The brother of Ana Knezevich has denied local reports that ‘biological remains’ were found in her Madrid apartment, but conceded that ‘chances are low’ she’s still alive.
A March 12 report from Spanish publication El Cierre Digital cited ‘sources close to the case’ who claimed the Scientific Police found biological remains in the missing woman’s living accommodations.
Knezevich, 40, had been living in Spain on-and-off since last summer when her marriage to Serbian-American businessman David, 35, fell apart.
The Florida woman was declared a missing person on February 5 after she failed to meet a friend to travel from Madrid to Barcelona for a conference.
Her brother, Felipe Henao, recently appeared on News Nation’s ‘Cuomo’ with a desperate plea to the public. He said the FBI denied the report about the remains, but the family is still desperate for answers.
‘We want to know the truth. We want to know where my sister is,’ Henao said. ‘If anybody has any information, any tips please reach out to the FBI or the Spanish authorities.’
A report from Madrid-based publication El Cierre Digital claimed biological remains had been found in the apartment of missing Florida woman Ana Knezevich, 40
Her brother, Felipe Henao, appeared on ‘Cuomo’ to deny the reports, adding that investigators said the chances of finding her alive were ‘low’
When asked about the supposed discovery of biological remains in her apartment, Henao said he asked the FBI if the report was true and ‘they told me it isn’t.’
There was no further details on the specifics of the remains found.
Investigators ‘don’t want to share any information, because it could jeopardize the case. I understand. Justice moves slow,’ Henao added.
He said her case was being treated as matter of domestic violence as it moved through the court system, and a case of forced disappearance rather than voluntary.
‘Do you believe that the authorities are treating this as a case where she may still be alive and they have to find her?’ host Chris Cuomo, 53, asked.
Henao hesitated. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘You gotta face reality, and it’s been 40 days. I asked them and chances are low.’
But he added: ‘You never lose hope and I’m never going to stop fighting for your sister. I will fight until we find her.’
Speaking to DailyMail.com last month, Henao said his mother was ‘devastated’ over her daughter’s disappearance.
‘I wish I had something new, I wish Ana was back already,’ Hernao said. ‘I just hope someone with information comes forward to tell us what they know.’
Henao urged members of the public to step forward and contact law enforcement with any information they may have about his sister
Knezevich disappeared amid an ongoing separation from husband David, 35, a Serbian-American businessman. The pair had yet to officially file for divorce
Investigators recovered footage of a man in a helmet hanging around Knezevich’s apartment complex on February 2. He is believed to have spray-painted several security cameras in the building
Investigators recovered surveillance footage of a man in a motorcycle helmet hanging around the Florida woman’s building on February 2, the day before friends lost contact with her.
He was spotted waiting for people to exit the building before slipping inside at around 9:30pm.
The same man is believed to have spray-painted the lens of two security cameras of the apartment building in Madrid’s upscale Salamanca neighborhood.
Knezevich’s friend, Sanna Rameau, told DailyMail.com she last exchanged messages with her on February 2.
The last message from Knezevich’s WhatsApp account, sent the following day, said she had ‘met someone wonderful.’
‘He has a summer house about 2h from Madrid. We are going there now and I will spend a few days there. Signal is Spotty. I’ll call you when I get back,’ it read.
Another message detailed the circumstances of their first encounter, claiming they met on the street. ‘Amazing connection. Like I never had before,’ it read.
Knezevich and her husband, also known as Dusan, had yet to formally file for divorce at the time of her disappearance.
Sanna Rameau told DailyMail.com she last messaged her friend on February 2. The following day, she received several WhatsApp messages she does not believe were written by Knezevich
The messages claimed she met someone who had a house two hours from Madrid and she was going there with him for a few days. ‘That wasn’t Ana,’ Rameau said. ‘I immediately knew that something terrible had happened’
The Florida realtor was officially declared missing on February 5 when she failed to meet a friend to travel to Barcelona for a conference
The couple had been together for 13 years and ran a real estate business together. They attempted to salvage their marriage several times before deciding to split in January.
Rameau told DailyMail.com that David indicated he would travel to Spain to help look for his wife but never arrived.
‘The fact is that I went to Madrid to search for Ana. I asked for him to come and join me and search for her,’ she said. ‘But instead, he said that he had left Florida to go to Serbia.’
Neighbors in Fort Lauderdale recalled the couple’s public displays of affection and lamented over the circumstances of her disappearance.
‘They were a very frisky, cuddly couple, they seemed happy,’ Guy Hackman said.
Another neighbor described the missing woman as a ‘sweet girl,’ adding: ‘I’ve never even heard a raised voice come from that house.’
Behind closed doors, the couple had been battling a number of lawsuits, including a case for allegedly defaulting on a $399,000 mortgage.
David was sued last October for falling behind on a second, $435,000 mortgage, but both cases were dismissed.
The businessman also sought restraining orders against two men in 2018, claiming they had stalked and threatened to murder him. The orders were dropped when David failed to show up at a hearing.
Friends and family have expressed doubt that the final WhatsApp messages were sent by Knezevich.
‘That wasn’t Ana. She isn’t impulsive or irresponsible. She doesn’t take drugs or drink hard liquor,’ Rameau told DailyMail.com. ‘I immediately knew that something terrible had happened.’