CANADA Canada- Ivan Wheeler, 27, driver for U-Need-A-Cab taxi #457, shot in back of head inside the car, London, Ontario, 18 February, 1977

[dotr]

https://www.londonpolice.ca/en/about/Unsolved-Murders.aspx#Ivan-Wheeler-27-years-old-Died-February-18-1977

''Ivan Wheeler - 27 years old - Died February 18, 1977​

On Friday, February 18, 1977 at about 5:15am a police officer with the London Police Service was on patrol in the area of Cheapside St at Highbury Ave. Upon approaching U-Need-A-Cab taxi #457 in the parking lot of 1345 Cheapside St. the officer found Ivan Wheeler dead inside the car.
Our investigation revealed that the cause of death was a homicide from a gunshot wound to the back of his head.
We believe that Ivan left Thamesville, Ontario at about 10:00pm on February 17 and that he may have picked up a passenger along Highway 401 as he returned to London. The fare owed on the meter in his taxi read $6.05.
If you have any information about this murder please call us.

Map of the area where Ivan Wheeler was found murdered​

Picture of the fare meter in Ivan Wheeler's taxi''​

 

[whiterhino]

I've always wondered if Ivan turned on the meter to leave some kind of clue. Speculation but maybe he got a bad vibe when he picked up his last fare? Perhaps he was even threatened with the weapon or saw it?

How sad to learn that Ivan was only in London to provide support for his family.

Does anyone know if his car had a radio or if he had been in touch with the cab dispatch at all that evening? Did Ivan see someone or something he shouldn't have?

 

[Richard]

The circumstances of Leroy's murder sound very similar to the San Francisco murder of cab driver Paul Stine which occurred in October 1969, a murder attributed to the unidentified "Zodiac" serial killer.

 

[dotr]

The circumstances of Leroy's murder sound very similar to the San Francisco murder of cab driver Paul Stine which occurred in October 1969, a murder attributed to the unidentified "Zodiac" serial killer.

ETA, Some think that The Zodiac may have come from Canada or the US due to certain words or spelling he used in his letters to LE, noting fwiw, imo, speculation.
rbbm

Amazon.ca

• 

''With nearly 700 references and over 200 pictures, Søren Roest Korsgaard has produced the first authoritative book on the Zodiac, a still unidentified serial killer who terrorized California in the 1960s and proudly commemorated his murderous accomplishments in letters to news media. Søren documents the case with scholarly objectivity, and he dismantles the Zodiac's psyche and answers major questions by means of statement analysis, linguistics, handwriting analysis, and the established principles of psychology and criminology. Among others, he presents compelling arguments and evidence that Zodiac likely started his reign of terror as far back as 1962, and that he might have been a Canadian.''
Ws thread..

Zodiac Victim - Paul Lee Stine (taxi cab driver) S.F.

Zodiac's confirmed murder victim Paul Lee Stine. aka the taxi cab driver. After being taken down to the coroner there was a property list made up of items found on him. These were: 7 Keys Why the 7 keys? Because he was the 7th victim A Class ring...

www.websleuths.com

 

[Richard]

ETA, Some think that The Zodiac may have come from Canada or the US due to certain words or spelling he used in his letters to LE, noting fwiw, imo, speculation...
... Zodiac likely started his reign of terror as far back as 1962, and that he might have been Canadian...

Besides various spellings, word choices, etc in his letters, it is also of some importance to note that in two separate attacks, Zodiac used two different Browning Hi Power semi-automatic 9mm pistols which were Canadian military surplus weapons made in Canada during WW II.

Of course, the strongest evidence of him being Canadian would be any verified recordings of him pronouncing the words "out" and "about".

 

[Richard]

Possibly connected?​

Ivan Wheeler, age 27, cab driver shot to death 18 February 1977.

Paul Stine, age 29, cab driver shot to death 11 October 1969.

 

[dotr]

Canadian Taxi Driver Homicides: Homicides by Date