WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – A man charged with killing a Washington, D.C. businessman, his wife, son and a housekeeper during a home invasion pleaded not guilty on Friday to murder and other charges, a court spokeswoman said.
Darron Wint, 35, of Lanham, Maryland, was indicted by a grand jury on Wednesday. He is accused of holding construction firm owner Savvas Savopoulos and the three other victims, extorting $40,000 in cash and then killing them and setting fire to the mansion, the indictment said.
Wint, who was born in Guyana, entered the not guilty plea during a felony arraignment in District of Columbia Superior Court. Judge Jose Lopez set a status hearing for May 20.
Wint is charged with 12 counts of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, as well as four counts of kidnapping, and one count each of burglary, extortion, arson and theft.
The bodies were found on May 14 inside the Savopoulos home near the official residence of Vice President Joseph Biden.
Police have said Wint, who was arrested a week later, had worked for Savopoulos’ company, American Iron Works.
Each of the 12 murder charges carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of release.
