Ep. 063 - 064 | The Murder of Robert Wone
On the night of August 2, 2006, 32-year-old attorney Robert Wone was found fatally stabbed in the guest room of a friend’s home in Washington, D.C., under circumstances that remain deeply mysterious. Wone had been staying overnight at the home of college friend Joseph Price, who lived there with his partner Victor Zaborsky and their housemate Dylan Ward. The three men claimed an unknown intruder broke in, stabbed Robert, and fled—yet there were no signs of forced entry, and their behavior after the crime raised suspicions. An autopsy revealed precise knife wounds and signs that Robert may have been incapacitated before his death, possibly through chemical restraint, though toxicology was inconclusive. The case garnered national attention due to its eerie details, the unusual domestic arrangement in the house, and the fact that the three men were later charged—not with murder, but with obstruction of justice and conspiracy. They were ultimately acquitted, and to this day, no one has been held criminally responsible for Robert Wone’s death.
SOURCES:
ABC News. (2008, November 21). Police allege coverup in lawyer’s 2006 murder. ABCNews.go.com. https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=6306456
Beaujon, A. (2023, March 13). A new documentary examines a still-perplexing DC murder. Washingtonian. https://www.washingtonian.com/2023/03/13/robert-wone-documentary-peacock/
Chibbaro, L. Jr. (2016a, August 10). 10 years later, Wone murder remains a mystery. Washington Blade. https://www.washingtonblade.com/2016/08/10/10-years-later-wone-murder-remains-mystery/
Chibbaro, L. Jr. (2016b, August 19). Wone case defendants: Where are they now? Washington Blade. https://www.washingtonblade.com/2016/08/19/wone-case-defendants-now/
Dread Central. (2023, October 4). This shocking new true crime documentary series on Peacock is a plea for justice. https://www.dreadcentral.com/editorials/449489/this-shocking-new-true-crime-documentary-series-on-peacock-is-a-plea-for-justice/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Eshleman, T. (2023, October 15). Remembering Robert Wone ’96. William & Mary Alumni Magazine. https://magazine.wm.edu/issue/2023-fall/remembering-robert-wone-96.php
Jaffe, H. (2010, April 20). Robert Wone: Life, death, and love. Washingtonian. https://www.washingtonian.com/2010/04/20/robert-wone-life-death-and-love/
Lyon, R. (2024, March 13). Who killed Robert Wone? Inside the unsolved mystery of his brutal murder. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/robert-wone
MedicineNet. (n.d.). Succinylcholine. https://www.medicinenet.com/succinylcholine/article.htm
NBC4 Washington. (n.d.). “I didn’t feel his crying was real”. https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/i-didnt-feel-his-crying-was-real/2671346/
Smith, R. (2010, June 11). The secret sex toys of the Robert Wone trial. Washington City Paper. https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/224506/the-secret-sex-toys-of-the-robert-wone-trial-how/
The Robert Wone Stabbing: Anatomy of a Murder Case. (n.d.). [Title of publication or website not provided].
Washington Blade. (2010, March 8). Wone hearing to discuss SM devices. https://www.washingtonblade.com/2010/03/08/wone-hearing-to-discuss-sm-devices/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Washington Blade. (2010, March 13). Sexual assault may be dropped in Wone murder case. https://www.washingtonblade.com/2010/03/13/sexual-assault-may-be-dropped-in-wone-murder-case/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Washington City Paper. (n.d.). The secret sex toys of the Robert Wone trial: How prosecutors used BDSM gear to build their case. https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/224506/the-secret-sex-toys-of-the-robert-wone-trial-how/#:~:text=In%20the%20prosecution%E2%80%99s%20version%20of,knife%20and%20left%20to%20die
Washington Post. (2010, February 17). Obstruction case pursued in Wone killing. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2010/02/17/obstruction-case-pursued-in-wone-killing/6e86a085-536f-4bd5-9362-d3ca1bef0097/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Wone Autopsy Report. (n.d.). Autopsy report for Robert Wone. https://whomurderedrobertwone.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Case-Number-06-1837.pdf
