D.C. police said victims found dead inside a Northwest home that was set on fire Thursday had suffered either blunt force trauma or had injuries from a sharp object.
On Friday, police announced they had positively identified two of the victims as 46-year-old Savvas Savopoulos and his wife 47-year-old Amy Savopoulos. The other two victims are believed to be the couple’s 10-year-old son Philip and a 57-year-old housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa.
Investigators are treating the case as a quadruple homicide and Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said the fire was set intentionally.
“On at least three of the four victims, injuries were discovered that appear to be blunt force or sharp object injuries,” Chief Lanier said, adding that the injuries were discovered through the autopsy process which is not yet complete.
Mr. Savopoulos was the president of Hyattsville-based American Iron Works, a company that manufactures building materials. Mrs. Savopoulos was well-known in D.C. social circles.
Firefighters responded to put out a fire at the couple’s home, located in the 3200 block of Woodland Drive, around 1:30 p.m. Thursday. The bodies were discovered by first responders inside the home, which is located in Woodley Park a stone’s throw from numerous embassies and the vice presidential residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory.
“Right now we have nothing to suggest there was a random or forced entry into the home but we want to have a little more time to sort through the evidence,” Chief Lanier said.
She declined to comment on speculation that the family could have been held hostage inside the home.
WTTG-TV (Channel 5) reported that Mrs. Savopoulos texted another housekeeper telling her to not come by the home Thursday because the family was sick. When the woman tried to call to respond to the text, no one picked up the phone.
Police are interested in the movements of a family-owned car that was taken from the home.
A blue 2008 Porsche was taken from the home and discovered on fire in a church parking lot in Prince George’s County on Thursday afternoon. Police say they are trying to track the movements of the Porsche from Wednesday through the time it was discovered on fire at around 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The car has D.C. license plate number of DK2418.
Crime scene tape continued to rope off sections of Woodland Drive near the home Friday and Chief Lanier said evidence collection from the home would continue for several days.
• Andrea Noble can be reached at anoble@washingtontimes.com.
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