In the spring of 2015, a horrific crime in a wealthy Washington, D.C. neighborhood brought a tragic end to the lives of the Savopoulos family and their housekeeper. Ten-year-old Philip Savopoulos, a male, was at home with his family's housekeeper, Veralicia Figueroa, on May 13, 2015, when an intruder entered their stately home. This was the beginning of a terrifying ordeal that would last for nearly a day.
The man who broke in was later identified as Daron Wint, a former welder at a
company owned by Philip's father, Savvas Savopoulos. Wint held Philip and Figueroa captive, and later, Philip’s mother, Amy Savopoulos, when she returned home. Savvas Savopoulos was then lured back to the house. For hours, the family and their housekeeper were held hostage. During this time, Philip was reportedly tortured to coerce his father into arranging for a $40,000 cash ransom to be delivered to the home. An assistant of Mr. Savopoulos delivered the money to the house the following day.
After the ransom was paid, the horror escalated. On May 14, 2015, Wint proceeded to kill his four captives. The victims suffered from blunt force trauma, and Philip was also stabbed. In an attempt to destroy evidence, Wint then set the multimillion-dollar mansion on fire. Firefighters who responded to the blaze discovered the bodies of Philip, his parents, and Ms. Figueroa inside the smoldering home. The family's Porsche was later found burned in a church parking lot in Maryland.
An investigation was immediately launched, and evidence found at the scene quickly pointed to a suspect. Daron Wint’s DNA was found on a pizza crust from a Domino's pizza that had been ordered to the house while the victims were being held captive. Wint was arrested on May 21, 2015. He was subsequently charged with multiple counts, including kidnapping, extortion, and murder. In October 2018, a jury found Daron Wint guilty on 20 counts, and he was later sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. During the trial, Wint’s defense attorneys claimed his brothers were the actual killers, but he was the only person charged in connection with the gruesome crime.
