believed may have given him HIV. 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.". A Complete Timeline of Andrew Cunanan's Murders, had a big fallout with Andrew and never wished to see him again., Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in US History, was found in a Minneapolis loft apartment, found dead in the cemeterys office on May 10, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Cunanan fled the scene on foot. [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. A night later, it remained a mystery who had so brutally murdered Miglin. Cunanan's crimes are now two decades old, but on ongoing divorce case has led to a dispute over the ownership of the garage where Lee Miglin was murdered. The FBI painted Cunanan as a highly intelligent and dangerous man who desired a life of luxury. Miglin and Beitler initially revealed plans for the Skyneedle, which would have soared more than 1,900 feet at the corner of Madison and Wells streets, in the late 80s. He wanted to destroy Miglin's legacy, an idea upheld by the fact that he later burned the plans Miglin had drawn up to build the tallest building in the world. 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. Once they decide to base something on my book, they have artistic license to do certain things.. Meanwhile, investigators later learned that after murdering Miglin, Cunanan not only ate some ham and left a sliced ham on Miglin's desk, but he also hung around at the Miglin home to shave and take a shower. The series, which premiered Jan. 17, is slated for a nine-episode run. But the plan fell through. The only evidence there is points toward Cunanan killing Miglin for his car and. His watch had stopped at 9:55 pm, which investigators believed was the time of his killing on Sunday, April 27. But you know, who knows?" "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. Miglin family members have long denied Lee Miglin and Cunanan knew each other before the attack. But that doesn't seem to account for the grotesque violence of Miglin's death. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "Would this guy let some stranger in off the street? "We don't know what happened over that weekend with Lee Miglin, and there are conflicting statements, so it was a real challenge for us to decide: what do we feel is authentically true, what do we believe to be true, and how can we do justice to these characters?" It premieres Wednesday. Police still did not know why Cunanan had tortured and murdered Miglin and after Cunanan took his own life without leaving a suicide note, there was no way to find out from him. Sample Page; ; Dirty dishes in the kitchen and beard stubble in the bathroom sink were Marilyn's next clues that something was amiss. Earlier the same day, he'd gotten a haircut at Cote d'Or Coiffures, 40 E. Oak St. "He was in a very good mood," said Cote d'Or owner Delores Kimmel. The pair engage in an intimate conversation onstage after the show. Is Prince Andrew Moving to Frogmore Cottage? But clearly the show is saying the two had a relationship. His mouth was gagged with a white garden glove with numerous black rubber dots. [27] 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. Bloody clothing was found nearby. 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 was so driven, he applied to law school and architecture school. What truly happened remains a mystery to this day, but Gregg McCrary, former supervisory special agent of the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Unit, told Vanity Fair that he thinks the possibility of Miglin's murder being random is unlikely. There had been no forced entry into his home, which implied that Miglin could have known his assailant. Miglin, 72, invites him into his Gold Coast home while his wife is away on a business trip. Another man, Jeffrey Trail, 28, had been found beaten to death with a hammer and rolled in a carpet in Madson's apartment on April 29, 1997. Miglin's daughter, Marlena Miglin, is now going through a bitter divorce from Tim Egan, 2nd Ward Democratic . 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. Did Cunanan somehow meet Miglin through Gamma Mu, a secretive gay men's fraternity? He stole Miglin's care and got a head start on what became a nearly. The episode's version of events depicts that Lee Miglin knew Andrew Cunanan before Cunanan allegedly killed him. When he didn't show up, she became suspicious about her husband's whereabouts, according to the Chicago Tribune. However, there were no signs of forced entry into the Miglins home, and Orth noted in her coverage that as an older, wealthy, and socially influential man, Miglin was a type Cunanan was known to research carefully.. Her website describes her as a beauty authority, author and speaker who is among the nations top-500 women business owners.. The claims that the younger Miglin and Cunanan knew each other gained circulation, Orth said, after a Chicago bookseller repeated them to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, but the source then called a press conference to say he had been misquoted. Police press conference: We consider Andrew Cunanan to be armed and to be extremely dangerous. But the high-profile killing of Versace forced Cunanan to keep a lower profile for the final week of his life. 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. (Matt Dinerstein / FX). 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. Mike Farrell as Lee Miglin (left) and Judith Light as Marilyn Miglin (right) in. What American Crime Story Makes Up About Lee Miglin's Horrific Murder, American Crime Story The Assassination Of Gianni Versace. So far, they have refused. 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. Miami Beach police and FBI agents surround the houseboat where Andrew Cunanan's body was later found. "A Random Killing" moves through the events preceding the crime and its aftermath, but does not truly answer the most pressing question: why did Andrew Cunanan kill Lee Miglin? Authorities believe Cunanan targeted Reese so that he could steal his truck. Miglin was Cunanan's third victim (out of what would become five total), and the show bluntly depicts the way Cunanan bound him with tape and brutally tortured and murdered him in Miglin's garage while his wife, Marilyn, was out of town on business. 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. There have likewise been questions about whether Versace knew Cunanan. All Rights Reserved. Moreover, the crime scene showed . The police deemed the murder a crime of opportunity, according to the Chicago Tribune. Judith Light portrays Chicago socialite Marilyn Miglin in the series. I am rather leaning towards Miglin being a closeted gay older man that Andrew connected with by chance rather than it being a "random killing." 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. Their two children, Marlena and Duke, an actor, were adults at the time of Miglin's murder. Wednesday's new episode of "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" didn't feature the famed designer at all, instead focusing . .css-o05pt{display:block;font-family:Didot,Didot-fallback,Georgia,Times,serif;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;text-shadow:0 0 0 #000,0 0 0.01em transparent;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-o05pt:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-o05pt{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.25rem;margin-top:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-o05pt{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-o05pt{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.5rem;margin-top:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-o05pt{font-size:1.39461rem;line-height:1.2;margin-top:0.9375rem;}}45 of the Best Disney Movies of All Time, 35 Classic Photos from the Academy Awards, 46 of the Coolest Set Photos in Movie History, 'Last of Us' Star Pedro Pascal Posts Upsetting IG, Everything to Know About the 95th Academy Awards, Storm Reid Knows How to Create Heartbreaking TV, Believe It: 'Ted Lasso' Returns This March, Ashley Park Joins 'Only Murders in the Building', Carrie & Aidan Go on a Beach Date in New Set Pics, Sam Smith Is Joining 'And Just Like That' S2. 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