A South Florida man accused of kidnapping his estranged wife who vanished in Spain months ago was denied bond by a federal judge in Miami Friday.
David Knezevich attended a pre-trial detention hearing to seek his release but the judge ultimately decided he's a potential flight risk.
Knezevich was arrested Saturday after arriving at Miami International Airport on a flight from Serbia, and was charged with kidnapping in the disappearance of wife Ana María Henao Knezevich.
The Colombian native has been missing since Feb. 2 when she was last seen in Madrid.
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Ana Maria Knezevich had lived in Fort Lauderdale but had moved to Madrid in December after friends said she was separating from her husband.
During Friday's hearing, things were contentious at times between David Knezevich's defense attorney and the FBI agent on the case during cross examination.
Personal details were also revealed about the couple's marriage, including how the agent reviewed messages Ana Maria had sent friends saying she felt her life was threatened by her husband and that she was struggling with her mental health.
The hearing was also the first time that a government official said they were worried Ana Maria was killed.
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 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.
In court Friday, it was revealed that blood was found by a Spanish forensic team inside the Madrid apartment, but that detail wasn't included in the FBI's criminal complaint because they're still waiting on DNA results from the blood.
Defense attorneys seized on that, attempting to create doubt that Ana Maria is even in danger and speculating that she may be with someone she's dating.
The judge pointed out that while the government's case is purely circumstantial, the evidence is significant, though he did call the case "defensible."
Prosecutors called the WhatsApp messages that agents suspect were crafted by David Knezevich and then sent to Ana Maria’s friends a "bombshell." They said another piece of strong evidence is how a hardware store clerk in Madrid positively identified him as the man who purchased spray paint and duct tape on or around the date that Ana Maria disappeared.
David Knezevich is allowed to appeal the judge's no bond order, but his attorneys didn't want to speak with reporters after the hearing so it's unknown if they'll seek an appeal.
Attorneys for Ana Maria's family released a statement after Friday's proceedings.
“At this moment, we want to let the Federal prosecutors do their work. Ana’s family was as shocked as the rest of the world by the revelations in the Federal kidnapping complaint," the statement from Henao family attorney Adam Ingber read, in part. "Just like the FBI protects their investigation to safeguard their prosecution, so too must we protect our investigation and prosecution. So when things are said that seemingly beg for a response, you can expect us not to comment on the case. We will make our arguments in court."
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.
The case has garnered international attention as law enforcement from several different countries have come together to help find Ana Maria and the person responsible for her disappearance.
Earlier this week, Ana Maria's other brother, Felipe Henao, made an emotional plea to help find his sister, saying the family is holding out hope that she'll still be found alive.
“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.”
