Jeffrey Trail

Jeffrey Allen Trail (February 25, 1969 – April 27, 1997) was an American naval lieutenant and Gulf War veteran who was the first victim of spree killer Andrew Cunanan.

Four years before his killing, Trail was interviewed on condition of anonymity by CBS News journalist Richard Schlesinger for the series 48 Hours as part of the debate over the don't ask, don't tell policy.

Early life and military career Jeffrey Trail was born in DeKalb, Illinois, in February 1969, the son of Stanley M. Trail, a U.S. Army veteran and mathematics professor at Northern Illinois University (NIU), and Ann Catlin Davis, a school of education teacher at NIU and a classroom teacher at DeKalb High School and Belvidere High School. Shortly after joining the highway police, Trail abruptly resigned and moved to Minneapolis as a district manager for Ferrellgas.

Don't ask, don't tell interview external media float = left

title = video1 = "48 Hours"' Richard Schlesinger's connection with a Cunanan victim – Reference: Schlesinger added that he and his team were "stunned and saddened" when they learned of Trail's murder and the gruesome details around it.

Relationship with Cunanan According to author Maureen Orth, around the time that he met Cunanan, Trail was struggling with his sexuality, knowing that he was gay but not being able to say it in the military. According to their common acquaintances and friends, Trail warned Madson about Cunanan's lying and told him not to believe anything he said.

On April 25, 1997, Cunanan took a flight from San Diego to Minneapolis, surprising Trail and Madson with his visit. Trail's killing marked the beginning of Cunanan's murder spree. Cunanan subsequently committed suicide on a houseboat in Miami Beach, Florida, on July 23, 1997, as a SWAT team attempted to arrest him.

Aftermath and in media In September 2019, the DeKalb County, Illinois, veteran fund announced the creation of a scholarship in honour of Trail's military career. Trail's family donated to the fund in May 2024. The foundation, whose name is Jeffrey A. Trail Memorial Fund, offers scholarships for DeKalb High School graduates for a two- or four-year term of studies in aviation technology, including professional flight and pilot training.