Police are seeking the public's help in identifying a "person of interest" in the stabbing of a D.C. lawyer found dead in a boutique hotel room this week.
David J. Messerschmitt's wife last saw him Sunday morning around 9:30 a.m. at their Capitol Hill condo.
Sources said Messerschmitt, 30, had gone to work Monday at DLA Piper LLC, a Chinatown law firm specializing in intellectual property law. His wife reported him missing just before 2 a.m. Tuesday morning.
About 10 hours later, his body was found in a room at the Donovan Hotel located in the 1100 block of 14th Street NW. The hotel is a short walk from the White House, with room rates starting around $300 per night.
Police released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case, who is seen wandering the hotel's lobby around 7:45 p.m. Monday night.
The person, who is not identifiable as a man or woman, hit the elevator button, but then decided to take the stairs, slowly covering up his or her face as time goes on.
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Sources told News4's Pat Collins police are looking into the possibility Messerschmitt was set up.
"We are deeply saddened and shocked by the loss of David, our beloved husband, son and brother," a family spokesperson said.
If you have any information, call police at 202-727-9099. Police are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information in the case.
