Who Killed Robert Wone? It’s a query explored within the new two-part Peacock documentary centering on the unsolved homicide of a Washington D.C. legal professional in 2006.
Wone was discovered stabbed to demise within the house of a pal he had been visiting. The home was shared by Victor Zaborsky and his home companion Joe Price and one other man, Dylan Ward, with whom they have been concerned in a polyamorous relationship. When police questioned Price, Zaborsky, and Ward, all of them denied any involvement and steered an intruder could have damaged in. Yet, there have been no indicators of a compelled entry, a battle, or that a person had fled after the crime was dedicated.
Wone, who was by all accounts fortunately married, had been planning to spend the night time on the home. BDSM objects have been present in Dylan’s room. An post-mortem confirmed needle marks made to Wone’s physique. A rape check got here again with beautiful outcomes.
So what did occur in the home that night time?
We caught up with director and Executive Producer Jared P. Scott on the twists and turns of a real crime case that he says is like taking part in a recreation of ‘Clue.’
How drew you to inform this story?
Jared P. Scott: It’s a captivating story. On August 2, 2006, Robert Wone, a distinguished lawyer and promising younger man, decides to spend the night time at a pal’s home he knew. Then 79 minutes after arriving one of many pals calls 911 and says Robert has been stabbed. From there the EMTs arrive and so they simply describe a wierd scene. Then the detectives arrive and it will get even stranger. What caught my consideration is its this Clue-like thriller. You have 4 individuals in the home that night time. 79 minutes later a type of individuals is useless. The different three are saying, “Not me.” It’s a closed atmosphere. Part of the story is there could have been an intruder coming into that home…You have this black field thriller. We’re all fascinated by puzzles and mysteries. I believe that is the final word puzzle. I at all times considered it as an inconceivable puzzle…I believe there’s this pure drive all of us have as storytellers and an viewers the place we’ve got to determine who did it and why they did it.
There can be the aspect of sufferer advocacy. We need to do proper right here for somebody who by all accounts was an excellent younger, well-liked promising younger man who had his life taken from him, and no one has been held accountable. Justice has not been executed. What we do as storytellers is have to consider sufferer advocacy. If we will highlight this story, possibly somebody can come out of the woodwork, 16 years later, and possibly somebody has some info and may come ahead and assist resolve this case.
I believe having the precise questioning of the three roommates actually permits the viewer to attract their very own conclusion. You see their physique language and the way they reply. You additionally see the method the investigators are taking with them.
Glenn Kirschner is the previous prosecutor and this case is his white whale as he calls it. I believe Glenn is a giant driver of the story. It’s one thing he hasn’t been capable of let go of after 16 years. This is the one which obtained away. It was essential he helped the narrative as a result of it’s so ingrained in him. We had this never-seen-before interrogation footage that was proven at trial. That has by no means been seen, apart from transcripts on the market. You can see these guys on digital camera how they’re reacting to the detectives.
What have been the challenges of wanting to inform a balanced story with out the enter of Price, Zaborsky, and Ward?
You at all times need a balanced story however it’s powerful on this case as a result of the three roommates, suspects, have all had prices in opposition to them and have been all exonerated. After that first night time of questioning, they by no means spoke once more. They didn’t converse to the media or at trial or the civil trial. We don’t know their story apart from what was mentioned in these interrogations that night time. We labored that into the story…That throughout these 79 minutes, the one individuals who can inform us what occurred in that timeframe are Joe, Victor, and Dylan. We would love to talk with them, however we weren’t capable of get that form of entry…We have been solely capable of safe the protection legal professional for Joe Price in Bernie Grimm. He is nice, a legend in Washington D.C. Bernie has had an amazing standing within the D.C. legal justice system. To have him shed his insights was invaluable. You get a little bit of a point-counterpoint with Bernie and Glenn on the opposite aspect.
What did Wone’s widow consider your doc? Did she not need to take part?
We would have beloved to have had Kathy in our present, however she finally declined to take part. I don’t need to converse for her, however from the individuals, we’ve spoken to, she may be very quiet and really reserved. She is a really personal individual. She needed to relive this so many occasions. This is what we’ve got to consider as storytellers. I believe she felt she didn’t need to be a part of this story. We respect that.
As you probably did your analysis, was there something that shocked you in regards to the case you didn’t take into consideration earlier than?
When you analysis this case there are such a lot of particulars. The mouthguard, the dearth of blood, and all these little clues. At the start, I’m like, “How do we fit this all in?” What shocked me was you had a lot hypothesis we needed to take issues that have been speculative and put them to the aspect. It shocked me what number of issues I needed to draw back from. Part of what makes the case so fascinating is all of the speculative particulars. We needed to be accountable storytellers and journalists right here and depart it for the viewers to observe up and discuss amongst themselves…As the present goes it’s powerful to work that in an arc, particulars we’re unable to slot in that piece. The ones we have been capable of deal with have been completely mindboggling.
The focus is on the three roommates, however then there’s Joe’s brother Michael who additionally had entry to the residence
It introduces one other risk. That’s a traditional homicide thriller. Was there a fifth individual there or a sixth individual? No prices have been introduced in opposition to the brother. But there was plenty of dialogue in regards to the brother within the trial itself. Then we needed to be cautious of who was charged for what on this case. It’s a type of issues the place there are these circumstantial items and curiosities. The member of the family that you just talked about suits in that class. We simply don’t know. The concept there had been another person in that home that night time is believable, however we simply don’t know what occurred.
How did this course of mission examine to others you’ve executed? What do you hope audiences acquire from watching?
I believe like all storytellers, our paths are lengthy and winding. I’ve informed tales about inequality, local weather change, and injustice. This story to me is a real crime, however there’s an concept of sufferer advocacy and in search of the reality and justice for Rober. I hope individuals stroll away with a narrative that they’re entertained by however then we additionally need to determine what the heck occurred. There is a hotline quantity on the finish of the present. My hope is somebody comes ahead and says one thing and tells us one thing and provides us the clues to resolve this case.
Who Killed Robert Wone?, March 7, Peacock