Roby Chavez of WTTG-TV Fox 5 shares this statement he received from Ben Razi, Kathy Wone’s Attorney tonight.
“My husband, Robert, was a beautiful, loving person who was murdered in the prime of his life three years ago today.
From the beginning, those who victimized Robert — and his family — have sought to cover-up and delay, hoping that we would forget. But we will not forget; we will never forget.
The residents of Washington, D.C. must ensure that this case is solved and that those responsible are held to account.
From this point forward, we expect the pending criminal proceedings to move expeditiously. In a case that already has languished for three years, there can be no more delays.
We owe it to Robert — who did so much for so many — to bring to justice the persons responsible for his murder and the cover-up of his murder.”
Katherine Wone
Let us hope that next year, Robert’s murderers will be tried and convicted…..
And, by next August 2, let us hope that those individuals responsible for the egregious cover-up will also be tried and convicted.
one and the same.
And who knows, if evidence comes back that the blood on Dylan’s bedspread was Robert’s, perhaps an arrest warrant for homicide will be issued.
It is all so heartbreaking and as much as I have read and analyzed over these past few months, it just comes back to that sentiment. Well, that and a complete disbelief that in our nation’s capital a crime investigation could be so fundamentally botched that even the obvious conclusion may not be provable.
CDINDC/CURIOUS IN VA
I sympathize with your sentiment. But DCMPD
had blood on towel employed to wipe blood off
knife. Given improper application of reagent by
police squad untrained in crime scene forensics,
not at all clear that bloody bedspread would yield
homicide charge. I hope that I am wrong in this.
Robert, I’m not sure what the bloody towel “employed to wipe blood off knife” has to do with that spot of blood on Dylan’s bedspread.
The spot on Dylan’s bedspread, if Robert’s blood, could the linchpin in a murder case.
I”m confused by your statement.
CDINDC
Blood on the towel came from somewhere as
did the blood on the bedspread. As you surmise,
the blood may have come from 2 different sources
though why this would be so, I don’t know.
There is no evidence of which I am aware that
Price, Ward or Zaborsky were bleeding. Thus, all
of the blood evidence would be Wone’s.
In rsvp to your separate inquiry about ketamine,
I observed that ketamine could have paralyzed
Wone on purpose but killed him by accident.
If Wone was indeed killed by ketamine, then
stabbing would have been post-mortem. Thus,
there would have been far less blood to clean up
then most of us had previously thought. This was
the most likely explanation according to a medical
doctor friend. I realize that doesn’t make it true.
Robert says: “As you surmise,
the blood may have come from 2 different sources
though why this would be so, I don’t know.”
I’m not sure where you got that I surmised that “the blood may have come from 2 different sources”, but I do not surmise that.
At this point, until DNA analysis is available, I don’t know where the hell it came from, but I HOPE it is Robert’s blood on that bedspread. If it, Robert or something with Robert’s blood on it was in that room. A bloody knife or a bloody person, who knows. But if it’s Robert’s blood, they have grounds for an arrest warrent, because there’s no way an intruder could have dropped blood on Dylan’s bedspread with Dylan in bed.
CDINDC
I had no desire or intent to impune your
thought process or related conclusions
regarding the bloody bedspread.
The same could be said about the blood on
the presented knife and the wiping towel.
Have none of these evidentiary items been
tested for traces of DNA? If not, why not?
Could the evidence be tainted by one or more
of the forensic missteps in this case?
In any case, you will be happy to know that
arrest warrants have already been issued
against Price, Ward and Zaborsky — for
evidence tampering, justice obstruction and
general conspiracy (but not homicide).
Not all clear that the bloody bedspread would
add anything of significance. The authorities
have already concluded that killer obtained a
culinary knife from set in Dylan’s room so no
reason he could not have dropped blood there.
robert says: “Not all clear that the bloody bedspread would add anything of significance. The authorities have already concluded that killer obtained a culinary knife from set in Dylan’s room so no reason he could not have dropped blood there.”
You’re kidding, right?
Robert also says: “In any case, you will be happy to know that arrest warrants have already been issued against Price, Ward and Zaborsky — for evidence tampering, justice obstruction and general conspiracy (but not homicide).”
Again, you’re kidding, right?
Culinary set with missing knife was found in room of Ward. Authorities requested duplicate of missing knife from manufacturer. Coroner concluded that missing knife — not presented one — was consistent with stab wounds.
You may recall that defendants were placed under house arrest at one time.
It was at that time that current charges were levelled. So I am not kidding.
Since your not kidding……..of course I knew that arrest warrants were issued, dear Robert.
Robert says: “Culinary set with missing knife was found in room of Ward. Authorities requested duplicate of missing knife from manufacturer. Coroner concluded that missing knife — not presented one — was consistent with stab wounds.”
Okay, Robert…..please connect this to the blood spot. I want to understand your logic.
CDINDC
First, so far as I know: virtually
all of the blood evidence in house
was tainted either by improper
use of Ashley’s Reagent or for
some other reason.
Second, I wonder why authorities
are just getting around now to
examining bedspread for blood —
if indeed that is the case.
You claimed: “there is no way an
intruder could have dropped
blood on Dylan’s bedspread with
Dylan in bed.”
Third, one could as easily say that
there is no way an intruder could
have accessed Ward’s culinary set
without Ward’s knowledge had
Ward been in the room at the
time of access.
Fourth, you seem to be convinced
that Price was the stabber. If so,
what does blood on Dylan’s
spread prove?
Wone was killed & somebody —
anybody (including the intruder) –
– with Wone’s blood on his hands
went into Ward’s room and that
is all it proves so far as I can see.
Sound like tautologies to me.
I think some of your speculations are a bit illogical at times. The defendants claim the never saw the intruder. Dylan claimed to be in his bed the whole time. It is HIGHLY unlikely that an intruder would have entered his room, found the knife set, left Dylan’s room, and murdered robert in another room and then return to Dylan’s room to drop blood on a bedspread that covered Dylan.
Perhaps this cat-footed intruder planned on killing Dylan, but decided to clean the house instead. Tidy intruder that he is.
Re the blood spot….whether it’s tainted or not, it’s there.
Re tautologies…….the whole site is tautology. That’s the point.
CDINDC
I have never believed in
the intruder theory as I
stated from time Wone
murder was reported as
well as from when I first
posted blog on this site.
Agree it is highly unlikely
that intruder entered the
Ward room. But irrelevant
is fact that defendants may
never have seen intruder.
If an intruder could enter
the Wone room unseen, he
could also have entered the
Ward room unseen. I did
not say that I believe this
is what happened in fact.
Even if blood on spread is
that of Wone, it would only
prove that somebody with
Wone’s blood on his hands-
– Ward, Price, Wone,
intruder or another —
entered Dylan’s room.
How did single blood spot
get on Dylan’s spread?
The “how” would have to
be proven by prosecutor,
not otherwise explained by
defendant or his attorney.
If blood spot is tainted, it
cannot be used as evidence
at trial. This all started
because you argued that
blood spot could be “the
linchpin in murder case.”
I am sorry, but you are just
plain wrong on this one.
You are the one who is
illogical! Have you ever
studied law, been a
prosecutor or defense
attorney as have I?
P.S. You clearly do not
understand the definition
of a “tautology.” The rest
of us are not all as simple
minded as you appear to be.
You are the one who is illogical! Have you ever studied law, been a prosecutor or defense attorney as have I?
Robert, you take yourself way too serious. To ask someone twice, “Have you ever studied law, been a prosecutor or defense attorney as have I”? Your ego gets in the way in how you respond to others.
Well, Robert, I’ve never studied law, but it doesn’t take a law degree to know an ass when you see one.
You know, I’m rethinking this whole blog thing. Our new friend Robert clearly is the expert. AND, as he tells us, he has “extremely powerful insight into
human relations.” Perhaps we should just leave it to him. (Plus, he scares me! I think he might be able to see into my SOUL!)
Whoa time out… let’s be nice to each other, CDinDC and Robert. I think you both made valid points and are both right, but you both are getting embroiled in semantics.
CDinDC: I think one of Robert’s original points was that because the authorities have determined that the killer used the same knife that went missing from W.’s room, that evidence is so critical and damning that a bloodstain on W’s bed would be just gravy for the prosecution.
However, Robert: I dont agree with your wording that it’s “[n]ot all clear that the bloody bedspread would add anything of significance.” Of course it would. You’ve studied FRE 402 – all relevant evidence is admissible. A blood stain on Dylan’s bed is clearly relevant. Also, the following saying comes to mind (was it the late great McCormick who said this?): “a brick is not a wall.” In sum, to best prove its case, the prosecution will need all of these key pieces of evidence.
Good luck, NYer.
TT
My intent was not to be
egoistical. If I appeared
that way you and others
have my sincere apology
NYer
Thanks for mediating
what I would agree is
an unnecessary dispute.
I agree that if untainted,
any blood evidence —
including that on Dylan
spread — could be
helpful. I did not mean
to imply otherwise.
Was it Dylan (Bob that
is) who said:
“Everybody must get
stoned.” I think that
Dylan (Ward that is)
must have taken these
words too much to heart
Unfortunately, it was
not his own but,
Wone’s heart):
Thanks, Robert, for that last word-play. I have wondered whether or not Dylan was named after the famous singer. Yet another word — his very own first name –“ricocheting to ironic effect,” Needham?
And it’s not true b/c he didn’t die from Ketamine overdose.
NELLY
You may be correct in your conclusion that Wone
did not die from overdose based upon coroner’s
ultimate determination. But there are many
who question whether coroner’s conclusions are
correct — especially given incomplete evidence.
And coroner herself admits that many of her
“conclusions” are no more than hypotheses
which cannot be tested in absence of more
evidence. I urge you to reread her report.
I don’t care where I put this – anywhere is probably relevant. This is so unbelievably difficult to read with all the condecension from practically everyone bursting out of every comment – honestly – is this really necessary?
Perplexed,
I am a bit confused, which is nothing new. But I have to ask who you think is condescending to whom?
I happen to agree with “Bob” regarding the sure conclusions that can be drawn from the autopsy summary (no full autopsy yet). We disagree on most other aspects of the case.
I do not apologize for my take on the law given my history as a PD specializing in 1st degree murders. I may be wrong, but I think I do have some specialized experience. Same goes for defense strategy in such cases. As far as application of the law to facts, I always conducted focus groups and mock juries in trial cases. They helped burst any insular bubble I may have developed.they also saw aspects of the case I missed. Do you prefer that people comment anonymously regardless of experience?
Simply the way various bloggers are talking to each other on this blog (dispensing personal subtle attacks, etc.). I cannot be the only person who feels this way, and as I was able to read further last night, I see I am not alone. It was simply a request to stop the personal attacks that are intermingled with what seem to be very fair analyses. We can disagree and remain respectful, especially as this is a fluid situation.
Hi Robert, how have you been? You’ve been missed.
Sorry, but I’m not “Robert.”
NELLY
Coroner found that Wone was drugged, restrained,
asphyxiated & stabbed but not sure in what order.
Coroner also concluded that Wone was drugged with paralytic but she not sure which one. She speculated that paralytic was probably ketamine.
Unfortunately by that time, whatever paralytic or date rape drugs may have been in Robert’s system
had metabolized to a point they were no longer
traceable. Thus, coroner is in no position to determine whether Robert died of ketamine overdose, poisoning or toxicity.
Many people inquire as to why neither defendants nor deceased were tested for drugs. W/o probable
cause or imminent danger, law enforcement has no authority to test defendants without warrant which may come too late to be beneficial.
In all cases, authorities always have conundrum.
Too many drugs — at least 100’s — to test for w/o
suspicion of presence. Thus, prob cause for drugs in defendants’ systems and determination that paralytic involved in Wone’s death came too late.
CURIOUSINVA
I empathize with your feelings. If it makes one feel any better which I doubt it will, Wone case is not only one botched or unsolved in Washington.
As moderators have observed, one third of recent murder cases are unsolved and many more have been placed in inactive or cold case status.
CDINDC
Postscript: On account of DC MPD misapplication
of blood detector called Ashley’s Reagent, virtually
all blood evidence is tainted in this case.
Blunder has been one of many that have vexed
and hexed this case. Little doubt that defense
attorneys will challenge most any blood evidence
introduced by prosecutor or attested to by coroner.
Furthermore, little left of blood samples from
Wone to run other tests which might be called for.
Robert says: “Even if blood on spread is
that of Wone, it would only prove that somebody with Wone’s blood on his hands- – Ward, Price, Wone, intruder or another — entered Dylan’s room.”
And my “closing arguments” are that considering the intruder theory is completely implausible, if anyone entered that room with blood on their hands, it was Price, Ward or Zaborsky. SO, the blood spot on Dylan’s bedspread for be the linchpin in the case.
CD
I agree with you about Price, Ward and Zaborsky
having “blood on their hands” under any
circumstances.
Where you and I disagree is on the significance
to case prosecution of finding Wone’s blood on
the bedspread in Ward’s room.
In any event, I hope that you are right in this.
Me too, because we need something to get these s.o.b.s in prison for…..murder.
CDinDC wrote: “…if anyone entered that room with blood on their hands, it was Price, Ward or Zaborsky.”
In addition to P.,W. or Z., I would add another scenario that’s offered by the facts: that a 4th party could have conceivably entered the room. But if (and only if) this 4th party were acting in concert with one of the three.
I will agree with that, NYer, but I’m not so sure there was a 3rd party.
I think the trio would have thrown him under the bus by now.
3 against 1.
I believe whole-heartedly that the murderer of Robert Wone lived in that house (and not in the basement).
excuse me…4th party!
I agree that if Robert Wone’s blood is on Dylan’s bedspread then it’s time for murder charges (if EVER that blood sample is TESTED) since Dylan was emphatic that Robert went into the bathroom and then into his bedroom all while Dylan was reading and then went to sleep. He later said he left his bed and entered the hallway as Victor was on the phone with 911 after hearing a ‘commotion’. All circumstantial, of course, but with the implausability of the intruder, the clean-up, the timeline, the “fake” knife wiped with blood, if Robert’s blood is established to have been on Dylan’s bedspread then that places Robert in Dylan’s bedroom, Dylan’s bedspread touching Robert’s blood, or, most likely, that someone who was “cleaning” and had a lot of Robert’s blood on him or his things walked near Dylan’s bedspread and a drop of blood made its way there.
Amen.
i agree, but couldn’t (completely hypothetically speaking) someone have entered dylan’s room while he was asleep and had a bloody knife in his hand and leaned over the bed and blood dripped from the knife onto the bed without waking him up?
i don’t believe for a minute that this actually happened, but just playing devil’s advocate here.
Okay…I’ll play along….so the intruder enters Dylan’s room, stands over him with the bloody high-end cutlery he lifted from Dylan’s room the first time he entered his room, decides against filleting him and instead cleans the crime scene.
I just don’t see it.
BEA
Good point.
Again I am not familiar with reports
about the bloody bedspread and must
yield to CDINDC and you in this.
For the sake of argument, let’s suppose then that, if there were a 4th party, they indeed were to take a three-against-one approach as you describe, to sell out the hypothetical 4th party who was responsible for the stabbing. Then how on earth could they justify the orchestration of the crime scene without implicating themselves as accessories to the murder? As such, they’d have a much better shot exculpating themselves by simply claiming that some random “intruder” broke in and committed the crime, rather than sell out the 4th.
Notably and regrettably, the prosecution has been thus far unable to overcome the “intruder” theory, and charge anyone with murder…
Other excellent reason why I don’t believe there was a 4th person.
I think they have overcome the intruder theory. They just an decide who within the house did it.
oops….typo night…..
they just can’t decide who within the house did it.
So back to the original comment that started the firestorm…..I think the spot of blood on Dylan’s bedspread is the linchpin.
Ditto! Although like your lesbro Bea, CD, I think that Sarah may have been the critical fourth person on the Plan C/VZ-inspired cover-up, if not obviously the actual rape and murder. Her hasty, late-evening sojourn down the block must have been less than soigne.
Maybe instead of pleading for Victor to come forward, we should make a plea for the knife-in-the-Hefty person (Sarah? Bro Michael?) to step forward. Or Tom & John. But, for CRYING OUT LOUD, would SOMEONE please talk to the DA? A good night’s sleep will follow. . .
BEA
Much like yourself I don’t
care who comes forward so
long as that somebody has
credible evidence & would
make a credible witness.
Were Michael the witness,
it would pit brother against
brother which could be
persuasive in a way.
Unfortunately, my
experience with drug
dealing witnesses is that
they are frequently not
reliable or believable.
Do you think Tom & John
are withholding info in
order to cover for Sarah?
NYer
I agree with CDINDC on this one too.
I do not think it is so much that the
prosecution has not “overcome” the
intruder theory in their own minds so
much as they lack the evidence to prove
otherwise.
Though your point may have been that
prosecution lacks evidence to overcome
prospective defense argument in
support of intruder.
NYer
Tho do not think impossible your scenario
involving a 4th conspirator, I tend to agree
with CDINDC on this one. However, Sarah
Michael Price or others may have been
involved in other ways such as disposal.
CDINDC
Yes, but it helps to be a lawyer for one to recognize when an individual is making an ass out of the law.
One word. Whatever.
Is that because most lawyers are asses themselves? Just askin’.
I sleep with one every night. They all aren’t that bad. 😉
I sleep with myself and three cats on the nights that I don’t sleep with another JD who does not actually practice. I’m still more of an ass than he is … Most of the time.
Here’s to being an ass once in a while. Or twice in a while. Can’t say I’m not guilty! LOL
OK, so instead of “we’re all Keynesians now,” we’re all asses now. Love it!
Ass, cash, or grass, though, no one (except for Mr. Ward) rides for free!
Now, Victor, Sarah, and/or Michael, please stop reading this ass-inine comments, and please start dialing Cathy Lanier’s number. Thanks in advance.
Oops! A typo. The above should read “these comments,” not “this comments.” Note to self: that’s what happens when you are trying too hard to be funny. LOL!
The last sentiment still stands, however: just call, b—–s.
JUSTANOTHERFRIEND
My comment about other peoplel thinking that I
have great insight was in response to ROSE
characterizing my insights as “Hollywood.”
But if you want to leave solution of this crime to
me that’s fine. Many else have — including news
reporters and even some in law enforcement.
P.S. Please forgive me but I don’t really care about
your soul. I will leave it to police officer Wagner
to “bring you to Jesus.”
Robert ~ is English a second language to you? Just asking.
With three university degress — including a law degree — and publications in a half dozen fields, I am not sure what you are getting at.
But if I have either employed the English language in an improper way or otherwise made my communications unclear, I humbly apologize. Just saying.
Your writing makes you sound like Borat. If Robert isn’t your real name, then you aren’t acting much like Robert Wone would have. He was a humble person.
Thank you Nelly.
Robert, it is simply not possible to attain the accreditation that you claim without somewhere along the line achieving a nodding acquaintance with grammar. You don’t even seem to grasp what a subject and a predicate even is.
Maybe everyone else on this site thought it best to just let you ramble on, but I think that you should know that you are making a complete fool of yourself.
Meow!
Robert, who are you?? God?!
Also, I think I missed this part… where was it stated that blood was found on Dylan’s bedspread? I don’t remember that from the affidavit… Thanks in advance!
It wasn’t in the affadavit….it was in one the discovery documents. Can’t remember which.
Ex-Foxer,
The discovery of a spot found on Dylan’s comforter was revealed at the April 24 status hearing. It is not yet known whether the spot is even blood, but the prosecution has hinted that they suspect it is and have sent the spot to be tested against the DNA of Robert and the three defendants. Also, it was revealed that an unknown finger print and unidentified folicle of hair were discovered in the room where Robert was found that so far does not match any of the defendants’ or Robert’s DNA.
David, co-ed.
David,
Was it revealed where exactly they found the hair and/or fingerprint?
Was the hair ON Robert? THAT would be telling.
CD,
All we know at this point, is the defense has said that an unidentified folicle of hair and fingerprint were discovered in the room where Robert was found. That did not say where they were found in the room. Of course, as has been discussed on this site, many people had access to the Swann Street house outside of the housemates including a cleaning service and contractors.
David
Indeed. One can only hope though.
If the fingerprint was found somewhere you would expect to also find one of the resident’s fingerprints but did not, for example the light switch, that could also be telling.
THEMIS
Interesting observation. I think
alot of evidentiary issues may be
colored by the fastidiousness of
whomever cleaned up combined
with effectiveness of DC MPD.
In this instance, what would it
mean if a resident’s fingerprint
was to be found on a light switch
(or anyplace else) unless one
could estimate the time when
print was made? Just asking.
Last person in the room, perhaps?
CD
Just like with bedspread, we can only hope that you are right and that MPD did not “screw up” again.
The unknown fingerprint complicates the story that Joe told the EMT when they first arrived at the scene. He said they might not find the “real” killer’s DNA on the knife because the “real” killer might have been wearing a glove.
So if no fingerprints or DNA were found on the knife, as suggested by Joe, but a fingerprint was found elsewhere, and, for arguement’s sake, it IS the intruder’s fingerprint, that means then at some point the “intruder” did not have the gloves on in the room, either before or after the murder. Why would the
“intruder” do this? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of wearing gloves in the first place?
David, co-ed.
DAVID
Remember what I theorized
about the most likely intruder
being intel agent of People’s
Republic of China who
targeted recently appointed
RFA General Counsel Wone
on account of the “imminent
threat” he posed to the PRC.
My theory is that PRC
agent “botched” the job so
badly that nobody in his right
or Left mind could conceive
that this assassination was
committed by intellgence but
not very intellgent agent.
In event nobody understood
above, meant to be sarcastic
response to what the Swann
Street 3 themselves admitted
to be “implausible” intruder
theory.
The “intruder” wore gloves, really? Were they opera or fisting ones, Joe?
CLIO
Touche. I glove it!
DAVID
Let us hope that forensics gets the DNA test
right this time.; we don’t need more errors.
Unknown fingerprint and hair follicle? I had
forgotten abou that. Of course, such could
have been left by somebody at prior time.
EXFOXER
No, of course I am not G-d. That comment was
made in response to something posted by
JUSTANOTHERFRIEND.
Similar to yourself, I was unaware of the bloody
bedspread until it was brought up CDINDC.
You will have to inquire of him for info.
CLIO
If I may return the compliment: thanks for your
wordplay. Now that you have reminded me about
Ward’s real first name, I would like to know where
will Dylan be now that we don’t Needham anymore