Police searching for person of interest in NW DC hotel killing

Police have released a video and photos of a person of interest in the homicide case of a lawyer found stabbed to death at a Northwest D.C. hotel.

D.C. police say the person of interest was seen on surveillance cameras inside The Donovan Hotel at around 7:45 p.m. Monday.

The victim found stabbed to death inside the hotel has been identified as 30-year-old D.C. resident David Messerschmitt. He was a lawyer who worked for the DLA Piper law firm and had been reported missing by his family.

Messerschmitt was found inside a fourth floor room at The Donovan Hotel in the 1100 block of 14th Street.

Police are not saying much at this point about the circumstances of his death other than he had been missing for about a day before he was found.

D.C. police were back at the hotel Wednesday where crime scene search officers continued to process the fourth floor hotel room where Messerschmitt was found at around 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Messerschmitt lived with his wife in an apartment on Capitol Hill.

Gary Meltz, a spokesperson for the family, said in a statement on their behalf:

"We are deeply saddened and shocked by the loss of David, our beloved husband, son and brother. We ask that everyone respect our privacy. We have no further comments at this time.

"We ask anyone who has information about this crime to please contact the Washington D.C. Police Department at 202-727-9099."

Messerschmitt's LinkedIn page says he has been with DLA Piper since April of last year where he focused on intellectual property and technology sourcing and procurement.

The page also says he worked at the firm Mayer Brown and the Dow Chemical Company.

Messerschmitt has degrees from Ohio State University and Boston University School of Law.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said Messerschmitt was reported missing earlier this week.

"We are trying to see if there are any images, whether it be photographs or videos, anything that we can use that we can put out to the public to try and help us close that case," said Chief Lanier. "But at this point, as far as I am aware of, we haven't gotten there yet, but we are still looking.

Lanier said they are unsure of what the motive was for Messerschmitt's death.

A $25,000 reward has been offered by police for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this case.