DC - Savvas Savopoulos, family & Veralicia Figueroa murdered; Daron Wint Arrested #7

[citygirl]

i am not trying to be snarky (disclaimer)

but i really dont get when stuff like this happens and all the monday morning quarterbacks come out of the woodworks. 'he should have done this, he should have done that. he should have fought back. he should have run away when he saw what was going on!" (what??!?!)

mrs petit should have done something (well she did folks, she alerted the bank teller. the bank and the cops screwed up, not her)
elizabeth and jaycee and the cleveland 3 should have escaped! (easy to say when your not in that situation either, captive for months or decades and trapped behind walls that are not just phsyical)

i just dont get it. sorry. its easy for us to sit here in the comfort of our homes with our computers in front of us and say 'well we would have done this or that!"

but we cant say that nor should we judge what other people did/didnt do.

ALL JMO

I would never judge the victims. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. But I am beginning to learn from this. And I am a wimp. NO GOOD can come from listening to these evil doers.

 

[emmavoberry]

They may have tried. Mrs. F's family will come after her if she doesn't go home...what about tomo. when the other house-cleaner comes...Sociopaths think they can outwit and outmuscle the others; they are risk-takers, thrill-seekers as they feel little. And actually I think some of the mayhem in the Petit house went on with the cops on the perimeters, held back by the then-prevailing protocol.

 

[FelicityLemon]

Does anybody have ideas about why only the google cached page is available?

If this Nate Thayer is the Nate Thayer who has a wiki page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nate_Thayer), it seems odd to me that he'd be writing about this case.

No accusations, just my opinions and random thoughts and speculation.

I think that maybe there were some statements that weren't entirely true or correct and he pulled the whole thing. Or, it could be a potential legal issue as the article kinda sorta seemed to be pointing a finger at JW. Or maybe, although there was some new (to me) information on that page, some good background information on Mr. Savopoulus, some of the other statements look to be regurgitated from other sources that haven't been exactly credible or consistent that I've seen.

I was surprised to read that fingerprints from the pizza were used to identify Wint. I know DNA was used, but I assumed it was from saliva and cells from lips, gums, tongue - I don't know what kind of eating habits that loser had, maybe he drooled.

Also, JW wasn't demoted by SS, he was hired by SS in spite of his knowledge that JW was fired from the Autobahn. We still don't know why he was let go, it was obviously not a concern to SS and I'd like to think he thoroughly vetted/background check any man he was hiring to be in charge of his safety in the car at least and in contact with his family at the most. I don't know, maybe he didn't check anything and just went by his past experiences and instinct regarding JW.

Question for anyone: I never thought about the practicality of a hired driver/PA's day. Does he drive his own car to a location, exchange cars for the boss's car du jour, and reverse at night? We've been speculating that with the number of cars vs garages at the home, there'd be a hired garage or storage somewhere nearby. Maybe Wint extracted that info and that's where they were headed with the Amerit truck?

Also, who was driving that truck - the mechanic that comes with the truck? I wonder if that guy was suspicious of the scenario happening at the time? What kind of background info does the truck company require when you want to hire them? "hey, we're just in a hurry to dismantle a luxury car that we obviously do not own" *cough cough* I've been looking for some kind of information, but so far, no luck.

 

[bostonstrong]

Thats intresting about the DNA. i would think the police/DA have 'probable cause' to take DNA samples from the 4/5 weasals they found with wint (and the money).

 

[jjenny]

There were no fingerprints on the pizza. Wint was identified from DNA on pizza crust.

 

[emmavoberry]

The best strategy is prevention. Sorry, but the Petits felt safe and left a storm window open. Yet they had no reason not to feel safe. Nothing like this had ever happened there before.
Here, it is likely people came and went without putting on the sophisticated alarm system. Why not? Nothing like this had every happened there and an embassy is across the street!
Once they are in your house, place of business, garage, car you find yourself suddenly isolated and can be utterly defenseless even with an arsenal as you can't get to it now. You have to outwit the possibility, the potential. They already got your vulnerable point or they wouldn't be there. You left the door open; you didn't look in your car before you got in; you parked i an isolated spot; you showed your iphone; your business clutters up the window so passerby can't see a guy with a gun holding you up at the till---

 

[FelicityLemon]

Hmm, the bucket

What was in that bucket

Caaaaassshhhhhh.

Murder kit? We don't know yet if he left things behind to hopefully be destroyed by fire, I don't think he could count on that.

• Weapons
• Phones
• Duct Tape
• Gloves
• Mask? Bandana?
• Hair tie so he could appear at a glance to be clean cut or well groomed, depending on someone's definition

 

[FelicityLemon]

For me that is the missing part. Obviously they COULD have known each other/crossed paths because of all the commonalities in their pasts, but did they?

That's what I don't get - what commonalities? I'm not being argumentative, it's a genuine question and I keep forgetting to ask. I 've looked online for connections and because I've had a headcold this past several days, I know I'm being unusually dense and cranky and frankly, just not "here". :/ argh.

Wint worked at AIW 10 years ago - owned by SS
JW met SS while working at Autobahn
JW now works for SS

 

[Paulas88]

Just read that the vehicles that were towed today, the LE have reason to believe or are suggesting that someone might have attempted to take them? Also... besides the Bentley, I haven't seen the Porsche SUV that AS drove? Is that missing too?

 

[atthelake]

Slight change in the preliminary hearing date, moved up one day.

Event Scheduled

The following event: Preliminary Hearing scheduled for 06/23/2015 at 9:30 am has been rescheduled as follows:

Event: Preliminary Hearing
Date: 06/22/2015 Time: 10:45 am
Judge: REID WINSTON, RHONDA Location: Courtroom 316

Same day as Jodi's restitution hearing, on my calendar at least

 

[FelicityLemon]

True: we don't know whether Wint would slit Philip's throat in that situation.

But, as a man, I want to ask you and other women in this forum a question. Would you forgive your husband if he fled out the front door calling 911 in that moment, and then your son had his throat slit in response?

In this scenario, everyone survives but Philip. Wint isn't wearing a mask.

I have to admit that part of my hesitation in that moment isn't just about the son, it's about facing my wife thereafter. So, I want to know what the reaction might be.

In my mind, I'm probably giving Philip 50/50 odds, myself 90% odds, and 80% odds that my wife and the housekeeper survive. If I surrender myself to Wint, I'm giving all of us about 25% odds of survival, if I thinking clearly and Wint isn't wearing a mask. It's an emotionally wretched choice, but it isn't logically tough, in the situation as described, when I can identify Wint.

If my husband did NOT get out and call 911, I would be horrified because I would see it as the only way someone could know what was going on and help us. I also know he would do everything he could after calling 911 and return to help us and let it be known that help was on the way.

If I knew he continued on into the house and closed the door behind him, I would feel a devastating loss of hope and resign myself to all of us dying.

 

[SpanishInquisition]

That's what I don't get - what commonalities? I'm not being argumentative, it's a genuine question and I keep forgetting to ask. I 've looked online for connections and because I've had a headcold this past several days, I know I'm being unusually dense and cranky and frankly, just not "here". :/ argh.

Wint worked at AIW 10 years ago - owned by SS
JW met SS while working at Autobahn
JW now works for SS

Things that have floated on here include that JW knew how to weld (there's a picture of him welding) and that's how he met DW, the connection through Amerit where one of the Wints may work and service vehicles at the track or some other location JW or that they could have met each other in the same neighborhood...I think that's all, but there may be more on how they could have met.

 

[FelicityLemon]

well it's a forum... everything is up for discussion. I don't get that anyone is "talking big" IMO.

It's actually inspiring a lot of us to think of what we would or could do if facing the same situation! Speaking for myself, I feel like one more bit of preplanning is in order and plan to have this discussion with DH tomorrow when we're relaxed. I will make my wishes very clear: "GET OUT, CALL FOR HELP and then see what you can do to help us without getting yourself hurt until help arrives." It seems to be the way for some of us (ME) that it takes a horrible tragedy like this to get us thinking in this direction, but the discussions we have here really do have a positive effect in the end.

 

[atthelake]

Right, everyone has a different history. I was given a plaque for what I did in a tough situation many years ago. At the same time, my wife has nicknamed me Call for Backup because I'm forever critiquing how various people respond to danger, usually in TV dramas and movies. It takes no time to call for backup, and doing so will dramatically turn the odds in your favor.

And no, that didn't work for Jennifer Petit, but it should have. That's what was stunning about that case, more than the home invasion itself.

I think it helps the odds if your opponent knows that backup is on the way. There's no way those Petit rapes and murders would have gone down if the perps had known police were coming for them, slow as they were.

Criminals don't want to be caught. Convince them that they need to leave immediately or they will be caught.

[video=youtube;LUnbgt3pOiQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUnbgt3pOiQ[/video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUnbgt3pOiQ

While waiting for this one to be solved - this is an HBO documentary of the Petit case. Sorry for the O/T, but since nothin' new here...

And yes, fits in with conversation going on today.... Yes, the man ran when he got the chance - the others died

 

[al66pine]

When DW was apprehended with the box truck in his entourage... iIt had to mean something?.... However, the box truck could have been just a cover for DW, using it toobserve the family and not stick out like a sore thumb in the neighborhood....
And how would DW know that the security system would disarm or videos weren't uploading 24/7.

bbm sbm

Re using box truck as cover to observe family? I don't recall seeing anything about DDW using truck that way but could have happened. As others here noted neighborhood has lots of hustle-bustle w lawn care, housekeepers, remodeling, nannies, etc., so lots of diff vehicles. Would box truck w big graphics sitting for days or even hours-long stretches go unnoticed there, as it might in a business dist? IDK. Seems like a passenger car would be lower key.

Do we know location of 'home base' ofthis truck? In DC metro-area or 100+ mi away. IIRC, it had Carolina plates, but IDK if that necessarily means it could not be based say in MD, VA, etc. Trying to figure out how DDW would have easy access to use truck on his whim? JM2cts.

And Paulas88 WELCOME to W/S!!!!

 

[FelicityLemon]

There were no fingerprints on the pizza. Wint was identified from DNA on pizza crust.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

I knew that, lol That was one bit of misinformation stated in that now-missing blog/article and it. Seriously, I couldn't imagine fingerprints on pizza crust, but ...

 

[birpu]

That's what I don't get - what commonalities? I'm not being argumentative, it's a genuine question and I keep forgetting to ask. I 've looked online for connections and because I've had a headcold this past several days, I know I'm being unusually dense and cranky and frankly, just not "here". :/ argh.

Wint worked at AIW 10 years ago - owned by SS
JW met SS while working at Autobahn
JW now works for SS

I was thinking mostly of the neighborhood near where the car was burned being familiar to both of them. Then the car interest, and the fact that DW was riding around with a rolling garage, and JW could be familiar with those or have used them. They both weld and could dismantle a car. That's obviously nothing without a hard link, but I'm just saying I could see them crossing paths somehow.

 

[Paulas88]

The GODS must be laughing... This pig has the audacity to order a PIZZA. And it comes back and bites him.

 

[arielilane]

Hi everyone, I have been lurking a lot. The murders being so senseless and sad makes it difficult to think about. Nonetheless, the S family and Vera deserve justice.
I am very interested to know why W-1 was let go from the go-kart race job in March 2015. I have so many questions. To start: Was W-1 putting too much info out there about SS business? Did W-1 have any resentment toward the S family or was this a crime of opportunity? Did SS approach W-1 about his postings? If you were a business owner, would it bother you if the hired help was posting the way W-1 was posting? Bragging about his ride "office" of the day? Just thinking...my two cents.

 

[Millhouse]

bbm sbm

Re using box truck as cover to observe family? I don't recall seeing anything about DDW using truck that way but could have happened. As others here noted neighborhood has lots of hustle-bustle w lawn care, housekeepers, remodeling, nannies, etc., so lots of diff vehicles. Would box truck w big graphics sitting for days or even hours-long stretches go unnoticed there, as it might in a business dist? IDK. Seems like a passenger car would be lower key.

Do we know location of 'home base' ofthis truck? In DC metro-area or 100+ mi away. IIRC, it had Carolina plates, but IDK if that necessarily means it could not be based say in MD, VA, etc. Trying to figure out how DDW would have easy access to use truck on his whim? JM2cts.

And Paulas88 WELCOME to W/S!!!!

This touches on something I'm sure LE knows more about now (hopefully!) which is who rented that truck and when. It had NC plates IIRC, but that doesn't mean it wasn't rented in the DC area. But I wonder if the who/when/where of that rental transaction will end up providing useful information.

The area might have a lot of lawn care, remodeling, etc., but it's definitely not a business district. For how much is going on in this area, the whole feel is pretty "sleepy" and residential. Some of the busier streets by their neighborhood don't have any parking or have limited parking, and the more residential streets have 2 hour parking limits during the day. Of course, that's not to say a truck couldn't stick around for hour-long stretches without being noticed. A lot of people there might be in and out all day and just not notice things like that, and even if there are parking limits or security patrols, it might be easy to slip through the cracks.

TL;DR: You make good points about the truck and ask good questions about if it could actually camp out there to observe, and I think LE might know more about when this truck actually came in to the picture for DW than we do at this point. Hopefully that info is helpful to LE!