Break in D.C. Lawyer Murder Case
December 16, 2008
Three men indicted for obstruction of justice in mysterious 2006 murder of community-minded lawyer
WASHINGTON — On the night of Aug. 2, 2006, Robert Wone, general counsel for Radio Free Asia and president-elect of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association-D.C., was found stabbed to death at a friend’s Dupont Circle townhouse.
For two years, there was no news on the case. Then in October and November came the arrests of all three occupants of that townhouse on charges of obstruction of justice: Joseph Price, a law partner at Arent Fox and former general counsel for Equality Virginia who attended the College of William and Mary with Wone; Victor Zaborsky, former marketing manager for the International Dairy Foods Association and Price’s domestic partner; and Dylan Ward, a massage therapist and former spokesman for Equality Virginia, who was also Price’s former lover. All have pleaded not guilty.
On the night of his murder, Wone, 32, had attended a continuing legal education class and returned to his office at Radio Free Asia, where he had begun working a month earlier. Wone lived with his wife of three years in Oakton, Va., but had told her that he would be staying over at Price’s house due to his late work schedule.
It is unclear what time Wone arrived at Price’s home, but he was incapacitated, assaulted and stabbed all within an hour of his arrival. Police said Wone had needle marks in his neck, hand, foot and chest; there was evidence of sexual assault and three precise stab wounds to Wone’s chest area, and no defensive wounds. His body was found dressed and laying on a sofa bed in the guestroom, with no signs of burglary or struggle. Paramedics found the three residents’ calm behavior unusual; none was screaming or even helping direct the paramedics.
In Ward’s bedroom, detectives found numerous sexual devices, bondage materials with certain passages highlighted and a copy of The New Yorker magazine that contained a sketch of Shakespeare on his death bed, a position similar to how Wone’s body was discovered.
According to the police affidavit made public at the end of October, Ward, Price and Zaborsky all stated that the night of the murder was the first Wone had spent at their home. It also said that Wone was heterosexual, happily married and had no sexual relationships with the men.
Wone was a fourth-generation Chinese American, who was born in Manhattan and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. As a high school student, he wrote an essay and news articles for AsianWeek. He graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1996 and attended law school at the University of Pennsylvania.
President-elect Obama’s attorney general nominee Eric Holder, who worked with Wone at the law firm Covington & Burling, called him in 2007 “a kind and gentle man” who was “killed in the most horrible of ways.” Holder added: “As despicable as that crime was and is, as big a tragedy as that is, it is compounded by the fact that Robert’s killer has not been brought to justice.”
Wone was active in the Asian American community, and since his death, groups like the Organization of Chinese Americans-New Jersey and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association Educational Fund, of which Wone was a Board member, have established scholarships in his name. A forum on judicial clerkships directed at minority law students, initiated by Wone, has been named after him and takes place annually at Howard University Law School.
Wone was also involved in the Organization of Chinese Americans and spent many hours helping the group purchase its headquarters in downtown D.C.; this year, a room in the building was named after him. He also advised the Museum of Chinese in the Americas in New York.
Aryani Ong, the former deputy director at the Organization of Chinese Americans who recruited Wone to do pro bono legal work for the group, said he remains an inspiring figure in the greater Asian American community.
“When I met Robert, I recognized he was immeasurably special — he had a sincere interest to do community service, which is why several fellowships and honors are now made in his name,” Ong said. “The people who have supported Robert’s family, particularly all those connected with his case, have represented the best of Robert’s spirit. I hope people will carry on his light by remembering Robert in life and living the way he did.”
Comments
16 Responses to “Break in D.C. Lawyer Murder Case”
Got something to say?
A tragedy for sure. And a “mystery” as well.
But there would appear also to be at least two questions:
First, after two years of investigations, why indictments for “obstruction of justice” only?
Second, why did Wone choose to go there?
And, as hindsight, what of the coroner’s report as to the actual cause of death, since the case is labelled “murder”?
Mr. Wong’s death is a terrible tragedy. The circumstances are confusing and complex. But this story does not reveal anything new except a very loving obituary for him.
The writer of this story was sloppy, lazy and did not exercise due diligence, by drawing a distinction of the coincidence of the employment and business activities of these individuals and the personal and private events that happened that terrible night.
The writer was careless by mis-leading the reader by implication that Aernt Fox or Equality Virginia are involved in any way shape or form in this terrible tragedy.
It was irresponsible and factually wrong for her to imply that by the previous circumstantial association connections these individuals shared.
Any person with any kind of sound reasoning would know that a respected law firm and a charitable human rights organization would not and could not condone any of the events that happened that night.
Shame on you Judy Tseng for implying otherwise in your re-hash of 2 month old news.
Hmm, the pieces look pretty interesting, does anybody care to put the pieces together???
Joseph Price, a law partner at Arent Fox and former general counsel for Equality Virginia who attended the College of William and Mary with Wone; Victor Zaborsky, former marketing manager for the International Dairy Foods Association and Price’s domestic partner; and Dylan Ward, a massage therapist and former spokesman for Equality Virginia, who was also Price’s former lover. All have pleaded not guilty.
incapacitated, assaulted and stabbed all within an hour of his arrival. Police said Wone had needle marks in his neck, hand, foot and chest; there was evidence of sexual assault and three precise stab wounds to Wone’s chest area, and no defensive wounds. His body was found dressed and laying on a sofa bed in the guestroom, with no signs of burglary or struggle. Paramedics found the three residents’ calm behavior unusual; none was screaming or even helping direct the paramedics.
In Ward’s bedroom, detectives found numerous sexual devices, bondage materials with certain passages highlighted and a copy of The New Yorker magazine that contained a sketch of Shakespeare on his death bed, a position similar to how Wone’s body was discovered.
According to the police affidavit made public at the end of October, Ward, Price and Zaborsky all stated that the night of the murder was the first Wone had spent at their home. It also said that Wone was heterosexual, happily married and had no sexual relationships with the men.
told her that he would be staying over at Price’s house due to his late work schedule.
This piece is horribly suggestive. According to a Washington Post article, Wone appeared to have been drugged and assaulted in his sleep.
This article seems to suggest Wone was over at the Dupont Circle townhouse for reasons other than what he had told his wife. That is an unfair depiction.
There was no intent to be suggestive or to imply that the defendants’ employers or organizations condoned the alleged acts. This article was originally much longer and got edited for publication. It is typical for any news article to include people’s professional or other identifying information.
Lastly, I understand that for some people who have been carefully following the case, this is old news. However, it was the first time that AsianWeek published anything about the Wone case, and therefore, more background information was necessary.
Her version at modelminority.com gives more details, none of which make Wone’s pals look any better.
http://modelminority.com/printout1119.html
Obstruction of Justice Arrest in Robert Wone Murder Case
Date: Sunday, November 02 @ 01:59:03 EDT
Topic: Law
Stunning and disturbing details of Robert Wone’s murder and cover-up are contained in a sworn affidavit supporting Ward’s arrest. The information contained contends that Wone was drugged by means of many injections in his neck, hand, foot, and chest. There was evidence of sexual assault and three precise stab wounds to Wone’s chest area, and no defensive wounds. There was very little blood evidence as would be expected in such an attack, and Wone’s body was found dressed and neatly laying on a sofabed in the guestroom, on top of the bed, with his head resting on a pillow. There were no signs of burglary or struggle.
Two paramedics who arrived at the scene found Ward, Zaborsky, and Price’s behavior unusual and suspicious. Zaborsky had called 911 at 11:49 p.m., yet Wone appeared to have already been dead for some time by the time paramedics arrived. The 911 operator had specifically told Zaborsky that they should hold towels to Wone’s chest wounds, yet there was no sign that any of the men had done so. Upon the paramedics’ arrival, Zaborsky was wearing a bathrobe, standing near the home’s entrance and talking on a cellphone. He ignored the paramedic despite being asked, “What’s going on?” Ward also ignored the paramedic’s query, instead, wordlessly walking back to his own bedroom on the second floor. Price, in his underwear, was sitting on the edge of the sofabed where Wone was, lifeless. None of them were screaming or helping to direct the paramedics to help Robert Wone.
The inconsistent and dubious statements and behaviors of the three residents are contained in the warrant signed by D.C. Detective Waid. After the murder occurred, Price called his basement tenant, Sarah Morgan, who had spent the night elsewhere. He allegedly told her to stay away from the home and focused on the fact that he, Zaborsky, and Ward were all okay instead of mentioning that someone had just been murdered in their home. Due to the depth of Wone’s stab wounds, blood evidence, and the lack of fibers matching Wone’s T-shirt, the knife found next to the sofabed was most likely not the actual murder weapon. Rather, the murder weapon was more likely a missing knife from a culinary set in Dylan Ward’s room. In Ward’s bedroom, detectives also found numerous S&M items, sexual devices, bondage materials with certain passages highlighted, and a New Yorker magazine that contained a picture of Shakespeare’s death position—Wone’s body was discovered in a similar position.
According to the warrant, Ward, Price, and Zaborsky all stated that August 2, 2006 was the first time Wone had spent the night at their home and that Wone was heterosexual. The warrant also states that based on the investigation, Wone was heterosexual, happily married, and had had no sexual relationships with either of the men.
Dylan Ward is being transported back to Washington, D.C. There is no word on whether murder charges will be brought, or whether Joseph Price or Victor Zaborsky will also be arrested. Ward’s attorney, David Schertler, a former Assistant United States Attorney turned criminal defense lawyer, maintains that his client is innocent.
Try some websearching , this story has “gay” written all over it, which doesn’t quite come through in the AW edit. Quite an interesting situation, politically given the favorable treatment the LGBT community normally gets in this paper. I can’t imagine why law enforcement or anybody else can’t simply put 2+2 together and just state “gee it looks like 3 prominent gay guys with wierd stuff in their rooms drugged, raped and stabbed an old college friend and got away with covering it up” One guy was with the agency that did the “Got Milk” ads, the article ommitted that “Equality Virginia” is a gay rights group. Now I get as upset as the next guy when sombody does something nasty to a gay person, but you’d think Asians would be equally upset if a gay guys were suspected of doing something to an Asian guy.
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2006/8-18/news/localnews/probe.cfm
Police probe killing in gay activist’s home
Crime scene ‘tampered with,’ say authorities
LOU CHIBBARO J
Friday, August 18, 2006
evidence inside the Dupont Circle home of a gay rights lawyer and his domestic partner had been “tampered with
had cleaned up a blood-stained bedroom before police arrived at 1509 Swann St., NW, where attorney Robert Wone, 32, was found suffering from three stab wounds to the chest.
created a stir in the neighborhood and among gay activists who know Price and Zaborsky.
“There were no signs of any forced entry to the house, either through the back door or any other location,” says the affidavit, which was written by homicide detective William Xanten III. “The knife that was used in this attack, and located on the table next to the victim, was from a set of matching knives located in the kitchen of the house,” the affidavit says.
evidence they have obtained so far indicates the killing was not part of a random burglary or home invasion. Instead, Sgt. Brett Parson, commander of the police Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit, which is assisting in the investigation, said the incident appears to involve someone who entered the house through a means other than a forcible break-in.
Deacon Maccubbin, owner of the Lambda Rising gay bookstore chain, said Price and Zaborsky are a well-known couple in gay rights circles in the D.C. metropolitan area. The two were the subject of a March 2004 feature story in USA Today about gay parents.
According to the USA Today story, a Silver Spring, Md., lesbian couple gave birth to two children, one fathered by Price and the other by Zaborsky
the D.C. Police Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit and the FBI are assisting in the investigation
Golly, Molly, what’s “gay” and what’s “sad”?
Well, in this book, what’s “gay” is what most people consider “sexual,” and not quite respectable at that, even if it is simply one more facet of human expressions of its genetic, hormonal drives.
As for what’s “sad,” gee, awarthur, it’s YOU.
Not only are you a China-basher, and you a fellow “Chinaman” at that. you also insist on demonstrating your asininity in every field and every regard and every respect, even unto youir own vaunted specialities of “education: and stats.
If, indeed, the Robert Wone case proves the obvious, “gay” AND “sexual,” you are a sadsack specimen of humanity in crowing over such correlations and such demonizations.
Wanna bet that it wasn’t “murder”?
Wanna bet that it was idiocy? Of which we are ALL capable, just as you are still demonstrating in your “columns” and your frequent hilarious outtakes and subsumings of reason and logic and pleadings?
Wanna bet you’re all wet? Again ? As in the past election? Erection? That too.
As for the rest, corporations and “community activists” and even edited inkstained wretches, consider contemporary and parallel universes in the likes of that crusading attorney general who invested five-thou in a, gasp!, HETEROsexual liaison, or, for that “globally” significant “pandering,” again financial rather than simply lustful, of one Bernard Madoff, who, according to that eminent pan-American scholar, James? Petras, has singlehandedly brought down capitalism itself, never mind Karl and decades of “liberal,” “socialist,” AND IMPROVIDENT as well as “dissident” minds.
Of course, money and power and sex are an inevitable troika of joined human failings, even if they are, singly or together, both fun and frolic.
My point is that awarthur is not only an arsehole here, but also, stupid as well.
Some of us are incontinent, and there are more ways than one there. I just wish Art would invest in some suitable, applicable, and useful Depends.
He’s forever dribbling, and not as in basketball.
Drivel? That as well.
P.S.: NO ONE should be happy about ANYone’s misfortune. Of ANY persuasion, sexuial or otherwise.
.
I don’t think it’s idiocy, but political correctness we’re dealing with here. Within weeks of the event, DC and gay newspapers reported enough facts and investigation to make it pretty obvious at the level that “OJ did it” that there was no outside intruder, somebody used needles to drug the guy, sexually assault Wone, and carefully stab the victim, then clean the house of blood and fluid stains and dress the body, and it’s pretty obvious that the pool of likely suspects is about 3 guys who were there that night claiming to be sleeping only 90 min after they were to greet their good friend and set him up for the night.
The authorities said that the body appeared to have been of a guy that had been stabbed some time ago, rather than minutes before they arrived. The three men at the scene gave a story and acted in a manner that was not consistent with the events, and then ceased to cooperate with authorities. There really isn’t any conceivable explanation other than Wone had been invited by these three men who in the course of 90 minutes must have drugged him, raped him, stabbed him, cleaned up the apartment and body to fit their account that the 3 men had all gone to sleep upstairs, awoke to hear moaning, and discover that someone had broken into their apartment (no evidence of forced entry) and assaulted their friend. It is even more remarkeable that in the course of 2 years, none of the 3 was even charged with ANYTHING, and it took 2 years to be charged with merely tampering with evidence. At least OJ was accused and put on trial. It is even more interesting that the surviving wife’s attorney is favored to be Obama’s pick for AG, I wonder who’s side this attorney is on.
I mean, who can honestly believe the cover story that an intruder committed this murder, using needles, drugs, and carefully cleaning up and switching knives, and choosing to murder a man who nobody else knew had arranged to be there days before in a neighborhood nearly free of violent crime? And if an intruder did it, who could possibly have done it except for one or all of these 3 guys? By the looks of comments in AW and other published articles, there appears to be a lot of indignation that the 3 guys appear to be implicated in this murder, with implications unfavorable to groups notable for their sexual identity. Race was undoubtedly the primary factor in OJ’s aquittal.
The g-factor here is the only possible explanation why no one was charged with anything for 2 years, and the only papers that have covered this case look like DC press, Asian Week / Asian American press, and the DC gay press.
Look for a column on this as my next topic.
Yet more….
Family of Slain Lawyer Sues Three Former Housemates
Complaint Alleges Men Conspired To Cover Up Crime
By Keith L. Alexander
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 26, 2008; Page B05
The widow and family of a prominent Washington lawyer who was stabbed to death in 2006 filed a $20 million lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court yesterday, alleging that three friends of his concealed evidence and lied to police in a cover-up.
The civil suit was filed against Dylan M. Ward, 38, who was arraigned on an obstruction of justice charge yesterday, and Joseph Price, 37, and Victor J. Zaborsky, 42, who were arraigned last week on the same charge.
The affidavit goes into vivid detail concerning Wone’s murder and reconstructs the case, ultimately reaching the conclusion that Price, Zaborsky and Ward “obstructed justice by altering and orchestrating the crime scene, planting evidence, delaying the reporting of the murder to the authorities and lying to the police about the true circumstances of the murder.”
ghostmoves wrote:
This is either highly inaccurate reporting or a frivolous lawsuit. There is nothing in the reported facts that would remotely constitute “wrongful death” because there is not one shred of reported evidence that they killed him, no matter how much they may have obstructed an investigation.
oldgalinMaine wrote:
If these guys weren’t gay, how many of you would be jumping on the bandwagon to denounce them as murderers? The fact is that if the DC police had had such airtight evidence in the first place, it wouldn’t have taken them two years to bring an indictment. Laurence Wone’s life isn’t the only one being destroyed here; in my opinion, his widow should think about that. There is obvious pressure being brought on these men because the police have NOTHING ELSE. Don’t believe everything you read in the papers.
Price’s brother and friend to burglarized his house of $7,700 in electronics after the murder
Three months after the killing, the Swann Street rowhouse was burglarized. Stolen items included $7,700 in flat-screen televisions and other electronics. Two men have been charged with the break-in. One is Michael Price, brother of homeowner Joe Price. The second is Phelps Collins, a friend of Michael Price, authorities said. The burglary charges remain pending. (both known drug users)
the prosecution is exploring whether Wone was subdued when he was forced to ejaculate through the use of an electric stimulator. A shock device, in addition to other sexual-oriented items, was reportedly seized from Ward’s bedroom.
In Ward’s bedroom, detectives also found numerous S&M items, sexual devices, bondage materials with certain passages highlighted, and a New Yorker magazine that contained a picture of Shakespeare’s death position—Wone’s body was discovered in a similar position.
Price, Zaborsky and Ward, who were in a sexual relationship together, delayed reporting Wone’s death to police,
Another article with crime scene, evidence photos:
tp://www.news8.net/news/stories/1008/566109.html
‘Obstruction’ Affidavit Exposes Secrets of D.C. Murder Mystery
This looks very, very bad for the defence.
The Knife:
Investigators also say the knife found at the crime scene is not consistent with the wounds Wone suffered. Also, investigators believe somebody used a towel to smear the blood with knife, apparently to make it look like the murder weapon. The knife had fibers from a towel on it, but not from Wone’s T-shirt, which was perforated during the stabbing, police said.
The Missing Knife:
Investigators also focused on a knife set found in the second-floor bedroom (Who keeps a knife set in the bedroom??) of Dylan Ward. It was missing one knife, which was never recovered, police said. Police obtained the same make and model knife. A forensics exam concluded it would be consistent with the stab wounds Wone suffered, police said
Police brought cadaver dogs to the house, which detected blood residue in a dryer lint trap and in a drain in the enclosed back patio area. There was also That led investigators to suspect someone had washed themselves and clothes in the back patio area and then washed the blood down the drain. Detectives suspect the killer then dried the wet clothes in the dryer.
All of the evidence led investigators to dismiss the men’s story about an intruder. They believe someone (one of the 3??) likely incapacitated Wone with an injection, sexually assaulted him, and then fatally stabbed him. Investigators believe the men obstructed the investigation.
This is from an internet board:
Even if they were close enough that using Price’s home as a crash pad were not an imposition, R272, it seems unlikely to me that Wone would choose to stay with Price, his live-in lover and in-house bondage master, just to avoid a trip home. Even more unlikely that Price would have taken the occasion to promptly paralyze, rape and murder Wone when he was known to be visiting.
**Far more likely that Wone came specifically to play with Ward and something went wrong. Price covered it up to protect himself, his reputation and Wone’s family. **
by: Suzie
Check this out:
http://legaltimes.typepad.com/files/defendants-motion-for-pretrial-release.pdf
Ward went to Thailand to complete a course in massage (paid for by who???), and “friends” in Taiwan are helping to pay for his defence….
curiouser and curiouser….
From a DC newsboard (including unauthorized copy of this Asian Week article)
http://dcist.com/2008/11/24/wone_murder_roommates_plead_not_gui.php
http://dcist.com/2008/11/20/wone_murder_update_all_three_roomma.php
I think the theory that the parties were somehow playing around with drugs and suffocation and S&M and something bad happened, with stabbing to cover up might have something. Evidence pretty much points to 3 guys in a conspiracy to cover up whichever one of the 3 actually did the killing, but what do I know?
[ report this ]
When I first read about this, I knew something was not right. Nothing really stolen. Drunk and spent the night. Now we find out that he was washed before the police got there. I mean, come on. Who washes the body of a friend who was just robbed in your house? You call the police. Did Chief Wiggums
investigate this one?
By monkeyrotica
[2] | 11/20/08 12:34PM
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Didn’t everyone on the dcist thread discussing this pretty much call it the day after it happened? I recall a collective “WTF?” followed by a “typical DC police screwup investigation.”
By Politburo
[3] | 11/20/08 12:46PM
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Law and Order style… whoever talks first wins the plea agreement with probation and a dismissal of charges.
By Boomhauer
[4] | 11/20/08 12:52PM
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Anyone want to start a pool on what defense gets used? I have dibs on “Sex party that gone out of control”
By Deep
[5] | 11/20/08 01:02PM
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@Boomhauer
My dibs also on “Sex party that gone out of control” with a twist of ecstasy and other drugs.
I’m waiting to hear the reason on why they washed him?
By monkeyrotica
[6] | 11/20/08 01:04PM
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One word:
Bukkakke.
By Kev29
[7] | 11/20/08 01:18PM
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Law and Order style… whoever talks first wins the plea agreement with probation and a dismissal of charges.
MPD almost had to wait for Law & Order to produce the episode and for two fictional characters to just solve the case themselves. Wait, I probably just gave them an idea.
By no_more_caffeine
[8] | 11/20/08 01:21PM
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So it wasn’t the one-armed man?
By Deep
[9] | 11/20/08 01:37PM
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@monkeyrotica
I was going to say you took the words right out of my mouth..but it sounded too nasty for strangers to say to one another in a chat device.
He was washed to remove the man-goo. So that means it was more than the three guys getting arrested.
I think we got ourselves another DC Madam sex jiggy.
By lrg
[10] | 11/20/08 01:58PM
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this makes my skin crawl
By greeper
[11] | 11/20/08 01:59PM
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Wone was straight. Not a sex party. It sounds like the one guy (Dylan Ward) did something and the other two found it and covered it up, out of some sort of S&M-related sense of obligation. THe affidavit is here
http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/files/ward_affidavit
and the press account interpreting the affidavit seem a little off. THe guy was clearly not a participant and I feel so sorry for him and his wife.
By monkeyrotica
[12] | 11/20/08 02:08PM
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So did the “evidence” end up on him before or after he’d been stabbed?
And have the police gotten around to questioning the District’s only known cannibal necrophile?
By Reid
[13] | 11/20/08 02:10PM
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Greeper, I don’t know that I’d say he “was clearly not a participant”. We have some statements from the three people involved (and presumably his wife) that he was 100% straight. Fine, but when you read the real nitty gritty details, you can’t help but think there may be a chance that’s there’s more to the story. To be blunt, they found Wone’s semen inside his own rectum. I’m not sure how that happens without some willing participation. Maybe somebody could explain it to me. Either Wone was a willing participant and it went bad, or they drugged him and assaulted him whle he was unconscious (but does that even make sense?)
I don’t know. If I saw this on Law and Order (probably SVU), I’d think they were getting too ridiculous.
By Deep
[14] | 11/20/08 02:24PM
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I’ve lived with a lot of people and I would never…
ever…never…ever…never..ever…lie to a police officer about a murder if I wasn’t truly involved with it. I would have sung like a canary. That’ll teach you for drinking my last beer.
By IMGoph
[15] | 11/20/08 02:28PM
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deep: i find it hard to believe that you can tell anyone anything about how you would react to a murder you were involved in unless you’ve actually been an accomplice to one. that’s not the kind of thing that you can just speculate about.
By lrg
[16] | 11/20/08 02:31PM
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he said a murder he WASN’T involved in
By greeper
[17] | 11/20/08 02:32PM
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Reid, read the affidavit I linked to. Agreed about the puzzling parts re; his own semen. BUt they guy had his mouth guard on and I presume the police had a reason for concluding he was straight. I also am puzzled about the police inability to detect blood, even washed blood, b/c unless CSI is a complete and utter crock of shit, they can spray something and use a IV light and like 30 years from now the blood will still be there. I thik there is a lot of info we don’t know, and I’m a little hesitant to say the guy was in a bukake or gay sex party when his wife is still probably mourning and can presumably read. He sounds like a victim to me…but I admittedly am just an interested bystander.
By greeper
[18] | 11/20/08 02:33PM
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Oh, one more thing ==> isn’t Price’s lawyer Eric Holder? WHo was just nominated as Obama’s AG?
By monkeyrotica
[19] | 11/20/08 02:33PM
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It’s been an open secret for years now that if you’re into sadistic thrill killings, Swann Street is where you want to go. Leopold & Loeb, Dick & Perry, the guy who invented the Falcon Punch…they all got their start on Swann Street. They should just bulldoze the entire block and replace it with selfserve frogurt stands, glory holes, and a sci-fi-themed cupcakery called, “Bake Me To Your Leader.”
By Deep
[20] | 11/20/08 02:41PM
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Jeesh! I just read the full affidavit and somebody
screwed up big-time. I have watched one episode of CSI and I never watch any of those Law and Order shows because of my earlier interests in crime and forensics. I found all those shows full of BS and
misleading.
By iAManugget
[21] | 11/20/08 02:49PM
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this is what i have always thought:
wone was straight, the guy was gay. they are doing coke a little bit. maybe a little too much. gay friend comes onto wone, wone pulls a wtf, verbal confrontation ensues, they are like ‘all right all right’. shit calms down for awhile.
wone falls asleep, friend who cant stand being rejected comes onto wone while he is sleeping. wone wakes up, struggle ensues, gets knocked out or some shit. dude sexually assaults wone, then realizes wone is dead. friends come home or downstairs or wherever the hell they are and go ‘holy shit batman!’ and the guy says wone came onto him, basically playing the defense card.
they clean stuff up thanks to what they see on mythbusters and csi and play the stupid card.
By Politburo
[22] | 11/20/08 02:55PM
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“b/c unless CSI is a complete and utter crock of shit”
Famous last words…
“BUt they guy had his mouth guard on”
Am I the only one who doesn’t consider this indicative of anything? It’s not like they couldn’t have just put it in his mouth after the fact.
By Hillman
[23] | 11/20/08 02:56PM
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CSI and Law and Order are fucking up the jury system. More and more jurors think the fantasy crap on CSI is real and are refusing to convict without such fancy fake evidence.
It sucks to be a prosecutor these days.
By trebek26
[24] | 11/20/08 02:58PM
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According to the evidence, there was no indication that Wone struggled with anyone.
By Deep
[25] | 11/20/08 03:30PM
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According to the evidence, there was no indication that Wone struggled with anyone.
@iAManugget pretty much what you said plus…
another theory of Wone being drugged and not being
conscience enough to defend himself.
Ouchies!
By lukfarang
[26] | 11/20/08 03:33PM
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So when exactly will they be charging these guys with murder?
By NPGMBR
[27] | 11/20/08 03:34PM
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Im guessing that it took this long to bring formal charges because MPD had to have sufficient evidence for a grand jury to indict these guys. Contrary to what we all believe MPD has to get their ducks in a row if they want to ensure that they have sufficient evidence to refute anything the defense will throw at them. These people know their jobs and understand that there is no such thing as an open and shut case i.e. the Ramsey case! Everyone thought the parents did it and now; all these years later we find out they were telling the truth.
By papayablue
[28] | 11/20/08 03:56PM
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Sadly, the reason it took so long to indict these guys likely has nothing to do with MPD proper but rather everything to do with the fact that all of DC’s forensic evidence is processed by the FBI Crime Lab. That means that the FBI lab determines the time frame in which the analysis is processed and analyzed and reports sent back. It can take months and even years, depending on their backlog. It’s insane and is a huge reason why so many cases in DC go unsolved- without rapid forensic evidence, a lot of witnesses will recant their statements and the case is lost. When DC gets their own crime lab in the next 2 years, hopefully this will change. Best of luck to Mrs. Wone and hopefully these 3 will be brought to justice.
By taloisi1
[29] | 11/20/08 04:59PM
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Wone may have been “straight” but he was a total queen, from what I hear.
By ricky d
[30] | 11/20/08 07:57PM
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Anybody remember that guy in DC who had two different out-of-town houseguests die of suspicious prescription drug overdoses a week apart? Police didn’t really investigate or anything? Any connection to this, at least in terms of methodology?
I suspect the poor guy was subjected to drugs or asphyxiation and accidentally dispatched thereby and the stabbing was intended to cover it up.
By Eleonora
[31] | 11/21/08 04:52PM
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ricky d, I am wondering about that too - but that will be another string of murders that won’t be solved.
Life is so cheap here. No one in the law enforcement system seems to have given two sh-ts that other people might get hurt by these people. If you read the affidavit carefully, you’ll see that the cops never even interviewed the fourth resident of the home until days later; they didn’t talk to all the neighbors, etc. Just the usual half-assed “Are you going to confess? No? well, run along then - and next time, please do your killing in a different jurisdiction.”
@taloisi1, monkeyrotica, etc. -
Making stupid
http://dcist.com/2008/11/25/wone_family_files_civil_suit_ward_r.php
KBTMtP - You are an idiot.
Were Mr. Wone to have brought someone to the house who subsequently killed him, Mssr. Ward, Price and Zaborsky would have been shocked to find his body and would have called 911 immediately, instead of waiting until he was dead. When the 911 dispatcher asked if they needed the police as well as an ambulance, they would have said “yes,” not “no.” They would be horrified that their friend was murdered and would be pressing to find the real killer. Who knows - maybe they would have used all that money they have to offer a reward. Their first priority would not be to “cover” for Mr. Wone; it would be to seek justice for their friend and his widow.
Further, had Mr. Wone brought a stranger to the house, whichever resident greeted Mr. Wone when he arrived would have met the killer. And surely, if they knew who the killer was, or at least had a description, they would have told the police rather than let a killer walk free to kill again.
The notions that Mr. Wone was on the down-low (that no straight man would spend the night at the home of gay male friends), and that a man who is the victim of sexual assault “must be” gay (and gay men are always ‘ready and willing’) are homophobic in the extreme.
Shame on you.
By cyrinaldi
[4] | 11/25/08 08:54PM
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It doesn’t matter if he was gay or not, or further, whether he “picked [anyone] up.” That’s garden variety victim-blaming. What happened is a real tragedy. But what’s worse, are reactions that imply that Wone, in anyway, deserved this.
Affadvit is here:
http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/files/ward_affidavit.pdf
html version is here
http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:s6VrH6HvYMwJ:legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/files/ward_affidavit+several+needle+puncture+marks+to+Mr+Wone%27s+body%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us
Their lawyer:
Despite an absolute lack of evidence or motive, MPD quickly—and very publicly—alleged that the Defendants must have been involved in Wone’s death,
conclusion of the affidavit:
there existsoverwhelming evidence, far in excess of probable cause, that all three — Price, Zaborsky, and Ward — obstructedjustice by altering and orchestrating the crime scene, planting evidence, delaying the reporting of the murder tothe authorities, and lying to the police about the true circumstances of the murder when interviewed by theauthorities in the immediate aftermath of the homicide. Specifically, there is abundant evidence that the threeresidents of 1509 Swann Street delayed their call to the authorities for an extended period of time, as evidencedby, among other things, a gap in time from as little as 19 minutes or as many as 49 minutes between time thescream was heard by W3 and the time Zaborsky placed the call to 9-1-1. Indeed, the evidence suggests that thescream came not from Mr. Wone, who was already incapacitated at the time he was stabbed, but rather fromZaborsky, who admitted to the police that he screamed upon seeing Robert’s body. The significant delay inreporting is further demonstrated by the fact that Mr. Wone actively digested his own blood for a significantperiod of time after he had been stabbed. The forensic pathologist opined that the three stab wounds wereinflicted while the victim was incapacitated. There were petechial hemorrhages in the victim’s eyes consistentwith an asphyxia event. Additionally, there were multiple pre-mortem needle puncture marks to Mr. Wone’sbody that were not the product of any legitimate medical treatment or intervention, suggesting that he had been12
drugged by injection, allowing for a sexual assault to take place. The fact that Mr. Wone’s semen was found onand around his genitals, on his anus, and in his rectum is consistent with a sexual assault of some kind, especiallyin light of the assertions of Price, Zaborsky and Ward that Mr. Wone was heterosexual and had showered rightbefore going to bed in the guestroom. Moreover, there were many items and devices recovered from Ward’sbedroom designed to be inserted into one’s anal cavity. The size of the knife found on the night stand in theguestroom is inconsistent with the nature of the wounds. However, the knife missing from Ward’s cutlery set ismore consistent with the depth of the wounds to Mr. Wone’s torso. According to the blood pattern expert, theblood pattern on the knife is inconsistent with having been used during the stabbing but consistent with the bloodhaving been placed or wiped onto the blade using a towel The knife was found to have multiple white, cottonfibers consistent with the white towel recovered from the floor of the guestroom, inferentially demonstrating thatthe towel was used to place blood on the knife, and transferring towel fiber to the knife during that process. ■Conversely, there were no gray T-shirt fibers found on the knife as one would expect given the three apparentcuts to Mr. Wone’s T-shirt consistent with the locations of the stab wounds to this torso. Contrary to what eachof the three residents told the police ~ that being that the towel was used to put pressure on Mr. Wone’s wounds — the towel itself had a blood pattern inconsistent with having been placed on Mr. Wone’s wounds. Rather,according to the blood pattern expert, the blood pattern on the towel was consistent with having been used toplace blood on the planted knife. There were only two modest spots of blood on the bed which is inconsistentwith the quantity of blood that w?ould have flowed from Mr. Wone’s body given the nature of the injuries,according to Dr. Goslinoski. Importantly, there were no other bloody towels or bloody areas anywhere in theresidence accounting for the alarming lack of blood on the scene and on the body. The absence of any significantquantity of blood from the bed, and the crisp and near pristine condition of the bed in which Mr. Wone wasdiscovered by paramedics is entirely inconsistent with a violent stabbing having been perpetrated in that bed.The cadaver dog alert on the rear stairwell drain and the lint filter of the clothes dryer suggest that bloodyclothing or items were cleaned off in the backyard stairwell and then placed in the clothes dryer to dry. Finally,there was not one shred of non-fanciful evidence that there was any intruder present inside 1509 Swann Street ataround the time Robert Wone was killed. For all of these reasons, your Affiant respectfully requests that awarrant issue for the arrest of Dylan Ward for obstruction of justice.
Why doesn’t the Asian community attack this case with the same fervor as Vincent Chin’s murderer? Or are Asians only upset over redneck heterosexual murders?
I’ve digested threads from a DC discussion board where evidently the gossip from the DC gay community has pretty much figured out what happened, why and who probably did it.
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfthx7q4_1425fngjvkc4
This is explosive stuff, and gets to the heart of some deep LGBT and Asian American issues.
One theory is that Price set up Ward, who was into BDSM and “rice queens” with an exotic Asian male fixation. Some theories, not supported by thegovt case that perhaps 4th person, either Price’s brother or basement tenant removed knife and drugs that were not found in the apartment. In any case, the only mystery in this case is why this thing could be covered up so well for 2 years, and the only place with a decent analysis is in the gay gossip boards. The mainstream press won’t touch this, so it’s up for the Asian community to raise bloody hell over this like the Vincent Chin or college quota cases.
Some largely anonymous comments:
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This will be a fascinating case to watch, and I’m certain we will see it on Law and Order or in Vanity Fair.
But for all the rest of us - congratulations. It doesn’t look like there’s any risk that our community can be accused of the misguided support for OJ demonstated by the African-American community. Hell, we’ve already tried and convicted these dudes. Politically that makes sense. After all, most people charged with crimes are guilty. And you know what? It’s more fun, too
—-
Trig Palin could’ve solved this case in 5 minutes.
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one or more of them had a sick fantasy about doing what they did to Wone in particular. Cute straight Asian guy, and they all knew him — they threw him a 30th birthday party two years prior.
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it is not hard to imagine Ward had a fixation on Wone (rumors say Ward was a “rice queen” as well as a BDSM freak). And not hard to imagine Price the Slave tells Ward the Master “hey your Asian hottie is coming over next coming over next __day.” From there, given Ward’s dark side and predilections, it is not hard to then imagine Ward (and maybe Price along with him) plotting something.