Robert Wone

Case background and investigation

Robert Wone, a 32-year-old lawyer, was found with fatal stab wounds on the night of August 2, 2006 in a townhouse on Swann Street NW, near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. According to Metro Weekly and NBC Washington, the house belonged to Joseph Price, a college friend of Wone and a local attorney, who lived there with his partner Victor Zaborsky and with Dylan Ward. Wone was staying in the second-floor guest room. Wikipedia's summary of the case, citing contemporary press reports, says he had recently become general counsel at Radio Free Asia and lived in Oakton, Virginia, with his wife Katherine.

The three residents told police that an unknown intruder had entered the house and stabbed Wone while they were in their rooms. Investigators disputed that account. According to reporting by Oxygen and the Washington Blade, Wone had three stab wounds to the chest and abdomen, no defensive injuries, and needle puncture marks on his body; the medical examiner concluded he was alive but incapacitated when stabbed. Police alleged in court filings that he had been immobilized and sexually assaulted, although the Wikipedia article notes that toxicology testing did not detect a drug. The ABA Journal reported that prosecutors believed there had been a delay between the discovery of Wone and the call to 911.

No one was charged with the killing itself. In late 2008 Price, Zaborsky and Ward were charged with obstruction of justice, and conspiracy charges followed; Price also faced an evidence-tampering count. The men chose a bench trial in D.C. Superior Court. On June 29, 2010, Judge Lynn Leibovitz found all three not guilty on every count. According to DCist and the Washington Blade, the judge said she did not believe an intruder was responsible, but that prosecutors had not proven obstruction, conspiracy or tampering beyond a reasonable doubt.

Wone's widow filed a $20 million wrongful-death suit in 2008. On August 3, 2011, her lawyers announced an out-of-court settlement on confidential terms, with payments directed to the Robert E. Wone Memorial Trust for scholarships and free legal services. The settlement involved no court finding of liability. The Washington Blade reported that, during discovery, each of the three men had declined to answer questions, citing the Fifth Amendment.

The Blade reported in 2016 that the three men had left Washington and that two had changed their surnames. A documentary series, Who Killed Robert Wone?, was released on Peacock in 2023. In 2026, according to Watermark Out News, Katherine Wone filed complaints in D.C. Superior Court alleging that Price and Zaborsky had fallen behind on installment payments owed under the settlement, with a scheduling conference set for September 22, 2026.

The homicide remains unsolved. No person has been charged with or convicted of killing Robert Wone, and the three former residents of the house were acquitted of all charges brought against them.