20 Years Later, His Death Remains Unsolved
WASHINGTON — August 30, 2026 — Twenty years after the killing of attorney Robert Wone shocked Washington, a new legal dispute has brought renewed attention to one of the District's most enduring unsolved mysteries.
Wone, 32, was stabbed inside a Dupont Circle townhouse on Aug. 2, 2006, while staying overnight at the home of college friend Joseph Price. Two other men, Victor Zaborsky and Dylan Ward, were also in the house.
No one has ever been charged with Wone's killing. The case remains open with D.C. police.
A New Fight Over Settlement Payments
The latest development does not directly solve the homicide. Instead, it involves money connected to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Wone's estate.
In 2008, the estate sued Price, Zaborsky and Ward for $20 million, alleging negligence, destruction of evidence and conspiracy. The case was settled in 2011, with the terms kept confidential.
This year, however, Wone's estate filed complaints in D.C. Superior Court alleging that Price and Zaborsky had failed to make payments required under the settlement.
Court documents cited by The Washington Post say Price had agreed to pay $85,500 over 20 years, while Zaborsky had agreed to pay $60,000.
The estate alleged that, as of May 29, Price owed nearly $56,900 in missed payments, bounced checks, fees and interest. Zaborsky allegedly owed more than $31,700.
The Night Wone Was Killed
Wone had been working late before deciding to stay at Price's home on Swann Street NW.
Shortly before midnight, Zaborsky called 911 and reported that Wone had been stabbed by an intruder.
The circumstances surrounding the death immediately raised questions. Medical investigators determined that Wone had been stabbed three times, with wounds involving his heart and right lung. A paramedic also noted that the victim's body appeared to have been cleaned.
Investigators eventually focused on the three men who were inside the house.
Defendants Were Acquitted
Prosecutors never established who killed Wone but later accused the three men of participating in a cover-up.
In 2008, Price, Zaborsky and Ward were charged with obstruction of justice. Prosecutors argued that Wone had been restrained and incapacitated and suggested that there had been an attempted sexual assault.
All three men were acquitted after a joint bench trial in 2010.
Judge Lynn Leibovitz said prosecutors had not proved the obstruction charges beyond a reasonable doubt. She also rejected the defendants' explanation that an unknown intruder had entered the home, saying some or all of the men were probably withholding information from investigators.
A Case That Still Has No Answer
The homicide investigation has remained open for two decades.
D.C. police said the department received a tip in 2023, around the time a documentary about the case was released, but the information did not lead to the case being closed.
The mystery has continued to attract bloggers, podcasters and documentary filmmakers. For some people who followed the case from the beginning, the unanswered questions remain difficult to forget.
Wone’s Legacy Lives On
While the circumstances of his death remain unresolved, Wone's family and friends have worked to preserve his memory through scholarships and other charitable programs.
A memorial trust established after his death has supported educational initiatives. In 2023, $100,000 from the trust helped create the Robert E. Wone Scholarship Endowment at William & Mary, his undergraduate alma mater.
The scholarship supports student research and advocacy involving Asian American communities.
Another fellowship established in Wone's name supports law students pursuing public-interest work.
His widow, Kathy Wone, has said these efforts provide comfort by continuing the values he represented during his life.
A Financial Dispute Brings the Case Back
The latest court fight has once again placed Wone's name in the public spotlight, but it has not produced an answer to the central question that has surrounded the case since 2006: who killed him?
For investigators and those who have followed the case, that mystery remains unresolved.
As the 20th anniversary passes, Wone's death continues to occupy a rare place in Washington's history — a case marked by unanswered questions, conflicting accounts and a family determined to preserve his legacy.
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