DC - Savvas Savopoulos, family & Veralicia Figueroa murdered; Daron Wint Arrested #21

[watergirl62]

Hoping this link works...

DC quadruple murder suspect appears in court for DNA evidence hearing https://wtop.com/dc/2018/04/dc-quadruple-murder-suspect-appears-in-court-for-dna-evidence-hearing/


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Good info here. I only remembered the pizza crust DNA, this article says in addition to his DNA on the pizza crust:

Authorities had also said Wint’s DNA was found on a neon green construction vest that had been left inside Amy Savopoulos’ stolen Porsche. An overview of forensic evidence prepared by prosecutors mentioned a possible DNA link between Wint and a knife found in the basement of the burned house. Investigators also said their evidence included a piece of duct tape recovered from the driveway and a hair sample found in a piece of bedding.

 

[IDK]

Good info here. I only remembered the pizza crust DNA, this article says in addition to his DNA on the pizza crust:

Authorities had also said Wint’s DNA was found on a neon green construction vest that had been left inside Amy Savopoulos’ stolen Porsche. An overview of forensic evidence prepared by prosecutors mentioned a possible DNA link between Wint and a knife found in the basement of the burned house. Investigators also said their evidence included a piece of duct tape recovered from the driveway and a hair sample found in a piece of bedding.

Good, the more evidence the better.

 

[WilsonVB]

I am glad they have something but I'll never believe he did this all by himself.

 

[jjenny]

I am glad they have something but I'll never believe he did this all by himself.

Police shouldn't have been making those claims considering no other suspects emerged. It is not impossible for one person to hold multiple people hostage and to kill those people. It had happened in a number of cases that i know of.

 

[Seattle1]

Trial Will Begin Soon For Man Accused In Savopoulos Murders
It has been three years since the brutal slaying of the family of three and their housekeeper stunned the city.
By Dan Taylor, Patch Staff | May 16, 2018 1:48 pm ET | Updated May 16, 2018 5:13 pm ET

"... Police arrested Darron Wint a few days later, claiming he committed the murders and made off with $40,000 in ransom money. He had worked for Savopolous' company in Hyattsville, Md. at one time.

But as a new WTOP report notes, there are some puzzling aspects about the case. Investigators have a hard time believing that just one person could pull off the elaborate crime. But so far, Wint has been the only person identified as the culprit. His DNA was found on a pizza crust at the home, prosecutors say."...

Wint's trial is finally set to begin Sept. 5 after numerous delays.

https://patch.com/district-columbia...ill-begin-soon-man-accused-savopoulos-murders

 

[Seattle1]

3 years later, where case stands in brutal Savopoulos mansion murders
By Megan Cloherty | @ClohertyWTOP May 14, 2018 1:27 pm

From the get-go, investigators said it would have taken more than one person to pull off such an elaborate crime. Court documents support this investigative hunch. However, only one person has been charged.

https://wtop.com/dc/2018/05/3-years...ds-in-the-savopoulos-mansion-murders/slide/1/

 

[Seattle1]

Investigators said Wint’s DNA was found on pizza crust, a neon green construction vest that had been left inside Amy Savopoulos’ stolen Porsche, possible DNA link between Wint and a knife found in the basement of the burned house, and a piece of duct tape recovered from the driveway and also hair sample found in a piece of bedding.

Please tell me the prosecutor has more than the above to convict the persons responsible for this brutal crime. Was it a $40K hit -- barely $10K per victim?......

Something's never been right with this case!

 

[Seattle1]

Bump and what we know thus far:

Nearly a month after the mansion murders, a newly unsealed search warrant affidavit reveals graphic details about the deaths of the victims.

An adult male, identified by ABC News as Savvas Savopoulos, had 'apparent trauma to the rear of his head'.

In the same bedroom, an adult female, identified by the network as Amy Savopoulos, had 'lacerations to her throat and head', according to the documents.

The affidavit lists an unknown individual, named by ABC News as housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa, who was 'receiving CPR and transported to a local hospital', before her death. (Her injuries were not listed).

The affidavit also reports the discovery of a 'baseball bat with what appeared to be blood' on it, in the same room where first responders found the three adult victims.

It was in a second upstairs bedroom, where fire crews found the body of 10-year old Philip Savopoulos. The documents list him only as 'an adult individual--- gender unknown', with 'severe fire damage... to the body.' This is also the room where investigators believe the blaze was set.

Link to search warrant 5/15/15
https://www.scribd.com/document/268311018/Search-Warrant-Mansion-Murder-Case-061015

 

[Seattle1]

The Mansion Murders: A Fox 5 DC True Crime Podcast.

I recently came across a FB post questioning the lack of "advertising" for the "grand opening" of Savvas new dojo. After doing a bit of research on the "Art of the Sword" (i.e., dojo), I came to understand that the new dojo was not the subject of a "public" grand opening. Rather On May 15th, 2015, students and teachers of kenjutsu, the art of Japanese sword, converged for a special opening of a new dojo of Savvos Savopoulos’s Sensei’s sword school. When they set out on their joyful pilgrimage, they couldn’t have known that Mr. Savopoulos, his wife Amy, their 10-year-old son Philip, and their housekeeper Veralicia Figueora had been brutally slain after 24 hours of captivity on May 14th, just one day earlier....

THURSDAY MORNING COFFEE BLOG – Stricken and Bereaved.

Then, I found more pieces of the (sword) puzzle:

Report: Brutally Murdered D.C. Family Was Held Captive By Sword
Gabrielle Bluestone
07/02/15 01:00PM
Filed to: Savopolous

Forensic evidence from the D.C. mansion where the Savopoulos family and their housekeeper were tortured and killed last month suggests the intruders used a lot of duct tape and a sword to commit brutal crime, the Washington Post reports.

Report: Brutally Murdered D.C. Family Was Held Captive By Sword

And today, I came upon a Fa.Iaido Google Group post dating back to 10/7/99 (8 posts by 5 authors) with the title The Challenge From Mr. Savvas Savopoulos.

It's somewhat of a testy exchange about the effectiveness of a school's technique, in which Savvas ends the exchange as follows:

Mr. Clark will not receive a response from me (not that I know the
history- I never cared enough to ask). He strives to be a historian by
his own admission. I strive to be a swordsman (though I fail miserably).
For me history is irrelevant. There is only now. My job is not to
provide Mr. Clark with his historical information. Anyone that has seen
aikijutsu or kenjutsu, that attends one of Lovret Sensei's seminars, will
be convinced that he is the real thing. Again, we are not a bunch of
idiots following someone blindly.

As you choose to live in ignorance, and are obviously unwilling to get on
the mat, this discussion is fruitless and is terminated. Once you get on
the mat, I will be happy to discuss technical merits of technique, etc.
History does not hold my interest.

Savvas Savopoulos

Google Groups
______________________________________________

Iaido is the Japanese martial art of swordsmanship which emphasizes drawing and cutting with the samurai sword (called a ‘katana’) in a single fluid motion. I = being / presence , AI = harmony, DO = way — roughly, “The way of harmonizing oneself in mental presence and action”

IMO, this Japanese swordsmanship is some very serious and intense stuff!! Christianity and Budo? Could this DC Mansion Murder have been a sacrificial killing coinciding with the opening of Savvas dojo????

 

[SeesSeas]

The Mansion Murders: A Fox 5 DC True Crime Podcast.

I recently came across a FB post questioning the lack of "advertising" for the "grand opening" of Savvas new dojo. After doing a bit of research on the "Art of the Sword" (i.e., dojo), I came to understand that the new dojo was not the subject of a "public" grand opening. Rather On May 15th, 2015, students and teachers of kenjutsu, the art of Japanese sword, converged for a special opening of a new dojo of Savvos Savopoulos’s Sensei’s sword school. When they set out on their joyful pilgrimage, they couldn’t have known that Mr. Savopoulos, his wife Amy, their 10-year-old son Philip, and their housekeeper Veralicia Figueora had been brutally slain after 24 hours of captivity on May 14th, just one day earlier....

THURSDAY MORNING COFFEE BLOG – Stricken and Bereaved.

Then, I found more pieces of the (sword) puzzle:

Report: Brutally Murdered D.C. Family Was Held Captive By Sword
Gabrielle Bluestone
07/02/15 01:00PM
Filed to: Savopolous

Forensic evidence from the D.C. mansion where the Savopoulos family and their housekeeper were tortured and killed last month suggests the intruders used a lot of duct tape and a sword to commit brutal crime, the Washington Post reports.

Report: Brutally Murdered D.C. Family Was Held Captive By Sword

And today, I came upon a Fa.Iaido Google Group post dating back to 10/7/99 (8 posts by 5 authors) with the title The Challenge From Mr. Savvas Savopoulos.

It's somewhat of a testy exchange about the effectiveness of a school's technique, in which Savvas ends the exchange as follows:

Mr. Clark will not receive a response from me (not that I know the
history- I never cared enough to ask). He strives to be a historian by
his own admission. I strive to be a swordsman (though I fail miserably).
For me history is irrelevant. There is only now. My job is not to
provide Mr. Clark with his historical information. Anyone that has seen
aikijutsu or kenjutsu, that attends one of Lovret Sensei's seminars, will
be convinced that he is the real thing. Again, we are not a bunch of
idiots following someone blindly.

As you choose to live in ignorance, and are obviously unwilling to get on
the mat, this discussion is fruitless and is terminated. Once you get on
the mat, I will be happy to discuss technical merits of technique, etc.
History does not hold my interest.

Savvas Savopoulos

Google Groups
______________________________________________

Iaido is the Japanese martial art of swordsmanship which emphasizes drawing and cutting with the samurai sword (called a ‘katana’) in a single fluid motion. I = being / presence , AI = harmony, DO = way — roughly, “The way of harmonizing oneself in mental presence and action”

IMO, this Japanese swordsmanship is some very serious and intense stuff!! Christianity and Budo? Could this DC Mansion Murder have been a sacrificial killing coinciding with the opening of Savvas dojo????

YES! I addressed this angle in 2015, post #850 on thread #16, and subsequent posts about the "challenge" dispute.
I believe my "challenge" posts were removed (can't find them). I've saved all of that detail on my personal notes about this case.
I think the bitter "challenge" dispute could be motive.

DC - Savvas Savopoulos, family & Veralicia Figueroa murdered; Daron Wint Arrested #16
SeesSeas, Jul 3, 2015
I personally think JW was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The crime angle that I'm most curious about is the timing of the murders with the scheduled opening of the martial arts studio (dojo) in Chantilly VA.
Home invasion May 13. Murders/arson May 14. Dojo grand opening May 15.

Per recent news article dated July 1:
"The assailant or assailants who killed three members of the Savopoulos family and their housekeeper in May are believed to have used a sword that belonged to the family, according to two people familiar with the investigation.
The sword, which was part of Savvas Savopoulos’s martial arts collection, was found at the scene with what appeared to be blood on it, according to the people. "
"Savvas Savopoulos, who had an interest in martial arts, also was in the process of opening a martial arts center in Chantilly, Va. — a studio that had been set to open the day after the killings."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...c7d4c8-1ddb-11e5-84d5-eb37ee8eaa61_story.html

 

[zencompass]

I found this article (Spring 2016) quite informative. It even mentions the alarm about a door with broken glass at 5:56 p.m. being sent to the security company.

Pages 152-157 reveals the story "Murders on Woodland Drive". The magazine article (click on Spring 2016) and then go to page 152. You can zoom in and move around all of the pages.

Spring 2016

 

[zencompass]

Dear SeesSeas,

I remember your posts about the timing of the dojo opening, an angle which I, including others, found fascinating.

You have a knack for insight into avenues of investigation not initially considered. That is why I look forward to your posts.

This trial will be very interesting, especially discovering angles pursued by the L.E.

 

[zencompass]

I am curious as to whether any of the five persons who were "travelling" with Wint in the two vehicles will be a witness for the prosecution in this trial.

Perhaps they all told the police that Wint told them nothing.

Perhaps one of them has a conscience and did tell the authorities what Wint said.

After hearing the horrific details of torture and murder of three adults and a child, I would hope at least one person was moved to tell the truth of what they knew.

 

[zencompass]

This is only a thought about this. What if no one will say anything to the police because they know of someone else who was involved, someone who is much more dangerous to them than Wint.

I'm just throwing this thought out there.

I do agree that one person could be capable of this horrendous violence. However, there is a possibility that there was someone else there and left no DNA trail.

 

[SeesSeas]

Court Schedule:
Superior Court Online Case Search | District of Columbia Courts
2015 CF1 007047 United States Vs. WINT, DARON D JML
Events
Date/Time Location Type
07/12/2018 11:00 AM Courtroom 215 Status Hearing
08/03/2018 09:30 AM Courtroom 215 Trial Readiness Hearing
08/03/2018 09:30 AM Courtroom 316 Trial Readiness Hearing
09/04/2018 11:00 AM Courtroom 215 Motion Hearing
09/04/2018 11:00 AM Courtroom 316 Motion Hearing
09/05/2018 09:30 AM Courtroom 316 Jury Trial
09/05/2018 09:30 AM Courtroom 215 Jury Trial

 

[zencompass]

Thank you SeesSeas !

 

[1&2&3]

I must go back and listen to the podcast. I remember the eldest daughter getting the restraining order against the grandfather which I thought was peculiar.

IIRC, the therapy dog was for the youngest daughter. She was not coping well at all with what had happened. She had a disease as it was called. I believe diabetes.

It floored me with the money in the family, the dog couldn’t be purchased with family money and a Go Fund Me account had been started.

 

[Seattle1]

I must go back and listen to the podcast. I remember the eldest daughter getting the restraining order against the grandfather which I thought was peculiar.

IIRC, the therapy dog was for the youngest daughter. She was not coping well at all with what had happened. She had a disease as it was called. I believe diabetes.

It floored me with the money in the family, the dog couldn’t be purchased with family money and a Go Fund Me account had been started.

It was the second daughter (KS) that got the RO against the GF. This is same daughter that was seeking assistance for therapy dog for epilepsy/seizures. What a terrible tragedy for this entire family. The eldest daughter was a senior and was graduating the following week, second daughter a junior, and Savvas sister spoke to him by phone hours before the murder and didn't sense anything wrong. There's a status hearing on July 12, and hope the jury trial does not get delayed or postponed.

 

[Seattle1]

Evidence found linking another suspect to 2015 quadruple killings, attorneys for man charged in case say
by Keith L. Alexander July 27 at 7:24 PM

The attorneys for the man charged with the 2015 killings of three Upper Northwest Washington family members and their housekeeper say they have evidence someone else was responsible for the killings that they plan to introduce during the September trial.

Public Defenders made this announcement in court on Friday. They did not identify the other person, and also said that they do not have to reveal the details of their defense until trial.

"....Although Wint’s attorneys did not name another suspect, in an earlier court filing, they cited one person they said had provided homicide detectives with “false information” about his whereabouts on the night and early morning of the killings. The attorneys requested additional information regarding this person. The name of the person was redacted from court files...."

Evidence found linking another suspect to 2015 quadruple killings, attorneys for man charged in case say

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Yeppers, the ol' ADDI defense. ( another dude did it) this doesn't surprise me and I'm sure the prosecution is ready for that because they themselves, had said there was probably more than one person that did this.