Forensics investigating the grisly mansion murders of a prominent Washington D.C. family and their housekeeper believe they have found a second piece of DNA evidence linking the accused to the horrific crime.
Police sources have confirmed they found blood on the shoe of the only suspect, Darron Wint, 34, at the time of his arrest that matches one of the four victims found dead on May 14 inside their $4.5 million home, which had been set on fire.
Wint is charged with first-degree murder of wealthy construction business owner Savvas Savopoulos, 46, his wife Amy, 47, their son Phillip, 10, and housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa, 57.
Investigators initially said they identified Wint using DNA found on the crust of a pizza that was delivered to the house late on May 13.
Now two police sources have told CNN that traces of blood found on Wint’s shoes matched one of the deceased, but would not confirm which victim.
The revelations come after a funeral service was at Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Northwest Washington on Monday.
Savvas and Savopoulos also had two daughters, who were away at boarding school at the time of the killings.
The orphaned girls, Abigail, 19, and Katerina, 17, were comforted by family at the service.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also attended the ceremony at the cathedral, which used an overflow room to accommodate all the mourners.
‘This tragedy caused an explosion of love, of sympathy,’ Archbishop Demetrios, the archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, said at the service, NBC News reported.
‘What can we say? We are at the funeral of three people who suffered abruptly and unexpectedly… There are no tears enough.’
Police believe Wint held the four victims hostage for at least 18 hours as he awaited a delivery of $40,000 cash, before killing and robbing them and setting fire to the house.
It is unclear how long they were held captive in the house in the upscale Woodley Park neighborhood of the capital, which is just a few blocks from Vice President Joe BIden’s residence
Through the investigation, it emerged that the adults had died of blunt force trauma before the fire, while the boy had suffered stab wounds and burned to death in the blaze.
Before they were killed, Savopoulos’ assistant delivered $40,000 to the house and when the bodies were found, the money had vanished, along with the couple’s Porsche.
That vehicle was found burned in a Maryland parking lot hours later.
Wint was arrested after the DNA match from the pizza crust that was delivered to the house late on May 13.
He was arraigned on May 22 on charges of first degree murder.
Police initially suspected that Wint did not act alone.
The killings ‘required the presence and assistance of more than one person,’ a Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police detective wrote in an affidavit filed in court on May 22.
Wint’s lawyer has maintained that police have ‘got the wrong guy’ and that he has become the sole suspect.
Lawyer Robin Ficker told ABC News on Saturday: ‘I have completed 30,000 cases in the Maryland courts and I’ve met a lot of criminals and of course people who aren’t criminals in my life.
‘I do not believe and his parents, his mother, his brother, his sister, as I don’t believe that he is capable of killing anybody.
‘He’s not the type, he’s not a street thug, he’s a gentle person.
‘I believed that when I represented him 10 years ago and I believe it after talking to him for two hours today.’
Flicker also said: ‘He doesn’t eat pizza. If he was hungry, he wouldn’t order pizza.’
ABC News reported that no contract has been signed by Ficker with Wint’s family.
