GUILTY IL - Jacob Wheeler, 22, & Jessica Evans, 17, White County, 25 Aug 2012 - #1

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Am I the only one that doesn't buy that this was a "random" occurrance? Under what circumstances would two parties meet in a remote location? And under what "random" circumstances would one of those parties shoot the other party?

Is there any way Jake and Jessie had gone for a few dances at the American Legion...

Coston became drunkenly enamored with Jessie...

And he followed/chased them back to the campsite?

was Jessie too young to enter the Amercan Legion?

so many questions...

And these are merely thoughts floating around in my brain...

 

[pinkzebra]

It seems I remember reading that Jakes body was fairly decomposed so much that it was speculated he died first? Which would make sense under the assumption that you remove the one that is the biggest threat. Maybe he kept Jessi alive for a few days and when she wasn't cooperative he killed her? Or do they believe they were killed the same night/day? Wasn't Jake killed by a shotgun blast? That would only require one shot, whereas a small calibre handgun might need more than one shot.....moo.

 

[SmoothOperator]

I'm pretty sure they were a lot closer than 9 miles from Coston's home, but I'm not positive.




This area is all remote. Their homes are in a remote area. It's not like they left a big city to go out in the country- it's all country here.



It is not a 46 minute drive from Centerville to southern Wayne County. I would estimate it to be more like 20 minutes. He might have gone up to Grayville and got on the interstate, then pulled off at the Burnt Prairie or Fairfield exit and dumped the body over the county line. Or he might have stuck to the country back roads...either way, it shouldn't take that long to drive there. They have not released the exact location where the body was found, so I can't really say for sure.



I'm thinking he wanted it to look like Jacob killed Jessi. If they couldn't find his body, it would look like he was on the run.

And honestly, if he hadn't confessed, it might have been a very long time before they found Jacob's body. This could have gone on for years, unsolved.




We don't know yet. I'm pretty sure the bumper was found at the campsite, but I'm not positive. And I respectfully disagree that Coston hit him with his truck to cause blood to get on the bumper. The blood could have gotten on the truck when he moved the body. The autopsy didn't show any signs of anyone being hit by a truck, that we know of. I don't think he hit anyone with the truck. I wonder if he might have hit Jake's truck, though, and maybe that's what started an argument. (Just speculation)

Thanks 88keys for taking the time to answer my questions knowing that these areas are closer together than what the Google maps had indicated does atleast make better sense to me.. But I still am so very baffled by his taking Jake to another locale and then just to dump into a ravine literally off the side of the road.. Well it's just hard to even make any sense of.. And now with us finding out that this maniac was literally just dogged azz drunk as they're saying he was.. Well.. Imo its likely to never fit together and make any sense due to the fact that it was being carried out out by not only a maniac, but one who was inebriated beyond belief..

Someone mentioned how stupid he was for leaving his bumper off that embankment near where Jakes truck was located.. Moo is that the drunk SOB likely didn't even have a clue until the following day that his vehicle had lost its bumper, nor where he lost it at.. I'm certain once the drunken haze began to lift by midday Sunday, he probably had a good idea of where his bumper was but at that point what was he gonna do go hiking down an embankment where he knew he'd left a dead body in hopes to recover his bumper?... Naaa.. Moo but this sob knew he was cooked that very day of Sunday, as I said once that drunken haze began to dissipate..

He makes me want to vomit!

 

[pinkzebra]

IHAVENOCLUE has a good point.....maybe they were travelling the same road and the same direction, Is Costons home in the direction from the Legion to where the bodies were? Maybe there was a road rage incident. Maybe Coston was driving dangerously and Jake yelled at him or something and was followed by Coston. I just do not in any way see that confrontation in the woods as random. I think they were stalked.

 

[iamnotagolem]

I guess I personally don't think it's far fetched to think they didn't know each other, or that it wasn't premeditated, or that it is completely random.

I grew up in a rural area, I knew every back road in our entire county. I know where to fish and hunt, where to go 4-wheeling, where you can go shooting, etc.

Coston could have just been out driving off his drunken state and come across them. Maybe they pissed him off, maybe he hit Jacob or his truck. Maybe he was still riled up over the girls at the bar and hit on Jessica and got turned down.

I can see plenty of scenarios where he'd get pissed and being drunk decided to shoot them.

If Coston grew up there he probably knows the back roads and where to dump a body w/o it being discovered. He might have tried to make it look like Jacob killed Jessica and that's why he hid Jacob's body.

 

[concernedmother]

I hope Tuesday when he makes his court appearance we hear more about the whys.

 

[SmoothOperator]

Re: Jake being shot with a shotgun as mentioned upthread..

IIRC The coroner stated that Jake was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head which came from a small caliber gun.. I believe Jessi's body was found and recovered very soon thereafter they went missing.. And to my knowledge as to her three gunshot wounds to the head its not been specified a type or caliber of gun.. I do very much wonder was it the same gun that killed them both.. And most questionable still is was it in fact the gun from the Wheeler home?.. My, God if it's found that it is the Wheeler gun that killed both.. I would think that would be an added layer of difficulty to live with and understand as a loved one.. As in Coston not having a gun with him and it was Jakes gun that he used.. Just those horrible "what ifs" and "whys" that I know many loved ones will live with and for me that may be a big one in thinking about had that gun not been there they'd of course never have been able to have been killed with it..

**wanted to make sure and clarify that even if such a scenario as given above were found to be true that it still in no way whatsoever places an ounce of blame anywhere but where it belongs.. And that is squarely on Danny K. Coston's shoulders..

 

[iamnotagolem]

If Coston was so drunk, how did he manage to pull off 4 head shots?

I think it's clear it was not a fair fight, and he had the advantage of the surprise attack. If Jacob had a gun with him, he was clearly not prepared to use it, or somehow Danny got it from him.

For whatever reason, I'm assuming they were point blank shots to the head.

My theory, he hits on Jessica, she turns him down, Jacob tells him to get lost. He shoots Jacob once in the head, but it doesn't kill him and he takes off running. He shoots Jessica three times in the head, then hunts down Jacob, hits him with his vehicle, tosses him inside.

He rolls Jacob's truck down the hill with Jessica in the bed covered with branches, then takes Jacob to river to hide his body.

 

[MagnoliaMom]

Some drunks don't seem to know when to quit and go home. And they love to drive. Possibly DC was driving and doing some more drinking and spotted them camping/fishing. Being drunk and obnoxious, he invited himself to join them but it wasn't well received. I hope LE will tell us more so I can quit speculating. I have speculated all day on this. Just makes me so sad that these 2 young people had their lives cut short because of an angry, obnoxious drunk.

Luckily DC wasn't in a blackout when he moved Jacob or he wouldn't have been able to tell LE where he put the body.

 

[SmoothOperator]

If Coston was so drunk, how did he manage to pull off 4 head shots?

Moo but the four head shots are not challenging when they are all carried out execution style.. And from whats being reported as far as Jessi's three wounds.. That it was execution style..

Imo yes, if shooting at a moving/running target and managing 4 head shots would imo not equate with a dogged azz drunk shooter.. But when you have the victim at gun point imo a good many would comply thereby making the execution style shots to the head zero challenge in the least.. Jmo..

 

[MagnoliaMom]

I think it's clear it was not a fair fight, and he had the advantage of the surprise attack. If Jacob had a gun with him, he was clearly not prepared to use it, or somehow Danny got it from him.

For whatever reason, I'm assuming they were point blank shots to the head.

My theory, he hits on Jessica, she turns him down, Jacob tells him to get lost. He shoots Jacob once in the head, but it doesn't kill him and he takes off running. He shoots Jessica three times in the head, then hunts down Jacob, hits him with his vehicle, tosses him inside.

He rolls Jacob's truck down the hill with Jessica in the bed covered with branches, then takes Jacob to river to hide his body.

IMO this seems the most likely but I can't rule out the road rage yet either. I think it will be one of the two.

 

[88keys]

If Coston was so drunk, how did he manage to pull off 4 head shots?

From point blank range, head shots wouldn't be that difficult.

IIRC The coroner stated that Jake was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head which came from a small caliber gun..

Not a shotgun, then. Probably a handgun or a .22 rifle. I would guess handgun from point-blank range. (Just guessing- no LE word on that yet).

 

[88keys]

Is there any way Jake and Jessie had gone for a few dances at the American Legion...

Coston became drunkenly enamored with Jessie...

And he followed/chased them back to the campsite?

was Jessie too young to enter the Amercan Legion?

Yes, Jessi was too young to enter the Legion. You have to be 21. And there are no reports that either of them were there that night. I don't think they encountered Coston there.

 

[88keys]

I guess I personally don't think it's far fetched to think they didn't know each other, or that it wasn't premeditated, or that it is completely random.

I grew up in a rural area, I knew every back road in our entire county. I know where to fish and hunt, where to go 4-wheeling, where you can go shooting, etc.

Coston could have just been out driving off his drunken state and come across them. Maybe they pissed him off, maybe he hit Jacob or his truck. Maybe he was still riled up over the girls at the bar and hit on Jessica and got turned down.

I can see plenty of scenarios where he'd get pissed and being drunk decided to shoot them.

If Coston grew up there he probably knows the back roads and where to dump a body w/o it being discovered. He might have tried to make it look like Jacob killed Jessica and that's why he hid Jacob's body.

Yes, this. All of this. I have no problem believing it was random, either. I know that random killings are actually pretty rare, but I think that's what happened here.

Just because he has been charged with first-degree murder doesn't mean he planned this way in advance. If you even plan for a few seconds to kill someone, it's first-degree murder. DC acted with intent to kill, no question about that. But I doubt this was about a grudge or anything. They were camping pretty close to his property (I think), so that is probably why he encountered them out there in the sticks.

 

[88keys]

Wait...has it been confirmed that Jake was shot with a shotgun?

 

[Jersey*Girl]

I find it odd LE didn't find a bumper in their initieal search. And DC is not only a murderer but a dumba## for leaving his freakin' bumper behind... thank God he did by the way. Is this area really wooded,, grassy,, ?? that a bumper wouldn't be found in an initial search?

But I thought the bumper was found in a field in another county? I know I read that somebody was walking in a field or something & happens upon it, called cops bc there was blood on it.

 

[SmoothOperator]

I've got a question for locals.. What and/or where would be the nearest open store, gas station, or fast food joint, etc from where the couple were camping/fishing?

We know from Jessi's mom that Jessi was alive and well and fishing right around midnight.. What was the nearest business that would have been open after midnight of that Saturday/Sunday??

I know from personal experiences that on many occasions one or more of us that's camping has made middle of the night/wee early morning runs to a store, gas station, etc.. In thinking along those same lines I could see the two making a run to a store, gas station, fast food, etc..

And it would be at that point that they cross paths with Coston.. From there any number of different scenarios would then fit and make sense..

But the initial contact is what is unknown and imo thinking about varying different runs we've made at all hours of the night I too could easily see these two having done so as well.. This being what led to paths crossing with Coston..

Any ideas on what's open that they'd possibly have made a run to get any number of different items.. Even something like bags of ice if they were planning to take this fish with them.. I k ow a lot of people keep them on ice and I could see their having to run to gas station/convenience store, grocery store to grab such an item as ice..

So what's the nearest available store, food chain, or grocer in that area that would be open at that time?


TIA

 

[SmoothOperator]

t

From point blank range, head shots wouldn't be that difficult.



Not a shotgun, then. Probably a handgun or a .22 rifle. I would guess handgun from point-blank range. (Just guessing- no LE word on that yet).

Yep I agree no shotgun that's why I was clarifying the coroner said small caliber gun in response to someone' upthread under the impression it was a shotgun that he was shot with..

 

[Jersey*Girl]

Question about the execution style shots to Jessi:

If Coston was close to her when he pulled the trigger, wouldn't there have been 3 exit wounds to go with the 3 bullet holes? If he shot her from farther away, wouldn't the bullet lodge inside? I really don't know, that's why I'm asking...

 

[SmoothOperator]

Wait...has it been confirmed that Jake was shot with a shotgun?

No, the coroner who performed the autopsy on Jake today stated 1 single gunshot wound to the head and specifically stated that the gun used was of a small caliber.. That Imo in zero way coincides with a shotgun.. Jmo..

Where's this shotgun stuff coming from?