MIAMI (NewsNation) — David Knezevich, the estranged husband of Ana Maria Knezevich Henao, will be in court Friday for a bond hearing on charges in connection to the disappearance of his wife, who went missing in Spain in February.
Knezevich was arrested on a kidnapping charge at Miami International Airport on Monday morning, with Spanish police saying the arrest was “for his alleged relationship with the disappearance of his wife.”
Knezevich Henao, 40, had been living in Spain intermittently since the summer after her marriage with the Serbian American businessman fell apart. She traveled to Madrid as part of her efforts to cope with her upcoming divorce.
Ana Maria Knezevich Henao disappears
The Florida woman was reported missing Feb. 5 after she failed to meet a friend to travel from Madrid to Barcelona. Concerns escalated when Spanish authorities found no evidence of a robbery during a search of her apartment.
The disappearance occurred on the same night an unidentified person was spotted vandalizing security cameras in Knezevich Henao’s apartment building with spray paint, further complicating the investigation.
When news of Knezevich Henao’s disappearance broke, many pointed fingers at her estranged husband. However, his lawyer told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo that Knezevich has cooperated with the investigation.
Evidence revealed in court documents
Knezevich had previously told authorities that he was in Serbia at the time of his wife’s disappearance. However, Spanish police traced Knezevich’s rental car on the night of his Knezevich Henao’s disappearance to the same street as his estranged wife’s apartment street.
Court documents claim he rented that car, tinted the windows and even swapped the license plate out with a stolen one. Investigators also said they have surveillance video of a man resembling Knezevich buying spray paint and covering security cameras at Knezevich Henao’s apartment building the day she went missing.
A few days later, a Spanish driver reported his license plates were stolen. On the night Knezevich Henao disappeared, a license plate reader on her Madrid street recorded the stolen plate number, according to Spanish police.
Additionally, hours after she disappeared, a Peugeot vehicle bearing the stolen license plates went through a suburban Madrid toll booth, surveillance video showed. The driver could not be seen behind the tinted windows.
Knezevich Henao’s family prepares for court
The co-counsel for Knezevich Henao’s family told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo that they will be present during Friday’s hearing and present their position to the court if they are allowed to do so.
“He is a flight risk … he should not be bonded out,” Courtney Caprio, the lawyer for Knezevich Henao’s family, said.
The FBI said in part, “The Spanish National Police, Customs and Border Protection, the Diplomatic Security Service and the FBI continue their investigation.”
It’s important especially since Knezevich Henao still hasn’t been found. However, police did tell the woman’s family that it’s unlikely she’s still alive.