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

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Presidential aide's body found in landfill; ruled homicide

WILMINGTON, Del. - January 3, 2011 (WPVI) -- The body of 66-year-old John Wheeler III was found at the Cherry Island landfill on the morning of New Year's Eve.

Police have ruled his death a homicide, but right now, police have more questions than answers. All they know right now if that the prominent military consultant ended up dead in a dumpster somewhere in Newark, Delaware.

"There are no suspects. Again, we are still looking to determine where the crime scene occurred," explained Newark Police Lt. Mark Farrall.

John Wheeler, known to friends as Jack, was a military consultant, a West point graduate who worked for three presidents and previously served as chairman of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

Wheeler's body was found Friday morning at the Cherry Island landfill in Wilmington. A trash truck had emptied ten dumpsters in Newark.
---

the rest, plus video, at
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/crime&id=7876386&hpt=T2
 
Very sad news. I recall reading about Jack Wheeler in "The Long Gray Line" a book about the West Point class of 1966 and the Vietnam War. There were many West Point grads who died in the War and Wheeler was the one who led the effort to build the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC. He was very bright, well educated and accomplished.

The Newark Post lists the businesses where the dump truck emptied commercial dumpsters on the route in Newark, NJ:

The locations of interest are as follows:

1. WSFS Bank, College Square

2. Newark Library, Library Avenue

3. Gardens of White Chapel, White Chapel Drive

4. Hudson State Service Center, Ogletown Road

5. Newark Toyota, Marrows Road

6. McDonald’s, East Main Street

7. Attila Wings, East Main Street

8. Newark Emergency Center, East Main Street

9. Bing’s Bakery, East Main Street

10. Goodwill, Newark Shopping Center

http://www.newarkpostonline.com/articles/2011/01/01/news/doc4d1f223405f71802725254.txt

According to Delaware Online, Wheeler had been involved in a legal dispute with homeowners across the street from his historic home in New Castle, DE. Wheeler and his wife were suing the owners because they were building a large home that would block the view.

The article states that someone had recently thrown a smoke bomb into the Wheeler's home in New Castle.

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110103/NEWS01/101030329/Dumped-body-was-Vietnam-War-vet

Hope they find out who murdered him.
 
This should be an interesting case to keep an eye on.

Here's an updated story that shows they went to his home with a crime scene van on Sunday. He was last seen getting off an Amtrak in Wilmington, Tuesday, yet the trash is tracked to one of ten locations in Newark.

It's hard to tell if this was a random act (ie robbery gone bad) or something more sinister. LE says it is a homicide but don't give a COD.

Sad end to such an accomplished life. My thoughts and prayers to his family.

JMHO
fran
:rose:



http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/01/gannett-wheeler-body-found-landfill-010311/

Influential vet’s body found in landfill

Police rule death of former Army officer Wheeler a homicide

Newark police had a crime-scene van at Wheeler’s home in New Castle on Sunday, with crime-scene tape roping off the prominent three-story brick home with black shutters.

Friends and neighbors were shocked to learn Wheeler had died.

“This is just not the kind of guy who gets murdered,” said Bayard Marin, a Wilmington attorney who represented Wheeler in a dispute with a neighbor. “This is not the kind of guy you find in a landfill.”

Wheeler was last traced riding an Amtrak train from Washington to Wilmington on Tuesday, said Newark police Lt. Mark Farrall.

“The last place they can put him is getting off the Amtrak train in Wilmington,” Farrall said.

At about 10 a.m. Friday, a landfill employee spotted Wheeler’s body falling from a Waste Management truck into a trash pile. Police identified Wheeler based on identification found on his body, Farrall said.

Tracing the truck’s route, police determined Wheeler’s body had been left in a large trash bin in one of 10 locations on the east side of Newark, including the College Square shopping center.

Newark police did not release the cause of death Sunday, and wouldn’t say whether they’re treating Wheeler’s home as the crime scene.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<full article at link>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
The three presidents he served:

Wheeler, a resident of New Castle, Del., was a special assistant to the Air Force Secretary in the [George W.] Bush administration from 2005 to 2008, according to Air Force spokesman Maj. Joel Harper. The position is a political appointment but did not require Senate confirmation.

He also was a Vietnam War veteran and a defense contractor who worked in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush as well.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE7023S220110103
 
The Newark Post lists the businesses where the dump truck emptied commercial dumpsters on the route in Newark, NJ:
The businesses are in Newark, Deleware, not New Jersey.
 
Sad, our news in Philly didn't mention his career in the Military.

O.K. so a man who is a decorated Vietnam War Vet who went to West Point could be by speculation murdered by a neighbor over construction?

How many stops from DC to where this man exited the train? Just thought someone might know before I looked it up.

Note Filly does not enjoy Amtrak.
 
I wonder if his wife is safe? I would hate to do it, but I think I would want to move asap!
 
It really bugs me that they talk about the feud with the people building a house across the street. From what I've read there is no reason to believe, right now, that they had anything to do with it.

If they want to say that he was involved in a legal battle that's pertinent info., but IMO saying who it was with is irresponsible. To me saying the legal battle was with the new land owners building the house is just as good as putting out a name.

Also, if the people across the street bought the land and got a building permit it's too bad for him if it obstructs his view of the river.

There may be a lot more to this that we'll eventually find out.
 
OMG I must email my friend, she works at one of the sites listed
 
He got on the train Tuesday. His body was found on Friday. No missing person report had been filed. He's married. Something's very strange about that to me.
 
I went back and reread everything and see where the wife was out of town. Even so, wouldn't she be concerned if she couldn't get hold of her husband on the phone? He was missing for almost three days before the body was discovered.
 
I just got an email from my friend who works at one the locations and this is what she said to me


"Apparently Newark PD was here yesterday and nothing was caught on tape. After lots of discussion in the office, the &#8220;perfect&#8221; place would have been the dumpster behind Goodwill because the Bowling Lanes building keeps it pretty secluded and no video cameras."
 
This is a very weird story, they're being very careful about the information released I think. There was a new headline on our local news, that I don't think anyone posted here yet (I hope anyhow, sorry if it's a double!) that he was caught on a camera a few blocks away from where his attorney's office is in Newark.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/crime&id=7878520

Something tells me tho that the wife and/or family is not involved. I think that they just traveled separately, and she just thought he was traveling? I could be VERY wrong about that, but just a hunch.
 
So, the Friday sighting at about 3:30 in the afternoon in Wilmington, means that about 19 hours later his dead body was being dumped in a landfill in Wilmington after being dumped in a dumpster in Newark.

Since the article states that the sighting was near his attorney's office, I wonder if he had an appointment with the attorney and didn't show up or if he was going to pop in at the attorney's office? Or, maybe he was in the area for other reasons having nothing to do with the attorney, the lawsuit, or anything else.

I think I read or heard, am not sure, that the wife was traveling out of the country during that week. They also have a condo in New York City, from which she also runs her business.
 
Regarding the decorated Vietnam vet references, I really don't think he set foot in Vietnam, ever. I think the closest he got to Vietnam and combat was looking at maps at the Pentagon.
 
I went back and reread everything and see where the wife was out of town. Even so, wouldn't she be concerned if she couldn't get hold of her husband on the phone? He was missing for almost three days before the body was discovered.

I find that a little curious too.
 

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