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Jury finds Allen Wade guilty in the murders of the Wolfe sisters (Includes first-hand account)

Jurors listened to over 60 witnesses over 13 days, including Wade’s former girlfriend LaShawn Rue, who testified Wade,45, was at home with her the night of the murders.

Sarah, 38, and Susan, 44, were found in their home on February 7 after not showing up for work. Sarah worked as a psychiatrist at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic and Susan worked as a teacher’s-aide at a private school.

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Susan and Sarah Wolfe Memorial Fund

Initial DNA testing by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office concluded Wade could not be excluded as a contributor to DNA found on bloody sweatpants, police say he left on a sidewalk, as well as DNA found under Susan Wolf’s fingernails.

However, testing performed by a private DNA lab at the request of prosecutors concluded that Wade’s DNA was under Susan’s fingernails, and there is a one in six quintrillion chance it could belong to someone else.

Public Defender Lisa Middleman tried to discredit the lab by saying the TrueAllele software used to preform the tests is unreliable, and is only used by five crime laboratories in the country. A scientist with the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office testified that while it purchased TrueAllele, it has no plans to use it.

Ms. Middleman accused police during her closing argument, of rushing to judgment in charging Wade with the murders because in-part, the victims’ sister, Mary Wolfe is an Iowa state representative

Other evidence used to convict Wade included a video from an ATM machine, which police say is Wade withdrawing $600 from Sarah’s account, and making repeated attempts to make withdrawals from Susan’s account.

Jurors also viewed a surveillance video from a Sunoco gas station near the sisters’ home, showing Wade buying cigarettes several hours after the murders. In both the Sunoco and ATM videos the man is wearing a blue shirt with a white mark on the left sleeve. While the man’s face is obscured in the ATM video, Wade’s face is clearly visible in the Sunoco video according to trial testimony.

“We’ve known him since the day he was born. He’s always been a gentle, kind-hearted person,” said Wade’s cousin, Sharlene Hayes after the verdicts were announced. “”To see him turn to something this ugly, this monster, is something that we can’t soak in at al,” she added.

Lawyers in the case, as well as members of the Wolfe family are not permitted to comment because of a gag order that was put in place shortly before the trial started.

The penalty phase is set to begin Tuesday before Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski where jurors will decide if Wade will receive the death penalty, or be sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Judge Borkowski dismissed the jury shortly after the verdicts were announced with a stern warning to avoid all media coverage. On Thursday a male juror was dismissed for conduct in the jury room, however, no reason for the dismissal was announced in open court.

The jury will hear from Wolfe family members during the penalty phase because they are permitted to make victim impact statements. Prosecutors will also tell the jury about Wade’s prior criminal record, which includes at least one felony conviction for which he served time in prison. Wade’s public defender is expected to introduce evidence why his life should be spared.

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