The Trial Of A Lifetime
On May 10, 2010, three Dupont Circle residents will go on trial in connection with the 2006 murder of their friend Robert Wone.
But they are not being tried for murder.
Robert was found stabbed to death in their Swann Street house on August 2, 2006 while all three roommates were at home. They claim an ‘intruder’ slayed their friend. Authorities believe the defendants know who committed the murder and they’re covering up for the killer.
This is a story of the failings of the DC criminal justice process or quite possibly DC’s perfect murder.
To learn more about this crime and trial, start with the Robert Wone Wiki page then the FAQ for his site.
I seen a android barcode on U street that lead me to this page. The funny thing is my friends and I were talk about conspiracys in DC when we came across this. Its a shame. I pray the true justice is served.
Thanks for finding us, Matthaeus; hope you’ll stick around.
-Doug, co-editor.
So, isn’t it blatantly obvious to anyone willing to objectively consider the facts and circumstances: this guy was the victim of a thrill killing, and the murderers were confident that their wealth and social status would enable them to escape punishment? Does anyone doubt that they are basking in the celebrity that they have generated for themselves? Maybe I am missing something, but I think not.
Sorry, Rodney.
#1. It was not a thrill killing. Had it been the person responsible would be out there seeking glory. Acidental bdsm? Most proably.
They aren’t basking in anything. They are praying that they get off.
Personally, I think you are missing alot about this.
Pete
Perhaps Mr. Wone was experimenting with gay sex with one of the three and one of the others flipped out in a jealous rage ?
Hallo to all of you,
I have been reading the interesting weblog concerning the circumstances of Robert Wone’s death for a couple of days and was positively surprised how many people try to solve the murder case.
The thoughts and hints shared were enormously professional. I am really deeply impressed.
I would like to contribute a few ideas:
As far as I understood. It can be agreed upon the following facts:
All defendants claim in the night of the murder they heard the alarm bell of the house ring once presumably when an unknown intruder entered the house.
Mr. Wone was stabbed and lost a considerable amount of blood that is still unaccounted for. The process of bleeding out must have taken a few minutes provided the male adult had about 5 to 6 liter blood in his body.
None of the recovered towels or clothes had enough blood on them to account for the missing blood.
One can presume that the unknown intruder must have waited several minutes for Mr. Wone to die and after that must have changed the sheets, bed cover and so on. Thereafter he must have had the opportunity to wash away all the blood provided he knew the facilities in the house. This must have caused enormous activity on his part and being accompanied by various noises without Price, Ward and Zaborsky noticing anything at all even during the quiet time at night. Or the intruder stole the stained sheets, bed cover and so on. As far as I know, none of these items were claimed missing by the three defendants. So if the intruder did not do the washing and cleaning or stole the stained items he must have brought in his own bed cloth and left them there. The three defendants never claimed such a thing.
None of the three defendants (Price, Ward, Zaborsky) heard a second alarm tone. That would have occurred when the unknown intruder would have left through the secured door of the house.
So the murderer must have been in the house when the ER, police and forensic experts arrived. But no intruder was discovered.
The scenario of an unknown intruder is absolutely unrealistic, especially taking into account, that a stranger would not know where Mr. Wone slept and what kind of sheets, bed cover and so on he would be needing in advance.
Interpretation of facts:
Why would a stranger do all these things, especially cleaning his victim’s blood away, instead of just fleeing out of the house preventing him for getting caught, especially when Mr. Wone had made noises while he was stabbed. As far as I remember, one or two defendants pointed that out. Finally no foreign DNA could be found on the victim. But it was established instead that Mr. Wone was sexually assaulted.
As is known from scientific literature about rapes, victims of rapes are often sexually assaulted by people they have known respectively were familiar with before the crime took place.
Only the three defendants had the opportunity and means within the setting of their home to do all the cleaning activities within a short period of time, that is between stabbing and the arrival of the ER and other professionals at the scene. Why should the three defendants clean respectively alter a crime scene – especially when their friend was (sexually) assaulted – unless they were involved in the crime itself in any way?
Maybe you know the answer to that question that is really bothering me.
Thanks in advance
Sylvia (Duisburg, Germany)
Well, Sylvia, you are now grappling with the same questions we have all been grappling with for months! Your succinct summary pretty well hits on all the major absurdities in the defendants’ proffered theory.
Hi Leo,
thank you for your fast reply.
My guess for the verdict is:
All of the three defendants will be found guilty for conspiracy, obstruction of justice and crime scene tampering, simply because there is no reasonable doubt that they did it and noone else.
As you point out, there simply is no other explanation for their involvement in the crime. This weblog is being read by people of various professions, ethnic and social backgrounds etc. None of us can name only one reason why they could be innocent. Even the defendants cannot present a believable reason. Price, Ward, Zaborsky gamble too high and therefore they will all lose their chance to be the first to get a plea bagain.
Glorias comments on how the attorneys of the defendants and the defendants themselves acted while being in court made me realize that. I wonder what happens after their conviction whether they will continue to be “a family” when they serve their sentences.
According to Glorias observations I cannot make out that the defendants lawyers act to the best interest of their own defendants. Instead the lawyers seem to collaborate with their collegues and enjoy the presence of the media and certainly their huge pay while the defendants gamble away their lifes.
Hello all,
I just read the Washingtonian article and am logging in. I have never written on a blog, but this deserves an exception. Though there are MANY questions regarding the alibi (which is essentially un-believeable, quite literally), mine focuses on the following:
Neuromuscular agents (which are said to have been used on Mr. Wone) are 1) difficult to attain (and typically involve a pharmacist, nurse, or physician somewhere in the supply chain) and 2) traceable in tox screens.
It is my understanding that the tox screens were botched, but can’t some sort of trail be followed to the procurement of these drugs? If any tissue (including blood) is left from the scene, succinylcholine, steroidal, or benzylisoquinolone type neruomuscular blockers could still be detected, I would imagine. This is aside from proving that the suspects had these drugs in their posession would represent a degree of evidence as well.
I truly wish you the best of luck in a swift and fair end to this nightmare.
MD
Welcome, MD! From time to time, medical questions arise – I hope you stick around. There has been speculation that Michael Price may have procured certain drugs from the hospital where his phlebotomy class took place (and having been arrested for thefts, not a crazy idea). Personally, I think that the drugs were purchased on the street – ketamine, for example, while most often used by veterinarians (as you know far more than I) is fairly easily procured illegally. There has been considerable speculation about the illegal drugs used by the defendants (which would suggest they had ‘access’) and certainly one of them had ecstasy (that the police found).
I’m sure you’ll be peppered with questions – I am curious about any insights you might have in reading the autopsy report and trial testimony, particularly (for me) the amount of blood loss in view of the defense’s position that Robert must’ve “bled internally” (to explain the lack of blood at the scene).
Neuromuscular agents aren’t typically sold on the street, as they result in death if given without breathing artificially for the recipient. Even among healthcare workers, the percentage of those with access to such drugs is limited.
Blood volume in an adult male is 70 cc/kg. It looks like Robert was of about average weight, 70 kg = 4900 cc or 4.9 liters (about 5 liters, plus or minus a bit given hydration status and body fat). That amount of blood in any cavity is easily evident on autopsy.
In terms of the lack of blood at the scene and internal bleeding as a cause of this, entertain that internal bleeding typically results from blunt trauma, or rupture of an organ or vessel. External stabbing trauma will typically result in external bleeding, to some degree or other.
What did the autopsy say in regards to the amount of blood in the chest or belly? I’m no expert in autopsies, but they can say whether certain trauma occured before or after death. For example, if the puncture wounds used to drain the body of blood after death, or if they were made before the time of death.
The point made by the article stating that it was shown that the dryer was used to dry articles stained with blood, and that blood was disposed down a certain drain in the house (the wording of the article with these specifics was confusing) is glaring, yet still circumstantial.
My opinion of the defense position is that it is ridiculous, but coincides and should be expected given the rest of the cover-up being attempted.
I’d do a lot more research, perhaps even reading this site’s information pages if not the blog itself. Much of what was initially reported has undergone some restatement or reinterpretation.
That said, I only have to walk down the street to get ketamine, and I am in an upper middle class neighborhood. It can be had at almost any club in any medium sized city.
The tox screens were not botched. Again, the site will no doubt give you plenty to chew on, but that’s one you can toss out.
which if any of the three suspects is left handed?
MD,
There is more detail on this site about the volume of blood remaining in Robert’s body. This was a topic in the obstruction trial.
The information about blood being detected in the dryer and an exterior drain was never pursued as part of the trial so we have been left hanging about whether that was evidence or not.
(There are many others who frequent this site who could provide more details about these matters than I)
My question to you –
Why did you ask if any of the suspects are left-handed?
Oh, this is a question I have, too.
I assume the nature of the stab wounds would suggest that the individual(s) who did the stabbing might have been left handed.
Both the autopsy report and the toxicology report are on this website. Toxicology tests were run only for specific toxins. The only positive noted was for xylenes. This was found very late.
I’m learning how little I know about this case, as I just learned about it recently, but the website provides a wealth of data.
Yes, (chilaw), that is the reason I ask. The direction of the entrance of the wounds, and their similarity, would seem to point to a single attacker, done in close temporal proximity, with no struggle (as suggested by the arrest affadavit).
1. did forensics suggest any specifics regarding the attacker/hand dominance?
2. what are the dominant hands of the suspects?
the vitreous would still contain toxins if frozen. what happened to the samples?
The details of this case are incredibly disturbing and disgusting. The suffering of Mr. Wone was immense and the fact that these horrific acts were carried out by people he thought he could trust and at least one that he a had a long friendship with had to be a huge betrayal. May he rest in peace and may his three attackers pay for their crime. But that of course may never happen because they are attorneys with money.
This also brings to light a very real yet under reported crime, male on male rape. Horrific all the way around. May justice prevail.
So I just recently listed to this case on Crime Junkie’s podcast and since then I cannot let it go! I live an hour from DC and I was in college when this happened and don’t even remember hearing about it. That’s pretty terrifying considering I’m part of a kink community and know the underground as well as the vanilla world, although I’m far from elite. Just educated white trash I suppose.
Anyway, I have a theory on this. I know these three did it, but proving it is what the issue is. I want to say this is a play scene gone horribly wrong, and judging by the paralytic used on Robert I will say it was nonconsensual.
First there was the semen collected from Robert that was his own and the toy they found in Dylan’s room that shocks you and forces you to orgasm. Not a violet wand, I’m aware of those, but something more extreme than that? They took it into account but didn’t test it? Why not?
I think what happened is all 3 assaulted him and when they initially grabbed him that’s when the neighbor heard the scream (I say all three because they were all in robes and their underwear when paramedics arrived) and then either the paralytic they injected him with (there were needle points on his body) or the toy that electrocuted him may have sent him into some sort of seizure or distress so they carried him outside and stabbed him to make it stop. You can explain a stabbing far easier than you can explain a sexual assault gone wrong. The blood drained into the drain in the courtyard and they hosed it down and that’s why the dogs smelled it in the courtyard drain. They then cleaned up themselves and washed/dried the clothes they were wearing which is why the dryer vent was another source of the blood smell detected from the dogs.
After Robert was dead they carried him upstairs and placed him on the bed that he had yet to sleep in, wiped some blood on a towel and smeared it on a different knife while they hid the real murder weapon and then called 911. While waiting on paramedics they all agreed on the same bullshit story to tell the cops.
They got lucky that they didn’t do a full tox screen and I can only hope that justice is served because honestly this man died for no reason and his wife deserves the truth.