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During the summer of
1997 Enrico Forti becomes the center of attention in the news
worldwide in being successful in buying the rights of the boathouse,
where the body of the serial killer Andrew Cunanan was found, the
alleged assassin of Gianni Versace. Two people already known to the
German Police, Thomas Knott and Sigfreid Axtman, are those who
allowed Forti to undergo the deal.
THE POLICEMAN GARY SCHIAFFO (MIAMI CHIEF
INSPECTOR APPOINTED TO THE CUNANAN - VERSACE CASE ABOUT TO RETIRE
AND IN CHARGE OF THE BOATHOUSE) MEETS FORTI, INTERESTED IN MAKING A
FILM ABOUT THE STYLISTS DEATH AND TO OPEN A MUSEUM ABOUT THE DEATH
OF THE ITALIAN ON THE HOUSEBOAT.
THE PROJECT FALLS THROUGH ALONG WITH THE HOUSEBOAT AFTER HALF OF IT
MYSTERIOUSLY SINKS, IT IS DESTROYED BY THE PUBLIC AUTHORITIES IN
MIAMI AS IT IS LOOKED UPON AS A HAZARD.....
FORTI
GOES AHEAD AND MAKES A VIDEO IN WHICH HE PUTS TO DOUBT THE VERSION
TOLD OF THE MURDER OF GIANNI VERSACE AND ANDREW CUNANAN'S SUICIDE,
TITLED "THE MEDUSA'S SMILE".
THIS SPECIAL PUTS THE MIAMI POLICE DEPARTMENT UNDER ACCUSITION, IT
IS MADE, FOR THE MOST PART, WITH EXCLUSIVE INFORMATION FROM THE
POLICEMAN GARY SCHIAFFO, PAID BY FORTI WITH A SUM OF $17.000.
THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN FORTI AND THE POLICEMAN ABOUT
TO RETIRE CAME TO A TOTAL OF 150.000 FOR ALL THE INFORMATION
INCLUDING EXCLUSIVE PHOTGRAPHS OF CUNANAN'S BODY AT THE TIME OF THE
POLICE FINDING HIM.
THE
PHOTOGRAPHS WERE NEVER GIVEN TO FORTI AND GARY SCHIAFFO NEVER
RECIEVED THE REMAINING AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WAS AGREED
THE T.V SPECIAL ON VERSACE'S DEATH HOLDS
DOUBTS OVER CUNANAN'S DEATH, IT IS SHOWN ONLY IN FRANCE AND ITALY
ABOUT THREE MONTHS BEFORE ENRICO FORTI IS ACCUSED OF MURDERING THE
AUSTRAILIAN DALE PIKE FOLLOWING THE BARGAINING OF THE GERMAN THOMAS
KNOTT, KNOTT WAS SENTENCED FOR FRAUD DAMAGES OF THE VICTIM'S FATHER.
ENRICO FORTI IS SET FREE BY THE PROSECUTION FROM FRAUD CHARGES.
ANTHONY PIKE, OWNER OF THE HOTEL "PIKE'S" IN
IBIZA, AND WHO IS NEARLY BANKRUPT, IS INVITED TO GO TO MIAMI TO
WILLIAMS ISLAND TO HIS GERMAN FRIEND THOMAS KNOTT'S HOUSE TO LOOK
FOR POTENTIAL" BUYERS" OF THE HOTEL. ANTHONY PIKE DECLARES THAT HE
WAS LOOKING FOR A BUYER FOR HIS "WHITE ELEPHANT".
ENRICO FORTI LIVES IN THE SAME RESIDENTIAL COMPOUND AS THOMAS KNOTT
AND GETS TO KNOW ANTHONY PIKE IN THIS OCCASION. NOVEMBER1997.
FORTI BECOME INVOLVED IN THE NEGOTIATIONS IN
BUYING THE HOTEL WITH ANTHONY PIKE AND THOMAS KNOTT WHO WAS ALSO
INTERESTED IN THE DEAL. LATER THOMAS KNOTT IS EXCLUDED FROM THE
NEGOTIATIONS. FROM THE DOCUMENTS PRODUCED FROM THE PROSECTION IT
SHOWS THAT ENRICO FORTI WAS A VICTIM OF FRAUD SET UP BY ANTHONY PIKE
(THE VICTIM'S FATHER) WHO SOLD A "WHITE ELEPHANT" TO RESOLVE HIS
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS.
ON SUNDAY THE 15TH OF FEBURAY 1998 FORTI
COLLECTS DALE PIKE, ANTHONY'S SON, FROM MIAMI AIRPORT.
FORTI HAD ACCEPTED TO PAY A RETURN TICKET FOR FATHER AND SON FROM
IBIZA TO MIAMI. THE VICTIM'S FATHER DECIDES TO HAVE A CHANGE OF PLAN
AT THE LAST MINUTE, LEAVING TWO DAYS LATER WITHOUT HIS SON, AFTER
GIVING HIM A STRANGE DELEGATION.
DALE WAS GOING TO MIAMI TO TALK ABOUT THE SELLING OF THE HOTEL AND
TO ASK FOR THE MONEY WITHDRAWN OUT TO HIS FATHER USING DECEITFULLY
THOMAS KNOTT'S CREDIT CARDS.
DALE IS PICKED UP AT THE AIRPORT IN MIAMI BY FORTI. HIS BODY WAS
FOUND THE NEXT DAY, ON A BEACH IN MIAMI.
ON WEDNESDAY THE 18TH OF
FEBRUARY FORTI ARRIVES IN NEW YORK TO MEET ANTHONY PIKE, HE LEARNS
ABOUT DALE'S DEATH FROM A FRIEND OF ANTHONY PIKE, WHO TELLS HIM THAT
THE VICTIM'S FATHER HAS LEFT FOR MIAMI AND THAT HE SHOULD GET IN
TOUCH WITH THE MIAMI POLICE DEPARTMENT.
FORTI RETURNS TO MIAMI
AND CONTACTS HIS POLICEMAN "FRIEND" GARY SCHIAFFO WHO TELLS HIM TO
COME TO THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS FOR AN INFORMAL MEETING.
FORTI IS INTERROGATED BY DETECTIVES GONZALES AND CARTER.
FORTI ISN'T READ HIS RIGHTS (AMONGST THESE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN
SILENT AND TO CALL A LAWYER) AND FALLS IN -----------------------
LYING ABOUT THE ARRIVAL OF DALE PIKE AND GOING OVER WHAT THE POLICE
ALREADY KNEW.
GARY SCHIAFFO, A POLICEMAN RECENTLY RETIRED,
IS HIRED BY THE STATE ATTORNEY OFFICE PARTNER OF THE PROSECUTOR REID
RUBIN, PUBLIC PROSECUTOR IN THE FORTI CASE.
DURING THE INTERROGATION THE MIAMI POLICE PUSH FORTI TO ADMIT THAT
ALSO DALE'S FATHER WAS KILLED IN NEW YORK IN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT
MAKES FORTI THE MAIN SUSPECT. TO DEFEND HIMSELF FROM THE ACCUSATIONS,
FORTI DENIES ANY CONTACT WITH THE VICTIM.
A "FRIENDSHIP" A SERIES OF EVENTS AND A LIE THAT COST HIM VERY DEAR...
THE GERMAN THOMAS KNOTT AND ENRICO FORTI ARE
BOTH PUT ON TRIAL FOR FRAUD AGAINST THE VICTIM'S FATHER, ANTHONY
PIKE.
ENRICO FORTI IS DISCHARGED WHILE THOMAS KNOTT IS SENTENCED BY THE
COURT IN FLORIDA FOR FRAUD AGAINST ANTHONY PIKE AS WELL AS THE
POSSESION OF A GUN THE SAME TYPE THAT WAS USED TO KILL DALE PIKE........
THOMAS KNOTT PLEADS
AGAINST THE PENALTY GIVING A STATEMENT NOT SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE
BRINGING CHICO FORTI TO TRIAL FOR MURDER.
BOTH ARE TESTED BY A LIE
DETECTOR. ENRICO FORTI PASSES THE LIE DETECTOR AND DNA TESTS.
THOMAS KNOTT'S ANSWERS WERE NOT MADE KNOWN BY THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
- TOP SECRET.
THE 15TH OF JUNE 2000, THE VERDICT, THE JURY
DECLARES ENRICO FORTI IS GUILTY. HE IS SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR MURDER
AFTER A TRIAL BASED UPON A SERIES OF CIRCUMSTANCES, DOUBTS AND NO
EVIDENCE. THE STRENGTH OF THE PUBLIC PROSECUTORS SPEECH, WHO
CLEVERLY HID SOME OF THE PROOF AND WHO SUGGESTED SOME IMPORTANT
CLUES IN A WAY THAT MADE THEM LOOK GUILTY AND THEREFORE CONDITIONING
THE JURY IN THEIR FINAL VERDICT.
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