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...

[Gondring]

They can gather evidence at locations that are not “crime scenes”...for example, just as an illustration, suppose Jack Wheeler’s pocket contained a note: “They know I’m onto them. In case I am killed, I’ve put evidence under my kitchen floorboards.” No crime was committed at the kitchen, so it’s not a crime scene.

It does seem like there was some potential evidence at his house, though. I think you are hitting some key questions.

[hoosiermama]

Check out the link here. Anything look familiar,missing or out of place?
Wouldn’t the fire bombs be listed under vandalism? How about the most wanted...any familiar faces?

[hoosiermama]

Remember at first they were just using the FBI labs...and then the FBI was called into the case....IIRC it was about the time they mentioned searching his home, apartment, car etc.

We must all remember there is lab work, toxin reports to come in yet. Don't think any arrest will be made until then. OR any more information released if they have someone in mind till AFTER the arrest.

Is the yellow tape up around the house still? Wonder if there is something about the cause of death that only the murdererS would know and that's the reason it wasn't announced.

[Gondring]

Wouldn’t the fire bombs be listed under vandalism?

From http://www2.nccde.org/police/crimemaps/default.aspx:

Is all crime that occurred in New Castle County mapped?
No. Only crime that occurred in the jurisdiction of the New Castle County Police is mapped. Generally, this is any crime that occurred in a neighborhood or at an address on a secondary road in unincorporated areas of New Castle County. If the crime occurred in a city or town that is patrolled by another police department, or if the crime occurred on a state numbered roadway or in a commercial area, it is not in the jurisdiction of the New Castle County Police.

See New Castle Police Department (i.e., City of New Castle, not to be confused with New Castle County Police)

[Gondring]

Was the FBI called in, or did they take initiative in coming in? It’s a potentially relevant distinction.

[hoosiermama]

Good point. Don’t know if a distinction was made at the time, just that they were involved beyond the previous stated lab work.

Woke up thinking about life of medication. At the most if he was taking meds, he was only a day or so without. Most medications are still be in the system for dayS not hours.

If there was indeed confusion am now leaning toward brain swelling after injury. The DR’s in AZ said the worse period for that is within first three days. If we take what we learn from them and apply it to Jack. Hit on 28th Swelling worsen on 29, 30th?

He needed medical care and for some reason was not seeking it, except to stop by the pharmacy on 29th. Wonder if he purchased anything else.

[Abby4116]

Justice of the Peace Stanley Petraschuk issued the first search warrant of Wheeler’s home on the day the body was found.

[Abby4116]

Attorney General Beau Biden's office asked four days later to seal the warrant, arguing that the disclosure of its contents will compromise the investigation

I should have noted that the post before this and this one are both quoted, but I cannot post the source of the quote and cannot link to it (it is a password protected site and would do no good to link to it.)

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

The closest fire station is Good-Will Fire Company NO 1
Physical Address
Fourth and South ST
New Castle, DE 19720
Mailing Address
Fourth and South ST
New Castle, DE 19720
Telephone: 302-328-2211
Fax: 302-328-2216
For emergencies, always call 911 or
your local emergency contact phone number

I checked to see if I could find a record of dispatches, but no luck. I wonder who made the 911 call. Has that been reported?

Also, is it a fact that he actually made it to his house that day?

[BykrBayb]

That is truly odd. Newark Police did their search the day they identified his body, January 2.

Who got that first search warrant? If Newark Police got it, why did they wait until January 2 to execute it? If some other agency got it, why did Newark Police wait two days to do their search?

When did authorities know whose body it was? If they knew the day they found him, why did it take two days for Newark Police to search his home, while some agency (maybe them, maybe some other) got a warrant that day? If they didn’t know who he was until January 2, why did Petraschuk issue a search warrant for his house two days before they knew he was dead?

On January 4, Beau Biden asked to have the first search warrant sealed. Newark Police requested their three search warrants be sealed. What interest did Biden have in getting the first one sealed, if the agency that was issued the warrant didn’t ask to have it sealed?

In his request for the first search warrant to be sealed, deputy attorney general James Kriner said that the New Castle Police did not request the warrant be sealed. Does that mean the warrant was for them? If so, why isn’t there any mention of the murder or any of the surrounding events listed on their crime log?

The cab driver, Athel Scott, said he was questioned for three hours and his home was searched. Is that search warrant sealed also?

Answers are hard to come by in this case, and every answer creates a whole new line of questions.

[hoosiermama]

Have found no comments on who reported the fire or who pointed the finger at Jack. Asked earlier both of those questions AND recent articles have back tracked not that he was involved in the fire, but that they were just seeking him to see if he saw anything relavant...Regardless they couldn’t “find him the night of the 28th”...He obviously could not answer the door. Was he home, sleeping soundly or uncouscious?

Thought maybe with the time table to ROute 15 he hadn’t made if home yet if he’s stopped for supper etc, but Still have not placed which train he took from DC. Although I did post the schedule above. He could have simply not been home yet.OTOH.....Bootprint, “mugged by THEY took my briefcase”... Where THEY waiting for him, did THEY just make themselves at home in his house?

[Abby4116]

I think New Castle city got the first search warrant for the home. They did not request it to be sealed. Guess they knew who it was when the body was found (have never seen how they identified it. Unless there was another reason they got the search warrant - like the noise from the television?

I don't think Newark police were involved right away - only after it was determined that the dumpsters were in Newark.

You are right - it is a perplexing case.

[hoosiermama]

Would they have had to get a warrent to do a “wellness check”. Remember one time my aunt didn’t answer, knew family was out of town, so I called the local police. They went to her house, she had just been out with a friend and then taking a shower, but they did ask my permission to go into the house if no one answered their knock.

Since there had been noise, maybe they needed to get the warrent to make sure he wasn’t needing help inside the home.

[BykrBayb]

I would guess that each municipality has their own set of rules about that. I had to call the police to do a wellness check on a family member in Oklahoma. They didn’t ask my permission to enter, but when they got there, and nobody answered the door, they entered through the unlocked front door.

I don’t know what the rules are in New Castle.

[Gondring]

And let’s talk about the “smoke bombs” for a second: I never heard of someone EVER planting “smoke bombs” under someone’s house and what would that accomplish anyway?

You realize that they were incendiary devices that scorched the wood? They are composed of potassium nitrate, sulfur, and carbon. Recognize those?

[hoosiermama]

Maybe after the fire call, they realized that something wasn’t right. Loud noise, no answer at the door. If they tried to contact him in NYC no one was home there. No family contact therefore a warrent to cover themselves.

Short staff over New Years week end might explain delays.

[hoosiermama]

Ammo?

[Gondring]

Yup...gunpowder.

The smoke bombs have extra sulfur.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

What would be the requirments for obtaining a search warrant in the Manhattan apt? Certainly not “just because.” Wouldn’t they need to to make the case that a crime or evidence of a crime was committed?

[hoosiermama]

We used “smoke bombs” to get rid of the ground hog that lived in the barn we currently call “home”. Smoke bombs make a lot of smoke so we could detect where the other exits of the burrow were. Then stood by with a loaded shot gun for the little critters to come out. Smelled bad, but more of a prank than any danger. Extra sulfur=extra smell.

Seeing that many were placed inside the barn without it catching fire, I’d say someone is misleading “we the people”. IOW this stinks!