The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Police aimfor new information with $ 30K reward in cold case
Family agonizes for answers in father’s unsolved murder.
Fifteen years ago, a Paulding County husband and father was shot to death in his driveway. Regan Wheeler’s wife and teenage daughter found him beside his truck.
The investigation into Wheeler’s death has continued since Oct. 13, 2005, as the case remains unsolved. Investigators now hope a $ 30,000 reward helps change that. In addition to the GBI, the FBI has now joined the Paulding Sheriff’s Office in the investigation.
“Detectives and agents believe that someone out there has a key piece of information that they have kept to themselves for the past 15 years,” Sgt. Ashley Henson said Tuesday in an emailed statement. “They further believe that this piece of information, no matter how small, could lead to an arrest in this case.”
Investigators believe Wheeler, 54, had returned to his family’s home and interrupted a burglary when
he was shot multiple times and left to die. The airplane inspector is remembered for his faith, having served as a
volunteer chaplain with the Georgia Department of Corrections and teaching Sunday school classes.
A suspect was initially charged in the case, but those chargeswere later dropped due to a lack of evidence, according to the GBI. In 2018 interviews with The Atlanta Journal- Constitution, Wheeler’s widow and two children pleaded for answers in his death.
“We just want it solved,” Wheeler’s son, Matthew Brooks, said. “My mom, my sister and I just want it solved.”
Lt. Mike Hill with the Paulding Sheriff’s Office is the lead investigator on the case, and he keeps a Wheeler family photo on his desk as a constant reminder.
“This case has had a lot of ups and downs,” Hill previously said. “I think about it every morning when Iwake up and every evening when I go to bed. I would give anything to have this case solved.”
Crime Stoppers Atlanta has put up $ 14,000 and the FBI has put up $ 16,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for killing Wheeler. Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Crime Stoppers, the Paulding Sheriff’s Office or the GBI.