The mystery surrounding Wheeler's death was never solved. Jack Wheeler was a graduate of Yale, Harvard, and West Point, a military consultant, and served as a special assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. He's also the subject of anUnsolved Mysteriesepisode. That same night, a smoke bomb went off in the house that was under construction right across from his place. Come morning, Katherine tried calling him, but he didnt pick up. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { Wheeler's erratic behavior before his death and his avoiding his home and cabs in favor of hitchhiking and traveling on foot could be taken as signs that he feared he was being stalked and that the thieves were hunting him to cover their tracks. Seems the simplest explanation is he had a mental break. I am failing to understand why his injuries are not believed to be consistent with being crushed by the trash compactor. "What's important now is to establish the location of the crime.". I think your theory is right, some kind of mental break/psychosis. In light of the case getting attention again as part ofUnsolved Mysteries Volume Two, many have been sharing their theories online of what could have happened to Jack. 2023 FOX Television Stations, from SAT 8:00 PM CST until WED 4:30 AM CST, Newton County, until SUN 12:00 PM CST, Lake County, Kenosha County, from SAT 12:00 PM CST until WED 6:00 AM CST, Jasper County, from SUN 6:00 AM CST until MON 6:00 AM CST, Lake County, Newton County, is in effect, Kane County, Lake County, McHenry County, Porter County, Jasper County, Indiana State Police trooper killed after suspect fleeing from police strikes him with vehicle on I-69, 6 injured, 2 seriously in 3-car crash on Near West Side, Feds raid suburban Chicago home of businessman who ran for state office, Lightfoot loses re-election bid, this is the date she will leave office, Police investigate 4 smash-and-grabs in Chicago suburb, Man found shot to death in North Side home: police, Police Chase: Gunman waits for kids to cross street near Lakewood; Opens fire at several different locations, Chicago weather: Slushy, stormy conditions take hold Friday, Replay Lincoln Park transforms into iconic 'Paddy's Pub'. The injuries Wheeler sustained simply could not have been the result of his being harmed by a trash truck. The next day, on December 29, Wheeler took a cab to theHotel du Pont in downtown Wilmington, Delaware, where he notified his employer by e-mail that his phone and briefcase had been stolen. Murphy was a 2018 graduate of Stevenson High School and lived with her daughter at the apartment building, Wheeling police said. So, who killed Jack Wheeler? Jack said No, thanks,'. Surely he talked during that trip? }) But the circumstances of his death are a mystery. On the evening of December 30, he was seen in the basement of an office complex in downtown Wilmington. ", Klyce believes that Wheeler was in the midst of a bipolar episodebut also says she believes her husband was targeted for some reason. Jack was devoted to causes that were for the great benefit of the country such as being executive director of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial," Bayard Marin, Wheelers attorney, said. According to Today, the coroner's report said Murphy . These Are the 30 Best True Crime Podcasts. NY 10036. As shown in the Unsolved Mysteries Volume 2episode, police were eventually able to trace Wheeler's body to a particular garbage truck and found his DNA in a dumpster in Newark, Delaware; a city nearly 15 miles southwest of where Wheeler was last seen alive and roughly the same distance from where his body was found. As listed in his report, a few of them are hemorrhage, contusion, punctured lungs, broken ribs, aspiration of blood, external neck injury, bruises to the face and orbital bones, and laceration. It is unclear how Wheeler wound up in that dumpster and if he was alive or dead at the time. 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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Jack Wheeler's death is the focus of an Unsolved Mysteries episode, Jack's body was found in a Delaware landfill in December 2010, CCTV footage shows Jack in his final hours but has lead to questions from viewers, Jack's behaviour changed from the pharmacy to being dropped off at a parking garage, Netflix releases trailer for Unsolved Mysteries new episodes, New on Netflix: The best series and films released every day, The best movies on Netflix to watch right now, The most terrifying horrors to watch on Netflix right now, The best documentaries to watch on Netflix right now, The best comedies to watch on Netflix right now, The best thrillers to watch on Netflix right now, The best kids' shows on Netflix to watch right now, The best true crime series to watch on Netflix. John Parsons Wheeler III (December 14, 1944 - c. December 30, 2010), known as Jack Wheeler, was an American businessman and former White House aide.Wheeler was chairman of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, senior planner for Amtrak (1971-1972), official of the Securities and Exchange Commission (1978-1986), chief executive and CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, consultant to the . "The way they disposed of his body, its a miracle anybody ever found it. Whatever the truth behind Jack Wheeler's death, it cannot be denied that Unsolved Mysteries Volume 2 chose an incredibly intriguing case with which to open its new season. Across the street from his house, an investigation concerning the setting off of smoke bombs established him as a suspect after his cell phone was found at the scene. "It was definitely homicide," she says. The theory of him being in the dumpster and getting compacted makes sense. In 1966, he graduated near the top of his class from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and then went on to earn a business degree from Harvard and a law degree from Yale. Since then he has gone on to write for over a dozen websites, including 411 Mania, Comics Nexus and The Cult of Nobody. Related: Love True Crime? This subreddit is about unsolved mysteries. He feared somebody had broken in. Then the theory of mugging comes into play, yet even that seems next to impossible, mainly as Jack had been carefully disposed of, and he still had some cash, his West Point ring, and a Rolex on his being when he was recovered. Later on, Jack worked as the special assistant to the secretary of the Air Force, Mike Wynne, and was a national security consultant to the defense firm Mitre Corporation in the cybersecurity area. He was last seen alive on 10th Street and Orange in. I think the episode didnt do much in the way of giving us any kind of good theories or leads, however. This content is imported from youTube. }); Also, Jack had some cash on him when his body was found, had his Rolex and West Point ring. Some Redditors in the mainUnsolved Mysteriesthread believe Wheeler was exhibiting symptoms of early onset dementia, a disease that Wheeler's bipolar disorder could have predispositioned him to. Another relevant detail is that Wheeler suffered from bipolar disorder. His death was ruled a homicide caused by assault and blunt force trauma, and his body was later traced to a dumpster in Newark, Del., more than 13 miles away from where he was last seen in Wilmington. Here's everything we know about who killed Jack Wheeler, plus details on the White House aide and exclusive intel from series co-creator and executive producer Terry Meurer. Was Wheeler's a tragic death related to a bipolar episode, a government-sanctioned assassination plot, or as others believe, a random downtown mugging gone wrong? Subsequently, all the dumpsters in Newark were examined, and a partial DNA match with Jack from inside one of them was found. ", Related: How Shanann Watts' Family Feels About Netflix'sAmerican Murder: The Family Next Door: Her Brother Speaks Out. In the immediate aftermath of Unsolved Mysteries Volume Twopremiering on Netflix October 19, many viewers are puzzled and downright distressed by Wheeler's story. Jack WAS a patriot. It also covers everything from homicide to tales of lost ones to paranormal activities, all the while encouraging viewers to provide information that might help bring it to a close. And thats when everything changed. He was trying to stay out of sight because someone might have been following him.". Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? On the one hand, some people say, as the result of a bipolar episode, Wheeler could have been confused and disoriented, and therefore made a seemingly odd decisionsuch as climbing into a dumpster for warmth in the middle of the night. 1. Jack Wheeler was a 66-year-old former Pentagon official. Because of a bipolar episode, Wheeler's guard might have been down, he was lost and couldn't find his car, and therefore, in the right terrible circumstance, someone might have taken advantage and killed him. Proponents of this theory point to the fact that Wheeler's briefcase has never been recovered and that he contacted his employer about the theft but not the police an action he would presumably avoid if he were fearful that classified information had been stolen from his home. The show uses re-enactments and in-depth interviews with professionals and loved ones to retell the circumstances surrounding old cases that are, well, unsolved. The victim had very strong ties to the government which could be understood by merely glancing at his career. He was bad at directions and orientation but he could have also been very agitated and that's why he couldn't figure out which parking garage he was in. If it was a psychotic break, I am not sure how this fits in. Wheeler filed suit to halt the construction, which partially blocked his view of the river. The consensus of homicide stems largely in part from severe injuries to Wheeler's body: blunt force trauma, broken ribs, and contusions on his face. During his mental break, he might have made a pass at one or both of the guys who was . On December 28, 1010, smoke bombs were set in the aforementioned home construction, and Wheeler's phone was found at the scene. Unsolved Mysteries executive producer Terry Dunn Muerer is hoping, with this season, to change that. The chief problem with this theory is that few believe Wheeler would have sought shelter in a garbage dumpster, even if he were afraid of being watched on the street, after spending most of his first night on the run in the basement of an office building. Without Jacks phone, all the investigators had was video surveillance to track him. The first episode of Unsolved Mysteries Volume 2 centers on the murder of Jack Wheeler, a Washington insider and former aide to . },false) By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 CHICAGO APP FOR BREAKING NEWS ALERTS. We're at the Cherry Island Landfill in Wilmington, Delaware where on December 31, 2010 landfill employees discovered a body of a man dumped there. 'But Jack was a really brilliant guy, and Igave him a reading list.' John Wheeler, an attorney and businessman, touches the name of a friend engraved in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, May 17, 1994. . Taking to Twitter, one fan wrote: "@Unsolved did police interview the guys who gave Jack Wheeler a ride from the pharmacy to parking garage about what they talked about? He was beaten and thrown around in such a way that he had several severe injuries all over his body. THE JOHN F KENNEDY, JFK ASSASSINATION AUTOPSY: The Naval Ambulance arrived at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. The video footage and eye-witness accounts of encounters with Wheeler during his two days in downtown Wilmington would seem to confirm that something had happened to him, with some theorizing that he may have suffered a stroke or developed amnesia as a result of a traumatic encounter. Why would someone break into your house, destroy your spice rack and throw your Comet all around? He was then seen asking for a ride to Wilmington, DE, searching unsuccessfully for his car in the wrong parking garage. Wheeler's autopsy also revealed that he had suffered a heart attack, but still listed the cause of his death as blunt force trauma. I mean this guy was extremely bright. However, those who knew Wheeler best say this wasn't too out of character; he was constantly getting lost and forgetting things, and apparently had a terrible sense of direction. Investigators said his body was disposed of in a dumpster. One of the to-do lists Wheeler left behind, dated Dec. 5, mentions hacking a target associated with the construction dispute. Never even addressed this and the journalist thought those minutes were the biggest mystery. Investigator Joe Salerno said that since Jack had a very strong network with the government, "he may have been a target of a murder-for-hire type situation. Steve Volk, an investigative journalist, said, "What we know is that at the time of his death, he was working as a consultant for the Mitre Corporation, which is a defense contracting firm. An autopsy found that he was a victim of homicide, but police are not releasing any details of the medical report. hitType: 'event', When the dumpster was picked up by a truck, the body ended up at the Cherry Hill landfill, where it was found December 31 (six miles from his home) shortly after the truck dumped out its contents. His body was later crushed by the compactor of the garbage truck that picked up his dumpster, resulting in the blunt force trauma that caused his death. However, no concrete motive or evidence has ever surfaced in the decade since the dedicated public servant was killed. ga('ads.send', { Wheeler was, at the time, embroiled in a legal battle against the houses construction, and his cell phone was found there after his death. ", Another added: "Why is no one curious about the people who gave Jack a ride to the parking garage?! He didn't, however, have a strong sense of direction and was often losing his car. Revolve's Sale Has Every Single Wedding Guest You Need For Wedding Season, We're InspiredCrisp Suiting and Bold Beauty is All We Can Currently Think About, Revolve Is Having a Huge One-Day-Only Saleand You Can Get $100 Off These Legendary Gucci Sunglasses, The 75 Best K-Dramas You'll Be Completely Hooked On, Selena Gomez Revealed Meryl Streep Is Joining 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 3, The 56 Best Musical Movies of All Time: Iconic Movie Musicals, Sophia Brown on Joining the World of The Witcher: Blood Origin, 'Ginny & Georgia' Season 2: Everything We Know, The Cast of 'The Crown' Season 5: Your Guide. But because there was video footage of Jack from days before his estimated date of death seemingly not acting himself, it brought more questions into the fray. We are one of the worlds fastest growing On December 31, 2010, at 9:56 a.m., Jack Wheeler's body was found dumped in the Cherry Island Landfill in Wilmington, Delaware, a place where he had no business being at that point in time. And since the trash surrounding his body was determined to be from there as well, it is plausible that it happened. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ 40 minutes later, he was captured on tape by a security camera at a parking garage in Wilmington, limping and carrying one of his shoes. Wheeler lived in Washington, D.C. and part-time in the historic district of New Castle, Delaware. An autopsy was performed tha. He was the chairman in charge of strategy guidance for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and served as a senior planner for Amtrak. Visit our corporate site. In the garage surveillance footage, Wheeler seemed distressed and agitated. Wheeler's death was ruled a homicide, due to the intensive damage dealt to his body, which included a punctured lung, broken ribs and a wound on his head. Delaware Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of subjects responsible for the death of the victim. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ }); Jack Wheeler's death is the focus of an Unsolved Mysteries episode Credit: YouTube Jack's body was found in a Delaware landfill one day after his disappearance in December 2010, having last. On December 31, 2010, at 9:56 a.m., Jack Wheelers body was found dumped in the Cherry Island Landfill in Wilmington, Delaware, a place where he had no business being at that point in time. This also assumes that Wheeler would ever consider committing a crime. }); Curious to know all the details? On the morning of Dec. 30, Wheeler is believed to have boarded an Amtrak train in Washington, D.C., headed for Wilmington. When he entered the house, though, he saw that the whole place had been overturned and thrashed, with things scattered on the floor and cutlery broken in the sink, and so he dialed 911. He didnt beat himself up.". We know that the 66-year-old husband and father's body was discovered in a Delaware landfill on Dec. 31, one day after his disappearance. An autopsy conducted by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office determined Ja'Nya Murphy died as a result of asphyxiation due to strangulation. Even weirder was the presence of Wheeler's ceremonial West Point sword and shield on the floor, covered in spilled cleaning supplies. Additionally, it seems unlikely that Wheeler would have gone to ground without making some kind of effort to make sure his wife and children were protected if he thought he was being targeted by assassins as the result of a long-term investigation into government corruption. Unsolved Mysteries: Every Jack Wheeler Death Theory, Explained, Unsolved Mysteries: What To Expect From Volume 3, Everything Unsolved Mysteries Leaves Out About The Oslo Plaza Woman, Unsolved Mysteries: How The Original Series Is Still Solving Cases, Why Unsolved Mysteries On Netflix Doesn't Have A Host. The screen is still black as we hear birds cry and then, the first image we see is tons of garbage. (More on that later). Known as a font of comic book history trivia, he has delivered lectures on the history of American Comic Books, Japanese Manga, Doctor Who, and Cosplay at over a dozen conventions and served as an Expert In-Residence for a course on Graphic Novels for Librarians at the University of North Texas. The police have largely dismissed this idea, yet they have no explanation for how Wheeler's phone wound up at the arson site. Fallows wrote a tribute to Wheeler in the Atlantic Magazine online, saying, "I feel terrible for his family and hope they will eventually find comfort in knowing how many important things he achieved. He is carrying one shoe. That just sounds like a pro to me.". He spoke about a stolen briefcase. When you look at the autopsy and the degree to which he was beaten, its just not consistent with a fall from the dumpster. He also added that Jack could not have been mugged as street robbers leave the body where they attack and usually dont load it into dumpsters. } Nevertheless, some people believe that his murder was the direct result of a professional hit job, considering all the evidence, or the lack thereof. Apparently, he spent the night and part of the day there. Murphy's 1-year-old daughter, Jacklyn "Angel . Jack Wheeler did not have a known connection to the Nemours building, and investigators in Unsolved Mysteries believe his activities denote the behavior of someone trying to hide. We were not able to do an interview with the Newark [Delaware] police department. One theory is that Jack Wheeler was experiencing a bipolar episode, which caused his erratic behavior. Content warning: violence. }); He also, interestingly, asked for train fare, despite refusing the offer of a cab from parking attendants the night before. Wheeler was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors in April of 2011. "He left the pharmacy, and there was a couple there, a man and a woman, and he asked them if they could give him a ride to Wilmington, and they did, and they dropped him off there. The following morning, December 31, a neighbor noticed an open window in Jack and Kathys home, and went inside to make sure all was okay. But his many public accomplishments were considered even more impressive when considering his personal plights: Wheeler was diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder. "But it is just one aspect, it's not the focus of our investigation.". eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), New York, On 31st December 2010, the body of John P. Wheeler III (also known as Jack) was found in the Cherry Island Landfill in Delaware. Episode One of Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries Volume Two details the death of a former Pentagon official and presidential aide. He got his start writing for the legendary DC Comics digital fanzine Fanzing, before receiving his own column, The Mount. } Wheeler's autopsy also revealed that he had suffered a heart attack, but still listed the cause of his death as blunt force trauma. The strangest thing, though, was the state of his New Castle home and the evidence found near there. Internet theories surrounding Jacks case range from a random downtown mugging to a secret government assassination plot. It was possible that Wheeler had some mental breakdown due to his disorder or he was being physically attacked. Marie Claire is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. But the question still remains as to why Jack was in Newark or a dumpster. It was,apparently (opens in new tab), not the only office building he went to; he also visited a Mitre office. Wheeler reportedly was in a running dispute with a neighbor who was building a house across the street from his home in New Castle. The first episode of Unsolved Mysteries shows evidence photos of the house in a state of disarray: there was a tree indoors, spices and broken dishes in the kitchen, and white Comet powder and Jacks West Point sword and shield on the floor. Family, friends, and investigators express in the episode their hope that someone has information about what happened to Wheeler in his final days. Related: Unsolved Mysteries: Every Jack Wheeler Death Theory, Explained. },false) Witnesses and family members say that Wheeler arrived at the wrong parking garage in Wilmington as his car was actually parked in a different garage. It is possible, however, that the stress of his briefcase and phone disappearing may have triggered a manic episode. There's also the fact that muggers who kill their victims usually don't bother with hiding the body, much less transporting it 15 miles out of their way to a dumpster in another city. SkyFOX was over the scene where a body of a toddler was found Thursday. At 6.42 pm the same day, Wheeler was seen at a garage trying to find his car but he was at the wrong garage. John 'Jack' Wheeler's body was found in a landfill His body was found 14 hours later on December 31 in a landfill after being dumped from a trash truck. In 2011, Kathy Klyce told Slate that she suspects the murder was a hired hit. I vote for him. Somebody didnt want his body to be found. I thought I was the only one to think of this. Titled "Washington Insider Murder," the episode details the bizarre circumstances of Wheeler's death. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. Murphy was discovered during a well-being check by Wheeling police after she failed to report to work on Tuesday. However there is still the question of his stolen work ID badge. Because of the way Jack Wheeler was found, it was evident that foul play was involved, so as soon as the investigators arrived, they secured the landfill and began combing through the tons and tons of trash for any evidence. All the dance numbers! Investigators believe that Jack spent the night of December 29 and part of the day on December 30 in the basement of the office building, and the last known footage of Jack alive is of him leaving the building in the evening of December 30. Wheeler's death was ruled a homicide. The way they disposed of his body, its a miracle anybody ever found it. "The sensational aspects of Jack's murder were what first attracted me. ", A third agreed, writing: "Who drove Jack from the pharmacy to the parking garage? The body of an African-American female toddler was discovered Thursday afternoon in a pond off of Interstate 94 in Northwest Indiana. Episode One of Netflixs Unsolved Mysteries Volume Two details the death of a former Pentagon official and presidential aide. The person had a relationship with Murphy, and was last seen with her on Monday, around the time her family last had contact with her, according to Wheeling police. Surveillance footage showed him visiting a local pharmacy at night on December 29 looking for a ride to Wilmington, where he had left his car in a garage. In 2017, Wheelers wife Kathy Klyce told the Washington Post that she believed Jack set off the smoke bombs in the home across the street from theirs, and also that he was experiencing a bipolar episode at the time of his death. He appeared to be cautious of his surroundings as if he was scared that he was being stalked. },false) Because he was such a well known figure people just dont want to accept that its not a conspiracy theory. The Mountbatten-Windsors have been recastagain. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. Got there and didnt recognize anything since he was already terrible with directions and was quite possibly in the middle of a mental break. He was several blocks from the parking garage where his car was located, and he appeared visibility distressed, repeatedly telling the attendant that his briefcase had been stolen. For what it's worth, Klyce believes her husband's death was a planned assassination. Jacqueline and Robert Kennedy were escorted to the VIP suites on the seventeenth floor and the autopsy began at 7:35 P.M. John P. Wheeler III, (opens in new tab)known as "Jack," was a graduate of prestigious military academy West Point with a long and impressive resum: presidential aide to Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush, a critical part of getting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial built, and eventually a consultant at Mitre working on classified information in cybersecurity. Wheelerwho was also diagnosed with bipolar disorderwas found dead in a landfill after a night of . The second season of Netflix's 'Unsolved Mysteries' opens with this case as it interviews detectives and expert witnesses involved in it and also talks to the victim's family to help decode what might have happened to John Wheeler, who was referred by most as simply "Jack." 'Very open to the idea': Julia Wandelt takes DNA test to verify if she is missing Swiss girl Livia Schepp, Kayla Lemieux: Teacher with prosthetic Z-cup breasts suspended WITH PAY after pics show her dressed as man, 'We have lots to reveal': Madeleine McCann lookalike Julia Wandelt posts footage of meeting with PI probing claims, Lindsay Clancy case: Psychologist reveals psychosis red flags family members could have spotted, Horror at Larchwood Care! When Michael Lawson contacted the New Castle Police Department after Wheelers body was found and identified on the same day, he was informed by one of the detectives that they were actually en route to Wheelers house to investigate a potential burglary. All the show tunes! Wheeler had been beaten severely and suffered a heart attack, according to the cops. These Are the 30 Best True Crime Podcasts, bipolar disorder could have predispositioned. He said his cell was stolen but it was across the street. eventAction: 'load' An autopsy found that he was a victim of homicide, but police are not releasing any details of the medical report. His autopsy listed a rash of severe injuries, including a punctured lung, broken ribs, bleeding in the head, bruises to the face, orbital bones, temples . According to the Delaware state medical examiner's office, Jack's official cause of death was blunt force trauma. I agree. In fact, he didnt communicate with either of them for the rest of his time alive. But that chilling scene is only the beginning of a sprawling unsolved murder of a former Pentagon official and presidential aide. While this theory might explain Wheeler going into hiding and the disappearance of his briefcase, it explains little else regarding the odd circumstances of his death. Lauren Kranc is the assistant content strategy editor at Esquire, where she runs the brands social media accounts and covers pop culture and television, with entirely too narrow an expertise on true crime shows. Jack's body was found in a Delaware landfill one day after his disappearance in December 2010, having last been seen alive on a street in Wilmington. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, murdered, and his body dumped with the garbage into a landfill, Wheeler's body was discovered New Year's Eve.

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