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

[taylorss]

I would expect the pics DW took & deleted to be recoverable... but references to them are so vague that maybe not?

Seems weird, I always heard nothing is ever really deleted.

 

[JayMac]

10/22 Notes:

Great job, Patricia. Accolades going your way.

 

[medea13]

10/22 Notes:

• before jury came in, discussion about issues raised over the weekend. Defense wanted a stipulation to jury about Darrell's testimony regarding his 2006 assault conviction - the assault was retaliation against someone for testifying in court and the person who was assaulted was not the same person who cooperated with the police. statements were agreed upon to read to jury, which were based on transcripts of Darrell's testimony in that case- that Darrell agreed that the charge was the result of a serious incident and that the assault was because of snitching - the word "gang" was omitted from the statement. Defense requested to strike the testimony of Officer Erd(sp?) who responded to Atlantic Ave. shooting, and portions of Mr. Ash testimony - that Phil S. was in VI at the time DW worked at AIW. judge denied this motion.
• Prosecution closing argument - this was a nightmare situation
• 4 people were beaten, stabbed and burned because of DW's greed, for 40K
• DW was backed into a corner with nowhere to go - sister, brother, father had kicked him out
• DW intent was to take - he convinced 4 people to do whatever he wanted - make calls, send emails, order pizza - but he killed them anyway
• DW's first instinct was to lie, threw Darrell, Steffon, Jordan Wallace under the bus
• Prosecutor's argument consists of 4 parts - timeline, show DW committed the crimes, defense's broken promises, and the offenses themselves
• 5/13 began as a normal day - shows screen shot of Amy's messages with daughter at 6:59 AM, took Philip to doctor - shows receipt from parking 10:47AM. Amy and Philip are home, Amy's phone shows some phone calls around 11AM. Bach mentions that Amy is a mother, not a millennial, that she's not constantly on her phone.
• 5/13 - sometime between 11:30 and 3:30, Amy leaves the house, leaving Vera and Philip home alone. Margaret Pressler sees Amy walking home around 3:30 PM. The date stood out in Pressler's mind because her daughter was to have surgery, went under anesthesia, but then surgery cancelled. Pressler took her daughter to school anyway. Remembers timing of seeing Amy because Pressler sent a text to her daughter that she was there to pick her up.
• 3:14PM - Olde Town Pet Resort tries to call house, note that phone is disconnected - the phone wires were cut. Shows picture of cut wires, near door to kitchen. Bach says that this is the approximate time DW entered the house - says we may never know how he entered the house - forced in, broke in, which door - but he got in - and found a 57 year old woman (Vera) and 10 year old Philip in the house. Vera tried to fight with bat - bat found downstairs had Vera's DNA on handle - no blood. Showed picture of bat.
• Amy home by 3:30PM so Vera can go home. Shows picture of Starbucks cup on table in entryway, LV bag next to the table. Shows picture of Starbucks bag on kitchen floor. Shows pictures of duct tape residue on 2 chairs in the upstairs bedroom & wrist bruises and residue on wrists - Vera and Amy bound with duct tape, shows picture of partially burned tie found under Philip's body - Philip bound with tie. During this time, the pet resort continues to try to call. 4:38 PM Amy calls Savvas to come home - sounds normal, trying to hold it together. Savvas leaves dojo sometime after 5PM. 5:34 PM Amy calls the pet resort, very quick convo. 6:25 (or 6:35 - can't read my own writing) Savvas home -shows gps data from Savvas' & Jordan Wallace phones. JW home in Annapolis by 7:02. We don't know where or how DW took down Savvas, but SS blood found on kitchen door. One person taking down 4 people is difficult, subduing them down 1 at a time, not difficult. Bach refers to DW's testimony that he was strong, could have taken down victims. Savvas bound with zip ties - shows wrist injuries consistent with zip ties, shows burn pile with zip ties.
• By the morning of 5/14, normal communications with the family had stopped. A text from Katerina asking permission to go out after prom was unanswered. DW was directing all calls and SS and AS were holding it together.
• DW directed calls about money - 7:59 PM 5/13 call from SS to Debbie Masser (sister) about money. she tells him he has to wait until AM when bank is open - SS sounds normal on this call. Bach plays voicemail from SS to JW telling him to go to Hyattsville in the morning instead of dojo, to check ebay listings and wait for a package delivery around 10AM. DW directed calls to keep people away - plays SS voicemail to Nellie to tell Vera's family not to worry, that her phone is dead, and she's staying to help Amy (note - the sound of a child screaming in background was not in this voicemail - was that authentic?) 9:14 PM call for pizza. Bach tells the jury they could be deliberating for years if they try to figure out why DW ordered pizza. Pizza was recovered in the room with the 3 adults. Shows photos of receipt and box. Bach says that it was at the time DW went to retrieve the pizza that he noticed the security camera pointed at the front door. Shows photo of camera. 10:08 PM AS phone records show repeated attempts to call security company, Eric Pellak. Eventually gets response that video is stored on hard drive. Access door from hard drive was recovered in the bedroom with the 3 adults, but other contents taken. This is the beginning of a very long night for the victims. During the night, DW takes several photos and deletes them.
• 5/14 - 6:30 AM phone calls start again. 7:02 AM Amy repeatedly calling Eric Pellak about security - anything stored in cloud? 8:50AM Eric Pellak sends login instructions. SS calling Debbie Masser, AS texts Nellie not to come. 9:12AM David Arber from sprinkler company calls and talks to AS - she sounded frightened and scared - she's still trying to hold it together. 9:30 AM Bernardo Alfaro knocking on door, looking in windows for Vera. SS calls him - 3 consecutive misdials before reaching Bernardo's number -shows SS is struggling to hold it together. 9:45 AM - 10:15 AM - multiple texts/calls between JW and SS. 10:26 AM JW texts that the package was delivered.
• Bach shows photo of knife propping open basement window. This is a storage room with a bathroom, window is right by the garage. Where did the knife come from? There is a kitchen in the basement. DW DNA on knife. DW propped open the window to listen to the $ being dropped off. JW then goes to Chantilly - shows receipts from Jimmy John's, Lowes, Arbys. 1:39PM house is on fire - shows multiple messages from JW to AS & SS asking if they are ok, heard house on fire, heading to house. Also JW call with Debbie Masser.
• 5/14 - 11:47 AM "24 & K" entered into DW's phone. 11:54 SS phone pings in the area of 1605 Connecticut Ave NW. This is when the van was moved - DW left house to move van. DW seen at lunch hour by Aussie neighbors walking purposefully down sidewalk and opening garage. They can't see his hands. DW had the garage opener. DW in the house for another hour, hour and 15 minutes. DW lights match in room where Philip is, shows photo of matches and a gas soaked sweater on the stairs. 1:31 PM - calls about fire begin - Bach played several recordings of people calling 911 about the fire. DW drove off in Porsche. Shows picture of the burned Porsche - the seats are not reclined. Tow truck driver Duglas Ventura testified that DW gave him directions to the van. between 2:27-3:06 there are multiple calls from tow truck driver's phone to Darrell's phone -all calls to Darrell are to the same phone number - not multiple phone numbers - Darrell didn't have multiple phones. Van retrieved at 2400 Penn Ave NW- more calls to Darrell. Ventura testified that when he dropped off DW and the van, he was very uneasy because DW pulled out a phone and started using it, and DW got into the van and started it up - he had the keys. Video of La Fountainebleue shows 2 employees who testified cars pulling out - van is nowhere to be seen in the video despite DW testifying that it was parked there. Who brought the bucket of gas and who is running in the video? We might never know the answer, but the wooded area behind the shopping center is filled with drug users, would be easy to pay someone $100 to get a bucket of gas.
• Evening of 5/14, DW goes home in the van, begins calling Darrell and Vanessa. Searches "how to beat a lie detector," texts Vanessa photos of iphones. Darrell picks up DW to go to Walmart 10:25PM - Bach points out that DW hair is pulled back in the Walmart video - looks like he has short hair. Darrell takes DW to get gas for the minivan - bucket, thinks DW is going to put the gas in van. 51st & Frolich - very close to Metal Fab, where DW worked for years. Pulls away and sees smoke. This is the debris fire - Bach says DW burned his backpack and other evidence, such as zip ties. DW and Darrell return to Walmart so DW can buy a new backpack.
• 5/15 DW goes to the gym- shows D. Ayling $1200. 1:17PM he is searching for how to reset iphone, how to get rid of cloud. On 5/15 there are 27 calls from the landline where DW living to Darrell's cell. Darrell didn't answer - didn't want to know. 11:16PM DW asks D. Ayling to help him burn the van. Ayling declines. Van fire is ~1hr later, near Metal Fab, very close to debris pile from other fire.
• 5/16 - Bach shows other receipts - immigration lawyer, cab driver Roger Hutchinson. DW searching for hideout cities, extradition cities.
• On morning of 5/20, DW downloaded a photo of the 4 victims from the news.
• 5/20-5/21 Darrell at work painting. Picked up DW on his lunch hour on 5/21. Darrell recruits girls to get money orders for Lonny Bramzon - defense atty. Eventually this gets to be too much for Darrell and he calls a detective to take DW to jail.
• DW left no witnesses to what happened in the house
• Reasonable doubt - prosecution doesn't have to prove every single detail - what door, how DW got in, why he ordered pizza, who was killed first - all open questions, but look at the testimony, physical evidence, digital evidence. DNA on knife in basement 1 in 90 billion, Louisville slugger - AS & SS blood - used to kill. Sword - Philip's DNA on tassle, Philip had large stab wound. Vera's DNA on downstairs bat. DW DNA on pizza crust - both on the edge, and on chewed part - 1 in 10 quintillion. Vest in Porsche - had DW DNA and SS DNA. Hard hat in garage - hair, upstairs bed hair - mitochondrial DNA - can't blame Darrell so blame Steffon. Bach mentions throughout the closing that DW's first instinct is to lie. Digital evidence: 3/23 DW pulled over, claims to be Steffon; 4/1 argument with Steffon, voicemail to Vanessa; 4/29 Dennis gives DW 30 days to move out; 5/13-14 messages from Vanessa and Seanna (sister) asking where DW is; 5/13-5/14 DW took and deleted photos on his phone.
• DW is not required to testify or prove anything - but if defendant does testify, present evidence jury can evaluate.
• Broken promises from defense - changing explanations. Steffon, Jordan mentioned in opening statement, DW testified nothing about them. no evidence Steffon was in the house. JW knew nothing about the alarm system. Darrell's phone did not disappear, he had it the whole time and it pinged nowhere near the house. No connection between Chelsea Nunez and JW - Chelsea didn't go to Autobahn until after JW was fired.
• Bach explains charges - Burglary, kidnapping, extortion, arson, theft of 40K. Explains felony murder - no intent necessary. For felony murder, it doesn't matter if anyone else was involved - all evidence is against DW - not someone else. Bach explains aid & abetting & felony murder. Explains 1st degree murder - intent, premeditation, deliberation. DW had plenty of time to deliberate overnight 5/13. Bach explains aggravating circumstances: kidnapping, more than one offense of 1st degree murder committed during course of event, Philip's age, heinous, atrocious, cruel
• Shows autopsy photos (I didn't list every injury for each victim, there were more than I wrote)
• Vera - asphyxia by plastic - shows photo of plastic bag in pool of blood - says Vera could have been held under the plastic bag multiple times
• Savvas - soaked with gasoline, also evidence of asphyxia
• Amy - covered in gasoline, stabbed 3x in the next (showed 3 precise wounds in the front of her neck, like a necklace), stabbed 5x in torso, 3 gaping injuries to head (showed this as well)
• Philip - did not show photo of Philip's body, but did show photo of the bed/room where Philip was held - bed is nothing but metal coils, room completely burned up.Philip was restrained, entire body burned, stabbed 3x in abdomen. Shows picture of sword in bathroom. Amy and Savvas did everything DW wanted, got him the money, still couldn't save their little boy.
• Bach's voice breaking by end, several jurors were crying, families crying

Thank you so much patriciah! Your detailed notes are so appreciated! One thing I was wondering is, is the 2010 situation (where I believe DW went to AIW with a sword in a threatening manner) being mentioned or allowed to be mentioned at all during the closing arguments?

 

[patriciah]

There were so many missed opportunities for help in this case. The repeated calls to the VP of the security company bother me the most. Not to blame anyone other than DW, but why didn't the repeated calls regarding the hard drive and the cloud data raise any red flags? The calls started at 10:08PM and resumed at 7:02 AM. Couldn't the company tell that the hard drive was disconnected around the time of all of these calls? I would have expected that people in that neighborhood had top notch security systems. It's just so sad to me that no one was able to help them.

 

[MaddyM]

There were so many missed opportunities for help in this case. The repeated calls to the VP of the security company bother me the most. Not to blame anyone other than DW, but why didn't the repeated calls regarding the hard drive and the cloud data raise any red flags? The calls started at 10:08PM and resumed at 7:02 AM. Couldn't the company tell that the hard drive was disconnected around the time of all of these calls? I would have expected that people in that neighborhood had top notch security systems. It's just so sad to me that no one was able to help them.

I agree. The calls to the security company should have raised suspicions. We have a run-of-the-mill home alarm company and we have a specific panic word to use if we're under any duress while on the phone with them. It breaks my heart that they weren't able to get help when they were so close.

 

[Inthedetails]

There were so many missed opportunities for help in this case. The repeated calls to the VP of the security company bother me the most. Not to blame anyone other than DW, but why didn't the repeated calls regarding the hard drive and the cloud data raise any red flags? The calls started at 10:08PM and resumed at 7:02 AM. Couldn't the company tell that the hard drive was disconnected around the time of all of these calls? I would have expected that people in that neighborhood had top notch security systems. It's just so sad to me that no one was able to help them.

I totally agree. The security company is in the business of security. I would hope they "check" on the account and system when someone calls with questions, in the effort to be overly-secure for their clients.

The number of missed opportunities makes me feel like we're all so vulnerable to plain ol' bad luck. The family didn't bring on the tragedy and nothing was there to help them.

jmo

 

[patriciah]

Thank you so much patriciah! Your detailed notes are so appreciated! One thing I was wondering is, is the 2010 situation (where I believe DW went to AIW with a sword in a threatening manner) being mentioned or allowed to be mentioned at all during the closing arguments?

The 2010 incident with the sword wasn't mentioned in the prosecution's argument today, and I don't remember DW testifying about it. Maybe the incident wasn't allowed in - too prejudicial?

 

[SeesSeas]

OCT 11 post:

They didn't introduce the backpack as evidence today. I got to court early this morning to get a seat, and I was there when a court employee wheeled in boxes of evidence. I tried to peek at the boxes and I noticed one was labeled black string backpack (or something like that) - I was hoping they would introduce it, but they did not. Maybe another day?

Regarding a possible trial evidence box "labeled black string backpack" -
If LE found DW's black string backpack, was there testimony about where it was found?
At the SS house? In the burn pile?
Was there anything IN the backpack?

I realize that we won't get answers for all questions. But if the backpack was retrieved, it seems it would have been entered into evidence with an explanation of where it was found and the condition/contents.

 

[patriciah]

OCT 11 post:

Regarding a possible trial evidence box "labeled black string backpack" -
If LE found DW's black string backpack, was there testimony about where it was found?
At the SS house? In the burn pile?
Was there anything IN the backpack?

I realize that we won't get answers for all questions. But if the backpack was retrieved, it seems it would have been entered into evidence with an explanation of where it was found and the condition/contents.

Bach said the backpack was burned in the fire that Darrell witnessed - the debris pile. I know I saw a box labeled black string backpack, outside of the courtroom on a cart with other boxes of evidence on the day DW testified- but I didn't see what was inside the box so I can't say what that was - maybe it was the backpack DW bought at Walmart on 5/14.

 

[ilovewings]

Patriciah----you are amazing---taking all those notes is
hard work---thank you so much for sharing all that with us

 

[katydid23]

The defense really has their work cut out for them tomorrow afternoon. How do they convince this jury that then prosecution is mistaken about their case, and the real killer is the brother

I know they don't have that legal burden, but they do need to fight back against the claims made which much of the evidence supports.

 

[SeesSeas]

No testimony from DW cellmate?
No evidence submitted of blood on DW shoe belonging to one of the victims?

I'm hoping this week that the jail inmate will testify:
Trial in 2015 quadruple slaying of Savopoulos family members, housekeeper set to begin
Prosecutors said they may call as a witness a D.C. jail inmate who said Wint admitted to him that he participated in the killings with “another individual from Guyana.” Wint was born in the South American country and moved to the United States in 2000 and became a permanent resident after obtaining his green card.

I don't recall trial evidence regarding the blood on DW's shoes which matched one of the victims:
Does blood on shoe link suspect to Washington slayings? - CNN
Updated 4:15 PM ET, Thu June 18, 2015
(CNN)First, DNA on a pizza crust led authorities to the man they accuse of killing three members of a prominent Washington family and their housekeeper.
Now investigators say they have a new clue linking suspect Darron Dellon Dennis Wint to one of the victims: blood found on a shoe he was wearing when authorities arrested him.
Forensic analysis matched traces of blood on Wint's shoe to at least one of the murder victims, two law enforcement officials said. The officials would not specify which victim's blood was allegedly found on Wint's shoe.

 

[Indy Anna]

The defense really has their work cut out for them tomorrow afternoon. How do they convince this jury that then prosecution is mistaken about their case, and the real killer is the brother

I know they don't have that legal burden, but they do need to fight back against the claims made which much of the evidence supports.

Right. Because with all of the evidence against DW, it wouldn't matter if anyone else were present at the crime scene. DW is still guilty. Just the fact he lied about not being there when there's evidence he was there shows his guilt. IMO

 

[Seattle1]

Mansion Murders case: Closing arguments underway

Reporter Paul Wagner video at link above which includes photo of brother Darrell Wint.

 

[Seattle1]

Right. Because with all of the evidence against DW, it wouldn't matter if anyone else were present at the crime scene. DW is still guilty. Just the fact he lied about not being there when there's evidence he was there shows his guilt. IMO

DW admitted to being at the house -- he lied about participating in the murders! IMO, his DNA on the bed in room with victims proves his guilt. Justice for the family is coming soon.

 

[Seattle1]

A judge ruled earlier this summer that there is sufficient evidence that a second suspect was involved for it to be introduced at trial. WTOP reports that investigators have long thought that it would take multiple people to pull off the hostage situation in the Savopoulos family's Kalorama mansion, and Judge Juliet McKenna reviewed evidence presented by the defense of a second suspect.
DC Mansion Murders: Prosecution Makes Surprising Move

 

[katydid23]

“Baby, I haven't heard from u hope everything is good,” Hayles messaged at 1:41 p.m. that day, according to chat logs presented to the jury by prosecutors. At 11:22 p.m. Hayles wrote: “Hey babe, I know u said not to worry about you if I don't hear from you but can you call me and let me know you're okay.”

Hayles testified she next heard from Wint sometime in the evening of May 14, when he called her. Later he messaged her a picture of two white iPhones and asked her if cellphones could be traced. Police have said two iPhones, belonging to Savvas and Amy Savopoulos were stolen from the family's home after the slayings.
DC mansion killings: Daron Wint on trial

During the time that his gf was texting him, he was supposedly sitting at Dead Ed's house, just waiting for his van to be returned. He says he wasn't doing anything but sitting there, hanging out. So why couldn't he answer the phone?

I think common sense tells us that he would have been blowing his brothers phone up if he didn’t return his van , like he SUPPOSEDLY promised to do. And he would have taken his gf’s calls and talked schittt about his brother for going MIA on him all night.


He would not have sat there at Ed’s, stranded, with nothing to do, and then not used his cell to communicate with people during that time.


Another lie, is shown by his fiance’s testimony too. She said he emailed he ripped of the iPhones and also asked if they could be traced/tracked. But on the stand, he said he refused the offer of the phones because he thought they might be stolen. …Yah Sure…

 

[Indy Anna]

DW admitted to being at the house -- he lied about participating in the murders! IMO, his DNA on the bed in room with victims proves his guilt. Justice for the family is coming soon.

Sorry, I should have specified by "the crime scene" I mean where the victims were located in the house. DW stated he stayed downstairs eating pizza and didn't know what was happening upstairs. He also denied going in the basement where there was a knife, with his DNA on it, propping up the window. There was evidence, such as hair matching DW's, upstairs so there's no doubt DW was present where the victims were being tortured and killed, and witnesses saw him walking into the garage where JW had delivered the money.

Even if there was another participant in the crime, and the other person was the one who killed all of the victims, DW is just as guilty because he was present at the crime scene while the crimes were being committed, and did nothing to prevent the torture and slaying of the victims and he didn't call 911, so he was a participant in the crime and guilty of first degree murder.

 

[taylorss]

^ yes and this is also where those deleted pictures from DW’s phone would come in! He can only take pics of where he is! Were they pics of the poor, suffering victims being tortured in their own home, or pics of their valuables, or of DW dressed up in AS’s clothes, or what?

Those pics and their timestamps, if recoverable, would show just where he was & what he was doing on those days. So where are they, and why are they being brought up if they’re not able to be seen ? Odd!

 

[oceanblueeyes]

The 2010 incident with the sword wasn't mentioned in the prosecution's argument today, and I don't remember DW testifying about it. Maybe the incident wasn't allowed in - too prejudicial?

Patriciah..first I want to say I hope you are feeling much better today.

I have read your articulate summation of the state's closing. In fact I have read them twice.

Your vivid details of the closing brought tears to my eyes.

This is a case that fully shows how just one evil human being can totally destroy four good people and change the lives of their families forever.

This truly is an terrifying example of when evil crossed paths of four totally innocent people.

Home invasion cases like this one and so many others are the ones I find most chilling and alarming.

Wint knew none of his victims yet the way he tortured and overkilled....them... is happening more and more often to others as well.

I will never understand where the diabolical rage and hatred comes from for those like Wint who are capable of doing such horrors to those they have never even met before.

In the end I will always think of Savvas as a true hero. Savvas tried everything he could think of trying to save them all. All of those things he tried to do will forever haunt me.

I have no doubt justice is coming but even though it will come it will never bring these four innocent people back to all of the countless people who will forever miss them being here with them.

Job well done Patricia.

Take care and thank you so much for all you have done for all of us.