$10K reward offered in stabbing death

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is offering a $10,000 reward to find the person who stabbed a 66-year-old man to death in his home.

Jerry Wheeler, owner of Lee Road Auto Service, was found in his Chattahoochee Drive home Wednesday afternoon when his son stopped by to check on him, Chief Deputy Stan Copeland with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office previously said. Wheeler’s homicide is the first for the year in the county.

Wheeler’s death hit many in the county especially hard, officials have said. His son is a sheriff’s deputy whose agency is investigating the homicide. And the county coroner called Wheeler a close friend.

"It really set me back," Coroner Randy Daniel told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution late Friday. "He was a great man. I don't (know) why in God's name anyone would want to hurt him."

Daniel said Wheeler had been stabbed multiple times. Investigators have not identified a motive in the killing.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the sheriff's office tip line at 678-486-1253 or leave an anonymous message on the agency's website.

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