DC - Savvas Savopoulos, family & Veralicia Figueroa murdered; Daron Wint Arrested #1

[stmarysmead]

@BruceLeshan: St Sophia's Church says funerals for murdered #Savopoulos family are next Monday at noon at Gawlers Funeral Home, NW DC. @wusa9

NBC12

 

[*LD*]

Who has their housekeeper help out at a construction site? Studio and the hedge fund are both off - maybe he was signing up investors and someone learned all was not as it seemed. Don't know, but my first thought when hearing about this crime and the family's life was that they were "hemoraging money," Bonfire of the Vanities style. It takes a lot of income to sustain that sort of lifestyle. Then again, one or both of them could have had family money.

The housekeeper had been a part of their family for 20 years. She is obviously trusted. I would assume she does more than clean and helps them manage their home, runs errands, shop, car pool etc... Maybe they can depend on her to help out where needed. We have a similar person who helps our family and she is amazing! If I had a construction project and needed someone on the job sight to provide high level supervision and call me with questions, I would 100% put her on the job.

 

[*LD*]

A gun to the boy's head or knife to the boy's throat would compel anyone in the room to comply with any instruction. I think the 1-person theory is feasible. And it's possible the father may have been killed instantly, leaving behind the mother, cleaning lady, and son...

I don't believe the father was killed instantly because of the strained voice mail he left on the maid's phone. He was alive and likely being told what to say. :-(

 

[pinkandgreenmom]

Where were the dogs found, considering the house was burned down?

Outside, which is odd to me considering the lawn guys were there. Our dog goes nuts when they are here (strange men, loud machines), and truth be told the lawn guys seem a bit frightened of our dog as well (a nonmenacing spaniel mix).

 

[savoiadilucania]

I don't believe the father was killed instantly because of the strained voice mail he left on the maid's phone. He was alive and likely being told what to say. :-(

Ah right, forgot about that part. Either way I think a gun can be compelling, as could the right kind of knife (heck, even a taser).

 

[savoiadilucania]

It's about 17 miles. Google maps says it would take approximately 32 minutes. I think it would be much more -- there are so many traffic lights the driver would have to contend with. It's also quite densely populated. I think it would be very difficult to drive in less than 45 minutes unless they were running red lights.

Interestingly though, AIW is relatively close to where the car was ditched and set on fire, a mere 10 minutes away. Anyone familiar with AIW's location would be familiar with the area around Le Fountainebleu.

ETA: It's a relatively lower class area, far different from the neighborhood the family lived in. Night and day.

Folks should pay attention -- this is a very accurate assessment.

 

[SleuthBear]

I looked up La Fontaine Bleue and there is one in Lanham, near New Carrollton, and one in Glen Burnie. The Lanham one is 17 miles from their house.

wondering what they were doing for over five hours then.

 

[Hatfield]

JMO
Since the car was driven over 30 miles away and also set fire , i do think it is the same guy that set fire in the house. Same MO to set fire to destroy evidence. So right now, I think it is 1 guy that was mainly involved and he knew one of the help.

The car was headed to Maryland so I wonder if his residence is in Maryland. He either arranged to get picked up there near the car or his own car was there near where the Porsche was.

So he had to have arrived at the house some other way. Either someone dropped him off or he took a cab or some mass transit to get close to the house.

Since he seemed to know about the families financials somehow, i tend to lean towards being in cohoots and getting actual help from whoever he knew that was working at the home. Either the maid or maybe even one of the other help that did maintenance for the home.

I just cannot see him accomplishing everythign without talking through the plan with someone who was closer to the home. So I think I am goign with collusion with someone else at this point.

That would explain how he got ride to the home and maybe could explain getting a ride after he dumped the Porsche. Because I doubt he burned it too close to wherever he lived. I think he lives in Maryland but not too close to where Porsche was burned. Somehow he knew the spot though.

So many aspects of the perp were amateur in nature. Getting caught on video, carrying buckets around, broad daylight, running instead of walking after setting fire to car, etc.
I think LE will catch him and anyone that helped him. I think right now he was more lucky than skillfull.

Its such a shocking crime and truly sad.

 

[al66pine]

....what's the big deal about making sure the second housekeeper didn't turn up?
And 10AM is very late to text her if that's some big concern. I'm wondering if it was a predetermined signal. If the second maid is part of this, that's a smart way to communicate....

sbm bbm

Agreed, 10am is late to notify her, if she usu worked a full day for S fam.
OTOH, if she usu did a half day - say, afternoon only, not quite so late. IDK.

 

[privateaye]

Something just struck me as weird as I was re-reading an article. Why would SS exclude Thursday as a day for NG to work at the martial arts center for him? It says he asked NG to help him set up for the grand opening at the martial arts studio Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Why would he exclude Thursday, the day she normally works? In the same article it talks about a lot of activity around their house that week. An aggressive vacuum salesman, a suspected prowler in then neighborhood, etc. SS knew something in advance, IMO.

 

[Hatfield]

sbm bbm

Agreed, 10am is late to notify her, if she usu worked a full day for S fam.
OTOH, if she usu did a half day - say, afternoon only, not quite so late. IDK.

So so true. 10AM would be terribly late to notify her if she was supposed to work a normal day.

The normal day shift is most likely arrive by 9 at latest would be my guess and most likely earlier. Because families need help in the morning before school starts for the kids. Before Dad goes to work, etc. Its a busy time in morning.

 

[Aloysius]

So why didn't the sister think he sounded strained when she spoke to him Thursday am?

 

[Inthedetails]

Let's fill in the timeline. Please make corrections and add to this:

Wednesday Day:
SS and NG at martial arts studio.
SS told NG verbally in person that Amy was going out for the evening.
Porsche was driven

Wednesday Night:
SS left voicemail for NG that household was sick - don't come to home on Thurs (she wasn't planning to, as previously arranged).
SS left voicemail for NG that housekeeper #1 was spending the night and to call housekeeper #1's husband because her phone was dead.
Housekeeper #1 spent the night

Thursday Morning
SS's phone call with sister - sounded fine
AG receives text from Amy's phone not to come to work
AG calls Amy with no reply
Lawn crew working in yard
Dogs in yard
Boy didn't go to school
Housekeeper's husband knocks on door, no answer
SS's assistant drops off package at door

Thursday afternoon
Flames seen at house
Firefighters arrive at 1:15
Car is found 17 miles away on fire at (what time?)
POI is on camera running with bucket

Friday
Scheduled opening for martial arts studio

 

[fred&edna]

Maybe this has been posted (sorry if it's a repeat)

I found this go-karting report and video. Not that it's helpful to the case, but maybe Philip was indeed home due to some type of go-kart injury?

It's dated May 4, 2015 and states "...with Philip Savopoulos (Praga) going over, complaining of a leg injury."
(2nd paragraph under Benik Kart TaG Cadet)

http://ekartingnews.com/2015/05/04/...heels-pro-tour-springnationals-sunday-report/

 

[pinkandgreenmom]

sbm bbm

Agreed, 10am is late to notify her, if she usu worked a full day for S fam.
OTOH, if she usu did a half day - say, afternoon only, not quite so late. IDK.

This is just a guess, but traffic from Gaithersburg (where NG lives) to NW DC would be HORRENDOUS in the AM. There may also be some HOV lane restrictions into the area (I'm not entirely sure about that as I lived on the other side of DC in Northern VA). I would bet she didn't start work until later. But that is strictly a guess.

We also know she was already in McLean, VA cleaning another home on Thursday when she received the text message. My guess (only a guess) is that the house she was cleaning Thursday was the one she should have been cleaning Tuesday or Wednesday when she was helping out at the studio (so she basically rearranged her schedule to help with the studio which opens up a whole other can of worms I didn't intend to open.)

 

[Hatfield]

If she worked for the family for 20 years then she started when SS was only 26 years old.

Something sounds a little fishy about this housekeepers story. How would she know for sure the other housekeeper slept there the night before if she never even got ahold of them that next day? She said she was there on Wedsday so she could have known the plans but the way she worded it was definite. Sounds terribly fishy.
LE really needs to check out her story. Things are not adding up. When she got no call back from family she would have had to know something is wrong.
Whole family being sick is preposterous and nobody would believe that, even her.
I dont buy her story right now.
LE should be able to tell who she knows and if she has traveled to Maryland or lives in Maryland.
Follow the money. Watch her bank accounts for deposits or suddenly being more well off than usual. Or new jewelry, etc.
I wonder if she even worked there for 20 full years like she says. Perhaps she got fed up realizing she would never be well off enough and got resentment.

And she says the "family" was sick. Like the whole family all got sick overnight? Any normal human being would have gotten suspicous about this. This makes no sense at all.





"A housekeeper who has worked for the family for 20 years told FOX 5's Marina Marraco that she was at the home on Wednesday. She said the couple, their 10-year-old son and another housekeeper slept in the home that night. The housekeeper received a text message Thursday morning from the mother and told her to not come by the house because the family was sick. When she called to respond to the text message, the phone call was not picked up. "

http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/29066982/four-dead-fire

 

[GigiG]

JMO
Since the car was driven over 30 miles away and also set fire , i do think it is the same guy that set fire in the house. Same MO to set fire to destroy evidence. So right now, I think it is 1 guy that was mainly involved and he knew one of the help.

The car was headed to Maryland so I wonder if his residence is in Maryland. He either arranged to get picked up there near the car or his own car was there near where the Porsche was.

So he had to have arrived at the house some other way. Either someone dropped him off or he took a cab or some mass transit to get close to the house.

Since he seemed to know about the families financials somehow, i tend to lean towards being in cohoots and getting actual help from whoever he knew that was working at the home. Either the maid or maybe even one of the other help that did maintenance for the home.

I just cannot see him accomplishing everythign without talking through the plan with someone who was closer to the home. So I think I am goign with collusion with someone else at this point.

That would explain how he got ride to the home and maybe could explain getting a ride after he dumped the Porsche. Because I doubt he burned it too close to wherever he lived. I think he lives in Maryland but not too close to where Porsche was burned. Somehow he knew the spot though.

So many aspects of the perp were amateur in nature. Getting caught on video, carrying buckets around, broad daylight, running instead of walking after setting fire to car, etc.
I think LE will catch him and anyone that helped him. I think right now he was more lucky than skillfull.

Its such a shocking crime and truly sad.

I find it interesting that where the car was left is an easy walk to the New Carrollton metro station. Most youths are quite adept at using metro as a means of getting around town, so I imagine he would be very familiar with it. Since New Carrollton is the terminus of the Orange Line, IF he took metro, he'd be headed back towards DC.

And IF he got away via metro, that would suggest that he lives somewhere between the New Carrollton station and areas of PG County and NE DC which are convenient to the Orange Line stations.

I'm confident that the Metropolitan (DC) police have already considered all this. They are quite familiar with criminals crossing into MD (usually to avoid arrest) and have developed close working relationships with the various police departments in neighboring Maryland jurisdictions.

 

[Elley Mae]

Police have said all four deaths are being investigated as homicide. They said Friday that three victims had wounds.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...140154-fbf7-11e4-9030-b4732caefe81_story.html

I wonder if the cause of death is smoke inhalation? I know it has been reported that some had wounds/trauma but I wonder if they were left alive and the fire was set the kill them.

 

[al66pine]

I feel like the perp(s) had planned on being there overnight. I am just wondering if the theft has to do with a financial transfer. Why else would the perp(s) need to be there overnight. A transfer could have been placed sometime on Wednesday and then it went through on Thursday morning. There could have been a reason why Wed was chosen specifically. Like knowledge that transfers would happen faster then if on a Mon-Tues or Fri. IMO

sbm bbm

Good point about a possible financial wire-transfer by a bank or brokerage,
as a poss reason for hours-long or overnight stay.

1. As you said, perp(s) may have anticipated this and planned accordingly.
Which aspects of events & timing support this? Which do not?

2. But what if confirming the (poss) $ transfer took longer than planned?
Which aspects of events & timing support this? Which do not?

Just speculating.

 

[GigiG]

Let's fill in the timeline. Please make corrections and add to this:

Wednesday Day:
SS and NG at martial arts studio.
SS told NG verbally in person that Amy was going out for the evening.
Porsche was driven

Wednesday Night:
SS left voicemail for NG that household was sick - don't come to home on Thurs (she wasn't planning to, as previously arranged).
SS left voicemail for NG that housekeeper #1 was spending the night and to call housekeeper #1's husband because her phone was dead.
Housekeeper #1 spent the night

Thursday Morning
SS's phone call with sister - sounded fine
AG receives text from Amy's phone not to come to work
AG calls Amy with no reply
Lawn crew working in yard
Dogs in yard
Boy didn't go to school
Housekeeper's husband knocks on door, no answer
SS's assistant drops off package at door

Thursday afternoon
Flames seen at house
Firefighters arrive at 1:15
Car is found 17 miles away on fire at (what time?)
POI is on camera running with bucket

Friday
Scheduled opening for martial arts studio

BBM:



"The Porsche was found burning in Prince George’s County on Thursday evening, Lanier said. Prince George’s County Fire spokesman Mark Brady said firefighters extinguished the fire about 5:30 p.m. behind a church at 8201 Annapolis Rd. in Lanham, Md. Lanier said it was unclear who had been driving the vehicle."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...36d0aa-fb24-11e4-9ef4-1bb7ce3b3fb7_story.html

ETA:

Actually, it appears the car was discovered around 5pm.

"Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said that detectives were trying to track the movements of a blue 2008 Porsche, with D.C. license plates, that disappeared from the home Thursday morning and was found abandoned by 5 p.m. She said there were no signs that anyone had broken into the home."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...4df8ee-fa6f-11e4-9ef4-1bb7ce3b3fb7_story.html