Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia, Inc. - Friday August 1, 1997 - 7:01 AM EDT
In its Friday edition, the Herald said three law enforcement sources told them, on condition of anonymity, that tests performed on Cunanan's body at Dade County Medical Examiner's Office after his July 23 death showed the alleged five-time murderer was not HIV positive.
The Herald said the information nullified the much-debated retaliation theory, the notion that the 27-year-old San Diego man had launched a cross-country murder spree upon learning that he had contracted the AIDS virus. Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace, slain in Miami Beach on July 15, is believed to have been Cunanan's fifth victim.
The AIDS test information has been held in confidence by the Medical Examiner's Office because Florida law prohibits its disclosure in most cases.
Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle had been considering going to court for an order allowing the AIDS test information to be released on the grounds of public interest, the Herald said.
In response to the Herald's report that the AIDS test was negative, the paper quoted Rundle as saying: "If that's true, then it certainly would eliminate the speculation as to his motivation on those grounds."
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