Mansion Murders Suspect 'Did Not Act Alone'

A man accused of killing a Washington businessman, his wife, son and housekeeper did not act alone, say investigators.

Daron Wint allegedly held the family captive until the executive handed over money before killing them and setting fire to the mansion, according to court documents.

The 34-year-old, of Lanham, Maryland, was arraigned on charges of first-degree murder on Friday at District of Columbia Superior Court.

Investigators believe the killings "required the presence and assistance of more than one person", according to the affidavit.

But no one else has been charged so far in the case.

Authorities arrested Wint, who has a criminal record for violent offences , in Washington late on Thursday night.

He was in a car that was accompanied by a pick-up truck, and police also arrested three men and two women in the vehicles.

The homicide victims were 46-year-old Savvas Savopoulos, his 47-year-old wife, Amy, their 10-year-old son, Philip, and housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa.

Their bodies were found on 14 May in the $4.5m mansion, in an upmarket neighbourhood near US Vice President Joe Biden's official residence.

The affidavit said Mr Savopoulos, his wife and Ms Figueroa died from being struck and stabbed.

Philip died from "thermal and sharp force injuries", it said.

The four are thought to have been held captive on the evening of 13 May.

Mr Savopoulos had an aide deliver $40,000 in cash to the house the next day before it was set ablaze, the court document said.

Police found more than $10,000 in money orders in Wint's car and a stack of $100 bills. More money orders were in the pick-up.

Wint, a certified welder, had worked for Mr Savopoulos' company, American Iron Works, a leading construction-materials supplier.

Police identified Wint from DNA found on the crust of a pizza that had been delivered to the house late on 13 May, the affidavit said.

During Friday's arraignment, defence attorney Natalie Lawson said the case against her client was "based on speculation and guesswork".

But prosecutor Emily Miller said: "Simply put, the defendant's DNA was on pizza left in a room with three dead adults."

The family's blue Porsche turned up in suburban Maryland hours after the slayings. It, too, had been set on fire.