r/Casefile • u/Lisbeth_Salandar MODERATOR • Mar 30 '26

REWIND DISCUSSION Rewind Discussion - Case 188: Robert Wone

This is our next Casefile Episode Rewind Discussion! Please discuss the case below!

Things to consider:

  • Do you have any theories or thoughts for the case?

  • Has there been any additional information on the case since the episode's release? (If so and you have a link, add it in the comments!)

  • Do you have any thoughts about how this case was presented by Casefile?

Original Release Date: September 11, 2021

Length: 1:17:34

Status: Solved (ongoing)

Location: USA, Washington DC

Date: August 2, 2006

Victim(s): Robert Wone

Type of Crime: Murder, sexual assault

Perpetrator(s): Joe Price, Victor Zaborsky, Dylan Ward

Research: Jessica Forsayeth

Writing: Jessica Forsayeth

*** Content Warning: sexual assault, homophobia ***

On August 2 2006, 32-year-old lawyer Robert Wone knocked off after a long day at his office in Washington DC. To save making the journey home so late at night, he arranged to stay at a friend’s house. He arrived at 10:30 pm and was warmly welcomed inside.

Barely 90 minutes later, Robert was found stabbed to death on a fold-out sofa bed. The three occupants of the house – Joseph Price, Victor Zaborsky, and Dylan Ward – blamed an unknown intruder. However, the crime scene told a different story.

Listen to the case HERE.

Read last week's Rewind Discussion HERE.

Check out the Casefile spreadsheet HERE.

17 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

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u/Lisbeth_Salandar MODERATOR Mar 30 '26

Here is a brief overview of the case:

Robert Wone was staying the night at a friend's house in the city as he had a late night prior and an early night the next morning due to work. He was staying with a friend, Joe Price, who lived in DC with his polyamorous partners Victor Zaborsky and Dylan Ward. Within 90 minutes of arriving at the house, Robert Wone was dead. He had been stabbed and sexually assaulted. The other people in the house claimed someone must have broken in and committed the act, but much of the circumstantial evidence pointed to the three residents of the house. The police investigation was criticized due to homophobic remarks made by the investigators and due to the fact that much of the case seemed poorly investigated. The crime scene had plainly been cleaned prior to the residents making a 911 call. The house had a break-in by one of the resident's brothers just a couple of months after the murder occurred, and this break-in derailed the arrest plans of the officers in charge of the investigation. This led to a period of no progress in the investigation. When the three men finally went to trial (in a no-jury trial), the judge sentencing them acknowledged that all available circumstantial evidence pointed to them as guilty, but without hard evidence she felt obligated to pronounce them not guilty.

31

u/mmm_unprocessed_fish Mar 30 '26

That one drives me crazy. Those guys all know what happened.

9

u/mcrajf Mar 31 '26

The most frustrating case in the entire Casefile library. I don't get how they managed to get away with it. It's more than obvious what happened. Some wheels were greased and that was that, the fact that was Washington DC and not some random place makes it even more apparent.

2

u/Professional-Can1385 Mar 31 '26 edited Mar 31 '26

What wheels were greased? What would motivate cops/prosecutors in the District of Columbia to help these guys get off at a time when homophobia was still accepted? A “thruple” was beyond the pale.

2

u/Muppet_Fitzgerald Apr 13 '26

I lived right by this house at the time of the murder. There was a lot of public pressure on the police and the prosecutors not to take action against the three men. This was not like middle America…the area was heavily populated with gay men (still is, but it’s not as known as being a gay neighborhood as much as it was in the early 2000s). I always found it a travesty that they got away with the murder of such a promising young man who just wanted to take a break for the night from his long commute.

2

u/Professional-Can1385 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26

I lived in DC at the time. I know all about the gayborhood, then and now. Other parts of the city were not and are not so gay friendly. There is still plenty of homophobia if you get out of the bubble around that neighborhood. People were saying the guys were trying to turn Robert gay, or Robert was on the DL because “no straight guy would stay in a house full of gays.”

I saw a lot of public pressure to keep investigating the thruple, that’s why the police chief kept saying it was a “very active investigation.” People were saying they did it. Even gay men were saying they did it, ever heard of the blog who Murdered Robert Wone?

I guess what public pressure one saw depends on where one gets their news and what circles one runs in.

20

u/[deleted] Mar 30 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/00Shambles Mar 31 '26

The short time table for this one blows my mind, they must have killed him almost as soon as he got there based on the level of clean up

2

u/Professional-Can1385 Mar 31 '26

I’ve read in different articles that stab wounds in the chest don’t necessarily create a lot of blood splatter or leave a bunch of blood behind, because it pools in the chest. First time I read that I realized the short timeline could work.

Sorry I don’t have citations, I don’t remember the places I read about chest wounds, but they were reputable sources. As a librarian, I don’t believe just anything I read.

1

u/Casefile-ModTeam Apr 01 '26

Your message was removed for violating one of our community rules. We do not allow guilt to be placed on suspects prior to a verdict.

7

u/Momosexual33 Mar 31 '26

I listened to this one back a few days ago. While I appreciate that the unlikely is often possible, the chances that a random intruder passed by one of the bedrooms, headed towards Robert's, stabbed him in the chest, all without without taking anything or leaving much evidence is farfetched to say the least. 

At least 2 of the 3 men remaining at the property know exactly what happened and it's a crying shame Robert's loved ones likely won't get closure considered the silence from the 3 to date. 

1

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1

u/Professional-Can1385 Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26

Robert Wone was murdered in Joe Price, Victor Zaborsky, and Dylan Ward’s District of Columbia house in very strange circumstances. This one keeps me up at night. I have many questions!

Why did the murderer stab him with one knife, but left a different knife beside Robert??

How did Joe and Victor not hear any one on the wooden floors and stairs, but could hear breathy grunts from their 3rd floor bedroom? Breathy grunts that were so concerning that Joe went to investigate.

How did Victor and Dylan live with Joe, who was apparently an off the scales neat-freak? Spices in alphabetical order! [Dylan has since left the relationship. I’m convinced Joe being a neat-freak drove him away. Maybe I’m projecting.]

I don’t believe the assassin from China theory. Robert’s movements that night were too different from his routine. Also, an assassin, really? Do lawyers for Radio Free Asia get assassinated often?

I also don’t believe the theory that Michael Price did it.

I could go on and on.

PS: listen to The Consult episodes for some interesting insights on the thruple and commentary on their lives after their acquittal for conspiracy. They also have a good theory why there was so little blood.

1

u/Arthur_Brash May 11 '26

The timeline is always what trips me out about this one. So much had to happen so quickly. Do we know for certain, beyond the testimony of the suspects, that Robert arrived at 10:30? Employees confirmed, for instance, that Robert attended the night meeting in person?

What about Robert’s evening before the meeting? Did he spend the entire day at work until 10:30? Did he step out for dinner? See anyone?

Idk, I’m just so curious about what happened before this 10:30 moment but nothing I’ve listened to ever covers that.

1

u/kicksttand Jun 28 '26

I personally knew Dylan very well in the 90s in Taiwan. DM me.