Yzabelle Bostyn
THE FBI has claimed the husband of missing US expat Ana Knezevich painted over her building’s security cameras before leaving an hour later with a suitcase.
It follows David Knezevich’s arrest on Saturday, May 4, in Miami International Airport.
Now, court documents released on Monday have revealed FBI agents believe he resembles the man who spray painted the security cameras outside Ana’s apartment on February 2.
The man left the flat, in the upmarket Salamanca area, an hour later carrying a suitcase.
Photo: SOS Desaparecidos/FBI
According to Spanish police, there is video of the 36-year-old buying the same brand of paint and duct tape hours earlier.
They have also interviewed a woman who claims David asked her to translate a text message sent to his estranged wife’s friends following her disappearance.
Knezevich’s lawyer, Ken Padowitz, has defended his client’s innocence, saying he was in his native Serbia when his 40-year-old wife disappeared.
However, agents have evidence showing Knezevich rented a Peugeot in Belgrade, the Serbian capital, some four days earlier.
A few days later, a Spanish driver reported their license plates had been stolen.
On the night Ana disappeared, a license plate reader on her Madrid street recorded the stolen plates.
A few hours later, a Peugeot with the stolen license plates passed through a toll booth in Madrid, according to surveillance video.
But, due to tinted windows, the driver could not be identified.
The car rental agency informed investigators that when the car was returned almost five weeks later, the license plates had been replaced and the windows tinted.
It had been driven over 4,800 miles.
Photo: SOS Desaparecidos
David Knezevich, resident of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was arrested at the Miami International Airport on Saturday.
He is charged with kidnapping and is being held pending a bail hearing.
The couple had been married for 13 years and owned businesses and property together.
This included EOX Technology Solutions Inc., a computer support business based in South Florida.
According to records, they also own a home and two further Fort Lauderdale properties together, one of which is under foreclosure.
Ana, who has Colombian citizenship, moved to Madrid in the midst of her ‘nasty’ divorce from David, claims Juan Henao, Ana’s brother.
He told police David was angry over Ana’s request to equally divide their money and assets in the divorce.
The 11-page FBI report claims Knezevich asked an ‘unnamed’ Colombian woman he met on a dating app to translate a message into ‘perfect Colombian’ Spanish on the morning of Ana’s disappearance.
He claimed he was helping a friend who was writing a screenplay.
The woman replied that she does not speak English and would have to resort to an online translator.
David reportedly stated that it was ‘fine’ and they could ‘make it sound Colombian’ after.
According to the FBI, he sent the woman this message: “I met someone wonderful. He has a summer house about 2h (two hours) from Madrid. We are going there now and I will spend a few days there. There is barely any signal though. I will call you when I come back. Kisses.”
After the woman sent the translation, it was sent to two of Ana’s friends from her phone.
It set off alarm bells for the friends, who contacted Spanish police, launching the investigation into Ana’s disappearance.
One of the friends, Sanna Rameau, told The Associated Press on Tuesday she believes Ana will not be found alive.
She said: “I’m in shock.
“When it’s presented in black and white, it’s different than when you only have suspicions and speculations.”
The arrest and report are the result of a joint operation by the Spanish Policia Nacional, the Spanish Interior Ministry’s attache office in Belgrade, the FBI and Colombian police.
Speculation grew against David after El Cierre Digital claimed that police had found ‘biological remains’ whilst searching for Ana – however, this claim was refuted by Ana’s brother, Felipe.
Later, he reportedly provided limited support to the investigation and allegedly refused to take a lie-detector test.
