A former cellmate of the D.C. mansion murders suspect told investigators another person was involved in the brutal crime, according to court documents.
That inmate, listed as Witness 92, shared a cell with Daron Wint for eight days and wrote two letters to the U.S. attorney’s office, according to the documents. He told prosecutors another person was involved in the kidnapping, torture and murders of Savvas Savopoulos, 46; his wife, Amy, 47; their 10-year-old son, Philip, and housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa, 57.
Investigators looked into that person, even swabbing for DNA, but preliminary results showed there wasn’t a match to the crime scene, the documents said.
“He could have gotten that information from Wint’s papers when he was going out for a shower or he was out in the yard,” D.C.-based criminal defense attorney Bernard Grimm said.
He said it’s not uncommon for cellmates to come forward with information to get a lower sentence.
It’s not clear if Witness 92 or any other convicted felon will testify for the prosecution, but jurors were asked if they could believe a witness who is guilty of a crime and will get a reduced sentence for testifying.
By noon Friday, the jury was selected. There are 12 jurors and four alternates. Seven are women, nine are men. Nine are white, and seven are minorities.
Wint is charged with murder in the four deaths. He is accused of holding the victims captive, extorting $40,000 and setting their Northwest Washington mansion on fire.
Wint faces life in prison without possibility for release on each murder charge. The minimum sentence is 30 years on each murder charge.
The trial continues Tuesday.
