SD SD - Jewel Paul Wheeler, 30, Pine Ridge, 1 January 1973

[lightofmine99]

Jewel Paul Wheeler - January 1, 1973

Overview

• Name: Jewel Paul Wheeler
• Case Classification: Missing
• Missing Since: January 01, 1973
• Location Last Seen: Pine Ridge, South Dakota (Oglala Lakota County)

Physical Description

• Date of Birth: Unknown
• Age: 30
• Race: American Indian/White/Hispanic
• Gender: Male
• Height: 5'11"
• Weight: 131 lbs
• Hair Color: Black
• Eye Color: Brown
• Nickname/Alias: Unknown
• Distinguishing Features: Oglala Sioux Tribe
• Dentals: Unknown
• Fingerprints: Unknown
• DNA: Unknown

Personal Affects

• Clothing: Unknown
• Jewelry: Unknown
• Additional Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance
Jewel Wheeler was last seen on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation near the Calico Community. No other information is available at this time.

Observations / Research
Based on this photo, Jewel Wheeler was a veteran of the United States Army. It is possible his fingerprints are on file somewhere because of this. Additionally, you can see in the photo that his right hand/wrist and one finger are bandaged. One would need to consider John Doe cases that have displayed a healed injury to the right hand/wrist. We don't know the exact date of this photo but it was probably before 1973. Also, depending on his military service status, would there be an AWOL report for him? Someone reported him missing. Does anyone know what the patch on his left arm means?

Jewel Wheeler is a more common name than you would think, but I found this municipal court snippet from 1974 in the Rapid City Journal. Rapid City is about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Pine Ridge. Someone named Jewel Wheeler was arrested for "non-felonious breaking and entering" and was sentenced to 6 months in jail with 5 months suspended. This individual was fined $200. What is notable is that this Jewel Wheeler has "no address listed" on his spot of the report. Could this be "our" Jewel Wheeler living homeless or drifting not far from home at the time?

Links
NamUs: #MP115773 (added 4 Feb 2024)
DN: 6086DMSD (added 7 Mar 2024)

**The Bureau of Indian Affairs is handling this case.**

 

[victoriarobinson642]

@apearn may know

 

[lbollock]

Someone clearly dropped the ball! I'm working on this now

 

[lightofmine99]

Someone clearly dropped the ball! I'm working on this now

I wish we knew who reported him missing. I've been told in other threads the military doesn't rigorously pursue AWOLs or UA's as much as one would think.

But we also don't know if he had been discharged before he went missing.

 

[lightofmine99]

The patch on his left shoulder looks like it is probably the symbol of the U.S. 6th Army South

About Us

Reading about it has been a bit confusing but this army is described as a "theater army" that serves in South America. It is headquartered at Fort Sam Houston in Texas.

 

[Sloppy Dee]

Thank you for bringing attention to this case! The Wounded Knee occupation began in February 1973. I don’t necessarily think he’s among the missing from that but I thought it should be mentioned because of when and where he was last seen.

 

[lightofmine99]

Thank you for bringing attention to this case! The Wounded Knee occupation began in February 1973. I don’t necessarily think he’s among the missing from that but I thought it should be mentioned because of when and where he was last seen.

For what it's worth, January 1 is the default date given on Doe Network when an official "last seen" date is not available. I don't know if NamUs is the same or not. As to how the year is determined, I don't know, but Jan 1 is the default.

What we do know is that he was reported missing by someone at some point. Someone somewhere thought his case was worthy enough for NamUs and DR. It could be a case where the person who made the report said they last saw him or made contact with him years prior, or perhaps it wasn't clear who saw him last and when.

Consider that this was also the 1970s, at least.

 

[lightofmine99]

I've found the page for Jewel on the BIA's website.

Jewel Paul Wheeler - Bureau of Indian Affairs

According to this, he has a tattoo of "82nd Air Borne" on his left arm and last had contact with the Pennington County Sheriff's Office on September 30, 1974. This is very likely referring to the article I clipped in the main post, as it dates September 1974.

 

[lbollock]

Jewel Paul Wheeler - January 1, 1973
View attachment 488630View attachment 488631
Overview

• Name: Jewel Paul Wheeler
• Case Classification: Missing
• Missing Since: January 01, 1973
• Location Last Seen: Pine Ridge, South Dakota (Oglala Lakota County)

Physical Description

• Date of Birth: Unknown
• Age: 30
• Race: American Indian/White/Hispanic
• Gender: Male
• Height: 5'11"
• Weight: 131 lbs
• Hair Color: Black
• Eye Color: Brown
• Nickname/Alias: Unknown
• Distinguishing Features: Oglala Sioux Tribe
• Dentals: Unknown
• Fingerprints: Unknown
• DNA: Unknown

Personal Affects

• Clothing: Unknown
• Jewelry: Unknown
• Additional Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance
Jewel Wheeler was last seen on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation near the Calico Community. No other information is available at this time.

Observations / Research
Based on this photo, Jewel Wheeler was a veteran of the United States Army. It is possible his fingerprints are on file somewhere because of this. Additionally, you can see in the photo that his right hand/wrist and one finger are bandaged. One would need to consider John Doe cases that have displayed a healed injury to the right hand/wrist. We don't know the exact date of this photo but it was probably before 1973. Also, depending on his military service status, would there be an AWOL report for him? Someone reported him missing. Does anyone know what the patch on his left arm means?

Jewel Wheeler is a more common name than you would think, but I found this municipal court snippet from 1974 in the Rapid City Journal. Rapid City is about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Pine Ridge. Someone named Jewel Wheeler was arrested for "non-felonious breaking and entering" and was sentenced to 6 months in jail with 5 months suspended. This individual was fined $200. What is notable is that this Jewel Wheeler has "no address listed" on his spot of the report. Could this be "our" Jewel Wheeler living homeless or drifting not far from home at the time?

Links
NamUs: #MP115773 (added 4 Feb 2024)
DN: 6086DMSD (added 7 Mar 2024)

**The Bureau of Indian Affairs is handling this case.**

 

[victoriarobinson642]

I've found the page for Jewel on the BIA's website.

Jewel Paul Wheeler - Bureau of Indian Affairs

According to this, he has a tattoo of "82nd Air Borne" on his left arm and last had contact with the Pennington County Sheriff's Office on September 30, 1974. This is very likely referring to the article I clipped in the main post, as it dates September 1974.

I wonder why this wasn't used as his last-seen date.