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Suspect In Brutal D.C. 'Mansion Murders' Found Guilty On 20 Counts
Daron Wint held the Savopoulos family and their housekeeper hostage, then killed them anyway even after the $40,000 ransom was paid.
The man on trial for killing a family of three and their housekeeper in what has become known as the Washington D.C. "mansion murders" has been found guilty on all the charges brought against him.
Daron Wint faced 20 counts that included first-degree murder in the deaths of Savvas Savopoulos, Amy Savopoulos, their 10-year-old son Philip Savopoulos, and the family’s housekeeper, Vera Figueroa. He was also charged with burglary, aggravated kidnapping, theft, and arson, according to Fox News.
All the victims had been beaten, stabbed, strangled, and possibly burnt alive in northwest Washington D.C. on May 14, 2015. Wint was arrested a week after the killings.
Wint potentially faces life in prison without parole. His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 1, 2019.
Wint, who had been employed as a welder by a company owned by Savvas Savopoulos, held the family ransom for $40,000. After the money was delivered, Wint killed the victims, set the home on fire and drove away in the family's Porsche. The abandoned getaway vehicle was later discovered on fire in Prince George's County, Maryland.
The case against Wint relied on DNA evidence left behind at the crime scene and on witness testimony. Wint's DNA had been found on several objects in the home, including pizza crust left at the scene.
Wint's brother Steffon, his half-brother Darrell, his former fiance, and his brother-in-law all testified against him in court.
Wint's cell phone search history in the days after the killings included the phrases “countries with no extradition treaty” and the “best hideout cities for fugitives.”
During the trial, Wint's lawyers attempted to blame his brothers for the murders, arguing he was nothing more than an unwitting bystander.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura R. Bach asked jurors to find Wint responsible for the deaths.
“It’s time to hold Daron Wint accountable, not anybody else. He turned 3201 Woodland Drive into a graveyard,” Bach had said, according to The Washington Post. “Hold him accountable for a 10-year-old who never got a chance to live his life. Hold him accountable for parents who couldn’t save their little boy."
Throughout the trial, the prosecution had argued that the motive for the murders was greed, according to WJLA, a Washington D.C.-based ABC affiliate.
[Photo: Oswego County Sheriff]
