Man faces trial in deaths of wealthy businessman, family
WASHINGTON — The man accused in the killing of a wealthy Washington businessman and his family was ordered Monday to go on trial for first-degree murder.
Daron Wint, 34, of Lanham, Md., is charged in the deaths of Savvas Savopoulos and his wife, their 10-year-old son, and a housekeeper. Firefighters found the bodies in the torched Savopoulos mansion on May 14, a few blocks from the official residence of Vice President Joseph Biden.
"The court finds that the government has established probable cause" for Wint to go to trial, Judge Rhonda Reid Winston said after a four-hour preliminary hearing in District of Columbia Superior Court.
Wint is accused of holding captive construction business owner Savopoulos, 46; his wife, Amy, 47; son, Philip; and housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa, 57, until he got $40,000 in cash, then killing them and setting fire to the house. The Savopouloses were prominent in Washington social and business circles.
Washington homicide detective Jeffrey Owens, the lead investigator, provided new details on the case, saying that Savopoulos and Figueroa were beaten and strangled.
Authorities have said they identified Wint as a suspect when his DNA was found on a pizza crust at the home. Owens said Wint‘s DNA also was found on a reflective construction vest inside a blue Porsche owned by the Savopoulos family.
Savopoulos‘ DNA and that of an unnamed third person were found on the vest as well. The car was found burned in New Carrollton, in Washington‘s Maryland suburbs.
Owens said Wint, a native of Guyana, paid $1,100 in cash to hire an immigration lawyer two days after the slayings. A receipt from the lawyer was found at Wint‘s father‘s home.
Wint was arrested in Washington a week after the killings. He sat silently during the hearing, shackled and dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit.
Wint‘s lawyer, federal public defender Arthur Ago, argued that prosecutors‘ evidence linking Wint to the deaths was limited to the DNA and cash and money orders found with him and others when he was arrested.
"There is no other evidence linking Mr. Wint to this case," he said.
Police have said Wint once worked for Savopoulos‘ company, American Iron Works. A status hearing is scheduled for Sept. 25.
