In March, The Washingtonianexamined the 2002 conviction of 20-year-old Justin Wolfe, who was sentenced to death for ordering a gangland-style execution of a Prince William County drug dealer. The story explored new evidence that points to Wolfe’s innocence—including the recantation of courtroom testimony by Owen Barber, the trigger man in the murder and the only witness to directly tie Wolfe to the killing.
The US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit yesterday (May 11, 2009) ordered a federal district-court judge to reexamine Barber’s recantation. The judge, Raymond A. Jackson of the federal district court for eastern Virginia, previously had dismissed the new evidence in the case, but a three-judge panel found errors in that decision. While the panel did not order Jackson to hold an evidentiary hearing, it noted that Barber’s testimony was key to Wolfe’s prosecution—a fact that it said “strongly suggests” the need for a fresh investigation.“We are pleased with the court’s opinion and look forward to the opportunity to more fully present Justin’s case to the district court,” says Brian Meiners, a lawyer with the DC office of King & Spalding, which is working pro bono as part of Wolfe’s defense team.
Wolfe was convicted in 2002 of hiring Barber to murder Danny Petrole, a 21-year-old who was kingpin of one of Northern Virginia’s biggest drug rings. Wolfe’s prosecution, which featured tales of drugs and sex among suburban teens, made headlines nationwide. Wolfe, a recent graduate of Chantilly High, was prosecuted by Prince William County Commonwealth Attorney Paul Ebert, one of the country’s most successful prosecutors in capital-murder cases. Read “Who Killed Danny Petrole?” for the story behind the new evidence that’s at the heart of Wolfe’s claim to innocence.
An Innocent Man on Virginia’s Death Row?
In March, The Washingtonian examined the 2002 conviction of 20-year-old Justin Wolfe, who was sentenced to death for ordering a gangland-style execution of a Prince William County drug dealer. The story explored new evidence that points to Wolfe’s innocence—including the recantation of courtroom testimony by Owen Barber, the trigger man in the murder and the only witness to directly tie Wolfe to the killing.
The US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit yesterday (May 11, 2009) ordered a federal district-court judge to reexamine Barber’s recantation. The judge, Raymond A. Jackson of the federal district court for eastern Virginia, previously had dismissed the new evidence in the case, but a three-judge panel found errors in that decision. While the panel did not order Jackson to hold an evidentiary hearing, it noted that Barber’s testimony was key to Wolfe’s prosecution—a fact that it said “strongly suggests” the need for a fresh investigation.“We are pleased with the court’s opinion and look forward to the opportunity to more fully present Justin’s case to the district court,” says Brian Meiners, a lawyer with the DC office of King & Spalding, which is working pro bono as part of Wolfe’s defense team.
Wolfe was convicted in 2002 of hiring Barber to murder Danny Petrole, a 21-year-old who was kingpin of one of Northern Virginia’s biggest drug rings. Wolfe’s prosecution, which featured tales of drugs and sex among suburban teens, made headlines nationwide. Wolfe, a recent graduate of Chantilly High, was prosecuted by Prince William County Commonwealth Attorney Paul Ebert, one of the country’s most successful prosecutors in capital-murder cases. Read “Who Killed Danny Petrole?” for the story behind the new evidence that’s at the heart of Wolfe’s claim to innocence.
Most Popular in News & Politics
What It Felt Like for a Virginia Marching Band to Win Metallica’s Contest
Meet the 2023 Washingtonians of the Year
What’s IN and OUT in DC Restaurant Trends for 2024
Introducing 8 of DC’s Most Stylish
Washingtonian Magazine
May 2024: Great Getaways
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
13 Major Concerts and Music Festivals in the DC Area This Spring
Mary Timony on Her Emotional New Album, “Untame the Tiger”
The Beatles in DC: A New Exhibit in Maryland Looks Back on Early Beatlemania
Northern Virginia High School Wins Metallica’s Marching Band Competition
More from News & Politics
Former Fiola GM Convicted of Murder Is Now in a Netflix Docuseries
These 5 DC Traffic Cams Are Issuing the Most Tickets Right Now
Farewell to Crystal City Underground, the DC Area’s Strangest Mall
Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2024
Inside the Urgent Effort to Preserve Black Newspapers
Maryland Has Renamed an Invasive Fish. Will It Matter?
Meet the 2024 Washington Women in Journalism Award Winners
In the Doghouse: Kristi Noem and 5 Other Canine Political Scandals