DE DE - John 'Jack' Wheeler, 66, Wilmington, 30 Dec 2010

[Razz]

One theory that I have had is that Wheeler had a health problem, including a psychological problem, and became confused and agitated. He attacked someone, who killed him and slipped the body into a dumpster.

The one vidie tape of him holding his shoe at the parking garage does make him look confused and agitated.

His ceremonial sword was out at his house and some of the floor boards were pulled up.

Your theory may well be what happened. He was known to be bipolar and according to Klyce,was taking medication for it. I believe it was 2004?.when he was hospitilized for a psychotic break.

Klyce also said he had a touch of Asperger's Syndrome. IMO, no such thing as a touch of it.
You're either diagnosed with it or not. There are, however, varying degrees along the
spectrum. It is hard for people w/ Asperger's to read other people's reactions and sometimes act "inappropiately" because of that.

I think we need to keep an open mind and nail down some of the inconsistencies.

I am also compiling a list of questions I have for some of those involved here. If you have some, write them down and I'll add to the list.

 

[pjclover]

One theory that I have had is that Wheeler had a health problem, including a psychological problem, and became confused and agitated. He attacked someone, who killed him and slipped the body into a dumpster.

The one vidie tape of him holding his shoe at the parking garage does make him look confused and agitated.

His ceremonial sword was out at his house and some of the floor boards were pulled up.

I agree it might be possible, but remember that all three of those things happened in different towns.

He was in Wilmington carrying the shoe, his home was in New Castle, and he was put into a dumpster in Newark.

I struggle with the Newark connection. It seems unlikely that he picks a fight in Wilmington, someone kills him, drags him to and into a car, drives to Newark, and somehow lifts all 200+ pounds of him into a dumpster to dispose of the body.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I agree it might be possible, but remember that all three of those things happened in different towns.

He was in Wilmington carrying the shoe, his home was in New Castle, and he was put into a dumpster in Newark.

I struggle with the Newark connection. It seems unlikely that he picks a fight in Wilmington, someone kills him, drags him to and into a car, drives to Newark, and somehow lifts all 200+ pounds of him into a dumpster to dispose of the body.

He might have gone down there somehow. He wasn't robbed; he was still wearing his class ring.

 

[pjclover]

He could have been robbed and not had his class ring stolen. Perhaps the value was overlooked? Not sure what kind of value a West Point ring would have to a common mugger. Too easy to identify if it's hocked, not worth the trouble of trying to sell otherwise. Also, it was forty years old. Perhaps the fit was snug and it wouldn't easily come off of his finger?

I agree that it's likely he went to Newark voluntarily, probably on a bus (only because I'm eliminating foot, train, and no one has come forward saying they gave him a ride...), and met his demise there. Unless, of course, the person who gave him a ride is the person who killed him.

God, this case. So frustratingly full of unknowns. More camera footage and a more concise official timeline (filling in some gaps that I'm guessing PD knows and isn't releasing) would be ridiculously helpful. Don't think that's going to happen though. Not out of the blue.

 

[Razz]

I will get the sketchy timeline out tomorrow morning. Am overachieving.

Does anyone have access to looking up records? It's the
type you pay for monthly?!

Also, I guess I'll type out the timeline and put it here. We can then refer to it
and edit as we go.

 

[Razz]

He could have been robbed and not had his class ring stolen. Perhaps the value was overlooked? Not sure what kind of value a West Point ring would have to a common mugger. Too easy to identify if it's hocked, not worth the trouble of trying to sell otherwise. Also, it was forty years old. Perhaps the fit was snug and it wouldn't easily come off of his finger?

I agree that it's likely he went to Newark voluntarily, probably on a bus (only because I'm eliminating foot, train, and no one has come forward saying they gave him a ride...), and met his demise there. Unless, of course, the person who gave him a ride is the person who killed him.

God, this case. So frustratingly full of unknowns. More camera footage and a more concise official timeline (filling in some gaps that I'm guessing PD knows and isn't releasing) would be ridiculously helpful. Don't think that's going to happen though. Not out of the blue.

I would have taken the ring and the Rolex watch. If you'te looking for quick cash, what does it matter?

 

[pjclover]

I would have taken the ring and the Rolex watch. If you'te looking for quick cash, what does it matter?

Well, there are a lot of scenarios here that would make it matter. Let's assume he's attacked during a robbery. A mugging type scenario. That wouldn't be uncommon in Wilmington, it happened to my husband about ten years ago. The perps were never caught, but they were two male teenagers who attacked him from behind, grabbed his bag, and ran. He was left with a sizable head wound that required stitches, and some other injuries from one of the perps kicking him while he was on the ground.

According to Klyce, his face and head were swollen and battered, but she suspected fatal blows may have been on his abdomen? I'm assuming this is from lack of an open wound on his head, but we have no way of knowing that. Obviously there are a lot of different ways to get mugged that result in different injuries.

But, let's say the watch wasn't visible. Let's say he was asked to empty his pockets and the Rolex was tucked high enough up in the hoodie sleeve that it wasn't visible. Some kind of alterction happens, Rolex is still on. Maybe he falls onto that arm and it's obscured. It's not noticed until he's being lifted into the dumpster and by that point it's too late to pause and remove it for fear of being seen.

The ring could have been difficult to remove. I wear a set of three rings - engagement, wedding, and anniversary band. I know that through the years they've alternately gotten looser and tighter depending on how well I've done to keep off those extra ten pounds that I started carrying around a few years ago when I had kids. Could this ring that was given to him 40 years prior have simply been too tight to remove? Or, again, that hand was obscured when he fell?

I was also thinking that it would be too easily traceable. Someone goes into a pawn shop, gets some cash for it, is on surveillence doing so, and then Klyce gets her husband's effects without the ring, police canvas the pawn shops (there aren't many around here and I don't think ANY in Newark that I know of...) and all of the sudden have video of the suspect.

Just some thoughts. I don't know if he was robbed or not, although he does claim a stolen briefcase, of course.

 

[Razz]

The briefcase was long gone. Why mug someone and take the time to dump him and not at least take the watch. (Many fingers have been sliced off to garner rings.) If they were muggers why take the time to dispose of the.body in a dumpster? In Newark?

I didn't read anywhere about his stomach. Only that she said the head was bruised and swollen.

I read up on psychosis again. They are often times victims of violence.

 

[Razz]

The following is a compilation of news articles (USA Today, delaware online)and theories by
Posters here.

JOHN PARSONS WHEELER:66 Found deceased in the Cherry Hill Landfill while being dumped from a garbage pickup at approx. 9:00 am, December 31, 2011. Wheeler worked several days a week in DC . He was a part time consultant for MITRE. He facilitated discussions among government, industry and academia on cybersecurity. Wheeler split time living in his condo in NYC and his duplex in New Castle, DE. 2 children by another marriage other than his current one to Katherine Kylce

KATHERINE KLYCE: 3rd wife of Wheeler. Lived in New York in the couple's NYC condo where she ran a Cambodian silk business

BAYARD MARIN: Wheeler's attorney during a 3 year litigation suit against the Marini's who were attempting to build a large 2 1/2 story home across from Wheeler's home in New Castle located on the banks of the Delaware River.

FRANK & REGINA MARINI: Neighbors of Wheeler who had been trying to build a home almost directly across the street from Wheeler. The home blocked Wheeler's view of the river. After 3. years of litigation, they prevailed in the final argument on Dec. 12, 2011

ROBERT &.PHOEBE DILL: An older couple and neighbors of Wheeler in New Castle who often looked after the house during Wheeler's absence

SCOTT MORRIS: New Castle neighbor who heard and witnessed smoke bombs being lobbed into Marini's still under construction home. Said, "It could have been Jack".

SPENCE: a Wilmington cabbie who said he picked WHEELER up at the Wilmington train syation on 12/29/11 and took him to the Hotel du Pont on 12/29. (Mr. Spence's story has not been verified by police).

MURALI GOURO: Pharmacist at Happy Harry's located about 10 minutes from Wheeler's home in New Castle. Wheeler had asked him for a ride to Wilmington.

LT. MARK FARRALL: The officer of the Newark, DE P.D. who was assigned the case of John Wheeler' s homocide

CHRIS BARRISH: Repoter from Delaware online who wrote and reported most about the Wheeler case

 

[pjclover]

The briefcase was long gone. Why mug someone and take the time to dump him and not at least take the watch. (Many fingers have been sliced off to garner rings.) If they were muggers why take the time to dispose of the.body in a dumpster? In Newark?

I didn't read anywhere about his stomach. Only that she said the head was bruised and swollen.

I read up on psychosis again. They are often times victims of violence.

If the robbery scenario is correct, I think it must have happened to Newark. He went to Newark on his own free will and was mugged there.

Still not sold on it one way or the other. It's possible, but who knows. Might have just come across the wrong person at the wrong time - maybe attempted to get help but was so deep in the mental break that he came across as threatening.

The torso comment was from a News Journal article where Klyce was Specuinterviews (same interview that the article from USA Today was written from) states:

Though authorities won't say where on Wheeler's body the fatal blows were inflicted, Klyce said that when she viewed his corpse a few days later, she saw bruising on his face under the mortician's makeup, and his head was swollen. She saw his body only from the neck up and speculated the fatal blows were to "his torso."

http://archive.delawareonline.com/a...-John-P-Wheeler-Random-killing-assassination-

So, she's speculating, and if I'm reading correctly it's because she didn't see anything on the head/neck that looked like they were fatal wounds? Of course that doesn't mean there wasn't a skull fracture, etc.

 

[Razz]

Following is a timeline from Dec. 12, 2011 to the present
Events listed here have been gleaned from newspaper reports (specifically USA Today and from articles and timelines from Chris Barrish of Delaware Online. Also included are theories by this poster and others and will be designated as such.

12/12/11: Final ruling in favor of the Marini home

12/13/11: Wheeler parks his white, 1993 Oldsmobile at the Wilmington train station parking garage located on MLK and

12/24/11@ approx 4:00p.m.: Robert Dill drives Wheeler from his New Castle home to the Wilmington train station

12/24/11: Wheeler catches the 4:30 train bound for NYC where he is to spend time with his. wife for Christmas.

12/24-25/11: Spends a quiet Christmas with his wife and visits from his children (2) and her children (2).

12/26/11: A blizzard in NY. Wheeler, who liked to communicate with friends, acquaintances and colleagues from West Point, posted pictures of the blizzard.

NEW CASTLE
12/26/11: Dill and his wife tidy up Wheeler's home after Dill's kids had stayed thete during Christmas (w/ Wheeler's blessing) Dill turns on 2 radios on the NPR station as Wheeler always thought that wise to make it seem as if someone was home.

NYC
12/27/11: More posts from Wheeler to friends. One being a critique of government preparedness for cyberattacks
Wheeler told Kylce he was leaving early the next morning for DC. Kylce admits being annoyed as she hoped to spend the whole week with John, but knew that once he made his mind up about something, there was no changing it.
Late evening: out to dinner in NYC with friends

DC
12/28/11: Wheeler left his NY condo before dawn to catch a train to DC

Nothing much is known about what he did in DC. It is also unclear when he returned to Wilmington.

12/28/11 Spoke with his attorney Bayard Marin thanking him for all his hard work during the 3 years of litigation with the Marinis.

12/28/11 @ 5:08 One of Wheeler's last communications. Wheeler griped about the NCAA

THEORIES by posters: Wheeler returned to Wilmington sometime on the 28th and took a cab to his home in New Castle. END OF THEORY

NEW CASTLE
12/28/11@ 11:30 pm. Neighbor Scott Morris hears thuds across the street. He looks out th windoe and sees a man about Wheeler's height and build wearing a light colored hooded sweatshirt and dark sweatpants, lobbing what appeared to be a ball of fire through the first floor window of the Marini's unfinished home. Morris advised it appeared to be an easy motion, much like a softball pitcher. The flames from the ball clung to the person's gloved hand after each toss. MORRIS flicked on a light in his house and the man turned and walked calmly away toward the river path. He called 911. There were 2 boys stopped in the neighborhood around the same time with Roman candles. They insisted they had not been the ones throwing fireballs into the home but they had seen a man. Morris insisted that it was not boys, but a man. He could not say for sure it was Wheeler but said it could have been Wheeler.

11:36: firetrucks were dispatched to the Marini home. By then the flames had gone out by themselves. Investigators with the State Fire Marshal's office found smoke bombs in the Marini house...the sort of smoke bombs used to flush rodents out of burrows.
Damage was limited to scorched plywood planks on the house floor.

THIS WAS NOT REPORTED AT THE TIME NOR HAS IT BEEN CONFIRMED BY POLICE bur Wheeler's I-phone had been discovered in the house at that time.

 

[pjclover]

Razz, two people you may consider adding to your list:

Athel "Scottie" Scott, a Wilmington cab driver whose number was in Wheeler's cell phone. He claims he never had Wheeler in his cab, but knew who he was and had seen him. I think he was friends with Spence?

Colm Connelly - Family's lawyer

 

[Razz]

Contin.of Timeline:

THEORIES BY POSTERS RE THE EVENING OF 12/28/11

1). This was someone posing as Wheeler and planted his phone in the house.

2). It was Wheeler. After the neighbor's light switched on he calmly made his way back to the side entrance of his house. He went to his 3rd floor and opened the window there so he could listen to what the fireman, policeman, etc were saying. He slept the night there.
The next day he hunkered down in his home but was spooked by unknown visitors. He ook down his sword and unsheathed it as a manner of protection. Wheeler soon fled his hme and hurried to Happy Harry's abput 10 minutes up the road.

3). Wheeler had started to slowly unravel and in the process, created a mess in the kitchen.
END OF THEORIES



12/29/11@ 8:45 am. THIS HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED BY POLICE.
SPENCE, a Wilmington cabbie stated he picked Wheeler up at the Wilmington Train Station. He said Wheeler was wearing a sports jacket and slacks, was not carrying luggage nor a briefcase. He and Wheeler talked about the Hotel du Pont. He let Wheeler off at the Hotel DPont. AGAIN, AUTHORITIES WOULD NOT SAY THEY WERE CONVINCED THAT SPENCE PICKED UP WHEELER.

9:45 am: Wheeler sent an email to his daughter Kate. Nothing sounded out of the ordinary. Where the message was sent from is unknown. It was not his I phone.

12/29/11: 9:45 am to 6:00 pm: no sightings or messages from Wheeler.

NEW CASTLE

6:00 pm.: Wheeler enters Happy Harry's Pharmacy located approximately 10 minutes from Wheeler's home. Wheeler sought out Murali, a pharmacist he knows, and asks him for a ride to the Wilmington Train Station. Murali who was working at the time said he would call Wheeler a cab. He said Wheeler did not appear to be himself. (It has also been stated but unverified that 10 minutes before, Wheeler had called a cab from the outside payphone at Happy Harry's requesting a ride to Philadelphia.

WILMINGTON

6:40pm: Wheeler is seen via surveillance video at a parking garage at New Castle County Courthouse at 5th and King looking for his car. In the video he appears slightly disheveled and confused. He is carrying his right shoe in his left hand. He has a slight limp, possibly because of the imbalance of the shoes. He is wearing a black suit. no tie and an unbuttoned white shirt. The attendent called security.

7:00 p.m. Boyer, a courthouse guard ran into Wheeler on the garage lower level. She stated that his eyes were very red. He told her that he had been robbed and his briefcase stolen. He was offered money but wouldn't take it as he told her he had plenty of money. He also said he was staying at a nearby hotel. Wheeler disappeared. (A later search by police was unsuccessful in finding where he had been staying.)

 

[Razz]

Contin. Of Wheeler timeline
WILMINGTON
12/30/11 unkown time: Wheeler stops at a Subway located @ 222 Delaware Ave.and buys a cup of coffee. Wheeler appears homeless as he is wearing a dirty, rumpled, white button shirt and no coat.

NEW CASTLE

11:00am: Dill is walking by Wheeler's home and notices the 3rd floor window was open. He was certain that everything had been shut and door looked after he and his wife tied up the home on the 26th. He walked around to the side door and npticed it was open a crack. He went inside and saw that chairs had been knocked down, the radios were silent, broken plates in the sink, and a tall plant overturned. His cadet sword from West Point was laying on the floor, umsheathed. There was a heavy dusting of Comet on the wood floor in the kitchen and what appeared to be a barefoot print in the middle of it. DILL
attempted to call Wheeler and Klyce on their mobile phones with no success.

WILMINGTON

3:30 PM: Wheeler was spotted in the area of the Nemours building wearing the clothes he had on earlier in the day but now he was wearing a dark zip up sweatshirt.
He was also spotted wandering around the lobby of the Nemours building looking disoriented but declined help when offered. He went to the 10th floor to the offices. of Connolly (no relation to his atty) Bove Lidge & Hurtz law firm tequesting to speak with theanaging partner. Wheeler didn't stay ling enough to speak with the managing partner but on his way out he stopped and asked fpr trainfare on the way out.

8:30 pm: Wheeler is seen via surveillance cameras leaving a building wearing the dark hooded sweatshirt. He pulled the hood up over his head.

8:32: A camera around the corner at Hotel du Pont shows Wheeler walking down the St. He disappeared from view @ 8:42. He was headed to the city's East side.

NEWARK, DE

12/31/11 4:20am: A waste management truck starts its route through downtown Newark, De. There are 10 pickups in all.

NEW CASTLE

8:30 am: Dill finally manages to contact Klyce via her cellphone. She is attending a wedding in Boston that Wheeler was supposed to meet her there. She said she had not heard from Wheeler. Dill tells her about the house. Dill calls 911.

WILMINGTON

10:00 am: Wheeler's body is spotted being dumped from a truck at the Cherry Hill Landfill.
Police are contacted. It was determined that the "crime" occurred in NEWARK, DE so they were contacted and Lt. Mark Farrel . was assigned the case.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Very nice timeline.

Okay, has there ever been a map of where the dumpsters were located?

 

[Razz]

Very nice timeline.

Okay, has there ever been a map of where the dumpsters were located?

Yes there are. Check Outlier's response above and click on Mono?
website. He has great maps.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Yes there are. Check Outlier's response above and click on Mono?
website. He has great maps.

Thanks. A very good site.

The author noted that there was a library and a welfare office. In my experience, they would not have cameras on at night, especially outside.

 

[Razz]

The ME officially ruled this a homocide late January. Klyce received Wheeler's West Point ring and Rolex watch. Wheeler wore a cash pouch around his neck but that was not returned and it's unknown if he was wearing it or if that too was lost.

I wonder if the Newark PD would be more willing to speak to someone
now that so much time has passed. I'd really be interested in knowing where Wheeler sent his communication to his daughter from. That would be huge. Obviously not on his I phone but on a computer somewhere? In Wilmington or in New Castle. Can you send a message free from a library?!...from anywhere. He still had the presence of mind to do that...in the morning before he went to Happy Harry's 8 hours later.

40 minutes later he was in Wilmington from Happy Harry's in New Castle. Did he travel by bus, hitched a ride? Was it close enough to hoof it?
Why did he want to go to Philly? Did his mother and or brother live there? He was supposed to meet his wife in NY so they could both go to the wedding in Boston. He never mentioned that.

Did Klyce.know that he was going to go to Wilmington/Nrw Castle after his.day in DC. or was he supposed to return to New York on the 28th.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Snipped

Why did he want to go to Philly? Did his mother and or brother live there? He was supposed to meet his wife in NY so they could both go to the wedding in Boston. He never mentioned that.

BBM.

Airport? Until 2013, Delaware did not have scheduled air service.

Philly International is south and west of the city, on the way to Wilmington.

 

[Razz]

Well, he was anxious. Maybe anxious to get to NY or Boston via air so he wouldn't be late because I suspect he knew there would be heck to pay. But he was also impatient. Had he just waited for the cab...