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Born to Kill: The Twisted Life and Bizarre Death of the Man Who Murdered Gianni Versace
As crowds formed outside the mansion to mourn their slain idol - Gianni Versace - one man ripped Versace ads from a magazine and daubed them in the designer's blood as a keepsake. Among the heartbroken fans there was a young man in his mid-twenties watching avidly. He seemed to be smiling. Why?
That young man was Andrew Cunanan. In the months before he murdered Gianni Versace with two cold-blooded shots at close range, the crazed killer went on a murderous spree, taking the lives of five men. He eluded police for three months until 23 July 1997. After a dramatic standoff on a Miami houseboat, police found Cunanan inside the boat - slain by his own hand.
What drove Cunanan to kill these men and how were they connected to him? How did this once-flamboyant character stray so far into evil? In this revealing book, top true crime author Wensley Clarkson uncovers the shocking truth behind Cunanan's extreme personality, including the traumatic childhood that marked the beginning of his fury, his deadly obsession with Tom Cruise and the affair he alleged that he had with a TV star.
This is a disturbing and intriguing expose of a man driven by an insatiable urge to kill. Read it and find out why one of the world's most famous spree killers went to such evil lengths.
That young man was Andrew Cunanan. In the months before he murdered Gianni Versace with two cold-blooded shots at close range, the crazed killer went on a murderous spree, taking the lives of five men. He eluded police for three months until 23 July 1997. After a dramatic standoff on a Miami houseboat, police found Cunanan inside the boat - slain by his own hand.
What drove Cunanan to kill these men and how were they connected to him? How did this once-flamboyant character stray so far into evil? In this revealing book, top true crime author Wensley Clarkson uncovers the shocking truth behind Cunanan's extreme personality, including the traumatic childhood that marked the beginning of his fury, his deadly obsession with Tom Cruise and the affair he alleged that he had with a TV star.
This is a disturbing and intriguing expose of a man driven by an insatiable urge to kill. Read it and find out why one of the world's most famous spree killers went to such evil lengths.
267 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 21, 2019
During a 3-month span of time in 1997, Andrew Cunanan killed five men (that we know 0f), and himself, for a total of six. His crimes became well-known because victim number five was Versace, the fashion designer.
Andrew was highly intelligent, he could speak at least 5 languages, and had a photographic memory. But he dropped out of school, and spent much of his life as a 'companion' to older, wealthy gay men. Life was mostly a rollercoaster of financial (and emotional) ups and downs.
It's hard to know why Andrew did what he did, since he died without leaving any note to explain. Wensley (as always!) fills in the gaps with his opinion of what probably went through Andrew's mind. Wensley is not one of my favourite true crime authors, as you've probably already deduced. But I read his books to glean what I can about the crimes he covers.
Here is a photo of the men Andrew killed. It bothers me that the other men's names, and faces, seem to have been forgotten, and only Versace's matters.
3 Stars = I'm glad I read it.
Andrew was highly intelligent, he could speak at least 5 languages, and had a photographic memory. But he dropped out of school, and spent much of his life as a 'companion' to older, wealthy gay men. Life was mostly a rollercoaster of financial (and emotional) ups and downs.
It's hard to know why Andrew did what he did, since he died without leaving any note to explain. Wensley (as always!) fills in the gaps with his opinion of what probably went through Andrew's mind. Wensley is not one of my favourite true crime authors, as you've probably already deduced. But I read his books to glean what I can about the crimes he covers.
Here is a photo of the men Andrew killed. It bothers me that the other men's names, and faces, seem to have been forgotten, and only Versace's matters.
3 Stars = I'm glad I read it.
January 7, 2014
Very repetitive; the book could have had at least 50 pages knocked off from its full length. I also did not care for the writing style. However, it is difficult to be disappointed by the subject matter of a True Crime novel.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews