The first episode in Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries Volume 2 features the unsettling murder of Jack Wheeler — and while the show does cover a lot of information in its 47-minute run time, exactly what happened to the 66-year-old veteran and former White House aide is unclear. Wheeler's body was discovered in garbage dump in Delaware back in 2010, and to this day, how he got there — and who is responsible — is unknown.
Unsolved Mysteries is a long-running documentary series that aims to solve various "unsolved mysteries," which vary from true crime stories to unexplained paranormal phenomena. The show originally ran from 1987 until 2002, and then from 2008 until 2010, and for most of its run it was hosted by late actor Robert Stack. Netflix's update version features a new format and more of a focus on each story, dedicated significantly more airtime to detailing each case than the original did. The new version of the show is tailor-made for contemporary audiences, offering internet sleuths tantalizing riddles, like the mystery of Rey Rivera's note in Unsolved Mysteries Volume 1.
The Unsolved Mysteries episode "Washington Insider Murder" describes the moments leading up to Jack Wheeler's murder and the discovery of his remains on December 31, 2010. Wheeler was last seen alive by his wife Katherine Klyce on December 28, when he left their Harlem home to go to work in Washington, D.C. After work, he returned to his other home in New Castle, Delaware. The next morning, he emailed Mitre, his workplace, to tell them that there had been a break in at his house and that his personal effects like his cellphone, briefcase, wallet and security badge had all been stolen. Strangely, he never tried to contact his wife. Over the next 24 hours, Wheeler was caught on various security cameras exhibiting strange behavior, including spending part of a day and a night in an office building in Wilmington, Delaware. He was last caught on camera exiting that building and walking down the street at approximately 8:30 p.m. His remains were discovered the following morning in the Cherry Island Landfill in Wilmington, Delaware.
What Happened To Jack Wheeler
Despite an extensive investigation that including the FBI's involvement, the people responsible for Wheeler's murder have never been found. What's more, investigators are still unsure of how the 66-year-old man was killed — or why. His remains were traced to a dumpster in Newark, but how he ended up in the dumpster is unclear: while it's possible that he crawled in there to stay warm and became trapped, that's unlikely. Furthermore, the autopsy ruled that his caused of death is more akin to a severe beating. Another possibility is that Jack was mugged or that the attack was random, but there are problems with that theory as well: not only is it unusual for muggers to go to all the effort of disposing of the body, but Wheeler was left with valuables on his person, making a mugging unlikely.
There have not been any significant updates for the case since Netflix filmed the episode of Unsolved Mysteries. One missing piece of the puzzle for investigators is what happened between Rob leaving the office building at 8:30 pm and him being discovered in the dump at 9:30 am the following morning — especially how he ended up in Newark from Wilmington. One witness came forward to say they believed that he shared a cab with them to Newark, but this testimony hasn't been corroborated by any other individuals. Perhaps someone viewing the episode of Unsolved Mysteries will have pertinent information for the case; only time will tell.