Coincidences Or Puzzle Pieces?
Among the many puzzling aspects about the murder of Robert Wone is the surprisingly high number of coincidences that all managed to converge on the night of August 2, 2006.
Even with the government dropping much of their uncharged conduct allegations regarding sexual assault, paralytic drugs and torture, the case they will bring is still loaded with a surprising number of turn-of-events.
It just doesn't add up...
What effect may these inconsistencies and incongruities will have on the jury may well shape their deliberations. What will twelve reasonable people make of all this?
It just so happens that we couldn’t help but add up the many unlikely events surround that evening. Irony is one thing; coincidences are another, but…
After the jump, the running tally so far:
It just so happened… that this was a house that had never been broken into.
It just so happened… that there was a guest staying for the first time that night.
It just so happened… that one of the homeowners (Victor Zaborsky) found out about Robert’s stay on August 2, 2006 even though it had been planned for more than two weeks in advance.
It just so happened… that Joe Price saw a spider on a light outside the home. He thought it so important to remove the threatening critter that he excused himself from his newly arrived house guest to take care of the issue.
It just so happened... that the usually fastidious Joe Price forget to lock the back door upon re-entering from doing battle with the spider.
It just so happened… that the downstairs roommate (Sarah Morgan) was not staying at the house that evening. Instead, she chose not to stay with someone she was involved with, which would be more likely on a work night, but rather friends’ house.
It just so happened… that the person closest (Dylan Ward) to the victim slept through the entire incident even though other residents farther away from the incident were awakened (Joe Price and Victor Zaborsky).
It just so happened that... nobody in the house saw or heard anyone else in the home that evening.
It just so happened that… the intruder was lucky enough to stumble upon a home where everyone was soundly asleep when the incident occurred.
It just so happened that… the residents of the house claim they went to bed at 11:00pm and were completely sound asleep by 11:15pm.
It just so happened… that the intruder, bent on killing, didn’t bring his own murder weapon but took a chance that he would find one quickly without detection.
It just so happened… that the intruder did not take anything of value from the home.
It just so happened… that the brother of the owner of the home was absent for the first time from his phlebotomy class that evening; breaking an otherwise perfect attendance record.
It just so happened… that an intruder who wasn’t prepared enough to bring his own weapon yet was prepared to wear gloves; preventing any fingerprints from being found on the alleged murder weapon.
It just so happened… that the knife that is “more consistent” with the victim’s wounds is missing.
It just so happened… that no defensive wounds were found on the victim.
It just so happened that… the amount of blood found at the scene is entirely inconsistent with a violent act of a stabbing.
It just so happened that… door chimes were heard on the third floor but no sound of a home intrusion and violent stabbing.
It just so happened that… a defendant told two vastly different stories about where Robert was found that night.
The numerous coincidences feel more than just that. Soon a jury must decide if the dots connect or if they are just a random assortment of isolated incidents.
And what are we missing?
— Posted by David
I had jury duty in Dc a couple of years ago and it was fascinating because once we got into the jury room not one person objectively cared about the facts…instead every conclusion was based on the premise, “well, if i was there I would have…” one guy on the jury is a well known talking head on Fox; he refused to budge on damages for ideological reasons; another juror worked as a social worker and wanted to give the sky and more “because the little people always get screwed.”
Interestingly, the only person who refused an opinon was an FBI Intelligence analyst who said he just go along with the majority. The end result was a compromise down the middle so we could just get out after two days deliberating, but the final result made no sense whatsoever based on the facts….
so while we think about the evidence objectively, (or subjectively for the friends of Mr. Wone) if you want to figure out how a jury would find things, give a summary of the “facts” to a random friend and ask them how they’d rule…and wait for them to say “well, if it had been me…”
One person I tried this with said, “well if it had been me, I would never have gone to Price’s house in the first place..” yeah, but how is that relevant? but, that is what a jury member will focus on, not the facts…I think…
It also just so happened that the intruder also happened to be a ninja who could skillfully climb the high security fence behind the property.
But could JP have stepped outside to, instead of killing the spider, but to unlock the gate and meet the intruder (for whatever reason, drugs?) and left it unlocked. Of could it have been his brother MP that he stepped outside to meet and/or let in?
Excellent point, Vandy. I don’t think that’s ever been thrown out there. There has been lots of talk of kernels of truth….perhaps another. If Michael was involved, you have to wonder when he got there.
It just so happened that…. Robert didn’t bleed when stabbed three times in the heart.
It just so happened that…. all three defendants showered right before the police arrived.
Nice post David. Most of us are in agreement that the intruder story just doesn’t add up, but it’s nice to have a reminder as to how and why and to provide a quick primer to newcomers.
But this again raised the question of how the “apparently an intruder” theory is going to be presented by the defense at trial. The prosecution will probably focus on the crime scene and evidence of tampering and clean-up. It will come out via Ma’am’s 911 call, but only to serve as a straw man to knock down by showing how the evidence contradicts not only an intruder but also the content of the call itself. And the government doesn’t need to go into the details of the theory to do that.
The defendants gave the story in their statements, but they are trying to have those excluded. Sarah “wasn’t home,” Michael “wasn’t there,” Victor “slept” through Robert’s arrival, Dylan was “asleep” when the murder happened. To get the full story in (Robert’s arrival and activities, the spider, the door, the sleeping pill, Project Runway, the moan, the chime, “one of our knives”) doesn’t at least one of the three need to testify? And do they really think that this story, even a polished-up, fine-tuned version, can hold up under cross?
Hoya: In lieu of one of the defendants going through the timeline and events of the evening from the stand, I guess it will be left to Kirschner to piece it together for the jury, complete with dripping sarcasm no doubt.
And for his big close, the All-American can quote the defendants’ own words back to them and the jury (if their statements from the night of the crime are deemed admissable) “…that the ‘intruder’ theory was implausible and made absolutely no sense.”
And let’s not forget, it just so happened that none of the defendants made a public statement about the death of their friend.
Any reason Kirschner can’t use that item?
Might be tricky to get in — he’d need to try to establish a negative fact and trying to use even a non-statement against the trouple might be a fifth amendment violation.
But what a startling fact that is — don’t think I realized that before. It gets back to the sort of thing that has so disturbed me about the case from the get-go. If your “dear friend” is murdered in your house and you really know nothing of how it happened, how in the world do you act as these guys have? No public statements, no candlelight vigils, no neighborhood watches, no efforts to find the “real killer.” Instead stonewalling to investigators with an “implausible” story, lawyering up with a bulldog defense team, taking steps to protect assets — and oh yes, complaining about the state of street repairs on Swann Street.
Hi Hoya, I keep wondering the same thing. Yes, the defense will have experts galore but how do they account for where the trio was or what they were doing during the period of 11 – 11:49 unless one of them testifies? And won’t that be Joe? His ego wouldn’t allow others to do it – and mind you, he wouldn’t trust Victor to do it (might slip and tell some truth) or Dylan (even without all the man whore incidentals he claimed to be Ambien-impaired).
It’s called being savvy – exactly what a smart person should be doing in this situation.
“Savvy,” yes. Smart, maybe. Coldhearted and cynical, definitely.
My point is not whether they are doing the smart thing, but whether they are doing the right thing by their friend. Joe did three things that showed some compassion, if he is indeed innocent – he called Kathy to tell her to get to the hospital, went to console her with Victor and Dylan, and acted as a pallbearer for his friend. Otherwise, he and the others have acted more as though they are guilty. And if they are guilty, even only of conspiracy, then those three “compassionate” acts come off as appalling.
Personally, I don’t think the word “smart” can be used in connection with anything Joe et al have done to date, except to retain counsel. Even the guilty deserve counsel.
If they are innocent of murder, they are cowardly for not commint forward, and stupid for destroying their lives by not doing so. All of which leads me to believe they literally had a hand in the murder of Robert Wone. Why else would they go to such lengths to conceal the truth?
commint = coming
It just so happens that neither Joe or Victor bothered to check on Dylan after finding Robert dead, phoning 9-1-1, or even after the arrival of the EMTs, despite statements that they feared the intruder was still in the house.
-Doug, co-editor
Inciteful point. Thank you.
A guest has just been stabbed and those who discovered the stabbed body were not curious as to the fate of another person sleeping nearby on the same floor? Did they think “Is Dylan ok”?
In fact, why did those who discovered the stabbed guest not even call the police for help to search the house to see if the intruder was still hiding there? Or even quickly search it themselves?
Or even evacuate the house in case an intruder was still there? Or hang out by the doors?
Nope. They took showers.
Not a very smart or logical reaction to a sudden unexpected traumatizing criminal event in the dark of the night of one’s house.
Was Robert found in the dark or was the light on? Had the house been darkened according to the finder?
I would call the police right way and/or I would also look for the nearest weapon to defend myself. Even a lamp base. Anything to protect myself until the house was cleared to be free of the intruder.
Great post, editors. Mr. Kirschner and Mr. Razi, take note – this would be an excellent closing statement.
Regarding Sarah Morgan’s stay at her friends’ house, were Tom and John closer to her work? When I had a long commute, I used to spend a night a week or so with a friend who lived closer.
Tom and John were not closer to Sarah’s workplace, but Sarah and John are very close and it is not at all uncommon or strangely coincidental for Sarah to have spent the night with Tom and John. The question in my mind is, was she asked to make herself scarce that fateful evening?
Also, Hoya – if for some reason the defense team is able to get the Trouple’s custodial statements excluded, can some of that stuff be reintroduced through the statements that Sarah made to the police and before the Grand Jury?
Hoya (or other attorneys) can correct me, but the prosecution just can’t play tapes or read transcripts of the defendants comments during their case. In law there has to be a reason – one isn’t forced to testify against himself (5th Amendment) so it will be as set forth below about prosecution’s case OR as a matter of rebutting something stated during the defense’s case.
I think the prosecution’s case will start with cops, EMTs, the 911 call setting up the ‘what happened’ (including timeline), then ME, other experts (blood, etc.) showing that the scene was tampered with, and establishing no one was there to do it except defendants and possibly ‘the killer’ (who can remain unnamed but seems that prosecution will ‘hint’ it’s Michael Price). This is just the summary version – lots of other stuff will come in, including W-5, Sarah, etc.
Here’s what I mean about the defendants’ statements. The police and EMTs can testify about what they were told by the defendants at the scene because it led to what action they took. Likewise the ‘custodial’ statements can come in to show that the police were misled and obstruction happened. My point is that they won’t play the tapes from beginning to end, nor read the transcripts to the jury from beginning to end. There has to be reasoning behind it which comports with evidentiary law.
A good point Hoya has made is that while the defense’s plethora of experts can try to hammer at the timeline or how Robert was killed or why there was little blood or that the kitchen knife WAS the murder knife, they STILL have to fill in the ‘story’ – to do so it would seem that one of the defendants would have to testify. You can’t just put a ‘safer’ witness to tell the intruder story on the stand because that person wasn’t THERE. Interesting – again, Joe may be getting ready for his close-up.
SKS: Sarah would need to be a witness so that the defense may cross-examine.
Bea is right that tapes or transcripts would be used to support the testimony of the detectives, not just played or read.
The defendants have no obligation to put on a defense, but the defense team will undoubtedly want to float a theory or theories as to why someone else (such as an intruder) “did it” and that the defendants had no reason to obstruct. Especially given that the prosecution will do everything possible to damage the intruder claim, already present in the 911 call and statements (if admitted) and show that a clean-up was undertaken. And the only people who can testify as to circumstances favoring an intruder or other person (other than the expert who will try to say the handprint is not Victor’s) are the trouple.
Penelope: As far as we know Tom and John were in Dupont and lived close by to Swann Street, a block or two away maybe.
In 2006, Sarah Morgan may have been working on of near the Hill, so the commute would appear to have nothing to do with her overnight stay.
Which makes her sleepover all the more bizarre. On a school night? Dragging over work clothes? What on earth FOR?
Oh, Madam Sarah was told to make herself scarce that night, of that I have not scintilla of doubt.
One can only hope that she has the stones to stand up in a court of law and say so, even if it might be bad for the other lady of the house.
Hopefully, these past years of dawning after dawning of inconvenient truth in wave after wave about her friends and their behavior and the cold-blooded murder of an unarmed man has caused her to see the wisdom of telling what she knows even if it is only, “Joe specifically told me to spend the night somewhere else that night and would not take “no” for an answer, I don’t know why.” That would certainly give and jury pause.
I think Sarah is far too invested in staying part of the In Crowd to utter a word. I doubt there’s a stand up guy (or gal) in the lot. I’ve seen too many people rationalize such things by saying, “It won’t undo what’s done, and it won’t happen again, so why break rank?”
are there any photos of sarah morgan or more info? is she still in DC?
Regular contributors to this site have frequently requested, begged and pleaded for more information on Sarah. HMRW.com’s editors have long and again promised to look into and provide all of us with such information. To our dismay, they have yet to substantially deliver on this. What’s the problem? Why so, when we are treated with every possible courtroom exit video and photo of the deadly trio (fat, tanned, stoic, etc.) at every opportunity, but yet we have even had an opportunity to gaze at their D.C. female housemate on this site? And still, posters on this site have even offered up money to fund private investigations about Sarah’s possible involvement in Robert’s murder; to even just to help paying for taking just one photograph of her. Only to be ignored again by HMRW.com.
I have to agree. If it’s the same Sarah that I met years ago at a gay club, then … I moved out of the city for a few years so haven’t seen her out lately.
I visit this site every now and then but all I find are mostly attorneys or wanna-be attorneys bragging about their education/profession or their need for editors … gets boring…
But I still come back hoping to one day read that the Government has discovered a smoking gun or that there was a confession by 1, 2 or 3 of the defendants, or that the intruder decided to come forth (wishful thinking).
Vandy, what were your impressions of the Sarah you met years ago? We know so little about her.
It just so happens that there was at least one cell phone clearly visible in the room where Robert was killed, yet Victor had to run upstairs to make the 911 call.
He ran upstairs, despite the Trouple’s fear that the murderer was still in the home? Oh how very gallant.
Remember, though, Ma’am admitted that s/he was afraid to go downstairs: that’s why s/he ran upstairs to make the call.
When did the housemates say they took showers? Are they claiming they took showers before they went to bed, or AFTER they woke up and found Wone’s body? I doubt they would admit to taking showers AFTER finding Wone’s dead body. Even they would realize how suspicious that sounds.
and they never said that they ALL took showers when retiring to bed. They specifically mentioned Robert, but not themselves.
But who says it was a shower? They may have appeared “showered” because water got on them when they were attempting to rinse off Robert’s body and/or were killing him in the bathtub/shower.
CDINDC I agree with you. I just recall reading that EMTs said that they appeared clean, in white robes and looked as if they had taken showers. I am not attesting to this.
Could be.
I do not accept as fact that Sarah was gone when she claims. Even assuming John and/or Tom verified her story to police, that still doesn’t make it a fact, close friends providing false alibis are common.
I doubt that the upstairs residents only played when Sarah was out of the building. It would seem logical that if she was home that night, she would become aware of the crisis from the sounds of shrieking, the panicked discussions and Robert’s body being moved and showered and she would be the obvious person to be asked to remove the evidence of the crime, and not come back home. With the short time line that night, the person who removed the evidence was more likely already there rather than called to come over and help. Even if Michael Price was there, we can assume he was also high on meth and not the first choice to be trusted to leave with the evidence of the murder.
And then she was present hours later at the breakfast meeting, as a concerned close friend or an indication of her involvement?
So true, Goodrock.
Also, Joe’s cryptic message to Sarah that something has happened and not to return to the house. “Will explain later.”
Whether she was there or not, or whether or not she aided in any way, it seems she may have known something.
That phone message seems a bit gimmicky to me.
also, how did she know about the breakfast club? Obviously, Joe or someone spoke to her by that time.
I just so happened… that I fixed all the typos in this post.
CCB: It just so happens that the whole shower thing is still odd. I wonder how will be presented to the jury by Kirschner and brushed back by the Front Four.
VANDY/CDINDC Michael did not have to be “let in”; I think it’s been established that he had a key.
rk According to a medical doctor friend, had Robert been dead — as in one of my theories that Robert was dead when Price and Dylan thought he was alive — that would account for a mininum amount of blood. A minimum amout of blood would have substantially reduced blood loss, necessary clean up, and disposal efforts.
BEA I agree with your general presentation of the case and speculation about the summary. So far as timing is concerned: can’t the coroner estimate the time of death, emergency services report the time of the distress call and neighbor note the time of the television news broadcast — all to raise questions about a delay in reporting the crime?
CCBRIGGS I do not know when the showers were taken or when the defendants would claim the showers were taken had they stated so. But they did not. However, the EMTs reported that the defendants were all clean as a policeman’s whistle and wearing innocent white robes upon the EMTs arrival during which the EMTs were surprised at the calm of the defendants — even before EMTs knew that it was a friend of the defendants who
lay there dead of stab wounds with the defendants presenting the phony knife as evidence of the weapon wielded by an “intruder.”
If he had a key, then why did he break in days later. I still think MP was there that night to assist in some capacity. He was studying to become phlebotomy lab technician from what I’ve read here. And from what I’ve read on-line phlebotomy students practice on maniquins and also study the use of needleless intravenous systems (this could explain the nonexistence of needle marks on RW). MP could have been involved to help with the cleanup of the blood using techniques he learned form his classes.
That’s a good point Robert. It’s been established that Michael had keys to the house, but he may not have had a key to the back gate. It’s completely possible that Michael (if he was there) arrived through the back entrance and had to be let in.
I think Vandy has a very good point.
Also, I have keys to friends’ and relatives’ homes to pick up mail, etc when they are away. I never use the keys when they are home. I always knock on the door. Even my mother’s home.
CDCINDC I agree with you. It is just that I am suspicious about whether Michael did in fact break in or not. With the gate supposedly being left open on the night of the murder, who is to say that it was not left open on the day of the break in.
So far as your knocking on the door even when you have keys to someone’s home, I do the same thing. But then I am not a druggie thief who attempts to rob his brother’s house. Furthermore, I am no thief, but if I went to all the trouble to break into home of another — even if that of my brother — I would take something. Else why break in?
Like alot of things in this case, the Michael and accomplice robbery with the lover alibi never added up to me.
Robert says: “I am suspicious about whether Michael did in fact break in or not”
Me too, Robert. In fact, I think it was all staged.
Michael Price’s (ex?) partner Louis Hinton used 1509 Swann for his residence while the Maryland court imposed some type of a restraining order on he and Michael.
As you may recall from this April 2009 post, Zaborsky bailed Hinton out and Joe later defended him on the Assault 2 charges.
This occured just months before Robert’s murder. So let’s assume Louis had a set of keys to 1509. Could Michael Price have had access to those keys? It’s certainly possible. With the keys came the security alarm codes no doubt.
I’ve posted a week ago that I didn’t think Louis was gay. I think he hung around because he was hired help, that is, to get the drugs, make the deals, basically do the dirty-work for the “clean” boys. I think MPrice was the one who had a thing for Louis. According to court records, Louis also abused his ex-wife, with whom he jointly owned a desk top publishing company, computer guru shop (whatever). Those same court records show that he is divorced.
Also, internet search reveals that while Louis and MPrice were living together, MPrice used the alias DCCLAY72 on the internet.
Robert – all that is noted about time of death is that Robert had been ‘dead for some time’ but that the cause of death was the stab wounds. I recally somewhere (but can’t find it) that he died roughly an hour before (meaning around 11 pm). If so, things happened fast.
BEA I think I understand what you are saying about the time of death.
What I was wondering is if the prosecutor can use a combination of the estimated time of death, the time of the distress call and the time of the news broadcast to establish that the trio delayed reporting the killing and if so might such an established delay contribute to the suggestion of obstruction? I don’t know. I was just asking for some input from you and others about the significance of the scenario.
But we know Robert was alive when he was stabbed. The digestion of his own blood indicates that.
CAROLINA Yes, Wone was alive when he was stabbed. But this does not mean that Joseph and Dylan knew he was alive.
Given the lack of defensive wounds, the coroner concluded that Robert was probably subject to the effects of an identified paralytic.
Unfortunately, by the time she made that determination, it was too late to even test for the presence of such a drug in Robert’s system.
Under one of my scenarios:
On account of the paralytic, Joseph and Dylan mistakenly thought that Wone was already dead when he was in fact alive.
Had the coroner reason to look for a paralytic,
it might or might not have been discovered in Robert’s system under certain conditions.
I would not assume that Joseph and Dylan knew the half life of the paralytic or were otherwise experts in drug metabolism.
If Joseph and Dylan believed Wone to be dead and feared that the presence of needle marks and a paralytic would implicate them, they might have stabbed Wone to make it look like he was killed by somebody other themselves.
I was negating this portion:
rk According to a medical doctor friend, had Robert been dead — as in one of my theories that Robert was dead when Price and Dylan thought he was alive — that would account for a mininum amount of blood. A minimum amout of blood would have substantially reduced blood loss, necessary clean up, and disposal efforts.
The lack of blood most certainly *could* be a result of Robert being dead before he was stabbed, but we know this is not the case. Or have I missed some recent change of interpretation of the evidence?
VANDY It is not that I disagree with anything which you have said.
The break-in was suspected before there was evidence that Michael had a key. For all we know, the break-in was faked. Fact that Michael did not steal anything on that occasion had previously raised questions about his competence as a thief.
Indeed it is because of the history of Michael as an incompetent thief that some others have raised question as to whether brother Joseph would trust Michael with something as important as clean up of crime or disposal of evidence.
As the coroner has reported, there WERE needle marks on Robert. The only question is where did they come from. Michael was training to be a phlebotomist, Dylan was already trained as an accupuncturist and who knows what Joseph picked up through S&M activities.
Re phlebotomist, I wonder what the classroom protocol is for handling, dispensing, storing needles and syringes. Could Michael have supplied these items to Joe et al?
According to doctor friends, the only legal way for people such as diabetics to obtain needles and syringes is by prescription.
But much as it is not unheard of for hosptal employees with medication access to hoarde meds for themselves or for sale to others, the same is true for those hospital employees with access to needles and syringes.
Not to mention that needless and syringes are obtained through the same markets by which people obtain illegal drugs such as heroin.
Even if Joseph and Dylan did not personally or directly access the market in illegal drugs, I think there is little doubt that Michael did so.
That is not to say that Michael may not have obtained needles and syringes by way of phlebotomy class.
It is just to say that Michael had options for obtaining needles other than from phlebotomy class.
It is also worth noting that acupunturists such as Dylan do not have to steal their needles.
Where did anyone find that Dylan trained in acupuncture???
I have had my share of acupuncture and I don’t think that acupuncture needles would make the kind of wounds that the ME is talking about:
http://tinyurl.com/acupunctureneedles
ANNAZED I agree with you about the actual use of acupuncture needles in this case. All I meant to suggest is that Dylan knew something about needles and the spots such as muscles where they might be used to effect.
Phlebotomy training such as that which Michael received focusses on intravenous as opposed to intramuscular injections.
ANONYMOUS If my memory serves me well, Dyan received training in acupuncture along with his massage training in Thailand. While I could be wrong about the timing and location, I do recall discussion of this being introduced by others than myself.
From what I’ve read, Dylan’s training in Thailand was just for massage. I would imagine that acupuncturists are paid more highly than masseuses, and if Dylan was qualified to work as an acupuncturist, he would be doing so. Not to mention, his client base probably wouldn’t demand sensual acupuncture.
Paul Duggan said this in his chat on the Wone series: “I know [acupuncture has] been looked into by at least one interested party, in Kathy Wone’s wrongful-death lawsuit against the three men.”
I searched FL, DC, and VA’s professional licenses for Dylan’s name – he is licensed as a massage therapist in all three, and he has no other licenses. All three require acupuncturists to be licensed. Interestingly, he’s only been licensed in Virginia since 4/14/2009. There is the possibility that he’s had some training but not enough to practice professionally.
PENELOPE Paul Duggan confirms my recollection. As I said previously, I may be mistaken about the site of this training. The fact that Dylan was trained in acupuncture does not mean he was licensed anywhere. Perhaps the editors have more information on this.
I’m a former IV meth user and bought my syringes at the 24 hour Rite Aid on Florida Avenue near Dupont. No prescription was needed, but I did have to sign something.
I was just struck by the absurdity of Michael studying phlebotomy. What lab or hospital in their right mind would hire him?
It just so happened that the brother of one of the “witnesses” “burgles” the crime scene almost three months after the murder and then that same brother gets let go by police. Editors, a close reading of the “burglary” and its “prosecution” may still unveil more clues.
It just so happened that the “family” bought a house in Florida, of all places, after the intruder theory had lost its allure. One should never use O.J. as a role model … at least not before trial!
And, it just so happened that Bernie Grimm’s name is dropped on the fateful evening and, then, he eventually becomes Joe’s lawyer.
CLIO Early on, there was some talk about the burglary being used as plea bargain leverage by prosecutors to get Michael to reveal whatever he may know about this whole sordid business.
But that was long before Michael became more heavily implicated in general or implied to be a “target” by AUSA Kirschner in particular.
I don’t know if anything came of that then or if anything would come of it now.
Aside from Victor whom Bea, others and I think is the weakest link of the Swann Street Three, I think Michael is another weak link in the chain.
Not to mention Sarah whom others of you have honed in on more than I. I do find intriguing the suggestion by some of you that Sarah may have been asked to be out of the house on that fateful night. Curious also is the oblique conversation between Joseph and Sarah in which Joseph made no specific mention of the death of his “oh so” close friend. And then Sarah just happens to have breakfast with the trio the next morning and for no particular reason? Curious.
I wonder what they talked about during their
“coffee klatsch” (social intercourse with close acquaintances; kitchen conversation between the innocent Robert and the not so innocent Joseph and Dylan), over Florida “OJ” (one acquitted murderer; potentially three acquitted killers),
“scrambled” eggs (mixed confusedly; Victor’s story), “poached” eggs (illegal trespass; Michael’s burglary), eggs “Benedict” (traitor; Joseph to Robert), “bacon” (to make good; possible escape of all three from obstruction conviction), “ham” (actor liking attention; narcissistic Joseph),
“grits” (indomitable spirit; Joseph’s incapacity to admit guilt), “fries” (to undergo execution in an electric chair; long prison terms), “WRY” toast, (twisted; Dylan’s psychology), “jelly” (weakling; Victor’s character) “jam” (to squeeze into a tight position; situation in which all three may find themselves), “tea” (slightly bitter beverage; marijuana), “milk” (whitish liquid used for feeding the young; extract information) and
“lemon” (someone that proves to be defective; take your pick or is that pRick).
Can someone please fill me in on the breakfast.
Who was there? Where was it?
Where did the three go to live after their house was declared a crime scene?
What do you think is the significance of the breakfast?
Hi Eagle. Early the morning after, Joe, Victor, Sarah, and likely W-5 (don’t know if Michael Price was there) met for breakfast at Cosi. In the middle, Joe got a call to pick up Dylan from Anacostia station, and when the duo returned, Dylan didn’t feel like socializing so Joe took him home (or somewhere).
I suspect this is where Joe told the table (or at least W-5) that he pulled the knife from Robert’s chest, as noted in the original charging affidavit.
I don’t know who called the breakfast or in what manner (phone, presumably).
Right you are Bea, although as we learned from the timeline in the motions to suppress, that Cose meeting which we’d thought had occured around breakfast time probably didn’t happen until later. Let’s call it a lunch or a brunch to be on the safe side.
As fas as we know, Price stopped by the Arent offices afterwards at some point and apparently was joined by his housemates later on in paying a ‘condolence call’ to Kathy Wone in Oakton.
Was this Cosi the restaurant across the street from Moultrie?
If so, where did Joe park his car? Or, did he take the Metro? Did Michael drive all them back home?
Was the Cosi summit before or after Joe “held court” at Arent Fox and told folks about the events of the past night?
Penelope,
The Cosi Summit happened before Joe went to the Arent Fox offices.
David
What’s the status of the burglary investigation? Is it still open? Were charges brought?
Heads up, MPD – Michael will soon be joining the ranks of the unemployed, and this would be a great opportunity to put some additional pressure on the brothers Price. Dust off those case files and get thee a warrant.
Hi Penelope, I think the burglary case was closed as Joe & Co. didn’t want to press charges. From the get-go, Joe (and his present attorney) advised the cops that it was likely Michael (who has a key, don’t forget). I still harbor hope that they got Michael to flip/wear a wire but realistically, it seems implausible.
I don’t think for a second that the prosecution really thinks Michael P murdered Robert, certainly not ALONE, but they need not prove WHO did the murder in this trial – makes an easier time of it to establish their case.
Does the Hinton diary hint at why Michael (with or without his key) stole stuff from Joe? Was it yet another relapse, or was it just a bad nickelodeon plot?
CLIO As I recall from reports, Michael did not steal much if anything from the house. It is that which raised question as to Michael’s competency as a thief, Joseph’s willingness to trust him with something more weighty and Michael’s
capacity to engage in something more serious. I am not making any judgment.
Michael and his accomplice stole electronic equipment from the house. It was later recovered at a local pawn shop.
CDINDC Yes, but if I recall correctly what Michael and his accomplice stole was not worth all that much and they passed up a lot more valuable stuff for some inexplicable reason. It was that fact which led the police to conclude that Michael did not exactly qualify as a master thief.
Ahh…thanks Robert. Makes it sound more and more like it was a planned break-in.
No one thought they would get caught though.
Here’s a part of a news article from WaPo on 12/06/06:
“Michael Price, brother of one of the homeowners, was charged last week with breaking into the house nearly three months after the slaying and stealing a plasma television and other high-end electronics.
Hours after the Oct. 30 break-in, police found Price in Montgomery County, allegedly in a stolen car with some of the stolen electronics in the trunk, according to charging papers filed in D.C. Superior Court. A friend of Price’s, Phelps Collins, was arrested and charged several weeks ago in the burglary…..
Price, 34, and Collins, 36, are charged with burglary. Police said they believe Collins sold some of the stolen items at a pawnshop. Both men were known to use drugs, according to court documents filed by prosecutors. “
So, why didn’t they pawn everything if they robbed to get cash. Perhaps Michael had intentions of returning some of the items to Joe.
CDINDC Your guess is as good as mine. But I think that you and I are on the same plasma TV wavelength.
Michael has a key to the house which he burglarizes. Okay, he wants to make it look as if the crime was committed by someone other than himself.
But of all the houses Michael chooses to rob, he chooses to rob the one owned by his brother, Joseph, who has always protected him. Okay, it is not unknown for druggies to exploit family or friends.
For the sake of argument, let us presume that his was a real burglary.
Was Michael just strung out and not thinking clearly? Possibly.
Did it never occur to Michael, that his super lawyer brother, Joseph, might suspect that his super druggie brother, Mike, was the thief. Unlikely.
In the event that Joseph the Innocent did conclude that Michael the Master was the thief, did Mike figure that Joe would forgive him.
Definitely.
So desperate for drug money, Michael burglarizes his brother Joseph’s house and then takes the stolen items and stashes them in the trunk of his car. That makes sense.
I guess Mike realized in the second place that he was mistaken for thinking that he really needed drug money in the first place. That makes even more sense.
But no matter: Louis Hinton, the domestic partner against whom Michael has a restraining order or vice versa , alibies Michael. That makes the most sense of all.
I guess Hinton was relieved to know that Michael was safe and sound at home experiencing a post-mortem relapse which Hinton described as “the worst one.”
Hey, if I had a restraining order against somebody and he was having a bad relapse which may have played a role in my taking out a restraining order against him, the first thing I would do is welcome him home!
Noting Robert’s astute comment re the burglary: “Michael has a key to the house which he burglarizes. Okay, he wants to make it look as if the crime was committed by someone other than himself.”
Putting the comment in terms of the murder/cover-up, how is it that MICHAEL had the sense to make the burglary crime scene look like it was committed by someone else (e.g. smashed window, took misleading items) yet THE KILLER did not have the sense to fake a break-in or leave a mess? Was MICHAEL too STREET SMART to do it this way? How was it that JOE nor DYLAN was NOT smart enough to fake a break-in (albeit the weak spider story) nor leave a mess nor remove valuable items?? Pretty standard knowledge that “intruders” might steal and leave a bit of a mess considering a man bled out.
Will the defense be that OF COURSE these college educated men couldn’t be THAT stupid?
BEA Right on! Hey, I am college educated and I have been told that I am street smart and even I am not THAT stupid.
I’m convinced the D.A. has not given up on filing murder charges. If the trouple continue to successfully stonewall, the brother with the record, the key and, we assume (based on Eye Candy Video), similar proclivities to Joe and Dylan, makes a pretty good alternative suspect. Hope you are looking over your shoulder Michael – the heat is on. And I wouldn’t count on bro to bail you out this time if he has a chance to save his own skin. Don’t make the mistake Robert did of trusting him. Say what you know before they come after you.
It just so happened that Dyl heard the door to Robert’s room lock, but that he slept soundly through the alleged home invasion and murder. His hearing must be selective!
It just so happened that one of the “witnesses” was openly advertising for a third person to torture or to be tortured. Amazing!
It just so happened that spacer bars and other exotic restraining devices were found in a room on the same floor as Robert’s room.
CLIO Yeah, pretty amazing. Even more amazing was the mystery intruder’s responding to the ad and bringing all those S&M devices with him and then forgetting to bring the murder weapon! Not to bright for an intruder “bent” on killing somebody. Wouldn’t you say?
That stupid intruder, he ruined everything. If it wasn’t for him, maybe Joseph and Dylan would have thought of killing Robert. But they were too busy sleeping while Robert, the quiet, obsequious Asian, did not make a sound upon being stabbed.
Can anyone tell me the time span for Michael Price’s class? We know he missed it the night of the murder, but surely it didn’t extend past the time Robert arrived at Swann. If that’s the case, what might he have been up to? (Ignoring his sick in bed/relapse alibi.)
CAROLINA The moderators reported that they had “learned in the latest government filing that during the summer of 2006 Michael Price was enrolled at Montgomery College in a phlebotomy course” and that “the government explained that Michael Price had perfect attendance at the class, and the first class he missed was August 2, 2006.”
Yes, thank you, Robert. Do we know during what hours the class was held?
A good pal of the site was poking around to try and find when the classes were held. Maybe someone who lives near the campus can drop by and check the registrar’s office for old course schedules.
CAROLINA The only thing I know is that the courses were referred to as night classes.
CRAIG When your friend checks out the schedules, could he please tell me when the next course is being held. I think I have a friend who I want to kill.
Oh and while he or she is at it could they see if MC offers a PI course which focusses on the fabrication of mystery intruders or the ID of Commie Chinese secret agents.
Check your own excellent work, my dear editors!
From the February 17 post, Black and Blueprint:
In Kirschner’s filing:
“The evidence establishes that in June through August of 2006, Michael Price was enrolled in a course at Montgomery College, studying to be a phlebotomist (an individual who draws blood from patients.) Moreover, there was a practical component to this course… The class is which Michael Price was enrolled met twice a week in the evenings from 5:00 p.m. until 9:15 p.m., beginning on June 7, 2006 and running through August 23, 2006.
Course attendance records reflect that Michael Price attended each and every scheduled class beginning on June 7, 2006 and running through July 31, 2006. However those same records reflect that the first time he missed class was on August 2, 2006, the night Robet Wone was killed.”
https://whomurderedrobertwone.com/2010/02/17/black-and-blueprint/
Thanks for the class scheduling info Penelope. That was more or less my recollection, but I could not place my finger on the source. Very interesting, needless (or needles) to say.
I have my own evolving theory though it may be as implausible as the Swann Street trio’s mysterious intruder scenario.
Though I know more about rape than I care to, I would not claim to be an expert on the subject. But it is my understanding that rape victims tend to feel ashamed and blame themselves for the rape which contributes to a reluctance to come forward. I do not know whether the same is true for the victims of “date rape.” I do know that male rape victims have their own set of issues.
But Wone strikes me as the sort of person who would have confronted in a legal context the perpetrator of a sexual assault upon him.
And if indeed a paralytic as well as a date rape drug was administered by the perpetrators, this would lead me to believe that Joseph and Dylan thought so too. Not to mention that given Joseph and Robert’s college relationship and continuing friendship, Joseph was well acquainted with the nature of Robert’s character.
Though I am not totally unacquainted with drug abuse by people, I would nevertheless yield to CRACKHO or others on the specifics relating thereto. Thus, I do not know whether one can analyze evidence regarding IV injections in the same way that one may do so respecting stab wounds. In any event, it does not appear that the coroner undertook such an analysis in this case.
As you may know, I came up with an unrequited love scenario almost immediately after what I believed was “murder” from the start.
In terms of Wone’s accomplishments, I suspect that — at least on some level — the mentor Price
viewed his protege Wone as having outshined him. Such a perception could have made Robert all the more alluring of a conquest for Joseph.
But given what has been described as Joseph’s
“narcissistic” personality, he may have deluded himself into believing that he outshined Robert.
Such perception might have given Price a sense of entitlement regarding his pursuit of Wone.
Price’s thinking that Wone was at one and the same time his superior and his inferior could have resulted in a form of cognitive dissonance. But that would have been a cognitive dissonance only in terms of Price’s self perception vis-a-vis
Wone. In terms of Joseph’s unrequited love for Robert and his resolute intent to consummate that love, I think that the consequence would have been more or less the same in either case.
As you know, I have one theory that Robert was alive when the perpetrators thought he was dead as well as another theory that Robert was dead when they thought he was alive. I understand why you or others might question the latter in light of the blood swallowing evidence issue.
Date rape drugs are commonly administered not for one but for two reasons. One is to place the victim in a position where she or he is not able to effectively resist the assault, but she or he is still responsive sexually. Another is to put the victim in enough of an intoxicated state that her or his credibility might be questioned in a court of law and/or in the court of public opinion should she or he decide to confront their abuser.
Until now, I had presumed that all of the many needle injections were administered sequentially within a relatively brief period of time. But I was wondering, suppose that was not in fact the case?
Other bloggers as well as I myself have speculated
that Wone may have been administered a “date rape drug,” such as GMBH, which could have been in the water or whatever else Wone may have been drinking before, during or after the conversation he was having with Price along with or not along with Ward, in the kitchen shortly after his arrival at the Swann Street address and shortly before he retired for the evening.
The coroner appears to have ultimately concluded
that Wone was subject to a paralytic which could have accounted for the absence of defensive wounds in response to a sexual assault.
Unfortunately, that determination was made too late for her to test for such a drug even had it not already metabolized to what may have been a point of undetectability in Wone’s system.
Though I am not a personal participant in BDSM and make no judgements with respect thereto, I can say that for a variety of reasons I am not totally unfamiliar with the subject.
Let us suppose that in the spirit of having what Joseph and Dylan would regard as a satisfying BDSM experience, Joseph and Dylan wanted to take sexual advantage of Robert while he was in the sort of pliable state which results after one has been administered a date rape drug such as GMBH. And let us say that for Joseph and Dylan this meant more than just a softcore “physical reaction” to a sexual toy such as a dildo on Robert’s part. Let us say that for Joseph and Dylan the desired effect was a more hardcore
“sexual response” to a sexual device such as an electronic ejaculatory stimulator.
But as in any date rape situation, Joseph and Dylan would not have wanted Robert to be aware that he was being sexually assaulted. And let us suppose that they thought that the initial GMBH
type date rape drug was not long acting enough for a protracted BDSM ritual and would therefore not be sufficient to “do the trick”so to speak.
Wherefore, Joseph or Dylan administered to Robert a second drug — maybe intramuscularly, maybe intravenously; maybe a paralytic, maybe not — to effect the desired result for such a scenario as Joseph and/or Dylan had in mind.
Then suppose that Price and Ward “came down” from a possible “drug high,” erotic intoxication
or some combination of the two and to such an extent that Price and Ward concluded — correctly
or incorrectly — that they were crazy to have ever even thought that Wone would not remember anything about the evening’s sexual exploits.
And suppose that Wone suddenly “came to” and began slowly emerging from his drug induced stupor. Then being startled or scared, Ward places a pillow over Wone’s face to subdue but not necessarily asphyxiate him while Price and Ward try and figure out what to do next.
Perceiving that the smothering had not killed Robert, Joseph and Dylan determine that they must kill him in order to conceal the sexual assault and its attending circumstances. Wherefore, Price or Dylan deliberately stab Robert (for reasons elaborated elsewhere, I believe that there was only one knife wielder).
But unbeknownst to Joseph and Dylan, Robert was already on the way to a “point of no return” due to the asphyxiation, but had not yet arrived at
“death’s door.” In that case, he could have been expiring from asphyxiation while in the process of being stabbed which would account for a limited amount of blood loss as well as the evidence that he had swallowed his own blood.
The rest is clean up, cover up and shut up.
Anyone know how long it takes to get from MC to Swann?
From the school or from Michael’s residence? From his place, 20-25 min I would guess. Pretty much a straight shot down 16th St.
One thing that keeps nagging at me is the “staging” of the scene which the police thought was oddly reminiscent of the New Yorker illustration. What could possibly have been going through their twisted drugged out minds?
Eds., was there ever any more info on the crackhouse that was searched?
Anonymous in DC,
The crack house you mention still makes me wonder. That address had to have been found somewhere in the Swann Street residence or elsewhere associated with the 3 defs for it to end up on a search warrant. I would love to know how it ties in.
former CRACKHO
CD: Here’s that old post on the crack house. Wow, from nearly a year ago. Where has the time gone? Oh yeah, on the slow moving merry-go-round that is the DC criminal justice system.
Could the connection to the crackhouse be Michael Price?
Is the 5100 block of Lee Street in NE near the Maryland border? Could it be near Silver Springs, or could it be a quick detour from the route to and from Montgomery College? Michael could have made so many stops, while playing hooky from school.
Clio,
Lee Street NE isn’t “on the way” to Silver Spring or Montgomery College. 5100 Lee Street, NE is directly west of Dupont Circle and Silver Spring and Takoma Park (where the college is) are directly north.
VANDY
Certainly, I am in no position to make any kind of determination about or attest to Louis’ sexuality.
What I can say is the fact that a person has been married, divorced or has some sort of continuing relationship with his former wife tells us nothing about the nature of his sexual orientation.
CRACKHO
I do not know the cell phone in the guest bedroom to which you refer, but along with Robert’s watch and wallet, his Blackberry is one of the other things that the intruder chose not to steal.
But then Chinese Communist Intelligence Agents don’t usually take things when they execute the newly appointed director of Radio Free Asia.
CRAIG
Let me get this straight, so to speak:
Notwithstanding Louis Hinton, has a restraining order against Joseph Price’s own brother, Michael Price, Joseph Price, presumably with the assent of Joseph Price’s domestic partner, Victor Zaborsky, affords Hinton a place to stay, namely 1509 Swann.
Though when one considers the fact that Joseph accidentally and unintentionally forgot to inform Victor — but not the intruder — that Robert was visiting that fateful evening, I suppose that it is similarly and equally “plausible” that Joseph just forgot to tell Victor that Louis was going to be staying indefinitely with Victor and Joseph at the home which Victor and Joseph shared with their stranger housemate, Dylan Ward.
There’s only one problem with the uninvited guest story: Victor bailed out the uninvited guest, Louis.
But thank the God in whom Joseph “Jehova” Price believes for showing the same loyalty towards his own brother, Michael Price, that he showed toward his beloved friend, Robert Wone.
How’s that? Well, Joseph “Jehova” Price, the good samaritan that he is, does what any ethical lawyer would do in such a situation — he represents Louis Hinton, the man who has a restraining order against his own brother, Michael Price.
Now, what does any good Christian citizen do to reduce criminal recidivism in the community?
Remember what Christ said about feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless (except if they are Black or your next door neighbors)?
After Victor has bailed out Louis and Joseph has successfully defended him, somebody — probably an intruder — offers Louis a place stay which coincidentally happens to be at the home shared by Dylan, Victor and Joseph.
What is the key or are the keys to this mystery?
Well, being the unintrusive person that I am, it is simply not my habit to pry into the personal lives of murderers.
But what I do know is that Michael Price had given
to him by his brother, Joseph Price, the keys to the home shared by Dylan, Victor and Joseph.
Why in the world would a Joseph Price give to his brother, a Michael Price, the keys to his home?
There can only be one reason. So that the next time Michael Price wanted to visit his brother, Joseph Price, or burgle the home of his brother, Joseph, Michael would have to break in.
Now suppose I had a visitor — let us say a Louis or an intruder — staying with my lover, a housemate and I in the home that the three of us shared.
And suppose the housemate, my lover and I all worked during business hours. And suppose I wanted to be a better host to that visitor, such as a Louis or an intruder, than my lover, Victor, would ultimately be to our mutual beloved friend, Robert Wone.
Would I give to a visitor, such as a Louis or an intruder, the keys to the home shared by a housemate, my lover and I?
Or would I by the better part of valor give that visitor the choice of staying either in or out of the house all day?
What would any normal host do? Well, I think the answer is obvious. I would give the visitor the choice of staying either in or out of the house all day.
On the off chance that I did give to a visitor such as a Louis or an intruder the keys to the home shared by a housemate, my lover and I, would I also give to that visitor the pass codes without which the house keys that I gave him would be useless?
I don’t know. But I don’t think so.
In the unlikely event that I would even seriously consider giving keys and codes to that visitor, what if by sheer coincidence I discovered that the visitor in question just happened to have some undefined relationship with my ne’er do well burglar brother?
What would I do then?
Could I rely on the fact that notwithstanding this visitor’s relationship to my ne’er do well brother that by virtue of this particular visitor having a restraining order against my burglar brother that the visitor in question would under no circumstances give to my brother the house keys or the pass codes to the home shared by a housemate, my lover and I?
Especially when I had specifically instructed this visitor that when it comes to house keys and pass codes, I favored the visitor over my brother?
Or without giving it a second thought do I simply favor this relative stranger over my brother and give to him the house keys and pass codes which I would never in a million years give to my own brother?
I don’t know. It’s a mystery to me.