Bio

John Thomas Wolfenbarger was born on November 4, 1971. Information about his early life is limited, but it is known that he grew up in Detroit, Michigan. As a young adult, Wolfenbarger began his criminal activities, which started with home burglaries. By the time he was 18, he was involved in multiple crimes and was already gaining attention for his illegal activities.

In 1989, Wolfenbarger was convicted of several robberies. Many of these occurred while families were still inside their homes. His actions led to a prison sentence. During his time in prison, he managed to escape but was later caught and faced additional time behind bars.

After serving years for his crimes, Wolfenbarger was released from prison in August 2002. Following his release, he quickly reconnected with other ex-cons and returned to a life of crime. He met Dennis Lincoln while both were incarcerated at the Boyer Correctional Facility in Carson City. Once out of prison, the two men attempted to plan further criminal activities.

Wolfenbarger’s life before the crimes he committed in December 2002 mainly revolved around his previous offenses and interactions within the corrections system. He had a long criminal history that included various charges, and by the time of his final crimes, he had already faced significant legal consequences for his actions.

Murder Story

On December 21, 2002, John Thomas Wolfenbarger and Dennis Lincoln planned a robbery at the home of jeweler Marco Pesce in Livonia, Michigan. They targeted Pesce because of the valuable items they believed he had, specifically a large safe filled with jewelry. Earlier that month, they had watched Pesce and gathered information about his routine.

On the day of the crime, Wolfenbarger approached Marco’s mother, Maria Vergati, as she was in the garage. He pretended to be a delivery man and used a teddy bear to gain her trust. When Maria let him inside, the situation quickly turned violent. The two men then waited for Marco's children, Carlo, Sabrina, and Melissa, to arrive home from a visit with their mother.

After the children were dropped off, the robbers ordered Carlo to call his father at work. They made him say that his sister had fallen and hurt herself to lure Marco home. When Marco arrived at the house, he was forced to open the safe. The situation escalated, and Wolfenbarger and Lincoln shot all five family members: Marco, his mother Maria, and his three children.

The following day, the bodies were discovered. The house had been ransacked, and the safe was empty. Wolfenbarger and Lincoln were arrested three days later, on Christmas Eve. They were charged with five counts of murder and robbery. Evidence included a statement from Lincoln that detailed their plan and actions.

On May 10, 2003, Wolfenbarger was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Both men faced serious consequences for their actions that took the lives of the Pesce family in a brutal manner.