Take a look back at the top local stories of the year.
A gyrocopter. A cancer diagnosis. A special visitor. A long-awaited indictment.
Take a look back at the top local stories of 2015.
(WTOP/Associated Press)
WTOP/Associated Press
15. Nats Collapse
“This has been a very disappointing season,” said Nationals manager Matt Williams in September, after the team that was expected to win the World Series was officially out of the playoff picture.
A week later, Williams was looking for a new job.
Williams made the comment in response to relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon’s suspension for a dugout dustup with Bryce Harper. Captured by cameras and seen on national TV, Williams missed the scuffle. It was a fitting end to a frustrating season.
On paper, the Nationals had the stuff of a superteam: A star in Bryce Harper, since named league MVP; Max Scherzer, the best pitcher available on the free-agent market, who twirled two no-hitters; a starting rotation loaded with aces; a steady supply of strong hitters in the lineup, and a historically weak division that didn’t look to offer too much competition. But injuries, poor management by Williams and an inability to close games when they were ahead derailed what could have been a historic year for the clubhouse.
— WTOP Sports’ Noah Frank contributed to this report.
(Associated Press photo)
Associated Press photo
14. Charles Severance convicted of three Alexandria murders
After hearing weeks of testimony, jurors needed more than two days to find that Charles Severance shot and killed three Alexandria residents in their homes during the span of 11 years.
The Fairfax County jury rendered its guilty verdict in November and recommended that Severance be given three life sentences plus another 48 years for the murders of Nancy Dunning, Ron Kirby and Ruthanne Lodato.
Severance, once a longshot candidate for mayor, came to investigators’ attention after Lodato was killed in February 2014.
A caregiver, who was also shot but survived, helped police develop a sketch of the shooter. And tips helped police identify the man in the sketch as Severance.
Investigators eventually connected Severance to Kirby, killed in November 2013, and Dunning, killed in 2003.
Each had deep ties to the community. And they were all killed in a similar manner: at the same time of day, at their front door, without evidence of a break-in, and by the same type of bullets.
Prosecutors said that Severance killed all three out of revenge for losing custody of his son in 2001.
Severance’s writings were featured prominently during the trial. But so were reports from eyewitnesses, who reported seeing a man matching Severance’s description near two of the crime scenes, as well as emotional testimony from the families of the victims and Severance.
He is set to be sentenced in January.
(Pool Photo/Matt McClain/The Washington Post)
Pool Photo/Matt McClain/The Washington Post
13. Annapolis mansion fire kills 6
An old, dry Christmas tree fueled an intense blaze that destroyed a $6 million Annapolis house and killed six people inside, including the homeowners and four of their young grandchildren.
Donald and Sandra Pyle, Charlotte and Wesley Boone, Alexis and Kaitlyn Boone all died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries as a result of the Jan. 19 blaze.
The fire lit up the night sky and took firefighter hours to bring under control. And a week passed before all six bodies could be located and pulled from the rubble of the house that looked like a castle.
Charlotte, 8, and Wesley, 6, were sister and brother. Alexis, 8, and Kaitlyn, 7, were sisters. Their fathers were the sons of Sandra Pyle, 63. Donald Pyle was 56.
The fire was ruled an accident in a lengthy report released in August. The fire began in an electrical connection beneath the tree that was placed in the great room of the house and quickly spread to the tree, the furniture and the velvet curtains, then up to the ceiling.
The lights on the 15-foot Fraser fir had been left on “24 hours a day, seven days a week” for six weeks preceding the fire, according to the report. The tree had been scheduled for removal the next day.
(AP Photo/Capital Gazette, Glenn A. Miller)
AP Photo/Capital Gazette, Glenn A. Miller
12. Murder charges filed in Lyon sisters’ disappearance
On July 10, Lloyd Lee Welch Jr. was indicted on two counts of murder for the deaths of Katherine and Sheila Lyon — four decades after they disappeared from the Wheaton Plaza, where they had gone to look at Easter decorations and eat lunch in 1975.
The remains of 10-year-old Katherine and 12-year-old Sheila have never been found.
Efforts to solve the long-cold case yielded new clues for Montgomery County investigators more than two years ago and eventually led police to the mountainous and heavily forested community of Bedford County, Virginia, where the case began to unravel.
John and Mary Lyon and other family members looked on as police and prosecutors from both communities announced the indictment during a news conference near the mall in Wheaton. A second announcement followed the next day in Bedford to discuss the second phase of the investigation.
Since Welch’s indictment, police have focused their investigation on his uncle Richard Welch to determine what role the older man might have played in the girls’ disappearance. Four other family members have been charged with obstruction of justice or with perjury for lying to a special grand jury.
Welch is a convicted sex offender who victimized young girls. He was serving a 33-year sentence for a similar crime in Delaware at the time he was charged in Virginia.
(Photo courtesy of the Montgomery County police)
Photo courtesy of the Montgomery County police
11. Larry Hogan beats cancer
In June, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan gathered his family beside him to announce that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and that he would continue on as governor while he fought the disease.
Five months later, he proudly proclaimed that he was cancer-free and on the mend. He is now debating whether to grow his white hair back or shave his head, asking Marylanders to help him decide on Facebook.
Despite the health scare, Hogan found time to meet with his Virginia and D.C. counterparts to discuss problems at Metro with the U.S. transportation secretary. Over the summer, he also held a fundraiser for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, met Pope Francis, closed a decrepit and corrupt detention center in Baltimore, joined kids battling cancer for a football game and announced a dramatic reduction in state support for the Purple Line.
Hogan is serving his first year in office after defeating Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, a Democrat who was expected to easily win the governorship, in 2014.
(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
10. Jesse Matthew indicted
Jesse Matthew, who made national headlines in 2014 for fleeing to the Gulf Coast after Hannah Graham’s disappearance, was indicted on a murder charge in February for the University of Virginia student’s death. A capital murder charge was added later.
His arrest also gave police DNA evidence that broke open two cold cases — one involving the killing of a Virginia Tech student and the other a 2005 sexual assault in Fairfax City.
Matthew was indicted in September on a first-degree murder charge for the death of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, who disappeared after attending a concert in Charlottesville in 2009.
Forensic evidence found as part of the investigation into Harrington’s disappearance had already connected her case to the Fairfax City victim, who survived her ordeal.
This summer, Matthew interrupted his Fairfax trial on attempted murder and assault charges to enter an Alford plea — acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him but without admitting guilt. His plea came after three days of testimony that included the victim’s harrowing account of her struggle to prevent her attacker from raping her.
He was sentenced to three life terms in prison.
Prosecutors in Albemarle County are seeking the death penalty in the Hannah Graham case, which is set to go to trial in July. He faces a life sentence if convicted of the charges related to Morgan Harrington. That trial is set to begin in October.
(AP Photo/Steve Helber)
AP Photo/Steve Helber
9. RGIII Who? And the rise of Kirk Cousins
The Redskins are heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
They have wrapped up the NFC East for just the third time since 1999 and are getting ready to host a playoff game at FedEx Field on Jan. 9 or 10.
Kirk Cousins was handed the reigns to the offense before the season by head coach Jay Gruden, a surprise move since the coach had named Robert Griffin III the starting quarterback in the offseason.
The change proved to be the right one. Despite a rocky start for Cousins (six touchdowns and nine interceptions through his first six games), he has improved as the season went on. Through 16 weeks, he has 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and leads the NFL in completion percentage at 69.5.
What happened to Robert Griffin III? Well, he’s still on the roster. The No. 2 overall pick has been relegated to third-string quarterback and is inactive on game days. Griffin’s days in Washington are numbered. The Redskins are expected to release him after the season is over.
The Redskins will enter the playoffs playing some pretty good football and have a decent chance of making some noise in the postseason.
— WTOP Sports Director George Wallace contributed to this report.
(AP Photo/Mark Tenally)
AP Photo/Mark Tenally
8. Vincent Gray
Christmas came early for former D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray.
The U.S. attorney’s office announced in early December that no additional charges would be filed in a four-year probe of campaign financing in the District that netted a total of 12 convictions.
The probe into Gray’s 2010 campaign uncovered an illegal $668,000 slush fund that helped Gray to defeat then-Mayor Adrian Fenty. Six people who were involved in the campaign have pleaded guilty to felonies. But prosecutors were never able to establish that Gray committed a crime or knowingly conspired with his advisers.
In a statement, the U.S. attorney’s office said that the available evidence is “likely insufficient to obtain and sustain a criminal conviction against any other individuals related to the federal and local political campaigns.”
The investigation overshadowed Gray’s four-year tenure. And the announcement of charges against Jeffrey Thompson, the architect of what was considered an off-the-books campaign, coupled with Thompson’s claims that Gray knew about the conspiracy just weeks before the 2014 Democratic primary was a blow to his re-election hopes.
With the criminal investigation behind him, Gray is widely expected to return to politics.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
7. Amtrak derailment
About 7: 10 p.m. on May 12, Amtrak train 188 left Union Station, bound for New York. More than two hours later, the entire train came off the tracks on a deep curve in Philadelphia.
Eight people were killed and more than 200 people injured in the derailment.
Investigators determined that the train sped up as it entered the curve, topping speeds of 106 mph before the train engineer hit the brake.
The crash cleanup and investigation shut down the busy Northeast Corridor service for five days.
Three of those killed had local connections.
Abid Gilani, 55, split his time between his family’s home in Rockville and New York City. He was a senior vice president of Wells Fargo’s hospitality finance group.
Bob Gildersleeve, 45, of Elkridge, Maryland, was a food safety expert for Ecolab.
Justin Zemser, 20, was a student at the Naval Academy.
Federal investigators have not released a final report on the cause of the derailment. However, they have said that had a new technology called positive train control been in use along the stretch of track, it could have prevented the derailment by slowing down the train.
At the time of the derailment, the technology had been installed but wasn’t being used because it was still going through testing. The system was activated in December.
(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
6. Savopoulos family slain
The family and housekeeper of a local CEO were held captive for ransom, then each was brutally beaten, stabbed or burned to death when the cash was delivered to their D.C. home in May.
Although investigators believed multiple people were involved in the crime, only Daron Wint, 35, has been charged. Wint faces a single charge of murder for the death of Savvas Savopoulos.
Savopoulos, 46, his wife Amy, 47; son Philip, 10; and housekeeper Vera Figueroa, 57, were all found by firefighters inside the family’s house on Woodland Drive. A fire on the second floor of the family’s house had been set, police have said.
Details contained in search warrants and other court documents have slowly painted a picture of a brutal end for the family, who left behind two daughters. Hundreds attended the family’s funeral.
Wint once worked for American Iron Works, a Hyattsville construction materials supply company that Savopoulos ran. That connection has led investigators to believe that the crime was not random.
Wint is set to go on trial in February.
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File
5. A gyrocopter, a drone and a new White House fence
Security at both the U.S. Capitol and the White House were tested repeatedly this year in ways small and large.
In April, a postal employee flew a gyrocopter across the National Mall, landing on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Doug Hughes flew through restricted air space without being detected until he was spotted by federal police above the mall — a stunt that triggered a full-scale security review. His air travel was never detected by NORAD, which is charged with protecting the air space over the U.S. and Canada.
He wanted to bring attention to campaign finance reform and was carrying letters on the issue for members of Congress.
This summer, the Secret Service increased the height of the black wrought iron fence that surrounds the White House to improve security and deter fence-jumpers. But those spikes did little to deter a flag-draped man who hopped the fence as the Obamas were eating their Thanksgiving dinner. At least three others hopped or tried to jump the fence this year.
Earlier in the year, a runaway drone crashed onto the White House lawn. The government employee who thought the errant drone would crash on the National Mall when the batteries died was not charged. And U.S. Park Police cited another man with flying a camera drone in Lafayette Park.
Other security mishaps: -Capitol police leave guns in bathrooms -Smoke, evacuation at the Capitol -Secret Service agents crash -Drone in the park -Drone on the Ellipse -Slingshot -A power outage
(Associated Press)
Associated Press
4. Metro Turmoil
A string of fires, power outages and massive service disruptions have left Metro riders fed up and seeking other options.
“We’ve lost our credibility,” Paul Wiedefeld told Metro’s board of directors the day he was sworn in as the system’s new general manager in November.
Wiedefeld has promised to serve as a “fresh pair of eyes,” but he has cautioned riders that changes will come slowly.
A series of reports from federal investigators and regulators have pointed out that Metro needs to perform more routine maintenance and training.
Here were some of the worst mishaps of the year:
-In September, a fire at a power substation near the Stadium-Armory Station suspended service along a portion of the Blue, Silver and Orange lines. The service outage began during the morning rush and lasted most of the day.
-In May, inbound and outbound trains were halted at the Rosslyn Tunnel because of a report of smoke detected during the height of the morning rush hour. Confusion reigned and riders reported commutes taking hours longer than normal.
-Cracked rails on two lines created morning havoc for riders in January. The repair work and single-tracking led to delays on the Orange, Silver, Green and Yellow lines.
-And in August, an empty train derailed near the Smithsonian Station even before the system opened to riders. The derailment suspended service and forced several downtown D.C. stations to close for most of the day. Metro’s chief safety officer resigned almost a month later and two other Metro employees involved in inspecting the track also resigned after a review found that a track warning about a rail defect was deleted from a routine report.
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Crowds of riders wait for a train at the Ballston Metro Station on Jan. 8, 2015. Metro had weather-related problems on several lines that created major delays.
(WTOP/Nick Iannelli)
WTOP/Nick Iannelli
3. Papalmania
The first pope from the Americas arrived at Andrews Air Force Base in style. He walked the red carpet and greeted the president and first lady and dozens of well-wishers who made up the welcome party before he climbed into — not an SUV or limo — but a tiny black Fiat, which would become the most recognizable symbol of the down-to-earth pope’s first visit to the United States.
The hottest ticket in town this year was for any one of the numerous events he attended in the nation’s capital, including his address Congress — another papal first.
Fifty thousand people had tickets to watch the pope’s somber address from the West Front Lawn of the Capitol. Thousands more flocked to the Ellipse and Constitution Avenue to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis during a short parade a day earlier. He waved, smiled, kissed babies and genuinely seemed to enjoy himself.
But his most raucous reception came during a visit to St. Patrick’s Church, where he met with the city’s poor and homeless. After bidding them “buon appetito,” he worked the room like a rock star.
Tight security, busy Metro stations, extra motorcades and extensive road closures threatened to bring the region, known for its already terrible commutes, to its knees. But most workers stayed home, leaving roads sparsely traveled. Pope-watchers reported few problems getting to event sites or through security.
Notably, no security scares were reported during his 48-hour visit, except for a 5-year-old girl wearing a T-shirt with a message about immigration, who ended up receiving a hug and kiss from Pope Francis.
He left D.C. for New York City and ended his U.S. tour in Philadelphia, where he spoke at Independence Hall and made impromptu comments about the lives of modern families during a concert outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
(Photo by Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images)
Photo by Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images
2. Freddie Gray
Hours after Freddie Gray’s funeral, riots erupted in West Baltimore. The unrest quickly spread across the city as rioters torched businesses and police cars, looted from businesses and damaged windows with thrown bricks.
A state of emergency was declared and the National Guard called in. A citywide curfew was in place for six days. More than 400 people were arrested in the span of 10 days. The damage totaled millions and affected more than 400 businesses.
The rioting broke out after days of protests following the death of Gray while he was in police custody. The 25-year-old suffered a severe spinal injury as he was jostled around inside a police van, his hands and feet shackled. Six Baltimore police officers have been charged in connection with his death.
During the first trial for Officer William Porter, prosecutors described the police van as a “casket on wheels.” Porter was accused of negligence for not buckling in Gray and for failing to provide him with medical help even though Gray asked for assistance multiple times.
However, the jury was unable to reach a verdict in Porter’s case and a new trial has been scheduled for this summer.
(AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
AP Photo/David Goldman, File
1. L’Enfant Plaza: Smoke overcomes Metro train, kills 1 rider
One rider was killed and more than 80 others were sent to the hospital with breathing problems after an acrid, orange smoke from an electrical fire filled the Yellow Line tunnel near L’Enfant Plaza Station on Jan. 12.
Federal investigators determined electrical arcing caused the smoke. But staff errors and poor communication left riders choking in the thick smoke for 30 minutes or longer.
Carol Glover was taken to the hospital an hour after the smoke was first reported. She later died of smoke inhalation, becoming the first passenger killed on the Metro system since the 2009 Red Line crash that left nine people dead.
Cellphone video taken by a rider captured the thick haze. Even those who were in the station waiting to board a train struggled in the smoke. Those who were able to quickly escape the transit hub had sooty smudges under their noses.
Numerous problems compounded the struggles for riders and first responders that day, including radios that didn’t work in tunnels, ventilation fans that pushed smoke toward the stuck train and a long delay before firefighters knew it was safe to enter the tunnel.
The National Transportation Safety Board held two days of hearings on the smoke event in June. Their investigation continues. But emails from District officials said that water leaking near the site of the January fire could have been the cause of the electrical arcing and smoke.
The Federal Transit Administration, which has since been assigned to provide direct safety oversight of Metro, released a scathing report of its own in June. That report found that Metro doesn’t do enough track maintenance, ventilation fans don’t always work and don’t meet modern safety standards, and that the rail control center is understaffed and staff there don’t receive proper training.
(AP Photo/Andrew Litwin)
