WASHINGTON -- Daron Wint is on trial for torturing and killing three Savopoulos family members and their housekeeper. Tuesday was day 1 of the expected two-month-long criminal trial and Wint’s Attorney dropped an unexpected defense, claiming Wint’s brothers set him up.
Wint, 36, is facing trial for the torture and murder of 46-year-old Savvas Savopoulos, his wife, 47-year-old Amy Savopoulos, their 10-year-old son and the family’s housekeeper, 57-year-old Veralicia “Vera” Figueroa.
DC Fire & EMS first responded to the family’s Northwest D.C. mansion on May 14, 2015 for the call of a house fire. That’s when first responders discovered four people dead inside.
Authorities say the four victims were bound and beaten before killed. Police say the victims had been held captive inside the NW DC mansion since the day before.
DC Police believe there are more suspects, but Wint remains the only person charged.
“Daron Wint is innocent…wrongfully accused because of his brothers,” the Defense Attorney told the DC courtroom in his opening argument.
Not only did he implicate Wint’s two brothers, Steffon and Darrell Wint, for the murders – he also claimed the two were helped by Savvas Savopoulos’ assistant.
That assistant, Jordan Wallace, was once questioned. Wallace is the person who dropped-off the bag $40,000 cash to the Savopoulos family home at the request of Savvas Savopoulos.
The defense claims Wallace was hired by Savvas several weeks before the murder, has connections to one of Daron Wint’s brothers and could have shared knowledge about the home’s security surveillance cameras and dogs.
That’s the defense’s theory.
“This is what nightmares are made of,” was the opening line of the Prosecution’s opening argument.
The prosecutor then went into the graphic details of the murder, including how all four victims’ bodies were found -- by a DC Firefighter crawling on the ground, feeling his way around a black, smoke-filled home.
Ten-year-old Philip Savopoulos had several stab wounds around his abdomen, but the prosecution said it was hard to tell what more he went through because his body was so badly burned.
The jury of eight men and eight women showed little emotion as they heard both arguments in the gruesome murder case that made national headlines in 2015.
Wint has a significant criminal history that involves assault. He also once worked for one of Savvas Savopoulos’ businesses.
Police got a break and the case when they discovered and linked Wint to the crime scene through DNA discovered on a discarded piece of pizza crust.
During opening arguments on Tuesday, the prosecution said to the jury that Daron Wint’s DNA is linked to five separate pieces of evidence: From a pizza crust found at the Woodland Drive home, to a construction vest found in a car set on fire. The car was a Porsche that belonged to Savvas Savopoulos.
The prosecution said Daron Wint also searched online for best places for fugitives to hide.
The defense said at least one of the DNA links comes from a strand of hair – and that siblings from the same mother can share hair DNA. Their argument: Wint never went upstairs and was set-up by his full and half-brother.
Neither of the three men that Wint’s defense team claims committed the murder are actually facing charges for the Mansion Murders.
Why did this happen?
Both sides identified the motive as ransom.
Savvas Savopoulos had withdrawn $40,000 cash and had his assistant drop it off at the home.
Daron Wint’s family members are expected to testify in court for the prosecution. DC Superior Court Judge Juliette McKenna wants the Jury to start deliberating this case by November 5th.
