The family of a woman who vanished in Spain months ago is holding out hope that she'll be found alive following the arrest of her estranged husband in Miami on a kidnapping charge in connection with her disappearance.
The family of Ana María Henao Knezevich held an emotional news conference in Fort Lauderdale Wednesday, asking for help to obtain information on the whereabouts of the Colombian native who has been missing since Feb. 2 when she was last seen in Madrid.
"The last time I spoke to her on the phone was on January 24," brother Felipe Henao said. "She was happy and optimistic about the future."
Knezevich had lived in Fort Lauderdale but had moved to Madrid in December after friends said she was separating from her husband, David Knezevich.
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David Knezevich was detained Saturday upon arriving at Miami International Airport on a flight from Serbia, and was arrested on a kidnapping charge.
Felipe Henao said the family and especially their mother are devastated by the situation.
"It's been a very devastating time for us, we're still in shock," he said.
Henao and his family are publicly asking anyone who has seen or knows where his sister is to tell them or the authorities.
“We still have hope that we can find where my sister is. If she’s out there somewhere we just want to tell her we all love her, we miss her, we support her, we hear her voice," he said. “If anyone knows anything about my sister if anyone has any information, please tell us.”
MISSING WOMAN
The FBI laid out a detailed case earlier this week showing why agents believe 36-year-old David Knezevich is behind Ana's disappearance from her apartment in Spain but gave no indication about what they think happened to her.
Court documents released late Monday show that agents believe David Knezevich resembles the man wearing a motorcycle helmet who spray painted the security camera lens outside Ana's Madrid apartment on Feb. 2. The man left an hour later carrying a suitcase.
Knezevich’s attorney, Ken Padowitz, did not return a call Monday seeking comment. He has said his client is innocent and was in his native Serbia on the day his 40-year-old wife disappeared, 1,600 miles away. But agents say Knezevich rented a Peugeot in the Serbian capital Belgrade four days earlier.
The Knezeviches, who sometimes spell their surname “Knezevic,” had been married for 13 years. They own EOX Technology Solutions Inc., which does computer support for South Florida businesses. Records show they also own a home and two other Fort Lauderdale properties, one of those currently under foreclosure.
Ana’s brother, Juan Henao, called the couple’s divorce “nasty” in an interview with a Fort Lauderdale detective, a report shows. He told police David was angry that they would be dividing a substantial amount of money. Ana is a naturalized American citizen from Colombia.
"It's been extremely hard. It's hard to imagine the anguish and grief they (the family) face every day when their daughter, sister, their beloved best friend is no longer with them and to wake up to that feeling of uncertainty," said Courtney Caprio, who represents Ana's family.
"I just want justice for my sister, that's what we all want," Felipe Henao said Wednesday. "I just hope she's out there and we can find her soon."
