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After mansion killings verdict, a look at evidence jury considered (PHOTOS)

Jack Moore | jmoore@wtop.com

October 26, 2018, 5:00 PM

WASHINGTON — The foyer of a $3.5 million home in Northwest D.C. showing troubling signs of a struggle. A burned-out bedroom with a mattress destroyed by flames and reduced to blackened springs. A pizza box covered in soot – containing a half-eaten crust with DNA that would help investigators track down a killer.

Photos of some of the key pieces of evidence from the D.C. mansion where four people were tortured and killed in May 2015 have now been released by federal prosecutors following Daron Wint’s conviction on 20 felony counts, including first-degree premeditated murder. Wint was found guilty of killing Savvas and Amy Savopoulos; their 10-year-old son, Philip; and Vera Figueroa, the family’s housekeeper.

The verdict came after jurors deliberated for about 2 and 1/2 days, poring over six weeks’ worth of testimony and evidence in D.C. Superior Court.

See photos of some of the evidence that led to their verdict.

The Savopoulos house is seen in this crime scene photo from D.C. police. Fire officials testified they broke out many of the house's windows to ventilate the fire that raged on the home's second floor. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The Savopoulos house is seen in this crime scene photo from D.C. police. Fire officials testified they broke out many of the house’s windows to ventilate the fire that raged on the home’s second floor. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
The phone lines to the house seen here outside the door to the house's kitchen were cut. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The phone lines to the house seen here outside the door to the kitchen were cut. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
The entryway to the Savopoulos house. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The entryway to the Savopoulos house. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
The scene in the home's entryway appears to show signs of a struggle, prosecutors said: An overturned bag belonging to Savvas Savopoulos; scattered schools books belonging to his 10-year-old son, Philip. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The scene in the home’s entryway appears to show signs of a struggle, prosecutors said: An overturned bag belonging to Savvas Savopoulos; scattered school books belonging to his 10-year-old son, Philip. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
Prosecutors said Amy Savopoulos was out on a Starbucks run when Daron Wint got inside the house. When she returned home, he took her captive alongside her son and Vera Figueroa, one of the family's housekeepers. A Starbucks cup is seen on a bureau in the home's entryway. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
Prosecutors said Amy Savopoulos was out on a Starbucks run when Daron Wint got inside the house. When she returned home, he took her captive alongside her son and Vera Figueroa, one of the family’s housekeepers. A Starbucks cup is seen on a bureau in the home’s entryway. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
The burned-out upstairs bedroom where the body of 10-year-old Philip Savopoulos was found. The fire burned so hot, it burned through the floorboards. Fire investigators told the jury the fire started on the bed. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
Prosecutors said the body of 10-year-old Philip Savopoulos was found on a bed inside the family’s upstairs bedroom. The fire burned so hot, it burned through the floorboards. Fire investigators told the jury the fire started on the bed. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
The samurai sword perched on the toilet seat in the bathroom next to the burned-out bedroom was likely used on the victims, prosecutors said. Investigators couldn’t recover any forensic evidence from the knife blade. Extreme heat destroys DNA evidence. But investigators found blood — belonging to Philip Savopoulos — on a tassel on the handle. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
The room where the boy was found was a "complete flashover," a fire investigator testified. "This room got so hot that everything in this room burned." (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The room where the boy was found was a “complete flashover,” a fire investigator testified. “This room got so hot that everything in this room burned.” (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
The upstairs bedroom where the three adult victims were held. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C. )
The upstairs bedroom where prosecutors said the three adult victims were held. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
This close-up of a chair leg shows duct tape residue where the victims were restrained while they were held captive inside the Savopoulos family's house for nearly 24 hours. (U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
This close-up of a chair leg shows residue from duct tape which prosecutors said Wint used to restrain where the adults victims while they were held captive inside the Savopoulos family’s house for nearly 24 hours. (U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
A Domino's pizza box from one of the two pizzas delivered to the Savopoulos house while the vicims were being held captive inside. The order was made using Amy Savopoulos' credit card and instructions were given to the delivery driver to leave the pizzas on the front porch. Investigators found Wint's DNA on an uneaten crust of one of the pizzas, linking him to the killings. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office)
A Domino’s pizza box from one of the two pizzas delivered to the Savopoulos house while the victims were being held captive inside. The order was made using Amy Savopoulos’ credit card and instructions were given to the delivery driver to leave the pizzas on the front porch. Investigators found Wint’s DNA on the pizza, linking him to the killings. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office
The receipt for the two pizzas that were delivered to the Savopoulos family's house while they were held captive. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The receipt for the two pizzas that were delivered to the Savopoulos family’s house while they were held captive. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
Investigators found Wint's DNA on an uneaten crust of one of the pizzas, linking him to the killings. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office)
This is the piece of pizza from which investigators recovered Wint’s DNA, linking him to the killings. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office
While the family was held hostage, they communicated -- via phone calls and text messages -- with several people, whohad no idea what was happening inside 3201 Woodland Drive. In this text message, Amy Savopoulos asks the other family's housekeeper, Nelly Gutierrez, not to come to the house. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
While the family was held hostage, they communicated — via phone calls and text messages — with several people, who had no idea what was happening inside 3201 Woodland Drive. In this text message, Amy Savopoulos asks the other family’s housekeeper, Nelly Gutierrez, not to come to the house. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
The authorization from Savvas Savopoulos to American Iron Works' CFO Ted Chase to withdraw $40,000 from the company checking account. Prosecutors said Daron Wint held the four victims overnight, waing for the bank to open the next morning in order to get the ransom. Then he killd them anyway, prosecutors said. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The authorization from Savvas Savopoulos to American Iron Works’ CFO Ted Chase to withdraw $40,000 from the company checking account. Prosecutors said Daron Wint held the four victims overnight, waiting for the bank to open the next morning in order to get the ransom. Then he killed them anyway, prosecutors said. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
The Savopoulos family's red Mosler sports car. Savvas Savopoulos instructed his assisant to leave the $40,000 ransom inside the car. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The Savopoulos family’s red Mosler sports car. Savvas Savopoulos instructed his assistant to leave the $40,000 ransom inside the car. In the bottom right-hand corner is a construction hard hat. Forensic investigators found a hair that matched Daron Wint inside. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
A knife found propping open the window inside the house's basement also tested positive for Daron Wint's DNA Prosecutors suggested Wint may have used the knife to prop open the window to check to make sure the $40,000 ransom was dropped off by Savvas Savopoulos' assistant. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
A kitchen knife found propping open the window inside the house’s basement also tested positive for a trace amount of Daron Wint’s DNA. Prosecutors suggested Wint may have used the knife to prop open the window to observe the $40,000 ransom being dropped off by Savvas Savopoulos’ assistant. Prosecutors ruled this out as a murder weapon. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
A computer containing video footage from the house's surveillance system was removed from a utilty closet in the house's attic. Several hours after the family was taken captive, prosecutors said Daron Wint made Savvas Savopoulos send a string of emails to their security company asking questions about how the security system worked. In particular, he wanted to know if the video footage was stored off-site in the cloud. It wasn't -- all the footage was stored on a local hard drive. The computer was stolen from the house and never recovered. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
A computer containing video footage from the house’s surveillance system was removed from a utility closet in the attic. Several hours after the family was taken captive, prosecutors said Daron Wint made Savvas Savopoulos send a string of emails and calls to the security company asking questions about how the security system worked. In particular, he wanted to know if the video footage was stored off-site in the cloud. It wasn’t — all the footage was stored on a local hard drive. The computer was stolen from the house and never recovered. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
The blue Porsche belonging to Amy Savopoulos was driven from the family's house after the mansion was set ablaze. It was later found burning in the back of a church parking lot in New Carrollton, Maryland. Inside, investigators found a construction vest with Daron Wint's DNA on it. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The blue Porsche belonging to Amy Savopoulos was driven from the family’s house after the mansion was set ablaze. It was later found burning in the back of a church parking lot in New Carrollton, Maryland. Inside, investigators found a construction vest with Daron Wint’s DNA on it. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
Digital evidence played a key role in the prosecutor's case. Daron Wint messaged this photo of two white iPhones to his girlfriend hours after the fire at the Savopoulous house, asking if cellphones could be tracked. Authorities said two similar white iPhones belonging to Savvas and Amy Savopoulos had been stolen from the house. Wint later deleted the messages. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
Digital evidence played a key role in the prosecutor’s case. Daron Wint messaged this photo of two white iPhones to his girlfriend hours after the fire at the Savopoulos house, asking if cellphones could be tracked. Authorities said two similar white iPhones belonging to Savvas and Amy Savopoulos had been stolen from the house. Wint later deleted the messages. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
Daron Wint's van was found set ablaze in an industrial parking lot in Prince George's County two days after the fire at the Savopoulous house. Prosectors said Wint may have used the van to transport evidence after the killings. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
Daron Wint’s van was found set ablaze in an industrial parking lot in Prince George’s County two days after the fire at the Savopoulos house. Prosecutors said Wint may have used the van to transport evidence after the killings. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
This pile of burned debris was found less than 100 yards from where Daron Wint's blue minivan was found burned in the middle of the night of May 16. Prosecutors argued the metal grommets in the pile of ash -- the rusty-burnt looking circular objects -- were from a drawstring backpack Wint was known to wear. Prosecutors suggested Wint may also have burned other evidence. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
This pile of burned debris was found less than 100 yards from where Daron Wint’s blue minivan was found burned in the middle of the night of May 16. Prosecutors argued the metal grommets in the pile of ash — the rusty-burnt looking circular objects — were from a drawstring backpack Wint was known to wear. Prosecutors suggested Wint may also have burned other evidence. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
This piece of paper was found by police the night Daron Wint was arrested. Darrell Wint, Daron Wint's younger brother, testified he was on the phone with police helping to turn him in when their vehicles were swarmed by U.S. Marshals. The scrap of paper contains the address for the D.C. jail. A phone number scribbled next to the word detective (blurred out in this photograph) was the phone number for D.C. Det. Jeff Owens, the lead detective investigating the killings of the Savopoulos family and Vera Figueroa. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
This piece of paper was found by police the night Daron Wint was arrested. His younger brother, Darrell Wint, testified he was on the phone with police to turn Daron in when their vehicles were swarmed by U.S. Marshals. The scrap of paper contains the address for the D.C. jail. A phone number scribbled next to the word detective (blurred out in this photograph) was the phone number for D.C. Det. Jeff Owens, the lead detective investigating the killings of the Savopoulos family and Vera Figueroa. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.)
Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
(1/23)
The Savopoulos house is seen in this crime scene photo from D.C. police. Fire officials testified they broke out many of the house's windows to ventilate the fire that raged on the home's second floor. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The phone lines to the house seen here outside the door to the house's kitchen were cut. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The entryway to the Savopoulos house. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The scene in the home's entryway appears to show signs of a struggle, prosecutors said: An overturned bag belonging to Savvas Savopoulos; scattered schools books belonging to his 10-year-old son, Philip. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
Prosecutors said Amy Savopoulos was out on a Starbucks run when Daron Wint got inside the house. When she returned home, he took her captive alongside her son and Vera Figueroa, one of the family's housekeepers. A Starbucks cup is seen on a bureau in the home's entryway. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The burned-out upstairs bedroom where the body of 10-year-old Philip Savopoulos was found. The fire burned so hot, it burned through the floorboards. Fire investigators told the jury the fire started on the bed. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The room where the boy was found was a "complete flashover," a fire investigator testified. "This room got so hot that everything in this room burned." (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The upstairs bedroom where the three adult victims were held. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C. )
This close-up of a chair leg shows duct tape residue where the victims were restrained while they were held captive inside the Savopoulos family's house for nearly 24 hours. (U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
A Domino's pizza box from one of the two pizzas delivered to the Savopoulos house while the vicims were being held captive inside. The order was made using Amy Savopoulos' credit card and instructions were given to the delivery driver to leave the pizzas on the front porch. Investigators found Wint's DNA on an uneaten crust of one of the pizzas, linking him to the killings. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office)
The receipt for the two pizzas that were delivered to the Savopoulos family's house while they were held captive. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
Investigators found Wint's DNA on an uneaten crust of one of the pizzas, linking him to the killings. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office)
While the family was held hostage, they communicated -- via phone calls and text messages -- with several people, whohad no idea what was happening inside 3201 Woodland Drive. In this text message, Amy Savopoulos asks the other family's housekeeper, Nelly Gutierrez, not to come to the house. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The authorization from Savvas Savopoulos to American Iron Works' CFO Ted Chase to withdraw $40,000 from the company checking account. Prosecutors said Daron Wint held the four victims overnight, waing for the bank to open the next morning in order to get the ransom. Then he killd them anyway, prosecutors said. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The Savopoulos family's red Mosler sports car. Savvas Savopoulos instructed his assisant to leave the $40,000 ransom inside the car. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
A knife found propping open the window inside the house's basement also tested positive for Daron Wint's DNA Prosecutors suggested Wint may have used the knife to prop open the window to check to make sure the $40,000 ransom was dropped off by Savvas Savopoulos' assistant. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
A computer containing video footage from the house's surveillance system was removed from a utilty closet in the house's attic. Several hours after the family was taken captive, prosecutors said Daron Wint made Savvas Savopoulos send a string of emails to their security company asking questions about how the security system worked. In particular, he wanted to know if the video footage was stored off-site in the cloud. It wasn't -- all the footage was stored on a local hard drive. The computer was stolen from the house and never recovered. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
The blue Porsche belonging to Amy Savopoulos was driven from the family's house after the mansion was set ablaze. It was later found burning in the back of a church parking lot in New Carrollton, Maryland. Inside, investigators found a construction vest with Daron Wint's DNA on it. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
Digital evidence played a key role in the prosecutor's case. Daron Wint messaged this photo of two white iPhones to his girlfriend hours after the fire at the Savopoulous house, asking if cellphones could be tracked. Authorities said two similar white iPhones belonging to Savvas and Amy Savopoulos had been stolen from the house. Wint later deleted the messages. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
Daron Wint's van was found set ablaze in an industrial parking lot in Prince George's County two days after the fire at the Savopoulous house. Prosectors said Wint may have used the van to transport evidence after the killings. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
This pile of burned debris was found less than 100 yards from where Daron Wint's blue minivan was found burned in the middle of the night of May 16. Prosecutors argued the metal grommets in the pile of ash -- the rusty-burnt looking circular objects -- were from a drawstring backpack Wint was known to wear. Prosecutors suggested Wint may also have burned other evidence. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)
This piece of paper was found by police the night Daron Wint was arrested. Darrell Wint, Daron Wint's younger brother, testified he was on the phone with police helping to turn him in when their vehicles were swarmed by U.S. Marshals. The scrap of paper contains the address for the D.C. jail. A phone number scribbled next to the word detective (blurred out in this photograph) was the phone number for D.C. Det. Jeff Owens, the lead detective investigating the killings of the Savopoulos family and Vera Figueroa. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C.)

(WTOP’s Megan Cloherty contributed to this report)

Jack Moore

Jack Moore joined WTOP.com as a digital writer/editor in July 2016. Previous to his current role, he covered federal government management and technology as the news editor at Nextgov.com, part of Government Executive Media Group.

jmoore@wtop.com

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