GUILTY DC - Savvas Savopoulos, family & Veralicia Figueroa murdered; Daron Wint Arrested #23

[Inthedetails]

As someone who used to live in DC and worked on 14th street, I'm a little confused- 13th and 14th is not really where GWU is. I might be reading too much in to that, but seems strange.

However, GWU *is* where DW's van was parked and where the tow truck driver took DW to:

"Douglas Ventura, who owns a towing company, told jurors he was approached by a man on Annapolis Road in Lanham, Maryland, who asked for a ride into D.C. to pick up a minivan that had been parked on Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C. near George Washington University."

Savopoulos family killings: Daron Wint on trial

Eta: GWU is appx. between 20th and 23rd street, so not that far away, but 13th and 14th seems incorrect to me as a reference for GWU.

BBM

13th and 14th refer to the dates of the crime, not a location.

 

[katydid23]

delete, don't want to add to the confusion...

 

[Inthedetails]

As to the bolded above, most colleges have other properties/buildings which are not right at the main campus.

I live near UCLA, and there are a lot of 'off campus' buildings, where they teach extension classes, or do business, or whatever else needs to be done. JMO

I'm pretty sure the 13th and 14th refer to May 13 and May 14, the dates of the crime. The family and Vera were taken hostage on May 13 and the fire was started on May 14.

jmo

 

[katydid23]

I'm pretty sure the 13th and 14th refer to May 13 and May 14, the dates of the crime. The family and Vera were taken hostage on May 13 and the fire was started on May 14.

jmo

YES, I am sure you are correct.

 

[Seattle1]

Paul Wagner‏Verified account @Fox5Wagner
Brother of Daron Wint, Stefon, being grilled on stand by defense which has accused him of taking part in murders. He says he had nothing to do with it - was working on 13th & 14th supervising painting crew at GWU. Admits hair found in house cannot be ruled out as his or Daron’s. BBM
10:19 AM - 1 Oct 2018

As someone who used to live in DC and worked on 14th street, I'm a little confused- 13th and 14th is not really where GWU is. I might be reading too much in to that, but seems strange.
However, GWU *is* where DW's van was parked and where the tow truck driver took DW to:
"Douglas Ventura, who owns a towing company, told jurors he was approached by a man on Annapolis Road in Lanham, Maryland, who asked for a ride into D.C. to pick up a minivan that had been parked on Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C. near George Washington University."
Savopoulos family killings: Daron Wint on trial
Eta: GWU is appx. between 20th and 23rd street, so not that far away, but 13th and 14th seems incorrect to me as a reference for GWU.

I believe OP referring to May 13 & 14 - dates of the crime and not street location.

 

[katydid23]

Okay, the defense is in trouble, in my opinion, with their story that the brothers tricked DW into going to the location, then they did the crimes, and framed him...

So why is he hanging out with those same brothers afterwards, and giving them cash, and all that...

 

[Millhouse]

YES, I am sure you are correct.

Oh duh! Thanks.

 

[Inthedetails]

Okay, the defense is in trouble, in my opinion, with their story that the brothers tricked DW into going to the location, then they did the crimes, and framed him...

So why is he hanging out with those same brothers afterwards, and giving them cash, and all that...

Right! Why is DW the one with the money if he was only eating pizza.

 

[OTPTarheel2018]

Melanie Alnwick Fox5DC Facebook page

“An FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation biologist / forensic examiner testified this morning in the #MansionMurders trial. Brandie Christian was working at the Quantico lab in 2015 and received 2 items from the Woodland Drive crime scene. A hair found in a piece of bedding in the room where 3 adults were murdered, and a hair found in a construction hard hat, inside the Savopoulos’ garage.

Christian explained that hair and bone cells don’t have nuclei, therefore dna analysis is done based on the cell mitochondria. It’s not as exact as nuclear DNA, but it Is still useful in determining if a person can be included or excluded from a particular sample.

One thing to know about mitochondrial DNA, is that people who share the same mother will have the same profile.

Both hairs had a tight curl, and looked to be more than an inch in length if straightened. Christian testified that Daron Wint’s DNA profile could not be excluded from the hair sample. The probability of a random match to someone who is not maternally related would be less than .5 percent.

So who else matches? Daron Wint’s full and half siblings on his mother’s side: Steffon, Samantha & Stacey, who live in Maryland; plus 2 half sisters and a a half brother who have always lived in Guyana.

Steffon Wint - very nicely dressed in a white button down shirt, a black, tan and gray argyle vest, khaki pants and tan wingtip shoes - took the stand late in the morning.

He told the jury he’s always had a shaved head, never wore dreads, never had a full beard or facial hair other than skinny sideburns.

Now we know why the defense is trying to get the testimony about what type of hairs were found ... thrown out.

If an expert says those hairs from the bedding and the hardhat are indeed head hairs, then they could not have come, in their theory, from Steffon Wint.

Prosecutors are also taking Steffon through the time when Daron was asked to leave the apartment he shared with him, their mother and sister. Apparently it was an argument over washing the dishes, which is Steffon didn’t think much about, but Daron was very angry over.

Steffon told the jury he had no contact with his brother from March 2015 until he saw Daron’s picture on TV just prior to his arrest.

He did say he tried to reach out to his brother around May 16 or 17 to offer him a day labor painting job. The company Steffon worked for had a contract to paint the dorms at George Washington University. He called for Daron at his father’s house, but was told Daron was in New York.

Steffon says he called his other brother Darrell too. The jury was shown records of Darrell’s orientation on May 15, and his work records on the 18th, 19th & 20th.

Stefon said on the evening of May 20, everyone was sleeping, then police started banging at their door, yelling at them with guns drawn to put their hands up and come outside.

Daron Wint, you may recall - was arrested the next night.

My colleague Paul Wagner FOX 5 DC is covering the rest of the day - his reports coming up on Fox 5 DC this evening.”

Just what I copied/pasted...

 

[JayMac]

7 min (2.0 mi) via Rock Creek and Potomac Pkwy NW
Directions

8 min (1.5 mi) via Massachusetts Ave NW and 23rd St NW

Those times aren't very realistic if there is any traffic at all. During rush hour it can take 15-20 minutes just to get from GW to Massachusetts at Ward Circle using 23rd Street.

The faster route would more likely be Rock Creek Parkway to Mass Ave or Calvert Street exits which can also be a bear in rush hour but it's not a route well known to people who don't live in this area - and by area I mean this section of Northwest DC - Kalorama, Embassy Row, Georgetown, Foggy Bottom, Calvert Street.

 

[TFNYBRKS]

Stefon said on the evening of May 20, everyone was sleeping, then police started banging at their door, yelling at them with guns drawn to put their hands up and come outside.

Does this mean that SW wasn't with the entourage at Howard Johnson? Surveillance video shows DarW and DW at the Walmart with no mention of SW.
Has anyone heard anything from sources putting SW in the box truck or other car when DW was arrested on 5/21?

 

[taylorss]

So then is DarrW a brother only through their dad, meaning the hair wouldn’t match to him?

 

[OTPTarheel2018]

So then is DarrW a brother only through their dad, meaning the hair wouldn’t match to him?

I believe that is correct but what about his sisters? The two that are full siblings?

JMO and wondering

 

[Seattle1]

Melanie Alnwick Fox5DC Facebook page

“An FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation biologist / forensic examiner testified this morning in the #MansionMurders trial. Brandie Christian was working at the Quantico lab in 2015 and received 2 items from the Woodland Drive crime scene. A hair found in a piece of bedding in the room where 3 adults were murdered, and a hair found in a construction hard hat, inside the Savopoulos’ garage.

Christian explained that hair and bone cells don’t have nuclei, therefore dna analysis is done based on the cell mitochondria. It’s not as exact as nuclear DNA, but it Is still useful in determining if a person can be included or excluded from a particular sample.

One thing to know about mitochondrial DNA, is that people who share the same mother will have the same profile.

Both hairs had a tight curl, and looked to be more than an inch in length if straightened. Christian testified that Daron Wint’s DNA profile could not be excluded from the hair sample. The probability of a random match to someone who is not maternally related would be less than .5 percent.

So who else matches? Daron Wint’s full and half siblings on his mother’s side: Steffon, Samantha & Stacey, who live in Maryland; plus 2 half sisters and a a half brother who have always lived in Guyana.

Steffon Wint - very nicely dressed in a white button down shirt, a black, tan and gray argyle vest, khaki pants and tan wingtip shoes - took the stand late in the morning.

He told the jury he’s always had a shaved head, never wore dreads, never had a full beard or facial hair other than skinny sideburns.

Now we know why the defense is trying to get the testimony about what type of hairs were found ... thrown out.

If an expert says those hairs from the bedding and the hardhat are indeed head hairs, then they could not have come, in their theory, from Steffon Wint.

Prosecutors are also taking Steffon through the time when Daron was asked to leave the apartment he shared with him, their mother and sister. Apparently it was an argument over washing the dishes, which is Steffon didn’t think much about, but Daron was very angry over.

Steffon told the jury he had no contact with his brother from March 2015 until he saw Daron’s picture on TV just prior to his arrest.

He did say he tried to reach out to his brother around May 16 or 17 to offer him a day labor painting job. The company Steffon worked for had a contract to paint the dorms at George Washington University. He called for Daron at his father’s house, but was told Daron was in New York.

Steffon says he called his other brother Darrell too. The jury was shown records of Darrell’s orientation on May 15, and his work records on the 18th, 19th & 20th.

Stefon said on the evening of May 20, everyone was sleeping, then police started banging at their door, yelling at them with guns drawn to put their hands up and come outside.

Daron Wint, you may recall - was arrested the next night.

My colleague Paul Wagner FOX 5 DC is covering the rest of the day - his reports coming up on Fox 5 DC this evening.”

Just what I copied/pasted...

Good recap, thanks! It's beginning to make more sense why SW testified for the prosecution. I doubt we will hear from DrlW.

 

[Seattle1]

GWU is where DW's van was parked and where the tow truck driver took DW to:

"Douglas Ventura, who owns a towing company, told jurors he was approached by a man on Annapolis Road in Lanham, Maryland, who asked for a ride into D.C. to pick up a minivan that had been parked on Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C. near George Washington University."

Savopoulos family killings: Daron Wint on trial

Edited to remove my confusion over dates/street names. It might be coincidental that his brother was working near where DWs van was, but I still think that's interesting.

Perhaps the defense will argue that SW was driving the blue van-- especially now that SW introduced GWU in his testimony. Hmmm...

 

[Seattle1]

Oct. 1, 2018 — Day 11
Accused by the defense, Steffon Wint testifies
Steffon Wint, the younger brother of the Maryland man charged with torturing and killing three members of a D.C. family and their housekeeper in May 2015 testified for the prosecution Monday, seeking to rebut the claim from his brother's defense lawyers that he planned and carried out the killings.

Steffon Wint is the younger brother of 37-year-old Daron Wint, <snip>

Daron Wint's team of public defenders has claimed it was actually Steffon Wint and another younger half-brother, Darrell Wint, who carried out the killings.
Neither of the two younger Wint brothers has ever been publicly named a suspect and neither has ever been charged in connection with the killings.

Steffon Wint, who worked as a supervisor for a construction company, testified he was overseeing a paint job at a George Washington University dormitory building and other job sites on May 13 and May 14, 2015 — when the Savopoulos family was held captive in their Woodley Park mansion, extorted for $40,000 and then killed before the house was set on fire.

A handwritten company time sheet showed Steffon Wint working from 6 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on May 13 and between 6 a.m. until midnight — a total of 17 hours — on May 14. Steffon Wint testified a particular job that night ran late and he was required to stay until it was finished. <snip>

Steffon Wint flatly denied any involvement in the crimes and told jurors he had only learned in the past month, in part through news reports, that his brother's lawyers would try to tie him to the crime. <snip>

As a supervisor, Steffon Wint also acknowledged it was customary for him to travel throughout the day to various job sites, although he testified that he believed his supervisors could track his whereabouts using GPS devices on the white construction-company pickup truck he drove for work.

During one exchange, the defense lawyer claimed Steffon Wint borrowed Daron Wint's blue minivan during May 13 and May 14 when the Savopoulos family was held captive and killed. [BBM]

“Why would I borrow a van if I have a pickup truck?” Steffon Wint shot back.

“Because you didn't want it tracked back to you,” Pipe said.

Steffon Wint told jurors he has another car besides his work truck.

Pipe also suggested Steffon Wint was responsible for setting his brother's van on fire in a secluded industrial parking lot in Prince George's County a few days later, noting a white pickup truck was seen leaving the scene of the burning van.

Prosecutors introduced evidence showing the relationship between the two Wint brothers were strained before the killings — meaning it would have been unlikely Daron Wint would've loaned his younger brother his van. <snip>

(Under questioning from the defense, Steffon Wint did acknowledge trying to reach Daron Wint to offer him work painting the GW dorms but he never heard back).

Prosecutors played voice messages from Daron Wint around the time he was thrown out of his brother's house. “This ain't over yet,” Wint said in the message.
by WTOP edited by WTOP News 11:04 AM

Savopoulos family killings: Daron Wint on trial

 

[Inthedetails]

nevermind.

 

[taylorss]

Has anyone heard anything from sources putting SW in the box truck or other car when DW was arrested on 5/21?

IIRC DarrW was the passenger in the box truck, an unidentified male was driving, and in the car with DW were several females. There was nothing to suggest the unidentified driver was also DW’s brother. And IIRC in the PH transcript they said DarrW was his only relative present - does anyone else remember that?

 

[taylorss]

This is the part of the PH I was thinking of - starting p. 118, looks like the question is asked about who he was with but not answered, although the implication is there-

BY MR. AGO:
Q. Concerning the people in the car, that was in -- that were in the car when Mr. Wint was stopped on the night of the 21st, you have no evidence that Mr. Wint has any connection, prior connection to those people in the car, correct?
A Other than his brother?
Q What do you mean by that?
A You said the car. I was thinking you meant both vehicles. The car, correct, no.
Q No connection to those people?
A Correct.
Q And then a connection to the front passenger of the truck but not the driver of the truck?
MS. BACH: Your Honor, objection.
THE COURT: Sustained.

 

[OTPTarheel2018]

This is the part of the PH I was thinking of - starting p. 118, looks like the question is asked about who he was with but not answered, although the implication is there-

BY MR. AGO:
Q. Concerning the people in the car, that was in -- that were in the car when Mr. Wint was stopped on the night of the 21st, you have no evidence that Mr. Wint has any connection, prior connection to those people in the car, correct?
A Other than his brother?
Q What do you mean by that?
A You said the car. I was thinking you meant both vehicles. The car, correct, no.
Q No connection to those people?
A Correct.
Q And then a connection to the front passenger of the truck but not the driver of the truck?
MS. BACH: Your Honor, objection.
THE COURT: Sustained.

Why has it been such a mystery for 3 years who was in the car and who was in the mobile garage truck??

JMO