Former Reagan, Bush official killed, police say

Police in Delaware searched for clues Monday in the death of John Wheeler III, a veteran of Republican administrations who also helped led efforts to build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington.

The body of Wheeler, 66, was discovered on New Year's Eve as a garbage truck emptied its contents at the Cherry Island landfill. His death has been ruled a homicide.

Wheeler retired from the military in 1971 and lived in New Castle. The former Army officer reportedly was last seen Dec. 28, riding an Amtrak train from Washington to Wilmington.

Police have determined that all the stops made Friday by the garbage truck before it arrived at the landfill involved large commercial disposal bins in Newark, several miles from Wheeler's home.

"He was just not the sort of person who would wind up in a landfill," said Bayard Marin, an attorney who was representing Wheeler in a dispute over a couple's plans to build a new home in the historic district of Old New Castle where Wheeler lived.

Wheeler, the son of a decorated Army officer, was a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and a veteran of the Vietnam war. ...

via Former Reagan, Bush official killed, police say - U.S. news - Crime & courts - msnbc.com.

The defense consultant, who worked in Washington, had a long career as a public in the past three Republic administrations.

Wheeler was last traced riding an Amtrak train from Washington to Wilmington on Tuesday, said Newark police Lt. Mark Farrall. His body was found on New Year's Eve. (Posted by Doug Stanglin)

- usatoday

... Tracing the truck's route, police determined Wheeler's body had been left in a large trash bin in one of 10 locations on the east side of Newark, including the College Square shopping center. Newark police did not release the cause of death Sunday, and wouldn't say whether they're treating Wheeler's home as the crime scene. ...

- delawareonline

John Wheeler is a defense consultant. He served as the Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C. from 2005-2008, when he became the Special Assistant to the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Logistics and Environment. His mission was to carry out tasks and monitor programs in support of goals as directed, and support the Air Force Secretariat with data gathering, team organization, liaison, analysis and/or options for action. Principal tasks included standing up Cyberspace Forces and placing Precision Strike technology and Real Time Streaming Video targeting links into the hands of groundfighters in combat. ...

... Grasping the growing vulnerability of our weapon systems to Cyber intrusions, he worked tirelessly to drive the activation of Air Force Cyber Command. His visionary efforts were instrumental in the creation of the Cyber Research Center at the Air Force Institute of Technology ...

... these clicks illustrate the main work undertaken by Mr. Wheeler since 2005 :
1. Precision Strike and Video Links for Groundfighters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiB3vrhPDNs
2. Establishing Cyber Warfighting Capability: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t849CYRd2Ak
3. Joint Warfighting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lxJSZQ93gI&feature=related

-  cryptogon