WASHINGTON - Prosecutors painted a grim and horrific crime scene during opening statements Tuesday in the trial for the suspect in the D.C. Mansion Murders case.
A jury finally heard evidence against Daron Wint, who is accused of murdering three members of the Savop﻿oulos family and their housekeeper before setting their home on fire in 2015.
For the last three years, anyone interested in the case has known the evidence mounting against Daron Wint. The DNA found on the pizza crust inside the house, being arrested with a large sum of money and a connection to the Savopoulos family, officials have previously noted.
But while evidence against Daron Wint has been known, there wasn't much information about what his defense would be until Tuesday.
Daron Wint's defense attorneys said his two brothers planned the crime and he was duped into being there.
In their opening statement to the jury, Daron Wint's defense attorneys painted a picture of a man duped by his brothers, stating that Darrell and Stefon Wint were behind the horrific crime but Daron Wint had nothing to do with it.
They admitted Daron Wint ate pizza inside the house and said he was coerced into putting on a construction vest, but stated he had no idea what was going on upstairs in the bedrooms of the house on Woodland Drive.
The defense also pointed fingers at Jordan Wallace, the man who officials said delivered the $40,000 ransom to the house and suggested he was involved as well.
But prosecutor Christopher Bruckman told the jury that Wallace was not involved and suggested he would testify in the case.
In his opening statement, Bruckman pointed at Daron Wint and said he was motivated by money, greed and revenge. Bruckman said as he held Savvas Savopoulos, his wife Amy, son Phillip and their housekeeper Vera Figueroa, hostage, he took the computer connected to the surveillance system and after getting the money delivered to the house killed all four in the vilest way.
Bruckman said Daron Wint used two baseball bats and a sword to kill the victims before dousing them with gasoline and setting the home on fire. Bruckman told the jury the DNA will speak for the dead.
In addition to the pizza crust, Daron Wint's DNA was also found on a knife used to prop open a window, according to officials.
Investigators also said they found searches on Daron Wint’s phone for best hiding places for fugitives and countries with no extradition treaties with the United States.
As for the defense's claim that Daron Wint's brothers were involved, officials reminded that Daron Wint was arrested a few days after the murder when he was with one of his brothers, who was questioned and released. He was never charged.
The jury was sent home early Tuesday and the government will call its first witness Wednesday morning.