DC - Savvas Savopoulos, family & Veralicia Figueroa murdered; Daron Wint Arrested #1

[jjenny]

Why take the car and burn it? The perp didn't have his own car?

 

[Inthedetails]

Where were the dogs found, considering the house was burned down?

In the yard.

 

[dienermom]

Then presumably assistant would have told this to the police.

Absolutely. They wouldn't even need the assistant to tell them. At this point, I'm sure police have probably opened the package and know exactly what was in it. But they aren't saying.

 

[dienermom]

I was very curious about the package, but from the article I linked above, I presumed the package was still outside the home when LE arrived since it was in the police report. But, LE knew who delivered the package, so they must have already spoken to the assistant who delivered the package. I wonder if the package was missing when LE arrived and they learned about its delivery from the assistant. I imagine the assistant was terribly alarmed when he learned what had transpired, and may have realized that the package he was requested to deliver, especially if it did contain money, was related to the family's demise and so he contacted LE about it early on.

This is a good point. i had assumed the package was there, but you're right, maybe it wasn't.

 

[privateaye]

What is everyone's opinion of the video, as far age, sex, height, etc? I think it is a young male, tall, but agile. Not skinny per se, but not muscular. Fit and slim. I was especially taken with the beginning of the video where you see him(?) bounding across the street. There's one stride where the legs are really far apart...that's what makes me think tall and young/fit.

 

[SleuthBear]

From what I have seen Savva was a head master of Ten Shin Ryu and one thing I have learned through searches is that this type of martial arts is heavy in swords. Kind of interesting that a person that has been practicing for over 20 years would die from cutting wounds. Also with his new dojo opening last weekend there were people coming from all over the country to support him. Again how does a random criminal take down a well trained man. So here is new theories:

1. It was preplanned.
2. Either by associate or a "foe".
3. I believe there was more then one perp
a. One perp from PIO photos seems to be small and by how they walk and hold themselves in the video I would possibly say a woman.
4. They were targeted due for financial gain, business dealings, or something within the martial arts industry.
a. I am leaning more towards financial gain. I believe the family was held hostage and I believe the intent was to have money transfered from an unknown account to other unknown accounts.
b. I believe the perp(s) didn't leave until the transfer was confirmed.
5. I believe the family was asked if any other visitors would be arriving to the home. I believe the mother said yes that the other house keeper would be.
a. Mother stated this in hopes that a text to the house keeper would send a warning message to house keeper to contact police.

Unknowns:

What was in the white bucket?
Where did the person with the Porsche go for so many hours?
Where is the footage that isn't being released?
Did the house have a surveillance system?

 

[Hatfield]

It's possible the perp used the bucket to transport gasoline to the house, and then after the deed was done used it to stash money and jewelry taken from the victims. Once he had abandoned and set fire to the car (if one metal 1/2 gallon of gas remained, he could have taken it out of the bucket and placed it in the car), the bucket was easy enough to grab and flee with it. The items inside the bucket, if cash and jewelry, would have been lightweight enough for the perp to run while carrying it.

Agree and I think this dual-purpose or triple-purpose for the bucket seems likely. The criminal I think was not some professional criminal. I think this was a simple plan and everything about it seems kind of like a simple stupid robbery from someone who didnt care about human life of strangers. They just did not want to get caught and would kill over it.

So something like a bucket serves multiple purposes and is simple. Its almost like the perp said to himself....Ill just use a bucket for all my tasks.

Multiple Purposes for bucket.

1-Conceal gas. Smaller gas cans inside the bucket being concealed going into the house.
2-Transfer money and valuables like jewelry from the house after the robbery
3-Disguise the perp as a worker like a painter or any other worker.

 

[Indy Anna]

Absolutely. They wouldn't even need the assistant to tell them. At this point, I'm sure police have probably opened the package and know exactly what was in it. But they aren't saying.

Can we be certain the package was still at the house when LE arrived? It was in the police report, but that could be because the assistant alerted LE about it when he learned of the crime. If it was money he delivered to the home, I'm sure he would have associated it with the crime immediately.

 

[Chickaroo]

I wonder why the dogs were spared. Animal lover? Remorse for killing the family, maybe they never intended to kill and it went wrong? Perhaps the dogs ran out as they were escaping the house? If I set a fire I would run like the wind. Maybe someone was taking them out for a potty break and that's when things started? I would be interested in knowing how long they were in the yard...the day before or since that morning. Maybe they were left outside as not to alert anyone with the commotion going on inside, with them barking and such.

 

[Hatfield]

Why take the car and burn it? The perp didn't have his own car?

Its pretty obvious to me this perp was under the false impression that burning stuff destroys all evidence.

It helps reduce evidence, yes, but he was sorely mistaken to think it destroys ALL evidence.
In fact, it helps create evidence sometimes by allowing LE to track where he got the gas, etc.

 

[privateaye]

I wonder why the dogs were spared. Animal lover? Remorse for killing the family, maybe they never intended to kill and it went wrong? Perhaps the dogs ran out as they were escaping the house? If I set a fire I would run like the wind. Maybe someone was taking them out for a potty break and that's when things started? I would be interested in knowing how long they were in the yard...the day before or since that morning. Maybe they were left outside as not to alert anyone with the commotion going on inside, with them barking and such.

Maybe didn't want the dogs attacking them as they were killing family members. Not that goldens are mean, but when your family is being attacked, maybe the perp didn't want to risk it. Also, if the lawn service was there earlier, it can be presumed the dogs were inside then. I wonder what time the lawn service left. The dogs could be let out then, and the perp could continue or begin their plan.

 

[Inthedetails]

Its pretty obvious to me this perp was under the false impression that burning stuff destroys all evidence.

It helps reduce evidence, yes, but he was sorely mistaken to think it destroys ALL evidence.
In fact, it helps create evidence sometimes by allowing LE to track where he got the gas, etc.

I also wonder if a crime was committed in the car on Wednesday. ?

 

[Hatfield]

What is everyone's opinion of the video, as far age, sex, height, etc? I think it is a young male, tall, but agile. Not skinny per se, but not muscular. Fit and slim. I was especially taken with the beginning of the video where you see him(?) bounding across the street. There's one stride where the legs are really far apart...that's what makes me think tall and young/fit.

Good analysis. I think you are right about most. Especially him being young as I do think someone who is relatively young would agree to a crazy plan like this. It takes some wild hair brained scheme to commit a crime like this. A younger type person fantasizes about things like this and is immature enough to actually try it.

 

[SleuthBear]

What is everyone's opinion of the video, as far age, sex, height, etc? I think it is a young male, tall, but agile. Not skinny per se, but not muscular. Fit and slim. I was especially taken with the beginning of the video where you see him(?) bounding across the street. There's one stride where the legs are really far apart...that's what makes me think tall and young/fit.

I would say young maybe late teens early 20's. I am mixed about sex but from arch of back, gate of walk, ankle size, lack of appearance of muscle mass I am leaning towards female. Well the bucket is about 18" tall and I would say the PIO is equal to about 3 1/2 buckets so under 5'6". Also the trash can and the six inch riser shows not a very tall height.

You are right though the running across the street seems very tall but then when you compare the things around them not very tall at all.

 

[privateaye]

I also wonder if a crime was committed in the car on Wednesday. ?

It would be great if we could get a timeline of known communications and comings/goings for Wednesday. Did Philip go to school Wednesday? Was he only out Thursday? Was SS home all Wednesday? etc...

 

[Hatfield]

I also wonder if a crime was committed in the car on Wednesday. ?

If some sort of bank withdrawel was involved with a lot of money then maybe he had to take the owners car to the bank to show the bank people they were who they were supposed to be.

Did he have someone in the car with him and withdrew a lot of money? went back to house drop off person. set fire to house, then burned the car to burn evidence of him being in that car. Trying to burn off his Fingerprints, DNA, since he may have forced someone with him to withdraw money.

 

[Plumeria5]

She said Savvas Savopoulos told her in person Wednesday that his wife had plans to go out, but said in the voice mail left that night that Amy Savopoulos had been sick in bed all day.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...140154-fbf7-11e4-9030-b4732caefe81_story.html

“It was something very suspicious because I felt his voice was really tense,” Gutierrez said in Spanish. “And it was different than what he had said to me before.”

...........................................

A housekeeper who worked for the family told Fox 5 that another housekeeper and the couple's 10-year-old boy slept in the house Wednesday evening. The housekeeper got a text on Thursday morning telling her not to come in because the family was sick.

http://www.people.com/article/4-dead-suspicious-house-fire-dc

When she called the family after receiving the text, no one picked up.

.........................................

Nelitza Gutierrez, the housekeeper who received the messages, told the Post the series of messages left her thinking something was amiss with her employers. Gutierrez had worked for the family for 20 years.

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2015/0...-were-homicide-victims-police-say-114003.html

Savvas Savopoulos had told Gutierrez on Wednesday that his wife had plans to go out. But in a voice mail that night, he said Amy Savopoulos had been sick in bed.

"It was something very suspicious because I felt his voice was really tense," Gutierrez said in Spanish. "And it was different than what he had said to me before."

Gutierrez said she called Amy Savopoulos after hearing the message "to see if she was OK, but she never answered."

....................................................

The housekeeper received a text message Thursday morning from the mother and told her to not come by the house because the family was sick. When she called to respond to the text message, the phone call was not picked up.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/29066982/four-dead-fire

bbm

If she worked for the family for 20 years then she started when SS was only 26 years old.

 

[privateaye]

Does anyone know where the perp comes out from around the front of the building in the video? ie, earlier posts seemed to state they knew where that was, and you see him/her run to the right, so they either come out at the front of that shopping area/building, or have a getaway car parked there. I would think there may be other cameras on the front of those buildings?

 

[colette]

Except the victims were killed with blunt force trauma and possibly knife wounds. Suggest the suspect(s) didn't have a gun.

Not really. If you fire a gun everyone will hear it. If you use the gun for control and then beat the people it will be silent. This was done in California several times by East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker or the Golden State Killer. He would have the woman tie up the man at gun point then make sure he was tied tight, also bind the woman then usually beat them both to death.

 

[Hatfield]

Not really. If you fire a gun everyone will hear it. If you use the gun for control and then beat the people it will be silent. This was done in California several times by East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker or the Golden State Killer. He would have the woman tie up the man at gun point then make sure he was tied tight, also bind the woman then usually beat them both to death.

Good points. A gun could have been used to gain compliance. It sure seems like the perp(s) got them to do what he/they wanted to do. A gun or some other weapon seems likely to gain that kind of compliance.

The brutality of this crime is what is so shocking to me so far. The perp(s) did not care about these victims lives. They just wanted money and to not get caught IMO.