The Third Degree: Zaborsky

Victor Zaborsky’s MPD Interview Transcript

In contrast to the sometimes meandering interview of his domestic partner, Joe Price, Victor Zaborsky seemed to choose his words far more carefully as he spoke to DC MPD detectives on the night of Robert’s murder.  Evidently.

Last summer in Paul Duggan’s Washington Post series we got to listen to Zaborsky’s first hand account of the discovery of the crime via  the 911 call he placed.

In those six minutes, some of his language seemed to stand out.  Right at the start of the call he told the dispatcher,   “…we’ve had someone (unintelligible) in our house evidently, and they stabbed somebody…”

In the hours that followed at the Violent Crimes Branch, Zaborsky would fall back on that qualifying word again, and again:

“And evidently he (Price) called the cable or the dish, satellite people, and he had them reinstate those channels (so they could watch Project Runway).”

-then moments later-

“Joe went downstairs probably about ten minutes later, or something like that, and evidently Robert had come and Dylan had gotten the door, and so they stayed down there”

American Heritage Dictionary defines “evidently” as, “According to the evidence available.” An ironic choice of words since it was available evidence that the detectives were also hoping to operate with.

More pull quotes:

“Now it’s probably only like 5 minutes after 11, 7 minutes after 11.

“And then we woke up.  I woke up to screams.”

“…that’s why the only thing I can think of it was an attempted burglary.”

“…some rings and some watches.  I mean, that’s what my guess is what the person would have been after is something very easy to stuff into a pocket.”

Inside these 43 pages are some big and small details of Robert’s last hour, and also perhaps some clues to the dynamics of the defendants’ household and relationships.  A look at one possible catalyst comes tomorrow and the Ward transcript goes up on Wednesday.

The government released these transcripts to counter defense team claims that the three housemates were held against their will and that their Miranda rights were violated.  Price’s statement seemed to refute that, and so, evidently, does Zaborsky’s.  “I am here voluntarily,” he told detectives.

Let’s give the MPD credit for one thing; they made it easier for Assistant US Attorney Glenn Kirschner to brush back Tom Connolly’s motion to suppress these statements by getting  Zaborsky on the record, evidently.

–posted by Craig

Notes: After the jump, Zaborsky’s interviews follow in two parts, the first concluding at 4:30am and it’s unclear with the second.  Personal information redacts are ours.

Zaborsky MPD Interview  Part I

Zaborsky MPD Interview  Part II

Zaborsky