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October 25, 2018
WTOP LIVE Trial Blog
GUILTY: Daron Wint convicted of first-degree murder in mansion killings trial
The Maryland man charged with killing three members of a D.C. family and their housekeeper inside the family's Northwest D.C. mansion was found guilty of first-degree murder and dozens of other felony charges Thursday, concluding a lengthy legal saga that followed the horrifying crime three years ago.
The jury of six men and six women returned a guilty verdict against Daron Wint on four counts of first-degree premeditated murder in the deaths of Savvas and Amy Savopoulos; their 10-year-old son, Philip; and Vera Figueroa, the family's housekeeper. In addition, the jury returned guilty verdicts on counts of felony murder in the deaths of each of the victims as well as burglary, extortion, kidnapping and arson.
Wint faces a potential of life in prison without the possibility of release on each of the murder charges.
The verdict came after jurors deliberated for about 2 and 1 /2 days and followed a closely watched six-week trial in D.C. Superior Court in which Wint took the stand in his own defense.
As the verdict was read in the courtroom, Wint silently bowed his head. Savvas Savopoulos' father wept.
Exiting the courthouse, most jurors declined to talk to reporters. One juror, when asked how the deliberations went, replied: “There wasn't much discussion. Everyone agreed.”
Shocking crime
The brutal 2015 crime shocked neighbors and garnered international media coverage. The victims were held inside their lavish Woodley Park home for nearly 24 hours while $40,000 was extorted from Savvas Savopoulos, the CEO of a D.C.-area ironworks company. The victims were tortured, beaten with baseball bats and stabbed before the mansion was set ablaze. The 10-year-old boy's body was so badly burned, the medical examiner testified she couldn't say for sure if he was still alive when the fire was set.
Wint, a former employee of American Iron Works, was identified as the suspect in the killings after his DNA was found on the crust of a pizza that had been delivered to the Savopoulos house while the victims were being held inside.
Bombshell claim
Wint's team of public defenders claimed in bombshell opening arguments that they had evidence it was actually Wint's two younger brothers who planned and carried out the killings.
Judith Pipe, with the District Public Defender Service, argued the government had failed to properly Wint’s two younger brothers — Steffon Wint and half-brother Darrell Wint. Daron Wint was “duped” into going to the Savopoulos house after the victims had been killed but had nothing do with the crime, she argued in court.
The defense also sought to cast suspicion on the former assistant to Savvas Savopoulos, Jordan Wallace, who dropped off the $40,000 ransom while the family was being held captive.
Prosecutors: Wint acted alone
Throughout the course of the six-week trial, prosecutors maintained that all the evidence pointed to Wint as the lone assailant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney for D.C. Laura Bach blasted the defense's claims, calling them “flights of fancy” and “laughable” during the government's closing arguments. And in an odd reversal of roles, prosecutors spent a significant amount acting almost as de facto defense attorneys for the two younger brothers, seeking to convince jurors of their alibis.
Bach told jurors the government had thoroughly investigated Darrell Wint, who helped to turn his brother in — but who also admitted helping the then-murder suspect convert part of the $40,000 ransom into money orders to pay for a lawyer.
She assured jurors cell tower location records for Darrell Wint's cellphone backed up his alibi that he was hanging out with friends in Montgomery County, Maryland, over the two days that the victims were kidnapped, tortured and killed in Northwest D.C.
Steffon Wint was working as a construction supervisor at the time and had time sheets to prove it, she said.
In their case, prosecutors also pointed to forensic evidence linking Daron Wint to the crime.
In addition to the DNA on the pizza crust, investigators found his DNA on a knife found propping open a window in the house’s basement and two pieces of hair — including one broken hair recovered from a bloody comforter in an upstairs bedroom where the bodies of the three adult victims were found beaten and stabbed to death.
Among the digital evidence presented to jurors: The fact that Wint, an avid Facebook user, went dark on his social media accounts over the course of the two days the victims were held hostage; and phone searches after the killings that included “Top 10 hideout cities for fugitive” and “5 countries with no U.S. Extradition.”
For its part, the defense suggested shoddy forensics work may have resulted in some items of evidence being cross-contaminated with Wint’s DNA. The DNA of three investigators — including the lead forensic biologist for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, was inadvertently found on other evidence from the house, Wint's lawyer noted.
“You can’t trust the government’s evidence,” Pipe said, also accusing prosecutors of cherry-picking evidence and presenting jurors with deceptive testimony in a deliberate, even “sinister” attempt to mislead them.
During closing arguments in the case, emotions ran high. Family members stifled sobs and covered their eyes as prosecutors detailed to jurors in grisly detail the extent of the victims injuries as autopsy photos flashed on TV screens in the courtroom.
Before sending the case to jurors, Bach urged them to hold Wint accountable for turning the Savopoulos home “into a graveyard.”
by WTOP 12:47 PM
WTOP LIVE Trial Blog
GUILTY: Daron Wint convicted of first-degree murder in mansion killings trial
The Maryland man charged with killing three members of a D.C. family and their housekeeper inside the family's Northwest D.C. mansion was found guilty of first-degree murder and dozens of other felony charges Thursday, concluding a lengthy legal saga that followed the horrifying crime three years ago.
The jury of six men and six women returned a guilty verdict against Daron Wint on four counts of first-degree premeditated murder in the deaths of Savvas and Amy Savopoulos; their 10-year-old son, Philip; and Vera Figueroa, the family's housekeeper. In addition, the jury returned guilty verdicts on counts of felony murder in the deaths of each of the victims as well as burglary, extortion, kidnapping and arson.
Wint faces a potential of life in prison without the possibility of release on each of the murder charges.
The verdict came after jurors deliberated for about 2 and 1 /2 days and followed a closely watched six-week trial in D.C. Superior Court in which Wint took the stand in his own defense.
As the verdict was read in the courtroom, Wint silently bowed his head. Savvas Savopoulos' father wept.
Exiting the courthouse, most jurors declined to talk to reporters. One juror, when asked how the deliberations went, replied: “There wasn't much discussion. Everyone agreed.”
Shocking crime
The brutal 2015 crime shocked neighbors and garnered international media coverage. The victims were held inside their lavish Woodley Park home for nearly 24 hours while $40,000 was extorted from Savvas Savopoulos, the CEO of a D.C.-area ironworks company. The victims were tortured, beaten with baseball bats and stabbed before the mansion was set ablaze. The 10-year-old boy's body was so badly burned, the medical examiner testified she couldn't say for sure if he was still alive when the fire was set.
Wint, a former employee of American Iron Works, was identified as the suspect in the killings after his DNA was found on the crust of a pizza that had been delivered to the Savopoulos house while the victims were being held inside.
Bombshell claim
Wint's team of public defenders claimed in bombshell opening arguments that they had evidence it was actually Wint's two younger brothers who planned and carried out the killings.
Judith Pipe, with the District Public Defender Service, argued the government had failed to properly Wint’s two younger brothers — Steffon Wint and half-brother Darrell Wint. Daron Wint was “duped” into going to the Savopoulos house after the victims had been killed but had nothing do with the crime, she argued in court.
The defense also sought to cast suspicion on the former assistant to Savvas Savopoulos, Jordan Wallace, who dropped off the $40,000 ransom while the family was being held captive.
Prosecutors: Wint acted alone
Throughout the course of the six-week trial, prosecutors maintained that all the evidence pointed to Wint as the lone assailant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney for D.C. Laura Bach blasted the defense's claims, calling them “flights of fancy” and “laughable” during the government's closing arguments. And in an odd reversal of roles, prosecutors spent a significant amount acting almost as de facto defense attorneys for the two younger brothers, seeking to convince jurors of their alibis.
Bach told jurors the government had thoroughly investigated Darrell Wint, who helped to turn his brother in — but who also admitted helping the then-murder suspect convert part of the $40,000 ransom into money orders to pay for a lawyer.
She assured jurors cell tower location records for Darrell Wint's cellphone backed up his alibi that he was hanging out with friends in Montgomery County, Maryland, over the two days that the victims were kidnapped, tortured and killed in Northwest D.C.
Steffon Wint was working as a construction supervisor at the time and had time sheets to prove it, she said.
In their case, prosecutors also pointed to forensic evidence linking Daron Wint to the crime.
In addition to the DNA on the pizza crust, investigators found his DNA on a knife found propping open a window in the house’s basement and two pieces of hair — including one broken hair recovered from a bloody comforter in an upstairs bedroom where the bodies of the three adult victims were found beaten and stabbed to death.
Among the digital evidence presented to jurors: The fact that Wint, an avid Facebook user, went dark on his social media accounts over the course of the two days the victims were held hostage; and phone searches after the killings that included “Top 10 hideout cities for fugitive” and “5 countries with no U.S. Extradition.”
For its part, the defense suggested shoddy forensics work may have resulted in some items of evidence being cross-contaminated with Wint’s DNA. The DNA of three investigators — including the lead forensic biologist for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, was inadvertently found on other evidence from the house, Wint's lawyer noted.
“You can’t trust the government’s evidence,” Pipe said, also accusing prosecutors of cherry-picking evidence and presenting jurors with deceptive testimony in a deliberate, even “sinister” attempt to mislead them.
During closing arguments in the case, emotions ran high. Family members stifled sobs and covered their eyes as prosecutors detailed to jurors in grisly detail the extent of the victims injuries as autopsy photos flashed on TV screens in the courtroom.
Before sending the case to jurors, Bach urged them to hold Wint accountable for turning the Savopoulos home “into a graveyard.”
by WTOP 12:47 PM
