Victims Impact Statement

Name: Abigail Savopoulos

Loved Ones: Amy, Savvas, Philip and Vera

Relationship: Daughter, Sister, Friend

Defendant’s Name: Daron Wint

Case #: 2015CF1007047

Sentencing Date: 02/01/19

Honorable Juliet McKenna

Signature: _____________ Date: ____________

Dear Judge McKenna,

It was the day before my senior prom, and a few days before my high-school
graduation, when my family was taken from me. I was sitting in my room trying out
hairstyles with my roommate when my phone rang. I picked up the phone and heard
my grandmother sobbing on the other end. She said four words that changed my life
forever; “there was a fire”.

My sister and I immediately spoke on the phone, both unable to fully grasp exactly
what happened. We were in a state of disbelief. The whirlwind that followed was
something no 19-year-old should ever have to face. Rather than picking a dress to
wear to my upcoming graduation, I was selecting caskets. While all my friends were on
a school senior retreat, I was touring a graveyard and picking burial plots. While they
enjoyed their first summer before college, I was figuring out how to write a check and
pay my bills. I was forced to become an adult overnight, and I lost the people I loved
the most in the world.

My parents were my best friends. I came to them in the good and the bad times. They
were my biggest supporters and my strongest advocates. My parents loved each other
more than any other couple I ever met. They taught me what true love looked like. They
stood by each other no matter what. As much as they loved each other, they loved
their children more. They believed in all of us and encouraged each of us to pursue our
dreams.

As a child, I grew up imagining my dream wedding. My mother helping me do my hair

and makeup. My father walking me down the aisle. My brother as one of the
groomsmen. My father smiling at me during the father-daughter dance. On July 24th,
the man of my dreams proposed to me. My first instinct was to reach for the phone
and call my mother. It was not until I finished dialing her number that I remembered that
she is gone. It was at that moment that I realized my parents would not be there for
what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. Those things I dreamed of as a
little girl would never happen. It’s odd how you can feel so happy and in love, but
simultaneously feel like there is a hole in your heart and life that will never be filled.

I was nine when Philip was born, one year younger than he was when he was
murdered. I loved Philip so much. Philip was by far the smartest and most mature little
boy I ever met. From the moment he was born, I knew he was destined for greatness.
What most people did not know about Philip is that he remembered everything he ever
heard. He could recall every word to a song a week after hearing it for the first time.
When he was learning his multiplication facts, I was learning about exponents. He took
it upon himself to learn exponents at the same time as multiplication. Philip wanted to
fit as much information he could into his brain. I would often find him reading high-
school level textbooks, watching documentaries, and memorizing baseball cards.
Philip loved baseball and was beloved by every member of his little-league team. He
dreamed of becoming a Formula-1 driver. For his birthday, my father took him to a go-
kart track for the first time. It was that same day that he was scouted by Praga Race
Team. They said he had the talent of someone who had been racing for years on his
first day on the track. He was so passionate about racing and would balance traveling
to races and school. At races, whenever he wasn’t behind the wheel, he was focusing
on his homework without my parents having to remind him or say anything.

It is disappointing to me that the reporting on the murders often glazed over the
presence of Vera. Vera was so much more than just an employee. Every day she
greeted us with a huge smile. She helped take care of us when we were sick and
cheered us on whenever we had successes, all while supporting an entire family of her
own. Her family also suffered a significant loss when she was abruptly taken from
them.

My father was the most hardworking and well-spoken man I will ever know. He worked
tirelessly to support the family and afford his children opportunities that he never had
growing up. He was the person I would come to when I was struggling or had to make
a difficult decision. His 'voice of reason' still lingers in the back of my mind. He taught
me the importance of reading every contract I sign, including the iTunes terms and
conditions. He taught me how to write an essay correctly, train a dog, shoot a gun,
throw a ball, and so much more. Above all, he showed me how a man should care for
and support his family, and how vital a fathers love is in the life of a child.

My mom was the most resilient and kindhearted woman. There was nothing in the
world that she loved more than her children and her family. She gave up her career to
raise us. She called me sunshine. Even on my moodiest of days, I was always greeted
by her loving voice saying, "good morning, sunshine." She wrote me a letter every
week I was away at boarding school (sometimes a few times a week) and called me
almost every day. Many people that knew my mother have told me that I am just like
her. I see more and more of my mother in myself every day, and not a day goes by that
I don’t hear her voice in my head. For months after she died, I would stare at my phone
just waiting for her to call. Although I know that the call will never come, sometimes I
just stare at my phone hoping and praying that it will ring and I’ll hear her say “Hi
Sunshine” just one more time. I check the mail multiple times a week, hoping that
another one of her letters will be sitting in the mailbox with her signature smiley face
next to the words "xoxo, Mom."

I am so thankful for all of the first responders that came and did everything that they
could to put out the fire, collect evidence, and start finding the people that did this. I
don’t know how people who were so loved by their friends, family, and community
could be so brutally taken from this world. I cannot fathom what would bring a human
to do this. As terrible as this whole event is, I can’t even imagine what terrible things
the people that did this went through to bring them to a point in life where they’re
brutally murdering a loving couple, a hardworking woman and a child. I hope that
everyone involved in the planning and execution of the murders is punished and has to
live every day for the rest of their lives haunted by the memories of their actions.