Police in Madrid and Fort Lauderdale were notified, launching investigations on each side of the Atlantic.

Ana Maria Knezevic traveled from South Florida to Spain in December to get away for a while. Her family and friends say the naturalized American originally from Colombia has been going through a nasty divorce from her Serbian husband, but the trip was also a chance to explore new places.

Then, she vanished — two weeks ago, shortly after a man wearing a motorcycle helmet disabled the security cameras at her Madrid apartment building by spray painting the lenses. The next day, two friends received separate text messages — one in English, one in Spanish — from the 40-year-old’s phone saying she was running off for a few days with a man she had just met.

“She wouldn’t do this … it is very unsafe and crazy behavior. She wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t do that,” said Sanna Rameau, the friend who got the English text. It was written, she said, in an emotionless style that wasn’t Ana’s. The Spanish message was so flat it appeared to have been written in English and run through Google Translate, she said.

  • ChocoboRocket@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    I mean, it also helps that it seems to be an international, targeted hit on a woman trying to leave her husband in a nasty divorce with a lot of money at stake.

    This isn’t just some chick went missing on holiday, but wait she’s hot, rich, and probably connected so everyone pay attention because a real person was hurt.

    I’m not disagreeing that beauty and wealth are bringing this additional attention, but this is also far more targeted than a sex/violence crime of opportunity.

    Also, if every time a woman was targeted by an ex made headlines, it’s all we would literally ever hear about, anywhere, always.

    Family annihilation is often initiated by men, and if it’s a woman killing herself and her kids, there’s a good chance her partner was abusive.

    Saying this as a man before any neck beards start angrily sweating about anti-male agendas (not trying to suggest the person I’m replying to is doing that atm).

    • Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      if it’s a woman killing herself and her kids, there’s a good chance her partner was abusive.

      I guess I’ll be the neck beard then. What source do you have that backs this up? Digging through news articles most cases of murder suicide involving the woman killing herself and her kids are due to spite from custody battles or severe mental illness with zero mention of domestic violence.

      Basically you’re victim blaming

      • ChocoboRocket@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        General population studies of maternal filicide The mothers were often poor, socially isolated, full-time caregivers, who were victims of domestic violence or had other relationship problems.

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        Love that you complained about a lack of source/evidence in my comment, then fail to provide any of your own 🤌

        • Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          You did for me apparently

          Conclusion

          A mother’s motive for filicide may be altruistic, acutely psychotic, or due to fatal maltreatment, unwanted child, or spouse revenge. In addition, many mothers who do not attempt filicide experience thoughts of harming their child. Maternal filicide motives provide a framework for approaching filicide prevention. Suicidality, psychosis and depression elevate risk, as does a history of child abuse.

          • ChocoboRocket@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            So, you can read, but you choose to ignore everything that doesn’t support your opinions. Classic neckbeard!

            Yes, revenge is sometimes the driving force - but since you didn’t read any of what was linked with the intent of absorbing information contrary to your existing opinions (or the direct quote I provided), the evidence specifically indicated that abuse/maltreatment is often* the driving force

            *the word “often” means it is more common, or at a greater rate than other occurrences.

            Hope that clears things up for you!

            Now go apologise to your mother for how you are, and try to disappoint her a little less mmmkay?