Melanie Alnwick FOX 5 DC
September 12 at 2:36 PM ·
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DAY 2. SEPT 12, 2018 --DAY 2 TRIAL
In the second morning of the
#MansionMurders trial, prosecutors Christopher Bruckmann and Laura Bach began laying the groundwork for the timeline and evidence.
The first witness was Jim Martin, Amy Savopoulos’ father. He’s an older man, small in stature - with close cut salt & pepper hair and a small silver hearing aid tucked behind each ear. He has a kind smile and wears glasses. Before he was called to the stand, a victim’s advocate put her hand on his back, and asked if he was ok.
Jim, in a bright, clear voice - told the jury he had two children: his 48 year old son, and his daughter Amy, who “is still present in my life”. He’s a college professor in social work and research, prior to that he was an Army officer.
Jim identified the photographs of Savvas, Amy, Vera and his grandson Philip. He said the photo we’ve often seen of Amy was taken at a cafe in Paris - mentioning that when Amy was growing up the family was stationed in Germany - so Amy developed a love of European coffeehouses.
Prosecutors asked him to identify exterior photos of the home, interior layout diagrams, and the cars in the household: Savvas’ red Mosler which stayed in the garage, Amy’s blue Porsche, a Land Rover that Amy drove most days, and an Audi SUV that was a gift to one of the daughters.
There was discussion of the family dogs, Bear and Ginger. Jim said they were Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, and gentle giants. He agreed with prosecutor Laura Bach when she asked if the dogs had mobility issues, trouble getting up the stairs. He said the dogs’ domain was mainly the first floor of the house, and the kitchen.
It’s clear he doted on Philip. Jim talked about the boy’s love of sports, how they’d meet for Friday playdates. There was a moment of dark foreshadowing, when Jim said that just before the murders, he had given Philip a special birthday gift: a Louisville Slugger baseball bat with Philip’s name engraved on it.
Next up was Amy’s dermatologist. Dr. Tina West, wearing a nipped in suit and beige pumps with studded straps - testified that Amy and Philip had been to her office on Wisconsin Avenue in Chevy Chase the morning of May 13. Philip had a small cut on his chin from one of the dogs. She said nothing seemed out of the ordinary with the pair.
A parking receipt from Chevy Chase Center was found in Amy’s Land Rover by DC Crime Scene Scientist Deanna Ryan. Ryan strode to the stand in a grey polo with the black word “FORENSICS” stamped on the back. Her hair, as you might expect, pulled back in a tight bun away from her face.
Ryan spoke confidently in identifying the receipt as one she photographed, showing entry at 9:09am and exit at 11:08am. It was not collected as evidence. A photo Ryan took of the Land Rover showed it parked along the curb, across the street from the mansion with crime scene tape stretched across the entrance. Jurors were told Ryan would be back later to testify about other items.
Throughout the testimony, some jurors took notes. Others just listened. It’s early in the trial - but with the volume of meticulous evidence and scientific detail to come, it may be tough to keep their full attention.
We got a look at the inside of the home on Woodland Drive, NW… when Detective Mike Pavero took the stand. Pavero, wearing a grey suit with a blue white wide-striped tied, is tall, with his head shaved and a thin grey goatee. He wears glasses with no rims that disappear on his face. The jury is told he’ll be coming back for more testimony as well.
Prosecutor Christopher Bruckmann flicked on his computer screen .. and a still frame of video, showing the foyer of the home, appeared on the large monitors in the courtroom. It’s shot from the point of view of an investigator walking into the crime scene.
Directly facing as you walk in is a wide staircase to the right, a foyer to the left. Grey & white chinoiserie wallpaper with flowering trees, birds and butterflies decorates the top of the walls, there is cream wainscoting below. In the foyer is a bureau that appears to be cherry wood with brass pulls on the drawers. There are Chinese vases on top of the bureau, and it is bookended by two armchairs. The first thing you notice is a red wheeled suitcase, toppled over in the middle of the foyer. There are schoolbooks strewn on the floor. A Louis Vuitton tote bag sits on the chair to the right.
The sitting room, to the right of the staircase - is adorned with oil paintings framed in gilded gold, stately furniture, and a grand piano. The windows are punched out, and there is debris everywhere. Pavero testifies that this is mostly water damage and soggy drywall that has fallen down from the firefighting efforts.
The video takes one up the stairs, and at the top there immediately is an open door to the family’s library. Turning around to one’s right (back facing the front of the house) there is an office, then the doorway to Bedroom #1, daughter Abigail’s bedroom. The remnants of teenage girlhood remain on the walls - a ribboned bulletin board with mementos, face cream on the nightstand, what was once a white sofa with blue pattered pillows. But everything is askew, and covered with smoke residue. Prosecutor Bach points out the upholstered chairs, and asks Pavero why the fabric has been ripped off the top surface, exposing nothing but cottony stuffing. He says the fabric was taken as evidence. Two chairs look like this. On the back of one, dark smears. The rug, which may have once been of oriental design, was hard to discern. It appeared to have been torn or ripped, and soiled by something black. The camera turns tighter to the hardwood floor - and focuses on a large dark, crusty stain, about two feet in diameter. It looks like old paint peeling - but then has wide streaks where the substance ran in twin rivulets toward the wall.
This is the bedroom where prosecutors say Savvas, Amy, and Vera were held captive.
Bedroom #1 is connected to Bedroom #2 by a shared “Jack & Jill” closet. Bedroom #2 used to belong to daughter Katerina. As the videographer walks through the closet and into that room - it’s clear this is where the fire started. Everything is black, or coated in soot. Some furniture looks like ashy firewood. Other pieces are consumed down to just thin sticks, like the top of a skinny burned out match. Pavero was not the photographer, but he was part of the investigative team from the day of the fire, on. He testified that from the hallway he noticed the strong smell of gasoline and burnt furniture. If you’ve ever been to a house fire you’ll know that it’s pungent and lingers.. a mix of plastics, oil, soot and chemicals. What’s more, Pavero said “I could smell the odor of burn human remains.”
The camera turns to the left to reveal a spaghetti like mess of wires and coils. That, Pavero said, was all that was left of the mattress & box spring after it was consumed by fire. The remains of Philip Savopoulous were also on that bed.
That area was so badly burned that the bedframe was tilted.. into a deep hole the fire burned through the floor.
It was hard to discern anything in the bathroom off of Bedroom #2 - more dark soot on the floors and tiles, and piles of debris filling the space.
Pavero testified that in this debris, he found a sword. He recalled he almost cut himself with it - but said fortunately he was wearing gloves. He testified it was taken into evidence.
Defense attorneys used Pavero’s testimony to slowly inject bits of doubt - we know they plan to question the quality of evidence collection and testing. Public Defender Judith Pipe got Pavero to admit that during the 3 weeks that DC Police had custody of the crime scene - at least 50 different people had come in and out of the home. There is no log of who came in and when. Pavero said there was a uniformed officer at all times guarding the scene.
We also know that the defense plans to make a point that Savvas’ trousers and money found in his pocket by the medical examiner were not processed as evidence.
Pavero had earlier testified that he was the first investigator on the scene, and he was directed by the fire department to go directly to the ambulance where Savvas Savolpoulous’ body was held. Detective Pavero said he lifted the sheet and saw “cuts about his head and noticed the odor of gas”.
Prosecutor Laura Bach objected when Pipe asked the detective “Are you aware that clothing worn by victims can be evidentiary?” After a short bench conference, Pipe backed off.
Time frame is going to be important in this case. Where were all of the players at particular points? One witness helped place a possible time when the suspect (s) entered the home. In May 2015, Ghaya Almi was director of reservations at the Olde Towne Pet Resort in Sterling, VA. She said that the dogs, Bear and Ginger Savopoulous, frequently “vacationed” at the pet spa and resort, and that Amy was one of their top clients. The Savopoulous family had made a reservation for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend but hadn’t confirmed or put down a deposit. On May 13, a reservationist named Heather made a note in the system:
5/13/15 could not LVM for COB for res 5/20-5/23. home phone disconnected. -hs (3:14pm)
Called LVM @ 4:20pm. COB res 5/20-5/23 gave until 6:30pm. -hs
Almi, relying on phone records and her prior Grand Jury testimony, said the first call was to the Savopolous home number, the second to Amy’s cell. Almi said Amy actually called back twice, the first time not long after the 4:20pm voice mail - but that there was no sound on the other end, and then a hang up. The second call came 10-15 minutes later. “I spoke to her,” Almi said. “ She said she was ok with the reservation and to charge it to the credit card on file.” Asked about Amy’s demeanor, Almi said “she sounded sleepy, or under the weather - and rushing. Not like her at all”. Almi testified that usually Amy was very chatty and liked to add on extra services for Bear and Ginger, but not this time.
At that, the court recessed for lunch. My colleague Paul Wagner FOX 5 DC is covering the afternoon sessions.
He says jurors were shown texts between Amy & one of her daughters at
“asked a guy to prom because gender roles are stupid”
Amy replied 2 minutes later “good job - remember to hold the door for him because gender roles are stupid. really glad you are going “
This is to show that Amy was normally quick to respond to texts.
Finally, a friend of Amy’s testified that she saw her walking a few blocks away at 3:25pm on May 13. She said Amy appeared relaxed and nicely dressed.
The theory taking shape - is that someone broke into the house in the 3:00 hour - when Amy was out for a walk and Philip, presumably, was home with Vera.
You can look for his reports on
Fox5DC.com, on our app and in our evening broadcasts.
