Daughter's tribute to mom days before she died in D.C. fire (2024)

A surviving daughter of the Washington, D.C., family murdered in an unexplained arson attack this week wrote a touching message to her mother last week before her death.

Abigail Savopoulos, 19, told her mom she was 'grateful for everything you do' and thanked her for 'believing in me and supporting me' in a Facebook post made on Mother's Day.

Less than a week later Amy Savopoulos, her CEO husband Savvas and their 10-year-old son Philip were were dead after their $2million family home was engulfed in flames Thursday.

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Abigail and her 16-year-old sister Katerina, who both attend elite boarding schools, were not at home when the attack hit.

Police believe that a fourth victim was Veralicia Figurera, the family's 57-year-old housekeeper.

In the message last Sunday, unearthed by the Washington Post, Abigail wrote: 'I am so grateful for everything you do. Thank you for always believing in me and supporting me.

'Thank you for the early morning crafts, upside down clowns on my birthday, gingerbread decorating parties, and for always showing up... Thank you for the past 19 years and I look forward to the many more to come. I love you so much.'

Abigail is a senior at the elite Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania. Katerina is a junior at Peddie School in Highstown, New Jersey. Both cost around $52,000 per year.

Police confirmed Friday that they are treating the attack as a murder.

At least three of the four victims had blunt force head wounds and smelled of gasoline, it was revealed on Friday as homicide and arson experts continue to investigate the $2 million property.

The family mansion sits on Embassy Row in the nation's capital, a short walk from Joe Biden's house and the Clinton residence. Savopoulos was the CEO of American Iron Works.

In a press conference Friday, police issued a fresh appeal for witnesses who saw the family's blue 2008 Porsche 911 leaving the property on Thursday, and added that they believe the suspect drove the car on Wednesday as well. The car was found ablaze not far from the home.

Earlier, investigators told NBC4 one of the victims was bleeding from the head and smelled of gasoline when medics took them to hospital, while other evidence also points to arson.

On Friday, authorities were asking the public for any information that could help the investigation into the mysterious deaths.

One neighbor told the Washington Post that he had not seen anything unusual at the home. A grass cutting crew had been there that morning as usual and the couple's dogs were in the yard at the time of the fire, he said.

He did see firefighters smash windows and bring out three bodies on stretchers, he said, including the bodies of a woman and a child.

Friends of the Savopoulos family confirmed to DailyMail.com that fourth-grader Philip Savopoulos did not go to school on Thursday.

Firefighters were called to the blaze at 3pm to find smoke and fire billowing into the sky. Within minutes, after breaking into the home through the roof and windows, homicide detectives and secret service agents were called to the scene and taped off the street.

The property is now the scene of an arson investigation as detectives brand the incident 'very suspicious'.

The Savopoulos family has lived in the sprawling property on the 3200 block of Woodland Drive since 2002. They also have a $240,000 two-bedroom condo in St Croix in the Virgin Islands.

Savopoulos had reportedly accepted a job in Puerto Rico. Alongside American Iron Works, he is the chairman of the board of Sigma Enterprises Ltd, an international trading firm.

Ten-year-old Philip was enrolled at $40,000-a-year St Albans School, a prestigious college-preparatory school on Embassy Row next to the Washington National Cathedral, which is visible from his family's home.

The school's food society, STA Beef, tweeted on Thursday night: 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the Savpoulos [sic] family at this time #STAstrong'.

Other students and faculty members tweeted their thoughts for Philip Savopoulos.