Seismic

Did Joe Price Change His Story Within Minutes?

Big Siren Alert

With all eyes focused on this Friday’s status hearing, it seems something else buried in this summer’s motions has gone overlooked.

As the AUSA, FBI and defense teams wrestle it out over potential biologic evidence and high-tech testing, an old-school statement by the first responding MPD officer on the scene the night of August 2nd may shed new light on what the housemates knew, and their explanation(s) of the events that evening.

Unreported so far, MPD officer Diane Durham’s statement of Joe Price’s first narrative of the evening’s events presents a starkly different story of what he would later relate.  Starkly.

Police officer Diane Durham, in her statement taken August 3rd at 6am by officer G. Russell Brown, relates the following:

“He <Price> said they heard someone scream and ran downstairs to see.  <Price> said the victim was at the patio door bleeding, they opened the door, took him upstairs and laid him on the bed.”

Price’s interrogation statement in the affidavit (page 9) differs significantly.

“…when he arrived at the guest room he found Robert Wone laying in bed already having been stabbed.”

So many questions arise.   Among them: where was the blood trail?   How could attorney Joe Price have made such a major blunder right out of the gate?  What is the defense response to such a huge contradiction?

And if that wasn’t enough, of all people, Bernie Grimm’s name comes up that night  as well.

More on Monday with the full docs and team coverage on Friday’s hearing next.

-posted by Michael, David, Craig and Doug

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Rose
Rose
14 years ago

Whoa, what? This statement has been around all this time? Is there a link to the document that reports this?

Doug
Doug
14 years ago
Reply to  Rose

We’ll have links and documents up soon.
-Doug, co-editor

Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
14 years ago

Very eager for the docs–thank you for this!

AnnaZed
AnnaZed
14 years ago

Wait … what? (!)

Not to give our fearless blog hosts a hard time, but where did this come from? Why is this just emerging now (on tenterhooks here)?

Why aren’t … wait … why didn’t the police have a field day with this when questioning the house-mates separately at the station? What are the rules of evidence at trial? Can the prosecutors mention this? Can they subpoena Diane Durham? Too bad we can’t have her for a guest poster on the blog (I know it’s impossible, still it would be interesting).

As to why why Joe would make such a mistake; my knee jerk response is that he was high (very high) and that as he sobered up he changed tacks maybe not even remembering what he said to Ms. Durham or to anyone else. Still, how were they able to stick to their stories so closely if Joe had just changed the story after the police arrived?

That’s crazy, but the whole crime itself is illogical.

Could Robert even have been able to stand after sustaining those injuries? Should the autopsy have been able to say whether Robert was standing or prone when he was stabbed? If so, why was that not made clear along the lines of “stabbed while prone” or some such thing? I have been meaning to ask that anyway, and please forgive me if it has been asked and answered elsewhere.

Also, when people lie they often tell part of the truth (everyone knows this). It makes it easier to tell the lie with a straight face and easier to remember it. Previously, I discounted the idea that Robert had been attacked out on that patio area, the area where the blood was found in the drain. Maybe, we should give serious consideration to that idea. I though it was just too exposed to windows overlooking it. Isn’t that the case?

Anyway, food for though. How will I ever sleep!

Perplexed
Perplexed
14 years ago
Reply to  AnnaZed

AZ I totally agree. It’s very common for truth to be thread through a lie. That would absolutely explain a lot. We have all suspected that something was cleaned off on the patio, I mistakenly thought it was clothes and the mat they layed him on. Perhaps it was just RW (people mentioned he was washed in the shower, but I just have difficulty with that due to the difficulty bringing him in/out of a small bathroom and the mess it would obviously make.)

So, let’s redo the theory a little. He went outside with the boys for some reason (remember earlier it was said that Joe went outside or unlocked the door – I can’t remember the inane reason – a bug?) Maybe also this was done outside b/c VZ was upstairs in bed – I’m pretty sure he was not supposed to be privy to what was happening. It would be dark by then, he was drugged with the laced water – that would also explain the marks in the various places on RW. I’m guessing he was sitting – wonder if there’s a sitting area out there – it’s probably not far from the hose/drain. Everything would be more easily washed down than inside. So then was he stabbed outside/sitting? or on the bed? Probably outside. If RW stumbled around and fell, there may not necessarily be any evidence of this b/c he wouldn’t necessarily bruise if he blood pressure was way down and if he was killed shortly after…..

This may also explain that there could have been a 3rd perpetrator there – and now I’m guessing JP’s brother, b/c then he can easily make off with everything that was used on RW w/o having to bring it through the house….this really is the only way to explain how they could clean everything up so quickly in such little time. Most of it was outside, and they only cleaned up inside from when they carried him up – remember the possible blood marks along the walls of the stairway?

I know I’m rambling – but this initial statement is more telling than I think people realize……

AnnaZed
AnnaZed
14 years ago
Reply to  Perplexed

I know there is a picture here somewhere of the patio area with chairs, but wouldn’t it be much overlooked by neighbors? I think that your scenario has much to recommend it, but I can’t figure out why they would risk being seen. Also, as part of this supposition are we to take it that they sexually assaulted Robert there as well?

Needs thinking upon some more, but I think Joe was telling us something that we would be fools to ignore.

CDinDC
CDinDC
14 years ago
Reply to  AnnaZed

Perplexed says: “but I just have difficulty with that due to the difficulty bringing him in/out of a small bathroom and the mess it would obviously make.”

And it wouldn’t have made a mess to bring me from outside on the patio, up the stairs and into the bedroom?

What I have difficulty with is that because Joe Price said that they found Robert outside, everyone is reevaluating their theory.

Joe Price is murdering liar. Can anyone truly believe ANYTHING he says?

CDinDC
CDinDC
14 years ago
Reply to  CDinDC

The fact that JP provided multiple accounts of where Robert’s body was found only serves to undermine his already questionable credibility. Often, in criminal trials, suspects are “impeached” on the basis of prior inconsistent statements. Such statements are considered admissible precisely because they call into question the veracity and integrity of the witness’ (or suspect’s) accounting of the events. In my mind, this “alternative” account that JP provided early on in the process, and that differs from his subsequent story, only serves to raise further doubts as to his innocence.

The fact that some of you are now evolving your theories around an earlier, inconsistent accounting by JP, who is clearly lacking in credibility, seems a bit bizarre. Clearly, JP is hiding something and his statements are not to be trusted. Why are people putting so much stock in this, or any, accounting of events as reported by JP?

I doubt the truth of BOTH statements. I don’t believe Robert was not found outside, nor was he found on the bed. In fact, he wasn’t “found” at all. Joe et al murdered Robert and placed him in the bed.

Work with the evidence and not the word of an individual who is NOT credible and one of the lead suspects in Robert’s death. He has every reason to lie.

CDinDC
CDinDC
14 years ago
Reply to  CDinDC

In a nutshell, don’t accept JP’s statements as truth.

AnnaZed
AnnaZed
14 years ago
Reply to  CDinDC

I am pretty sure that I am not saying that one should take anything Joe says at face value. To paraphrase Mary McCarthy: every word Joe speaks is a lie, including ‘and’ and ‘the’. That is not to say that one can’t or shouldn’t parse what he says and sift (as it were) for grains of truth. What I said is that lies are often framed by elements of truth because it makes the heavy lifting of lying that much easier for the teller.

I am reminded that the police dogs detected the presence of blood in the outside drain. Maybe Robert was hosed down there while semi-comatose (before one or both of them ~ I exempt Victor because I just don’t believe that he participated in the crime itself ~ finally murdered him). Maybe after assaulting him they escorted (for lack of a better word) Robert downstairs to the patio to douse him with water to wake him up because they thought a commotion in the shower would wake up Victor. Then when they couldn’t rouse him they thought he was dead so (in drug addled logic) they stabbed him and began to create dress the elves scene. The sheets would have had to be stripped in an attempt to conceal the sexual assault on Robert. It has some elements to recommend it as a plausible scenario particularly as to time-line and known evidence (blood on walls as they maneuver him back upstairs, Roberts wet clothes maybe tossed in the dryer then put back on him). I just think that it bears some more examination as an idea, which is not to say that I believe anything Joe says.

As you say Robert was not “found” by Joe in any state of having been assaulted unless all of the assault was done by Dylan up to the coup de grâce of the fatal knife wounds and Joe “found” Dylan with Robert then expiring and took over from there ~ which is also plausible, even likely.

Perplexed
Perplexed
14 years ago
Reply to  CDinDC

CD I’m not reworking the theory b/c I believe JP is a truth teller. I do, though, believe there is truth to two of his statements that don’t really seem to fit with the story he was telling (opened the door b/c of a bug? and Robert was outside bloody). I honestly have had difficulty with the washing down in the shower forever. I recently had to wash my cat in the bathtub caked with dirt b/c he likes to roll around, and it made the hugest mess I have ever had to clean up. It got on everything – curtain, walls, floor outside tub, etc….took me houuuuurs to clean it up.

I don’t think they were “risking anything” with assaulting RW outside b/c remember it would have been dark, he wouldn’t be making noise if he was under a paralytic and their back area is extremely private with lots of tree coverage and a very tall fence. I think the reason there was blood on the stair wall is bringing him up to the room that once. I think if they had him in the house and he was bloodied, they would have thought to take him to the bathroom before they would have thought to take him downstairs to the patio and then back up to the bedroom. That’s why I think it may have occurred outside and he was “brought in.”

It’s not that JP is telling the truth, but even liars let threads of truth come into their story. It would explain how they were able to clean up so so quickly…..I sat back and thought about it, and this does not seem off base. I think we need to stay open to new information that comes forward and be willing to integrate it into our analysis – especially since none of us were there.

CDinDC
CDinDC
14 years ago
Reply to  Perplexed

Kernels of truth. I’m all for it. But, as repugnant as this crime is, I don’t think Joe et al took Robert outside and hosed him down like a dog.

One, I don’t think they would have dragged him all over the house. From upstairs (possibly) to downstairs back to upstairs.

I truly believe it was a bit tidier. Everything happened upstairs. I still believe he was placed in the shower. I have the image of the bathroom crimescene from the “Legal Times” in my head.

The kernel may be that they used the hose. But not on Robert.

Perplexed
Perplexed
14 years ago
Reply to  CDinDC

I agree it was tidier. But what I was trying to say above was that he was already outside when everything occurred. It’s possible they brought him in only that one time to place him on the bed to make it look like he went to bed and an intruder killed him there. That would make sense how they were able to keep the inside relatively clean, and all they had to worry about was washing off the outside. Seems like it could be done in a shorter amount of time then cleaning up the inside and disposing everything they cleaned up with. Also, they really wouldn’t have had to dispose of anything, right? Just the knife…..maybe the knife was thrown down the sewer…..

Just thought of something. Do you think they tried to take fingerprints off his mouth guard?? I somehow doubt he would have put it in his mouth if he was hanging outside with the boys shortly after his arrival – and in that case, someone had to have placed it in his mouth (to bolster their story that he was sleeping, etc.).

Lee
Lee
14 years ago

Wow . . . I’m amazed that this is only coming out now. I don’t think it’s even necessary to know which (if either) of the scenerios is accurate – the disparity itself is the story.

AnnaZed
AnnaZed
14 years ago
Reply to  Lee

Yes, it certainly is Lee, and what a story. I wish that the Washington Post guy had had hold of this tidbit when he wrote his story and I still don’t understand why the police didn’t jump on it that very night.

CDinDC
CDinDC
14 years ago
Reply to  AnnaZed

The MPD has bumbled everything from the beginning.

TK
TK
14 years ago
Reply to  CDinDC

This new development makes the failure to properly record the interviews/interrogations even more appalling. It’s almost like the MPD wanted to sabotage the investigation…
And I still am still amazed that Price and Co. agreed to these lengthy interviews without an attorney present, then quickly lawyered-up afterwards. What kind of strategy is that?

AnnaZed
AnnaZed
14 years ago
Reply to  TK

It’s a half-assed strategy. It’s no strategy at all. Yet, the galling thing is that it seems to be working so far.

TK
TK
14 years ago

Bizarre! And part of it is the business about opening the door, implying that Robert was outside? Like he was stabbed outside by an intruder? That story is even more incredible than the one they have put forward, and it seems to contradict Victor’s call, which summoned the police in the first place…

And we don’t have a recording of much of Joe’s interrogation at the police station, do we?

Clio
Clio
14 years ago

This discrepancy may be further confirmation of Joe’s final narrative as a Plan C prompted by Victor’s early arrival. If the perps had initially planned to dump Robert’s body in, say, Manassas, as John Grisham has said previously, and then to maintain that he had never arrived at 1509 Swann, then remnants of that scheme — patio, outside — may have been included in this intermediate draft taken down by Ms. Durham.

The question then arises: did Victor or Dylan echo any part of Joe’s statement to Officer Durham at any time, or was Joe just improvising and transposing his own lies by himself?

This alternate explanation, at any rate, would be something that Mr. Grimm may want to suppress, especially if his name was dropped in this grim context. Bernie, call your office ASAP!

Mike
Mike
14 years ago

So the trouple did some brainstorming and came up with and discarded several scenarios. Then Price, in all of the excitement (chemical or otherwise), led off with the wrong story.

You can see the appeal of this version – it explains the blood on the patio, the cleanliness of the bedroom, and the actions of the elves. After all, why would a burglar bother stabbing a prone person in a distant room? These kinds of murders are committed when the victim surprises the perp or seems threatening. Same thing happened on my block when I lived in Baltimore – a burglar stabbed to death a house guest who walked in on his crime.

It was so nice of the boys to give Robert a comforting hot shower before laying him down and calling 911! And, looks like someone’s got a case of the Felix Ungers – cleaning up that trail of awful red stuff so the cops wouldn’t get their shoes dirty.

AnnaZed, don’t you think it would be easy for forensics to tell if Robert had been stabbed while lying down? After all, stuff shifts around inside you. Lying down actually makes my stomach look flat!

Fascinating
Fascinating
14 years ago

OMG … this makes my mind spin.

This statement was from Aug. 2006?? or Aug. 2009? That part confuses me.

David
David
14 years ago
Reply to  Fascinating

This statement comes from Diane Durham, the first MPD on the scene, and it was given to G. Russell Brown at 6 am on August 3, 2006. The document has only been recently release (as in this summer) and was buried in reams of motions.

David, co-ed.

Fascinating
Fascinating
14 years ago
Reply to  David

got it!! thanks for the clarification.

CDinDC
CDinDC
14 years ago

That may explain the very early reporting of Robert being found on the “1st floor”. This Washington Post article says: “The source said an intruder broke into the house and found Wone, who had just gone to bed, on the first floor. ” Perhaps Diane Durham is the source of the information. Another article, which I’m unable to find at the moment intimates his body was found elsewhere, as well.

I attributed this to miscommunication. It seems these reporters had it right afterall.

NYer
NYer
14 years ago

I wonder if Themis or any of the criminal defense lawyers on here could weigh in on exactly how impeachable Officer Durham’s report is. How would Grimm & team best deal with something like this that appears to blow a hole in Price’s credibility?

CDinDC
CDinDC
14 years ago
Reply to  NYer

It seems to do more than blow a hole in Price’s credibility. It completely impeaches PRICE’s words.

The words of an officer of the law are pretty much sacrosanct. If Officer Durham said it, then it goes a very long way.

Themis
Themis
14 years ago
Reply to  CDinDC

Officer Durham is most likely a patrol cop, which suggests she is not the best interviewer. Also, when was the report prepared? Was it prepared from memory or does she have her original notes? If it was prepared well after the conversation, why? When was it shared with the case agent, i.e., the agent overseeing the investigation? If the detectives knew of it and believed it, why was it not incorporated into the early affidavits? Does Officer Durham have previous credibility problems? I could go on with avenues of possible impeachment, but everyone gets the idea.

As for the word of the cops, jurors are supposed to swear that they will no automatically favor the word of law enforcement.

TK
TK
14 years ago
Reply to  Themis

Ouch ouch ouch, but thanks Themis. Sounds like the defense could riddle this like swiss cheese if they get her to show any uncertainty or confusion. We can hope she took notes.

And unfortunately now we are talking about events over three years ago. So much for swift justice.

Craig
Craig
14 years ago
Reply to  Themis

Themis – All we know is Durham’s statement was given at 6am, maybe at the end of her shift. You’ll see it Monday. It’s a freaky read.

Bea
Bea
14 years ago

Whoa.

I’m guessing that Joe will DENY DENY DENY he ever said this, that the officer “misheard”.

But if there’s any validation, then this thing just took a whole new turn. No one would ask a bleeding-to-death friend to take a flight of stairs to lie down – duh, how about the SOFA, Joe?

Like others, I think now (assuming that the statement was made) that Robert was stabbed while “having water” downstairs and then Joe and Dylan manhandled him upstairs to the shower (unless they simply hosed him off and removed his “real” clothing in the patio) and into bed.

Joe must have been sky-high.

What possessed them to leave Plan A (disposal) and Plan B (stabbed by intruder while getting breath of fresh air) and go with Plan C (killed by elves on second floor)? There’s something missing in the WHY. Nixing the transport idea is understandable – all that blood evidence in the car and being seen while dumping a body, for which there is no plausible deniability) but why not leave it that he was stabbed near/in the patio? While unlikely that someone had scaled the fence and was standing around waiting for someone to come out, it makes more sense than having someone come into the house, pass all the electronics, and “find” the guest room guy to kill.

So there has to be a reason why they didn’t “want” it to happen downstairs. I’m going to think on that for a while. It would have been far cleaner to say ‘we all went to bed’ and ‘Robert must’ve gone back downstairs to do something’ so we didn’t even know he was there, didn’t hear a thing.

Yes, Joe was too high to get his stories straight, but it seems like there’s a clue in the changing of the story.

CDinDC
CDinDC
14 years ago
Reply to  Bea

Bea says: “but it seems like there’s a clue in the changing of the story.”

Indeed Bea. Like you, I need to ponder this a bit.

David
David
14 years ago
Reply to  Bea

Bea,

On first blush, why they don’t want it to happen down stair could be that once Joe told that story he realized there was no trail of blood that would have obviously followed Robert from the kitchen door, through the kitchen, up the hard wood stairs, down the hallway, onto the bed.

If Robert had happened upon a burglar/intruder on the first floor, that story carried greater believability, so initially when police arrived he went with that, but after trying it out on Durham, he saw the hole, recalibrated, and switched to finding Robert on the bed.

David, co-ed.

rose
rose
14 years ago
Reply to  David

…then why is there a knife in the bedroom?

TK
TK
14 years ago
Reply to  rose

Also seems incredible that he could have been stabbed with the kitchen knife while he was outside. The intruder was already inside, Robert went down to investigate, goes outside, intruder stabs him there and flees? That would actually make more sense, except for the ridiculous idea that Price would drag the wounded Robert across the house and up the stairs (with the knife in him!?!). I think my instinct would be to lay the victim down immediately and try to stop the bleeding while screaming for the ‘partners.’

CDinDC
CDinDC
14 years ago
Reply to  rose

The knife was planted. The scene in the bedroom was staged.

Bea
Bea
14 years ago
Reply to  David

Makes sense – but I wonder if Joe formed the “story” and told the others before calling 911? Could he have been too stoned and was so worried about the others’ keeping it straight that he blew it himself? Agree that the lack of blood trail may have nixed it as a good story – but why clean it up if that’s the original story?

I think I’ve wrongly downplayed all the hell-breaking-loose mayhem that must have been going on. I think about moving furniture and how often it ends in cross-purposes and one person “being helpful” ends up screwing up another’s “plans”. Maybe there wasn’t time to really decide the story because, for example, Dylan started cleaning immediately out of instinct and Joe was trying to position the body, well, you get the picture.

In Joe’s statement, he said he “saw blood everywhere” on Robert – not true when the cops arrived – but at some point he DID see blood everywhere on Robert. In rereading the Affidavit, there are at least 9, possibly more, “puncture wounds” found on Robert. If Robert was not cooperating, these could have resulted in lots of blood. That could have occurred downstairs when J & D were trying to “seduce”-turned-rape Robert. But then he went comatose – possibly the water was spiked in addition to all those syringes flying in his direction.

Carrying him up the stairs took some doing, and even if they hosed him off on the patio, it would seem there would be a bit of a mess in taking a comatose body upstairs, even with two men carrying him. But if Robert was naked (bloody clothes disposed of – Sarah or her apartment?) and his blood was coming only from puncture wounds (at this point) they could have stanched THAT bleeding and redressed him. Could the folded clothes near the bed have been his NEXT day clothes? Did they account for his THAT day clothes? I’m assuming Kathy Wone has been asked about what he took/wore and whether he had an extra change of clothes.

He may not have “revived” as they hoped upstairs and wrongly believed him dead. Or knew he would awaken and bring charges. Either way, I am guessing he was stabbed in the bed by the meticulous duo (don’t know why but I see Joe doing the actual work).

Discussions about what to “do”. In rereading the affidavit, my guess is that Victor emerged at the top of the stairs fairly late but was told to go back in the room to call 911 (and later told to say Joe was next to him in bed – maybe he thought “saving” Joe meant Dylan would be thrown under the bus). He knew something awful had happened, and he knew the duo well enough to know it couldn’t be good. I don’t know any more if he was the one to scream – that could be the ‘pat’ answer they all agreed to. If Robert came out of the anesthetic and screamed, that could have been the impetus for the stabbing (after they anesthetized him again so no defensive wounds).

Joe and Dylan, as resident bad boys, figured the less Victor knew the better. It’s a group dynamic that while worried about the police, too, they are seeing Victor as their ‘test’ – if they can manipulate him, they’re good to go.

Joe MAY have planned to say Robert was stabbed outside until he heard Victor on the phone with 911 saying otherwise. The screw-up with using “11:49/11:54” arose during Joe’s short speech to the others between the ambulance and cops’ arrival, though perhaps the FIRST cop on the scene talked to Joe before the speech, and he decided to eat it and just deny it – like Scott Peterson told some folks he’d been golfing the day his wife died and others that he’d been fishing once he realized he might have been seen at the docks. Backed in a corner, people make mistakes – most “affairs” are found out because of inconsistencies and sloppiness of the cheater too busy thinking about the affair. Joe thinks he’s the Teflon king anyway, has been getting away with doing whatever he pleases for years as it relates to Victor in particular. He’s goofed, but his ego can swallow it.

I go back and forth on whether he was stabbed downstairs – did they leave him on the patio long enough to bleed sufficiently? In the panic? Though Dylan/Joe may have enough combined knowledge (and sick intrigue) to know that either with Plan A (disposal) or Plan B (moving him upstairs) that the less blood evidence the better. But NO blood makes no sense in Plan C.

If Robert had been ON the patio in a pool of blood, the story would have been more reasonable. But there must’ve been a mess inside, too, or more likely, that the boys wanted him upstairs (can’t forget the stimulation/semen).

One thing is certain: cruel, sick bastards.

Craig
Craig
14 years ago
Reply to  Bea

My head is still spinning….

We’ll see whether these notes stand up or even make it into the trial. How Bernie and his crew beat this one back will be a show in and of itself.

I don’t envy Officer Durham for having to face a possible blistering attack on her statement(s). How does a defense team go after a cop on a document like this? Thermonuclear?

On Monday we’ll do the reveal. Sorry for the delay in scanning the document(s).

Bea
Bea
14 years ago
Reply to  Craig

Can’t wait . . . and thanks.

NYer
NYer
14 years ago
Reply to  Craig

Craig – your point is exactly what I was wondering above: Just under what circumstances would Durham’s report not make it to trial, or “not stand up” as you put it. If Durham were rendered unavailable (i.e., incapacitated in such a way that she could not testify/corroborate her report), Grimm & Co. could possibly attempt to exclude this evidence as hearsay. But I was wondering what the defense legal eagles had to say about this question. (Themis?)

Themis
Themis
14 years ago
Reply to  NYer

See comment above regarding impeachment.

Under the Confrontation Clause, as construed by the relatively recent case of Washington v. Crawford, Officer Durham has to testify and be subject to cross-examination.

TK
TK
14 years ago
Reply to  Themis

Thanks again Themis, I was wondering how much duress was brought to bear in this sort of serious case, as opposed to some traffic violation where the officer routinely fails to show, and the alleged offense is dismissed.

Mike
Mike
14 years ago
Reply to  Bea

Fantastic post, Bea; so much to digest.

Doug
Doug
14 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Thanks, and like Craig says, wait until we can amplify this on Monday.
In the meantime, we hope all will stop by Friday for on-scene reports from the status hearing.
The summer’s over, and things are suddenly busy…
-Doug, co-editor

Clio
Clio
14 years ago
Reply to  Doug

Wonderful! I wonder if any other ladies and gentlemen of the Fourth Estate will be joining you at Moultrie: the more, the merrier.

Editors, please keep scanning those documents, though, for more infelicities on the part of the “witnesses” turned defendants: this “hidden” statement to Ms. Durham may be truly a game changer!

TK
TK
14 years ago
Reply to  Doug

Thanks again guys for all your work. And to think that for so long I thought I was one of the very few who cared about justice in Robert’s murder. Wish I could be there tomorrow. With the latest twist it makes it even more surreal and beyond anything they could imagine on Law and Order. ‘The officer who arrived on the scene testifies that the witness claimed that the victim was outside and not on the bed…’

CDinDC
CDinDC
14 years ago
Reply to  Bea

I think I’m sticking with my original theory that Robert was killed upstairs in the bathroom.

I think Joe, in an excited state of mind and not thinking clearly, peeled off a story .

Remember, just because Joe said it doesn’t make it true.

I still think Robert was assaulted and murdered upstairs. I don’t believe they would have sexually assaulted him in the kitchen or outside.

To me, the only thing Joe’s comments change is…his story.

And hopefully, the authorities are reading this blog today. Joe changed his story, Chief Lanier.

TK
TK
14 years ago
Reply to  CDinDC

CD I agree with you on most things, but still think he was killed on ‘a’ bed probably immediately after the assault and when he/they realized what they had done or thought he was dead and wanted to cover it with a fake assault. Stabbing in the bathroom just sounds too awkward physically. Robert was a small guy but it sounds like neither Joe nor Dylan was real strong either. Just the tub/shower maneuvering while he was alive… maybe they took him there or out back to wash him (still inexplicable, unless they thought to get rid of him at that point?) but I think maybe the linens were washed out back.

Perplexed
Perplexed
14 years ago
Reply to  David

A really easy way to explain how some of this doesn’t make sense in them or JP getting the story straight is that he was high as a kite. Keeping things straight when you’re in that state is almost mission impossible. I think these contradicting stories and making no sense to a sensible person speaks to drugs and tells us at least what was going on with JP that night…..

ALD, Esq.
ALD, Esq.
14 years ago

If a suspect can place Robert both inside the house AND outside the house, that helps explain-away any traces of blood that may later be found outside the home when forensic techs arrive to work the scene. If this story was concocted on the night of the crime, at least one of the story creators probably realized the likelihood that evidence might be found that would be inconsistent with the “official” story.

In my experience as a criminal defense attorney, you nearly always find inconsistencies in a story recently-created to cover-up a crime–especially when the story is a collaborative effort of two or more individuals. Eventually, one of the parties will add a new detail or modify an old element to explain-away an element of the story they feel is weak or inconsistent, and needs to be remedied by further elaboration. If the story was fabricated, it was important to explain the presense of any evidence the perpetrator(s) failed to remove in a hasty attempt “sterilize” the scene.

I attended and graduated with Robert from the College of William & Mary in Virginia. I certainly hope that those responsible for his death–whomever he, she or they may be–is/are located, prosecuted, and receive a speedy execution of the punishment they receive.

corgivet
corgivet
14 years ago

My head is going to explode…..thanks to the Scooby Gang for putting this new info on the table

Clio
Clio
14 years ago

Opening the door to a bleeding Robert in the Durham version would certainly negate the need to go on about the security system and “the spider on the light” as highlighted in the affadavit rendition, now the official line of Price & Co.

I do wonder how many other nuances and threads were test-marketed by Joe that evening; we may never know about these other yarns since, as TK pointed out above, the tape recorder was not on for most of his questioning. Bummer!

She did it
14 years ago

ms. price cannot be vain enough and stupid enough to try to take the stand and explain this inconsistency away, can she? surely bernie grimm would not let him testify. the plan then becomes to challenge the police work – – which may not be that hard (sadly) – unless interviews were recorded/video’ed.

we need to see what dylan said and to whom and when did he say it? how long does it take for one to exit a k-hole and regain focus enough to sit through an interrogation? perhaps it would look like a similar experience as taking an ambien and then needed to be awake for the next 12 hours – answering questions for your life?

please, all in dc attending the hearing tomorrow – remember the only Ward photo we have is the mug shot (yes, the one in which he looks like he just put victor’s rabbit in a boiling pot of water on the stove). we could use some more snapshots of the girls, and even aunt marcia if she drives the gang into the city.

GREAT WORK, TEAM. Let’s see what tomorrow brings . . .

TK
TK
14 years ago
Reply to  She did it

Unfortunately, She, I’m sure defense could shoot through any opinions of the MPD about what if any drugs the witnesses were on. I just watched Aaron Carter on Chelsea Lately and I swear he was on coke or something the way he hopped and crawled all over the chair (cause I have seen others do it many times!) but I’m sure no one would admit my testimony in court as evidence. Ms Price could have been shaking and sweating and muttering to himself and they would have nothing to go on, correct?

Themis
Themis
14 years ago
Reply to  TK

Many jurisdictions allow “lay” opinion testimony regarding intoxication if it can be established that the witness is familiar with with the typical effects of alcohol, hallucinogenics, etc. When such testimony is allowed, the important part is laying the foundation for the testimony. “I’m a former meth head and used to hang out with methheads.” “I’ve interviewed over a hundred suspects who admitted being hight on crack.” Und so weiter. And a witness can always testify to their specific observations provided that the observations are relevant.

TK
TK
14 years ago

This inconsistency brings up again the whole failure of the MPD to record interviews (or more inexplicably in one case PART of an interview) in a murder investigation–and not your usual (not to stereotype) SE drug shooting murder investigation. And at the same time none of the witnesses insist on having an attorney present. You would think that as a precaution, Price as an attorney himself would know you need a third-party attorney to look out for you, and he would advise the others of the same, rather than agreeing to lengthy (now lost!) statements. I am not normally a conspiracy theorist, but this smells so much like “We’ll give you a story to play with if you get off our white prominent gay backs.” Then maybe at some point it went south… just a theory.

Nelly
Nelly
14 years ago

Did the police administer any drugs tests on the suspects the night Robert was killed? I sure wish they had. This new snippet of news sure is wild.

Keep up the good work, guys! And I am sorry to hear about one of the editors, Michael, getting attacked. Get well soon. Hope the perps will be found and arrested.

Clio
Clio
14 years ago
Reply to  Nelly

That’s terrible news about Michael: I trust that the attack was unrelated to his work on the blog. I share Nelly’s hope that the perps in his (and the Wone case) will soon get their just rewards. They may be smiling now, but they probably won’t be smiling a year from now! Count on it, Joe!

Hedwig Dunster
12 years ago

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