"His family was travelling, so no one reported him missing," Farrall said. Ultimately, his cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma, and his manner of death was ruled a homicide. "I think he might have pissed someone offand I think his movements reflected that. But that chilling scene is only the beginning of a sprawling unsolved murder of a former Pentagon official and presidential aide. New York, These Are the 30 Best True Crime Podcasts. This was the last time anyone reported seeing him alive. Wheelerwho was also diagnosed with bipolar disorderwas found dead in a landfill after a night of . Michael Lawson, a retired detective who worked with the Wilmington Police Department at the time, said that when he approached Wheeler's body in the landfill after getting reports of the same, he could see it was a White male with no obvious signs of injury like a gunshot wound or a stab wound. He was the chairman in charge of strategy guidance for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and served as a senior planner for Amtrak. In 2017, Wheeler's wife Kathy Klyce toldWashington Post she believed he messed with the wrong person. On December 31, 2010, at 9:56 a.m., Jack Wheelers body was found dumped in the Cherry Island Landfill in Wilmington, Delaware, a place where he had no business being at that point in time. Plot details forUnsolved Mysteriesahead. Murphy was discovered during a well-being check by Wheeling police after she failed to report to work on Tuesday. He didn't, however, have a strong sense of direction and was often losing his car. window.adsContainer = {"position2":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Above_Next_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position3":{"code":"Article_Mobile_300x250_ATF_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle1_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle2_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position7":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle3_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle4_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle5_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position10":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle6_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position11":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle7_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position12":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle8_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position13":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle9_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position14":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle10_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position15":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle11_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position16":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle12_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250}} Seems the simplest explanation is he had a mental break. He feared somebody had broken in. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. I don't deny he suffered from from a manic episode, but both him and Lam got murdered. While this theory would explain Wheeler's behavior and injuries and the results of his autopsy, it does have one major flaw; Wheeler's body still had money, jewelry and an expensive watch when it was found in the Wilmington landfill. "The pharmacist couldnt leave the shop, so he offered to call Jack a cab. Investigator Joe Salerno said that since Jack had a very strong network with the government, "he may have been a target of a murder-for-hire type situation. Steve Volk, an investigative journalist, said, "What we know is that at the time of his death, he was working as a consultant for the Mitre Corporation, which is a defense contracting firm. However, the main problem with this theory is that Wheeler wasn't robbed: He still was wearing an expensive watch and his West Point ring when his body was found. "'I thought it was a little odd,' says [a hacker he spoke to]. What you are about to read is not a news broadcast. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), On the morning his body was discovered, his neighbor called the police to report a burglary at his place. That same night, a smoke bomb went off in the house that was under construction right across from his place. SkyFOX was over the scene where a body of a toddler was found Thursday. He seemed in a lot of distress at the parking garage. The last footage of Wheeler was him wearing a dark hoodie, walking past the DuPont Hotel in downtown Wilmington. eventAction: 'click_ads' eventAction: 'load' ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); In this footage, he appears frenetic and confused. Days before his death, Wheeler had filed a lawsuit attempting to halt the construction of a house across the street from his home in New Castle. "So we do know who that was, and they did not have anything to do with his disappearance.. In addition, Wheeler's Rolex watch, West Point ring, and wallet with money were all left on him. "The way they disposed of his body, its a miracle anybody ever found it. All the dance numbers! His family confirmed that Jack was directionally challenged, and his behavior could have been due to his Bipolar disorder. The victim had very strong ties to the government which could be understood by merely glancing at his career. Bush and George W. Bush. Curious to know all the details? As mentioned in the episode, Wheeler's emotional distress and his death seem unconnected to each other. "He was beaten to death. Why would someone break into your house, destroy your spice rack and throw your Comet all around? Related: Unsolved Mysteries: Every Jack Wheeler Death Theory, Explained. hitType: 'event', By the way, whenever I need a ride somewhere I always go to the pharmacy and ask someone to take me. I bet they were wheelers. Write a request for the autopsy report. A few days later, a neighbor noticed an open window and found Wheeler's New Castle home in disarray, with a copy ofThe Long Gray Line(in which Wheeler is featured) on the table. Investigators soon found Jacks phone, but it was in the under-construction house across the street, making them think that maybe Jack had set off those smoke bombs. Wheeler's body was apparently dumped in a dumpster in Newark, Delaware, which was 14 kilometers from Wilmington. Dill also reported a bare footprint. ga('ads.send', { He also, interestingly, asked for train fare, despite refusing the offer of a cab from parking attendants the night before. He was then seen asking for a ride to Wilmington, DE, searching unsuccessfully for his car in the wrong parking garage. John 'Jack' Wheeler's body was found in a landfill His body was found 14 hours later on December 31 in a landfill after being dumped from a trash truck. And what about the people that drove him from the pharmacy to the garage? Wheeler next appeared on surveillance camera in the Nemours building in downtown Wilmington the following day, on December 30. }); I vote for him. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? This case is covered in the first episode of .css-umdwtv{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#FF3A30;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:background 0.4s;transition:background 0.4s;background:linear-gradient(#ffffff, #ffffff 50%, #d5dbe3 50%, #d5dbe3);-webkit-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;}.css-umdwtv:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-position:100% 100%;background-position:100% 100%;}Volume Two of Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries reboot. In its very first episode, Washington Insider Murder, the show chronicles the bizarre homicide of a former presidential aide, who was found dumped in a landfill in Wilmington, Delaware. Yes, he did have a second home in New Castle, Delaware, but Wilmington was a completely different area. According to aWashington Postarticle, Wheeler emailed his therapist after he emailed Mitre, saying after a fight with his wife he felt dazed, boxed in a corner. The office building he ended up spending the night at was one in which he had visited to request a consultation with a lawyer, although he left without getting counsel. Netflix owes us answers after that ending. Come morning, Katherine tried calling him, but he didnt pick up. More:Why Unsolved Mysteries On Netflix Doesn't Have A Host. With his background and long list of connections, it seems unlikely that there wouldn't be someone Wheeler could have turned to if he were about to become a whistleblower and was in fear for his life. He was also limping, or maybe that was his normal gait, at the pharmacy. Surely he talked during that trip? Since he was the caretaker of Jacks house, he went into the house and saw the house was in disarray. He was several blocks from the parking garage where his car was located, and he appeared visibility distressed, repeatedly telling the attendant that his briefcase had been stolen. Because of a bipolar episode, Wheeler's guard might have been down, he was lost and couldn't find his car, and therefore, in the right terrible circumstance, someone might have taken advantage and killed him. document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ Jack served in the Vietnam War and after he came back he began planning a memorial for all who fought and died there. }); As listed in his report, a few of them are hemorrhage, contusion, punctured lungs, broken ribs, aspiration of blood, external neck injury, bruises to the face and orbital bones, and laceration. "Jack's murder has all these facts around it that just naturally confound," investigative journalist Steve Volk says in the episode entitled "Washington Insider Murder. However, no concrete motive or evidence has ever surfaced in the decade since the dedicated public servant was killed. This coincided with an apparent break-in at Wheeler's home in New Castle and an apparent act of arson at a construction site across the street. "The home construction dispute is one aspect we are considering," Farrall said. Inside the kitchen area, Dill found the door ajar, a plant tipped over, spices and cleaning supplies knocked onto the floor and broken dishes in the sink. Looking for a new Netflix series to binge or the best movies to watch on Amazon Prime? The problem is that theres nothing to connect those parts of his bio to his actual murder.. He had left his car in the city before he went home for Christmas, so it seemed as if he just wanted it back. John "Jack" Wheeler was known as a man of honor: a West Point graduate, a Vietnam veteran, and the man who was the driving force behind financing the construction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. What robber is barefoot? if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ He didnt beat himself up.". Even weirder was the presence of Wheeler's ceremonial West Point sword and shield on the floor, covered in spilled cleaning supplies. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ The investigation revealed several days of strange behavior leading up to Wheeler's death. } But Jack didnt inform the police or his wife about any of this. During his mental break, he might have made a pass at one or both of the guys who was . Over the course of his travels to the dump, he could have had several dumpsters worth of trash compacted against him. On the morning of Dec. 30, Wheeler is believed to have boarded an Amtrak train in Washington, D.C., headed for Wilmington. Prior to the pharmacy, he emails his work saying his security badge was stolen, although never reports this to police. That reward was worth $25,000 just for information, for the record. } "What's important now is to establish the location of the crime.". Grandmother with dementia died from face wound neglected by staff for days. He told the people in the parking garage that his briefcase had been stolen. To make matters even more confusing, Wheeler's phone was found by the police at the construction site across the street from his home after his death, as they were investigating the possible arson attempt. In 1982, as we were building the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, he provided the overall strategy, guidance, was the chairman of the board. At least, not directly. Maybe the suitcase was lost elsewhere or thrown away. According to Today, the coroner's report said Murphy . This subreddit is about unsolved mysteries. Wheeler considered the construction "sacrilegious" and was in the process of filing legal challenges against the homeowners. . As a high-ranking official who was well-connected, knew a lot of important information relating to cybersecurity and was suffering from a mental health disorder, he could have been seen as a liability. And since the trash surrounding his body was determined to be from there as well, it is plausible that it happened. He was blocks away from where he had actually left his car. No. Any ridge detail? The injuries are too significant to be rolling in a dumpster. Netflix revealed images of Wheeler's autopsy which lists several injuries, including. On the evening of December 29, Wheeler was seen at his local pharmacy in New Castle, where he asked several people if they could give him a ride to Wilmington. On December 31, 2010, at 9:56 a.m., Jack Wheeler's body was found dumped in the Cherry Island Landfill in Wilmington, Delaware, a place where he had no business being at that point in time. Wheeler reportedly was in a running dispute with a neighbor who was building a house across the street from his home in New Castle. NY 10036. The autopsy lists a number of severe injuries, including a collapsed lung, broken ribs, swollen lips, and external neck injury, lacerations, and more. Clueless and 8 Mile star Brittany Murphy was only 32 years old when she passed away from what her autopsy declared was pneumonia. Sources tell FOX 32 News that authorities are investigating to see if there is a connection between the toddler and Dobbs. The video footage and eye-witness accounts of encounters with Wheeler during his two days in downtown Wilmington would seem to confirm that something had happened to him, with some theorizing that he may have suffered a stroke or developed amnesia as a result of a traumatic encounter. Wheeler declines their help. But alas, they found no pieces of clothing, no cell phone, no DNA/blood, or any other item that they could positively connect to his death. Same size as his? At 6.42 pm the same day, Wheeler was seen at a garage trying to find his car but he was at the wrong garage. Phone records show that he worked in DC for only a day. The screen is still black as we hear birds cry and then, the first image we see is tons of garbage. "I think he might have pissed someone off and I think his movements reflected that. } He saw a therapist and took medication. Whatever the truth behind Jack Wheeler's death, it cannot be denied that Unsolved Mysteries Volume 2 chose an incredibly intriguing case with which to open its new season. This story didnt give me the eerie vibe because there are so many possible answers, and most of them arent that mysterious. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. Heres how it works. interesting that the documentary didnt mention anything further about the footprints found in the kitchen. A witness did come forward to state that they shared a cab with Jack at around 11 p.m. that night, which Jack had climbed into after hearing that it was headed to Newark. Then the compactor made it worse when it crushed the body further. ", Klyce believes that Wheeler was in the midst of a bipolar episodebut also says she believes her husband was targeted for some reason. An autopsy conducted by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office determined Ja'Nya Murphy died as a result of asphyxiation due to strangulation. And how could it have happened without him? By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Lets not oversimplify. After spending the evening and most of the day of December 30 in the basement of the Nemours building in downtown Wilmington, Wheeler was captured on camera leaving the Nemours building at 8:30 pm and was last seen walking past the valet station at the Hotel du Pont at 8:41 pm. Still, his murder remains an utter mystery, and it is unclear whether the property dispute is related to Wheeler's death. "Whats puzzling about that case is it wasnt just a random assault or street mugging. The show uses re-enactments and in-depth interviews with professionals and loved ones to retell the circumstances surrounding old cases that are, well, unsolved. An autopsy was performed that same day which determined that Jack had been murdered. If there was a robbery, it was never reported and doesnt quite fit into a psychotic break. Bush and George W. Bush, for whom he was a special assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force. All the nudity of porn, but with the plot and storylines of mainstream film. Internet theories surrounding Jacks case range from a random downtown mugging to a secret government assassination plot. My wife suggested something that I thought fit the details given, maybe while he was meandering around Newark he wandered out into the street and was hit by a car, he was dressed in all black. Like those would be some of the first people I would talk to. Jack Wheeler's death is the focus of an Unsolved Mysteries episode Credit: YouTube Jack's body was found in a Delaware landfill one day after his disappearance in December 2010, having last been seen alive on a street in Wilmington. Some investigators theorized he might have died after seeking refuge in the dumpster, but. Trash car drivers told investigators that it was fairly common that people would climb into a dumpster to find some warmth in the winter. As shown in the Unsolved Mysteries Volume 2episode, police were eventually able to trace Wheeler's body to a particular garbage truck and found his DNA in a dumpster in Newark, Delaware; a city nearly 15 miles southwest of where Wheeler was last seen alive and roughly the same distance from where his body was found. Unfortunately, right towards the end of 2010, he lost it all, and it was under the strangest of circumstances. And why wasnt the two guys he hitched with questioned?! eventAction: 'render' What little spare time he has is devoted towards acting, role-playing, movie-riffing and sarcasm. Jack Wheeler was a graduate of Yale, Harvard, and West Point, a military consultant, and served as a special assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Jack's body was found in a Delaware landfill one day after his disappearance in December 2010, having last been seen alive on a street in Wilmington. Katherines a Boston-based contributor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestylefrom Clueless to Everlane to news about Lizzo. It's also believed that a professional assassin would have shot Wheeler from a distance, rather than beating him to death physically. Despite having Bipolar disorder, John Jack Parsons Wheeler III, had built an unprecedented resume in 66 years. He appeared to be cautious of his surroundings as if he was scared that he was being stalked. The chief problem with this theory is that few believe Wheeler would have sought shelter in a garbage dumpster, even if he were afraid of being watched on the street, after spending most of his first night on the run in the basement of an office building. Wheeler's body was later found in a landfill. This would also explain the heart attack Wheeler suffered, as he could have either had it during the night of December 30th and been left too weak to leave the dumpster when it was picked up or had it while his body was being crushed by the compactor. In light of the case getting attention again as part ofUnsolved Mysteries Volume Two, many have been sharing their theories online of what could have happened to Jack. Lets find out. The person had a relationship with Murphy, and was last seen with her on Monday, around the time her family last had contact with her, according to Wheeling police. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), I think your theory is right, some kind of mental break/psychosis. He left the Harlem home that he shared with his wife, Katherine Klyce, after Christmas, on December 28, 2010, but never made it back alive. Then the theory of mugging comes into play, yet even that seems next to impossible, mainly as Jack had been carefully disposed of, and he still had some cash, his West Point ring, and a Rolex on his being when he was recovered. Wheeler also spoke about an interest in hacking to people he knew, in relation to an informal investigation he was making into corruption of Delaware public officials. However, there have always been other theories about Wheeler's mysterious death. In his later years, Wheeler had become particularly focused on a house that was being built across the street from him in New Castle, DE, that had also been a battleground in the Revolutionary War. Another theory due to his status within the government is that he was killed by the Chinese, because of his knowledge of cyber-security secrets. The autopsy report doesn't correlate with someone getting crushed by a compactor. Jack was working in the area of cybersecurity. hitType: 'event', While this theory might explain Wheeler going into hiding and the disappearance of his briefcase, it explains little else regarding the odd circumstances of his death. DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 CHICAGO APP FOR BREAKING NEWS ALERTS. We may earn a commission from these links. Whenever possible, actual redditors have participated in investigating the events. }); Apparently, he spent the night and part of the day there. Visit our corporate site. At around 7:15 P.M., EST. I think perhaps no one has been on the reward because theyve already been paid, she said. I dont see that, plus the ruling is homicide. Delaware Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of subjects responsible for the death of the victim. However, the "fire bombs" used in the incident were later determined to be simple smoke bombs used by exterminators for flushing out rodents. Another theory (which is favored by Wheeler's wife) is that Wheeler was killed by a hitman in the employ of corrupt politicians in New Castle, whom Wheeler was close to exposing. He told the people in the parking garage that his briefcase had been stolen. He's also the subject of anUnsolved Mysteriesepisode. The puzzling death of former White House aide Jack Wheeler is explored in a new episode of "Unsolved Mysteries." By Gina Tron. He seemed disoriented and agitated, with one shoe torn; he carried it in his hand. Ahead, we're showcasing the best fashion and beauty looks you can recreate now. Witnesses and family members say that Wheeler arrived at the wrong parking garage in Wilmington as his car was actually parked in a different garage. Yeah, I mean everytime they dump something new in the dumpster things are going to get pressed against him. Where the Cast of 'Boy Meets World' Is Now, Don't Despair, But 'The Last of Us' Is Nearly Over, 'The Last of Us' Season 2 Might Start Filming Soon, Facts You Didn't Know About That '70s Show, The Cast of 'The Mandalorian' in Real Life, 'The Mandalorian' Season 3, Episode 1 Recap, 'The Mandalorian' Season 3 is About to Commence.