Son of Thomas Wheatley and Lettie Ella Hackenberg. M. 1925, but divorced by 1929/30. Lettie and Robert then lived with Lettie's brother James. She worked as a fur saleslady in Multnomah County, OR.
Lettie married Charles Albert Bass in 1934. Robert had a half brother: Jackie (Jay) Dee Bass of Kamloops, British Columbia.
Robert registered for the draft on 21 Jun 1945 in Oregon. He was 5' 10", weighed 138 lbs, had a light complexion, brown hair, blue eyes. He'd been employed at the Oregon Shipyards.
Shortly after, he enlisted in the Army on 27 Aug 1945, at Fort Lewis, Washington. Honorable discharge in 1947 (Service# 39495955.)
He first married Beverly L. Morlan in Portland, OR on 1 Jan 1949; div. 9 Jan 1957 in Portland, OR. He next married Freida Mueller on 10 Apr 1976, in Multnomah County, OR.
At his death he was survived by daughters:
Geraldine Loomis of Federal Way, WA
JoAnne Feller of Tacoma, WA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cases # 88-88210 & # 88-88211
On August 29, 1988, police responded to a welfare check at 2612 N. Holman, which was called in by the granddaughter because she nor her siblings had heard from Robert or Frieda in days.
"Why would a stranger just randomly come in and kill older people who hadn't done them any harm?" asked Judi Randall, Frieda Wheatley's daughter. "It was a hot August night. I remember, because we sat in the car and waited, hoping they would show up," Randall recalled.
"I pulled back the curtains, all the dressers had been dumped. It was a mess. That was a sign right there that something was wrong," Randall said. "(The) officer didn't know there was a basement. I ended up showing them the basement," Frieda Wheatley's granddaughter, Jennifer Brown, remembered. "And they were down there."
Police entered the residence where they discovered the bodies of Robert Wheatley, 61, and Frieda Wheatley, 69, in the basement. The medical examiner determined they had been bound and the cause of death as strangulation. Detectives believe that the Wheatley's died on August 27, 1988.
A "For Sale By Owners" sign was hanging on the couples property. Detectives theorized the motive was robbery and by approaching the couple as prospective buyers would allow easy access to the home as well as putting the couples guard down. This would explain why there was no sign of forced entry. Once inside the home one or more suspects subdued and murdered the Wheatley couple, placing them in the basement and taking any valuables from the home.
It is apparent from the crime scene that the motive was robbery. There was no sign of forced entry. The home was ransacked and a television set, ATM card, credit card and the Wheatley's light green 1979 Buick Regal were stolen.
The ATM and credit cards were used extensively in Northeast, North and Downtown Portland prior to the Wheatley's bodies being discovered. The Buick was recovered a few days later in a Jantzen Beach Shopping Center parking lot, only 4.2 miles from their home.
Investigating Detectives believe that there are people in the community that have information about this crime.
Witnesses may contact Cold Case Homicide Unit investigators directly at (503) 823-0400. To remain anonymous, witnesses may provide information through Crime Stoppers of Oregon.
Crime Stoppers of Oregon offers cash rewards for information, reported to Crime Stoppers, that leads to an arrest in any unsolved felony crime and tipsters can remain anonymous.
Information about this case or any unsolved felony crime may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,500.
Information learned from social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube should be shared as these tips may lead to the identification of a suspect or suspects. Links can be shared anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
Submit an anonymous tip:
Visit the App Store and download P3 Tips to submit secure and anonymous tips. Online at https://www.p3tips.com/823
Call 503-823-HELP (4357).
UPDATE: In 2006 Cold Case Detectives looked into this case.
"It's something that haunts my brother and sister to this day," Randy Copenhaver, 56, one of Frieda Wheatley's three children, said after the cold-case squad announced it was reopening the case.
Police have sent evidence from the crime scene to the state crime lab to be analyzed, hoping DNA or fingerprints can be extracted through technology that did not exist in 1988.
They also announced a $10,000 Crime Stoppers reward for information leading to an arrest. "I know that maybe this money, this amount of reward, may tempt someone and I hope it does," Frieda Wheatley's son, Randy Copenhaver, said in 2006.
But years passed with no arrests. "Something would happen and I would run to the phone and want to tell my mother. You never get over that," Randall said.
Before retiring, Portland police detectives Mike Hefley and Tom Nelson had developed a person of interest in the crimes, but they could not get corroborating evidence or witness testimony.
"This case is receiving the renewed scrutiny it deserves," Hefley said.
---------------------------------------
No new leads have surfaced in years. Detectives are still trying to track down new leads and feel like someone in the community knows something, but still has yet to come forward. Over the years detectives have revisited the case multiple times. In an effort to solve the case they have resubmitted items found in the home to forensic labs, hoping that new technology would be able to lift a print or identify a profile.
A person of interest was identified by detectives, but they were unable to obtain enough evidence to move forward in the investigation.
A reward is still being offered for any information that would result in the arrest of those responsible for this heinous crime. If you have any potential information on the deaths of Robert and Frieda Wheatley, please share the information with Oregon investigators.
-------------------------------------
"(Someone) indicated he was interested in purchasing the house and would pay full cash. The name that was used (was) the name of an actual individual of a local university who had his identification stolen from his car," said retired detective George Young, who recently reviewed the case...
Police do have some forensic evidence that may be re-tested with new technology, but investigators said they're convinced that someone in the community knows who killed the Wheatleys.
Lettie married Charles Albert Bass in 1934. Robert had a half brother: Jackie (Jay) Dee Bass of Kamloops, British Columbia.
Robert registered for the draft on 21 Jun 1945 in Oregon. He was 5' 10", weighed 138 lbs, had a light complexion, brown hair, blue eyes. He'd been employed at the Oregon Shipyards.
Shortly after, he enlisted in the Army on 27 Aug 1945, at Fort Lewis, Washington. Honorable discharge in 1947 (Service# 39495955.)
He first married Beverly L. Morlan in Portland, OR on 1 Jan 1949; div. 9 Jan 1957 in Portland, OR. He next married Freida Mueller on 10 Apr 1976, in Multnomah County, OR.
At his death he was survived by daughters:
Geraldine Loomis of Federal Way, WA
JoAnne Feller of Tacoma, WA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cases # 88-88210 & # 88-88211
On August 29, 1988, police responded to a welfare check at 2612 N. Holman, which was called in by the granddaughter because she nor her siblings had heard from Robert or Frieda in days.
"Why would a stranger just randomly come in and kill older people who hadn't done them any harm?" asked Judi Randall, Frieda Wheatley's daughter. "It was a hot August night. I remember, because we sat in the car and waited, hoping they would show up," Randall recalled.
"I pulled back the curtains, all the dressers had been dumped. It was a mess. That was a sign right there that something was wrong," Randall said. "(The) officer didn't know there was a basement. I ended up showing them the basement," Frieda Wheatley's granddaughter, Jennifer Brown, remembered. "And they were down there."
Police entered the residence where they discovered the bodies of Robert Wheatley, 61, and Frieda Wheatley, 69, in the basement. The medical examiner determined they had been bound and the cause of death as strangulation. Detectives believe that the Wheatley's died on August 27, 1988.
A "For Sale By Owners" sign was hanging on the couples property. Detectives theorized the motive was robbery and by approaching the couple as prospective buyers would allow easy access to the home as well as putting the couples guard down. This would explain why there was no sign of forced entry. Once inside the home one or more suspects subdued and murdered the Wheatley couple, placing them in the basement and taking any valuables from the home.
It is apparent from the crime scene that the motive was robbery. There was no sign of forced entry. The home was ransacked and a television set, ATM card, credit card and the Wheatley's light green 1979 Buick Regal were stolen.
The ATM and credit cards were used extensively in Northeast, North and Downtown Portland prior to the Wheatley's bodies being discovered. The Buick was recovered a few days later in a Jantzen Beach Shopping Center parking lot, only 4.2 miles from their home.
Investigating Detectives believe that there are people in the community that have information about this crime.
Witnesses may contact Cold Case Homicide Unit investigators directly at (503) 823-0400. To remain anonymous, witnesses may provide information through Crime Stoppers of Oregon.
Crime Stoppers of Oregon offers cash rewards for information, reported to Crime Stoppers, that leads to an arrest in any unsolved felony crime and tipsters can remain anonymous.
Information about this case or any unsolved felony crime may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,500.
Information learned from social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube should be shared as these tips may lead to the identification of a suspect or suspects. Links can be shared anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
Submit an anonymous tip:
Visit the App Store and download P3 Tips to submit secure and anonymous tips. Online at https://www.p3tips.com/823
Call 503-823-HELP (4357).
UPDATE: In 2006 Cold Case Detectives looked into this case.
"It's something that haunts my brother and sister to this day," Randy Copenhaver, 56, one of Frieda Wheatley's three children, said after the cold-case squad announced it was reopening the case.
Police have sent evidence from the crime scene to the state crime lab to be analyzed, hoping DNA or fingerprints can be extracted through technology that did not exist in 1988.
They also announced a $10,000 Crime Stoppers reward for information leading to an arrest. "I know that maybe this money, this amount of reward, may tempt someone and I hope it does," Frieda Wheatley's son, Randy Copenhaver, said in 2006.
But years passed with no arrests. "Something would happen and I would run to the phone and want to tell my mother. You never get over that," Randall said.
Before retiring, Portland police detectives Mike Hefley and Tom Nelson had developed a person of interest in the crimes, but they could not get corroborating evidence or witness testimony.
"This case is receiving the renewed scrutiny it deserves," Hefley said.
---------------------------------------
No new leads have surfaced in years. Detectives are still trying to track down new leads and feel like someone in the community knows something, but still has yet to come forward. Over the years detectives have revisited the case multiple times. In an effort to solve the case they have resubmitted items found in the home to forensic labs, hoping that new technology would be able to lift a print or identify a profile.
A person of interest was identified by detectives, but they were unable to obtain enough evidence to move forward in the investigation.
A reward is still being offered for any information that would result in the arrest of those responsible for this heinous crime. If you have any potential information on the deaths of Robert and Frieda Wheatley, please share the information with Oregon investigators.
-------------------------------------
"(Someone) indicated he was interested in purchasing the house and would pay full cash. The name that was used (was) the name of an actual individual of a local university who had his identification stolen from his car," said retired detective George Young, who recently reviewed the case...
Police do have some forensic evidence that may be re-tested with new technology, but investigators said they're convinced that someone in the community knows who killed the Wheatleys.
Son of Thomas Wheatley and Lettie Ella Hackenberg. M. 1925, but divorced by 1929/30. Lettie and Robert then lived with Lettie's brother James. She worked as a fur saleslady in Multnomah County, OR.
Lettie married Charles Albert Bass in 1934. Robert had a half brother: Jackie (Jay) Dee Bass of Kamloops, British Columbia.
Robert registered for the draft on 21 Jun 1945 in Oregon. He was 5' 10", weighed 138 lbs, had a light complexion, brown hair, blue eyes. He'd been employed at the Oregon Shipyards.
Shortly after, he enlisted in the Army on 27 Aug 1945, at Fort Lewis, Washington. Honorable discharge in 1947 (Service# 39495955.)
He first married Beverly L. Morlan in Portland, OR on 1 Jan 1949; div. 9 Jan 1957 in Portland, OR. He next married Freida Mueller on 10 Apr 1976, in Multnomah County, OR.
At his death he was survived by daughters:
Geraldine Loomis of Federal Way, WA
JoAnne Feller of Tacoma, WA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cases # 88-88210 & # 88-88211
On August 29, 1988, police responded to a welfare check at 2612 N. Holman, which was called in by the granddaughter because she nor her siblings had heard from Robert or Frieda in days.
"Why would a stranger just randomly come in and kill older people who hadn't done them any harm?" asked Judi Randall, Frieda Wheatley's daughter. "It was a hot August night. I remember, because we sat in the car and waited, hoping they would show up," Randall recalled.
"I pulled back the curtains, all the dressers had been dumped. It was a mess. That was a sign right there that something was wrong," Randall said. "(The) officer didn't know there was a basement. I ended up showing them the basement," Frieda Wheatley's granddaughter, Jennifer Brown, remembered. "And they were down there."
Police entered the residence where they discovered the bodies of Robert Wheatley, 61, and Frieda Wheatley, 69, in the basement. The medical examiner determined they had been bound and the cause of death as strangulation. Detectives believe that the Wheatley's died on August 27, 1988.
A "For Sale By Owners" sign was hanging on the couples property. Detectives theorized the motive was robbery and by approaching the couple as prospective buyers would allow easy access to the home as well as putting the couples guard down. This would explain why there was no sign of forced entry. Once inside the home one or more suspects subdued and murdered the Wheatley couple, placing them in the basement and taking any valuables from the home.
It is apparent from the crime scene that the motive was robbery. There was no sign of forced entry. The home was ransacked and a television set, ATM card, credit card and the Wheatley's light green 1979 Buick Regal were stolen.
The ATM and credit cards were used extensively in Northeast, North and Downtown Portland prior to the Wheatley's bodies being discovered. The Buick was recovered a few days later in a Jantzen Beach Shopping Center parking lot, only 4.2 miles from their home.
Investigating Detectives believe that there are people in the community that have information about this crime.
Witnesses may contact Cold Case Homicide Unit investigators directly at (503) 823-0400. To remain anonymous, witnesses may provide information through Crime Stoppers of Oregon.
Crime Stoppers of Oregon offers cash rewards for information, reported to Crime Stoppers, that leads to an arrest in any unsolved felony crime and tipsters can remain anonymous.
Information about this case or any unsolved felony crime may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,500.
Information learned from social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube should be shared as these tips may lead to the identification of a suspect or suspects. Links can be shared anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
Submit an anonymous tip:
Visit the App Store and download P3 Tips to submit secure and anonymous tips. Online at https://www.p3tips.com/823
Call 503-823-HELP (4357).
UPDATE: In 2006 Cold Case Detectives looked into this case.
"It's something that haunts my brother and sister to this day," Randy Copenhaver, 56, one of Frieda Wheatley's three children, said after the cold-case squad announced it was reopening the case.
Police have sent evidence from the crime scene to the state crime lab to be analyzed, hoping DNA or fingerprints can be extracted through technology that did not exist in 1988.
They also announced a $10,000 Crime Stoppers reward for information leading to an arrest. "I know that maybe this money, this amount of reward, may tempt someone and I hope it does," Frieda Wheatley's son, Randy Copenhaver, said in 2006.
But years passed with no arrests. "Something would happen and I would run to the phone and want to tell my mother. You never get over that," Randall said.
Before retiring, Portland police detectives Mike Hefley and Tom Nelson had developed a person of interest in the crimes, but they could not get corroborating evidence or witness testimony.
"This case is receiving the renewed scrutiny it deserves," Hefley said.
---------------------------------------
No new leads have surfaced in years. Detectives are still trying to track down new leads and feel like someone in the community knows something, but still has yet to come forward. Over the years detectives have revisited the case multiple times. In an effort to solve the case they have resubmitted items found in the home to forensic labs, hoping that new technology would be able to lift a print or identify a profile.
A person of interest was identified by detectives, but they were unable to obtain enough evidence to move forward in the investigation.
A reward is still being offered for any information that would result in the arrest of those responsible for this heinous crime. If you have any potential information on the deaths of Robert and Frieda Wheatley, please share the information with Oregon investigators.
-------------------------------------
"(Someone) indicated he was interested in purchasing the house and would pay full cash. The name that was used (was) the name of an actual individual of a local university who had his identification stolen from his car," said retired detective George Young, who recently reviewed the case...
Police do have some forensic evidence that may be re-tested with new technology, but investigators said they're convinced that someone in the community knows who killed the Wheatleys.
Lettie married Charles Albert Bass in 1934. Robert had a half brother: Jackie (Jay) Dee Bass of Kamloops, British Columbia.
Robert registered for the draft on 21 Jun 1945 in Oregon. He was 5' 10", weighed 138 lbs, had a light complexion, brown hair, blue eyes. He'd been employed at the Oregon Shipyards.
Shortly after, he enlisted in the Army on 27 Aug 1945, at Fort Lewis, Washington. Honorable discharge in 1947 (Service# 39495955.)
He first married Beverly L. Morlan in Portland, OR on 1 Jan 1949; div. 9 Jan 1957 in Portland, OR. He next married Freida Mueller on 10 Apr 1976, in Multnomah County, OR.
At his death he was survived by daughters:
Geraldine Loomis of Federal Way, WA
JoAnne Feller of Tacoma, WA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cases # 88-88210 & # 88-88211
On August 29, 1988, police responded to a welfare check at 2612 N. Holman, which was called in by the granddaughter because she nor her siblings had heard from Robert or Frieda in days.
"Why would a stranger just randomly come in and kill older people who hadn't done them any harm?" asked Judi Randall, Frieda Wheatley's daughter. "It was a hot August night. I remember, because we sat in the car and waited, hoping they would show up," Randall recalled.
"I pulled back the curtains, all the dressers had been dumped. It was a mess. That was a sign right there that something was wrong," Randall said. "(The) officer didn't know there was a basement. I ended up showing them the basement," Frieda Wheatley's granddaughter, Jennifer Brown, remembered. "And they were down there."
Police entered the residence where they discovered the bodies of Robert Wheatley, 61, and Frieda Wheatley, 69, in the basement. The medical examiner determined they had been bound and the cause of death as strangulation. Detectives believe that the Wheatley's died on August 27, 1988.
A "For Sale By Owners" sign was hanging on the couples property. Detectives theorized the motive was robbery and by approaching the couple as prospective buyers would allow easy access to the home as well as putting the couples guard down. This would explain why there was no sign of forced entry. Once inside the home one or more suspects subdued and murdered the Wheatley couple, placing them in the basement and taking any valuables from the home.
It is apparent from the crime scene that the motive was robbery. There was no sign of forced entry. The home was ransacked and a television set, ATM card, credit card and the Wheatley's light green 1979 Buick Regal were stolen.
The ATM and credit cards were used extensively in Northeast, North and Downtown Portland prior to the Wheatley's bodies being discovered. The Buick was recovered a few days later in a Jantzen Beach Shopping Center parking lot, only 4.2 miles from their home.
Investigating Detectives believe that there are people in the community that have information about this crime.
Witnesses may contact Cold Case Homicide Unit investigators directly at (503) 823-0400. To remain anonymous, witnesses may provide information through Crime Stoppers of Oregon.
Crime Stoppers of Oregon offers cash rewards for information, reported to Crime Stoppers, that leads to an arrest in any unsolved felony crime and tipsters can remain anonymous.
Information about this case or any unsolved felony crime may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,500.
Information learned from social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube should be shared as these tips may lead to the identification of a suspect or suspects. Links can be shared anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
Submit an anonymous tip:
Visit the App Store and download P3 Tips to submit secure and anonymous tips. Online at https://www.p3tips.com/823
Call 503-823-HELP (4357).
UPDATE: In 2006 Cold Case Detectives looked into this case.
"It's something that haunts my brother and sister to this day," Randy Copenhaver, 56, one of Frieda Wheatley's three children, said after the cold-case squad announced it was reopening the case.
Police have sent evidence from the crime scene to the state crime lab to be analyzed, hoping DNA or fingerprints can be extracted through technology that did not exist in 1988.
They also announced a $10,000 Crime Stoppers reward for information leading to an arrest. "I know that maybe this money, this amount of reward, may tempt someone and I hope it does," Frieda Wheatley's son, Randy Copenhaver, said in 2006.
But years passed with no arrests. "Something would happen and I would run to the phone and want to tell my mother. You never get over that," Randall said.
Before retiring, Portland police detectives Mike Hefley and Tom Nelson had developed a person of interest in the crimes, but they could not get corroborating evidence or witness testimony.
"This case is receiving the renewed scrutiny it deserves," Hefley said.
---------------------------------------
No new leads have surfaced in years. Detectives are still trying to track down new leads and feel like someone in the community knows something, but still has yet to come forward. Over the years detectives have revisited the case multiple times. In an effort to solve the case they have resubmitted items found in the home to forensic labs, hoping that new technology would be able to lift a print or identify a profile.
A person of interest was identified by detectives, but they were unable to obtain enough evidence to move forward in the investigation.
A reward is still being offered for any information that would result in the arrest of those responsible for this heinous crime. If you have any potential information on the deaths of Robert and Frieda Wheatley, please share the information with Oregon investigators.
-------------------------------------
"(Someone) indicated he was interested in purchasing the house and would pay full cash. The name that was used (was) the name of an actual individual of a local university who had his identification stolen from his car," said retired detective George Young, who recently reviewed the case...
Police do have some forensic evidence that may be re-tested with new technology, but investigators said they're convinced that someone in the community knows who killed the Wheatleys.
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