Just after 1 p.m. Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski handed Allen Wade, 45, two consecutive life sentences, and also ordered him to serve an additional 30-60 years in prison. Wade who declined to make a statement, showed no emotion while he was being sentenced.
Monday, the jury of seven women and five men convicted Wade in the double-murders of Susan Wolfe, 44, and Sarah Wolfe, 38, and started deliberating Wednesday afternoon whether he would be sentenced to death or life without parole.
Shortly before 12 p.m., a note from the jury was shared with the lawyers in the case. After reading the note, Wade’s court-appointed lawyers, Lisa Middleman and Lisa Phillips, smiled and hugged each other in the courtroom before the contents of the note was disclosed in open court by Judge Borkowski.
The note said that jurors were unable to reach an unanimous verdict, and despite several votes being taken, it appeared that they were hopelessly deadlocked. Judge Borkowski sent the jury back with instructions to put in writing they understood the court’s instructions they were given on considering death or life in prison, they were hopelessly deadlocked, and further deliberations would not result in a unanimous verdict.
Shortly before 1 p.m. Judge Borkowski received the requested note that further deliberations would not lead to any jurors changing their mind.
Jurors were split 9-3 in favor of imposing a death sentence.
While some jurors were convinced of Wade’s guilt because of the DNA evidence, others were swayed by Assistant District Attorney William Petulla’s closing argument, where he focused on the distinctive white mark on the left sleeve of a blue shirt that was visible in both the ATM and Sunoco surveillance videos. While the person’s face was obscured in the ATM video, Wade is clearly seen wearing the shirt with the same white mark in the Sunoco video; where he was buying cigarettes.
None of the Wolfe family members who spoke with reporters after the sentence was announced said specifically they had wanted Wade to receive a death sentence. Most just wanted to make sure he never would get out of prison.
Jack Wolfe, the sisters’ father, himself a criminal defense lawyer in Iowa said, “I don’t have a problem saying that I go along with whatever their decision was and we have no problems with it.”
Sister Christie Wolfe said, “This is a dangerous person. It was a phenomenally horrendous crime,” referring to Wade. “We’ve always said if the defendant was out, people in Pittsburgh are in danger. She said a website was created in the sisters’ memory.
Brother Kevin Wolfe, a former Iowa police officer, said he still has Sarah’s diplomas from medical school and the three residency programs she completed in pediatrics, psychiatry and child psychiatry. “I like it that Wade is in prison and he is marked as a murderer of two women.”
Wade’s family declined to comment, however his great aunt Jeanette Howard said, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry” to sister Katie Wolfe as she left the courtroom.
Some jurors reported they could not agree on how much weight to give evidence submitted during the sentencing portion of the case concerning how helpful Wade had been to others as a child.
Assistant District Attorney Rob Schupansky who referred to Wade as an “Instrument of Death,” asked the jury Wednesday to sentence Wade to death citing his previous convictions in 2003 for robbing a PNC Bank and a Payless Shoes store, where he threatened to shoot a female clerk according to court testimony.
Testimony during the trial revealed that Wade repeatedly struck Susan in the head with a blunt object, causing blood to spatter on a wall near the front door. He dragged Susan down the basement steps, shot her in the back of the head and left her lying nude. The same fate awaited Sarah, except Wade didn’t remove her clothes.
During the day-long sentencing hearing Wednesday, a number of Wade’s family members asked the jury to spare his life. His mother Vivian Wade told jurors that he only received one “F” in school, yet Mr. Schupansky told jurors in his closing argument that Wade received 21 “Fs” according to school records.
In her closing argument Ms. Phillips comparing the life Wade will face in prison to living in a room the size of a hotel bathroom said, “Put Allen Wade in a cage for the rest of his life,” she said.
Ms. Middleman announced in court that Wade plans to appeal the verdicts.
