Suspect in 'Mansion Murders' Fires Attorney

A hearing in the so-called “Mansion Murders” case was delayed Thursday after the defendant in the murder case fired his attorney, according to several media reports.

Daron Wint got rid of attorney Sean Hanover of Northern Virginia over a disagreement, Hanover told NBC-4. He did not elaborate on what the two disagreed on.

Wint was, once again, given a public defender; he is due back in court July 20.

DC Police took Wint, 34, into custody May 22 in D.C. on charges of First Degree Felony Murder in the DC mansion murders. Wint is a resident of Lanham, Md.

Police were tracking leads after firefighters found the bodies of Savvas Savopoulos, 46, his wife, Amy Savopoulos, 47, son, Philip, 10 and housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa, 57. All were found dead May 14 in the family’s multimillion-dollar mansion, where firefighters were called to put out a blaze at the home, in the 3200 block of Woodland Drive NW. The area is an exclusive neighborhood near the National Cathedral that includes the home of Vice President Joe Biden.

Police are investigating whether there are more suspects in addition to Wint, according to a report by The Washington Post. Detective Jeffrey Owens, in an affidavit, says he believes the crimes “required the presence and assistance of more than one person.”

Police quickly surmised the family was killed before what they called the intentionally set fire. Three of the four bodies showed signs of blunt force trauma injuries, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said.

The manhunt for Wint led them to Brooklyn, where Wint’s girlfriend reportedly lives.

The arrest May 22 took place at about 11 p.m., when members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force located and arrested Wint in the 1000 block of Rhode Island Avenue, in Northeast Washington. There were reportedly 25 unmarked police cars that converged on a white Chevy Cruze.

The Washington Post reported that Wint was in the back seat and a woman was driving the car, with another woman in the front passenger seat. They had just left a Howard Johnson’s motel in Maryland.

Wint made his first court appearance May 23 before a DC Circuit Court judge and was ordered to give a DNA sample, Acting US Attorney for District of Columbia Vincent H. Cohen Jr. said in a news conference. Wint is being held in jail without bond.

It was DNA left on a crust of leftover pizza at the mansion that led police to Wint, according to the Washington Post. Domino’s PIzza was delivered the night before the murders to the DC mansion while the family was reportedly being held captive, according to police.

An assistant to Savopoulos brought $40,000 in cash to the home while the family was being held captive on May 14. Shortly after, the home went up in a blaze and someone was seen driving the family’s blue Porsche away from the home.

Police say Wint had ties to Savopoulos, who was the CEO of American Iron Works. Wint worked at the company from 2003 to 2005 as a welder.

Wint has a record that includes charges of assault, carrying concealed weapons and theft in Prince George’s County, according to several media reports. His home address is near where the family’s blue Porsche was found burning late Thursday, the day the bodies were found. Police released a grainy video of a suspect caught on surveillance video near where the car was found.

Police said that during Wint’s arrest, $10,000 was found in a truck that was traveling with the Chevy Cruze.

The Savopoulos family released a statement after Wint’s arrest, thanking law enforcement: “While it does not abate our pain, we hope that it begins to restore a sense of calm and security to our neighborhood and to our city. Our family, and Vera’s family, have suffered unimaginable loss.”