Three Freed From Monitoring In Dupont Circle Slaying Case

Men Charged With Obstruction in Lawyer's Death

Three men charged with obstruction of justice in connection with the death of a prominent lawyer in a Dupont Circle house have been released from electronic monitoring, but prosecutors said they expect to file additional charges against the men as early as next month.

D.C. Superior Court Judge Frederick H. Weisberg ordered electronic ankle bracelets removed and lifted curfews yesterday for Joseph Price, 37, Victor J. Zaborsky, 42, and Dylan M. Ward, 38. The three pleaded not guilty last month to obstruction charges in the 2006 sexual assault and stabbing death of Robert Wone, 32, of Oakton, a lawyer with Radio Free Asia.

Weisberg said that he did not consider the men a flight risk and added that they had been cooperating with authorities.

But Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Kirschner, chief of the homicide division, argued that Price had been less cooperative than his co-defendants.

Kirschner said Price told court authorities at the time of his arrest that he had never used drugs. But Kirschner said subsequent investigation determined that Price had either possessed or distributed crystal methamphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy. Price's attorney, Bernard Grimm, called the allegations "completely false."

Price, a lawyer himself, is on paid leave from the firm Arent Fox.

Kirschner said his office is seeking more grand jury indictments against the three men on charges of tampering with evidence.

The three were roommates in the six-room home where Wone was staying in a guest room the night of Aug. 2, 2006. Police say Wone was drugged, sexually assaulted and stabbed. Prosecutors say 19 to 49 minutes elapsed between the discovery of Wone's body and a call to 911.

"We have an innocent victim here" who was tortured and suffocated, Kirschner said. "He was allowed to lie there dying for a period of time."

Wone's widow, Katharine, and other relatives sat in the courtroom. The family has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the roommates, saying they concealed evidence and lied to police.

No one has been charged with killing Wone. The men have told police that an intruder broke into the home and killed Wone.

Weisberg set another hearing for Jan. 16.