The recent murder of Penn Law School alumnus Robert Wone has elicited sorrowful memories of him from Law School faculty while puzzling those investigating the killing.
Three friends found Wone - who graduated from the Law School with honors in 1999 - in their Washington, D.C., home on the night of Aug. 2, after he had been stabbed in the chest three times. Police, however, found no signs of forced entry into the home.
U.S. District Attorney's Office spokesman Channing Phillips said that no charges have been made, but that investigations are under way.
Professors who taught Wone at Penn said the incident has shocked and saddened them, especially considering Wone's intellectual curiosity and his commitment to public service.
For investigators, the case is puzzling for other reasons.
The evening of his murder, Wone decided to spend the night at the home of college friend, Joseph Price, instead of returning to his Oakton, Va., home after working late. Price, along with two other men, may have been home at the time of the murder.
Penn Law professor Regina Austin, who taught Wone and had kept in touch with him since then, said Wone was "natural-born politician and a do-gooder with a great deal of potential.
"He was one of my favorite students of all time - and I have been a professor for 30 years," Austin said.
Penn Law professor Alan Lerner, who also taught Wone and had remained in contact with him, said Wone was a "wonderful student - bright and engaged."
Both professors said Wone had high potential as a lawyer.
"Robert saw that problems among people are complex and nuanced and can't just be seen on one side or another," Lerner said.
Wone began working at Radio Free Asia in July after working as an associate at the firm Covington & Burling for six years.
Lerner said he spoke with Wone this summer about the new position and did not notice anything abnormal.
"It was an enormously wonderful opportunity for him because of his commitment to public interest," Lerner said.
The investigation is being conducted by the Violent Crimes Branch of the Metropolitan Police Dept.
