Ongoing FR Analysis: Jack Wheeler Murder

cnn.com ^ | January 9, 2011 | Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt

[Albion Wilde]

Wilmington, Delaware (CNN) -- Police have found homicide victim John Wheeler's cell phone, according to a taxi driver who was interviewed by investigators this week.

Athel Scott told CNN National Correspondent Susan Candiotti that police told him they found the cab driver's number in the phone of Wheeler, the former Pentagon official who was found dead in a Delaware landfill. He said investigators wanted to know how his number got there. Scott... says he told the police he didn't have any idea.

"I never got a call from the man. I don't know him... He's never been in my cab. I don't know how my number got in his cellphone," Scott says he told police...

[hoosiermama]

remembers the man who got into his cab the morning of Dec. 29.

So was he not at home on the 28th? Was the film of him at the train station actually on the 29th? The smoke bomb incident on the 28th a scam? His phone had been turned off on the 28th, He hadn't used it. What's with the phone?

[BykrBayb]

Could this item have anything to do with John Wheeler? Montas-Gonzales disappeared on his way to his home about ten blocks from the Nemours Building, on December 29. I can't find anything indicating he's been found. All news about him abruptly ended on Jan 6 (this one was updated on the 7th). I've read comments at the articles I've found, and nobody has posted an update. Nothing about him being found, body found, still looking... Nothing.

Police issue Gold Alert for missing man

By Frank Gerace

posted Thursday, January 6, 2011 - 3:55pm
Updated Friday, January 7, 2011 - 12:00am

Wilmington police have now issued a Gold Alert for a man who's been missing since he boarded a DART bus December 29th.

Police say Ricardo Arturo Montas-Gonzales, who's mentally-challenged and speaks very little English, left his home on West 10th Street without his parents' knowledge on the morning of the 29th and was last seen on a bus in Dover around 6:30 that evening.

He should have arrived back in Wilmington, but wasn't on the bus when it got here.

Police don't suspect foul play, but are concerned, given Montas-Gonzales' mental status.

He's Hispanic, 6-5 and 240 pounds with brown eyes and short brown hair, and was wearing a blue Penn State jacket, blue jeans and white sneakers at the time he went missing.

Montas-Gonzales also went missing last June, and was found sleeping at a Wilmington bus stop.

Anyone who knows where he is is can call city detectives or any other police department.

And while I have your attention, I see there is a new article about Wheeler at Delaware Online. Six pages. I haven't begun to read it yet. http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110123/NEWS/101230301/One-of-Wheeler-s-last-rides

[WestCoastGal]

Re: cabbie “He hasn’t been contacted since.”

He reported picking up Wheeler from the train station taking Wheeler to Hotel Dupont on the MORNING of the 29th ??? And, the cops don’t want to question him further to see if he can remember anything else, some of which he said he couldn’t remember?

Where has this news been all this time? And, the date is off - the timeline has him arriving at Amtrak on the evening of 28th. (my notes have - Dec. 28 (Tuesday) - Takes Amtrak train from Washington to Wilmington)5.00 pm - Last response to ongoing email conversation concerning West Point and college football.

Although the morning of the 29th appears to be devoid of any info until Happy Harry’s — at least in what has been released.

28th 11.30 pm - 5 smoke bombs used to exterminate rodents thrown into Marinis’ building site

What was he doing at the Hotel Dupont if not staying there? (if that meeting was BIG, and then something happened to him - that’s big! - now there’s even more questions! Couldn’t be the lawyer, he has his own office in town. SO?

Cabbie : Remembers Wheeler as “calm, relaxed and lucid.”

Of course that makes sense because we know whatever happened to him was between the pharmacy at 6pm and the Nemours on the 29th at 6:40pm then disoriented and robbed.

One last thing about the morning of 30th - he got coffee somewhere and was not reported as disoriented then IIRC - does anyone remember that? Did whatever it was wear off?

[WestCoastGal]

The cabbie says John asked to be dropped off at 10th and Orange St - I think the hotel is on No Market St about a block away unless it has other doors.

Here’s the Mapquest map with all other bldgs etc around there - http://maps.google.com/maps?q=10th+and+Orange+Wilmington+Delaware&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=N+Orange+St+%26+W+10th+St,+Wilmington,+DE&gl=us&ei=tDA8TaGODIGC8gbS8KSoCg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ8gEwAA

We can check if he might have been going somewhere else.

One of the very first accounts of his whereabouts the days before were:

About 3:30 p.m. Thursday, (30th) John P. Wheeler III, 66, was seen in Wilmington in the area of 10th and Orange streets by a member of the public, said Newark police spokesman Lt. Mark Farrall.

Where is his attorney Marin’s office?

[WestCoastGal]

# Marin- Bayard Attorney 521 West Street Wilmington, DE

[WestCoastGal]

Here is a GREAT timeline with maps

http://destinationdawn.posterous.com/39337431

[hoosiermama]

Cabbie wrote the date and time down for his records/taxes. Other person was using just his memory and could have had the day confused. We need to know what time he got off work on the 28th. Did he have a room in DC?

OTOH the story changed about why the police were looking for him regarding the smoke bombs about the time the cabbie got in touch with them, to: the police were then trying to find him to see if he saw anything.

SO he didn’t answer the knock because he wasn’t home, but the loud noises were there and they issued a search warren to check his house? OR?

[hoosiermama]

What was he doing at the Hotel Dupont if not staying there?

Wasn't his car parked in their garage after the meeting with his lawyer? Maybe after meeting with the lawyer he put paperwork (briefcase) in his car and he was stopping there to retrieve it? Then proceeded home on the #15

[hoosiermama]

New information starting here....Any ideas?

[WestCoastGal]

Yes Dec. 13 (Monday) - Car parked in Amtrak parking garage on Martin Luther King Boulevard near Wilmington Train Station.

And,
Dec 24th he is driven to the Wilmington Amtrak train station by his friend and neighbor.

Wonder who that is?

[WestCoastGal]

Ooops I found their names Dec. 24 — Wheeler’s neighbors, Robert and Phoebe Dill, reportedly took him to the Wilmington train station.

[BykrBayb]

Wheeler visited the law office of Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz LLP, on the 10th floor of the Nemours Building, which is next door to the Hotel DuPont. The Hotel DuPont is well-known. The Nemours Building is not as well known. If you were taking a cab to the Nemours Building, you’d probably tell the driver to take you to Hotel DuPont, as the cab driver would be more likely to know that landmark. The driver dropped him at 11th and Orange, which is directly between Hotel DuPont and the Nemours Building.

Wheeler’s car was parked in a different hotel parking garage. Doubletree Hotel, 700 N. King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801.

[BykrBayb]

Car parked in Amtrak parking garage on Martin Luther King Boulevard near Wilmington Train Station.

I'm so confused. I read that it was parked at the Doubletree Hotel, and that he rented a parking space there by the month.

[WestCoastGal]

The more the police have a lid on this, the more there will be conflicting reports - sadly. That this cabbie comes out now with totally different story on a different day is suspicious to me.

I’ve never seen the Double Tree Hotel parking though - the Amtrak was posted at the link I put here this morning just above a few posts and on the Examiners website. Could be wrong - the whole thing is a convoluted mess now.

[BykrBayb]

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010101231008

DECEMBER 31, 2010

Body discovered at Wilmington landfill

-snip-

The man has not been identified and police said his death is suspicious, Wilmington Capt. Elmer Harris said.

-snip-

The man’s body was taken by the state medical examiner’s office for an autopsy. His name will be released after his identity has been determined and his family has been notified, Harris said.

-snip-

---

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011101010342

JANUARY 1, 2011

Delaware crime: Dead man dumped at area landfill

-snip-

The man has not been identified, Wilmington Police Capt. Elmer Harris said.

Late Friday night, Newark police announced they are joining the investigation and the death had been ruled a homicide following an autopsy by the Delaware Medical Examiner’s Office.

-snip-

The man’s body was taken to the state Medical Examiner’s Office where the autopsy was done. His name will be released after his identity has been determined and his relatives notified, Harris said.

-snip-

---

Now I ask you, if his body had still not been identified after the autopsy, does that mean he didn’t have any identification on him? When and how did they eventually identify him? The earliest report I can find where he is identified is January 2. When was his house searched? When was his car impounded? Was all this done before they knew whose body they had?

[WestCoastGal]

Also found this.....

On Dec. 29, witnesses reported seeing Wheeler at a Wilmington parking garage, coatless and clutching one of his shoes. Video from the garage captured Wheeler wandering aimlessly, at times appearing agitated.

Wheeler told several people at the garage that he had been robbed but did not want them to call police. He said he was looking for his car. Police said it was parked a half-mile away in the garage across from the train station.

(it is possible the Double Tree is there?) Need to look at yet another map :)

[WestCoastGal]

Nope Doubletree Hotel is No King and E 8th St

[WestCoastGal]

And this - Surveillance video released by Colonial Parking of Wilmington shows Wheeler, apparently disoriented and holding a shoe, wandering in the parking garage near 5th and King Streets December 29th, searching for his vehicle. Wheeler’s car was later found and impounded at a different garage near the Wilmington train station.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/11103-search-warrants-in-john-wheeler-homicide-case-to-remain-sealed

[BykrBayb]

I checked my records, and the only reference I now see to the Doubletree Hotel parking garage is in a post by DaveTesla.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2654134/posts?page=120#120

Dave, can you clear this up for us? Where was Jack Wheeler’s car parked? Was it at the Doubletree Hotel? Other reports say it was parked at the train station. Is there a parking lot at the train station? I didn’t think there was. And I could swear I read somewhere that he rented a parking space by the month at the Doubletree, and that’s where his car was parked.

[BykrBayb]

Right. Doubletree is about two or three blocks from the train station.