Wolfe Appeal Granted, Conviction Vacated
Chantilly man was on death row for a decade; triggerman recanted testimony against Wolfe.
Justin Michael Wolfe’s conviction and death sentence related to the 2001 murder of Daniel Robert Petrole Jr. has been vacated. The decision comes in response to a hearing last fall in which the triggerman in the case testified that Wolfe was not involved.
The court found: “Wolfe was denied the right to due process pursuant to the Fourteenth Amendment as interpreted in Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963), to be apprised of all material, exculpatory information within the hands of the prosecution.”
Wolfe’s attorneys had argued that he had not been given the opportunity to pursue information that could have cleared Wolfe prior to his trial in January 2001.
A Prince William County jury convicted and sentenced Wolfe. Some jurors signed affidavits saying they felt cajoled into finding Wolfe guilty.
More to come.
Libby
4:50 pm on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Carol Ann: There is someone serving a prison sentence for the slaying of the victim. The same guy that is serving that sentence, who was the primary witness for the prosecution, signed an affidavit admitting that he made up Justin's involvement to save his own skin.
Rennie Frank
4:51 pm on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Carol those loopholes you're talking about are called constitutional rights. I think you need to re-read this article. Wolfe was innocent of the charge. Innocent people go to prison all the time Carol ... that's not a system I want to live with.
Karma Wins
4:52 pm on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Watch your back Carol Ann, one day you could end up in prison facing the death penalty because someone lied to cover their own backs.
Imagine if he had died at the hands of the "justice" system.... would his death have been acceptable so vengeance could be served?
Mary C. Stachyra
5:00 pm on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Just a quick reminder that we ask readers not to post comments under aliases. Thanks for reading!
Iain Ashby
5:01 pm on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
As a Brit I find the american judicial system complex & sometimes balanced in favour of the criminal but Carol, this man was proven innocent....whats with the "lynch someone, anyone will do" attitude...he has lost 10 years of his life that no one nor any amount of compensation can ever replace. How many innocent people have been incarcerated or executed wrongly over there yet blinkered fools like you still spout vengeful crap !!
Joanne Royston Ⓥ
5:11 pm on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
This is really great news.I'm so happy for Justin and his family. Lovelier people you could not meet :))
roy
5:37 pm on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
RIP Danny
PG
6:58 pm on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Danny Petrole Live On Live On!
Seems like the justice system back fired. Just another example of an imperfect justice system. Hopefully the truth will come out one day. Miss you Danny!
Truth
11:14 pm on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Um
Truth
11:16 pm on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
You guys do realize he would have served this time anyway?? He was also convicted for drug charges. 35 years. BUT, it is good that they have wiped away the death penalty and murder chargers.
Mary C. Stachyra
9:08 am on Wednesday, July 13, 2011
We welcome your comments on this topic. However, I'd like to post a reminder once more that when you create an account with Patch, you agree to abide by our terms of use, which prohibits the use of aliases. You can read the terms here: centreville.patch.com/terms.
Cheryl Lynn Masella-Carter
7:10 am on Wednesday, July 13, 2011
I find it ridiculous that a person can be charged and found guilty of murder on manufactured evidence and testimony by the prosecution and the DA gets off scott free!! It's all about Ebert's ego and "rush to judgement" because the victim was the son of a former government VIP. I say we should start a petition to the prosecution saying we don't want our tax dollars wasted re-trying this case because the prosecutor doesn't want to admit he did wrong.
robertdogs
11:52 am on Wednesday, July 13, 2011
If you did read the whole option you find that in laymen terms the prosecutor lied cheated and stole this case in front of a jury.And pointed out that the head prosector has no integrity whats so ever.
Bill
1:21 pm on Monday, August 29, 2011
I've watched the 48 hours show of this case 100 times and I am always SHOCKED that they gave Justin the death penalty that is absolutely ridiculous. Even if he did what they said he did, how does the trigger man ever get less time then the guy who hired him? I think someone who can actually kill another person is more evil then someone that wants someone else dead. Anyways I don't think they had enough evidence for a conviction. However I still haven't heard a reason from Justin as to why Owen made those calls to him the night of the murder. Although even if owen called justin and told him he just killed Danny the doesn't mean Justin told him to or hired him to do it. That's what Justins lawyers should have said, that justin knew about the murder plot but had nothing to do with it. Bottom line is they didnt have enough evidence to convict him and he's done enough time for the pot. Let him go.
Karin
2:09 pm on Monday, August 29, 2011
I grew up in a town in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago and we had the same background of these kids. Weed was the norm and social life evolved around it. Kids like Owen were in the outskirts and knew it. In his testimony did anyone notice his body language, the constant looking down? Classic behavior analysis 101...LYING. And those two old prosecutors...come on...they were bullies who had trained many many years in their "craft". I call it that because I think they are just glorified actors. This case was dealt with wrong from the beginning to end and I think Justin has learned along this road. I believe in his innocence. Our "justice system" and many affiliated with it are corrupt. -Graduate of 1997
Becky Shultz-Legros
3:12 am on Tuesday, August 30, 2011
I don't think that 12 people should be allowed to play GOD there is only one GOD and he should be the one to decide when it's time!!!! I do not believe in the death penalty. My brother was killed intentionally and the person who killed him told the judge that they did and and did not have any remorse for doing it (all though it did not have to do with drugs or any other criminal activities) I still do not wish that person dead because everyone will meet their maker in due time and he knows the truth and how to hand out their just punishments!!!!!!!!
N. P. McKee
11:30 am on Saturday, November 19, 2011
I just now saw the 48 Hours on ID rerun.. I'm usually a good read of faces, and I believe Justin was railroaded in the worst way: almost to death!.. I had to look and find a site that would update the status, and I'm happy to find that 4 months ago, things began to look much better for Justin.... The love of a mother, the relentless sleepless repetative work that went into this... No matter what Justin actually did do in the drug world, I think if he got to live again, he'd make his life a campaign to derail as many youngsters as one voice can, to see another way...This was heartbreaking to many of us that never met anyone involved... How their loved ones have coped would have to be heaven sent.
bobbie
3:10 am on Friday, February 3, 2012
this kid was railroaded by the d a in the worst way his attorney didnt help him at all people need to help this kid before he spends his life in prison , this is a sad shame in this world you get busted for some thing and you know your going to prison for a very long time you say some one else did it and bingo you get a lighter sentence and the other person who was not even there gets the worst part of the sentence to death this is such a out rage JUSTIN WOLF is a man wrongly convicted of this crime
Jay Vance
3:28 am on Friday, February 3, 2012
Just watched the investigation discovery replay of the 48 Hr special.... What a joke! The death penalty... Really???'! I will say Justin didn't help himself in court but who could expect a scared 20 year old who's dirty pot dealing laundry is on display to be anything else other than lost. How does his idiot lawyer not just rip that Own kid's story apart.... How does Justin not create resonable doubt on why Own is calling him before & after the murder? Why did he never say what those calls we're about? Maybe he called as a cover up? Maybe he called and told Justin what he was doing/did? That doesn't make Justin guilty of murder nor deserve the death penalty. Own needs to be on death row! Justin has served enough time for dealing weed & paid a lifetime of debt for being stupid I say let him go. I would also like to send my condolences to Danny's friends and family. What happend to your friend and son is horrific and I would hope that Own pays for what he has done. To the jury and the Manassas court system you all should be ashamed but more than that those over zealous prosecuters should be stoned for there careless handling of these young men's lives!
Karissa Ski
2:05 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
I agree to Jay Vance 100%. Have they let that kid go yet? Its May 18, 2012