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owner•. i* *j • * . . .arrestedon murder chargeDEREK L. KINNERStaff WriterAn 18-year-old woman was arrested Wednesday evening oncharges of murdering Mike Wheeler, the owner of Mann’sMotel on U.S. 98, Panama CitgPolice Chief Le'Roy Frenc said.♦Wheeler, 40, was shot to death Wednesday afternoon in his home, which is connected to the front office of the motel, French said. Sharon Wynell Mathews, who was one of Wheeler’s tenants, was held in Bay County Jail and was to appear in court this morning for a bond hearing.Wheeler, the father of four, was shot “several” times, French said.Police arrested Ms. Mathews, who. lived in Apartment 7, at 7:40 p.m. Wednesday, aftershe was questioned in connection with the case. She was charged with first-degree murder.Police Capt. Danny Boyle late Wednesday night would not say whether police had discovered a motive for the killing. “I don’t think I’d better comment on that at this time,” Boyle said. itThe Florida Department of Law Enforcement mobile crime unit was called in for the investigation. Bill Johnson, chief investigator with the Medical Examiner’s ■ Office, was also at the scene to look at the body. Johnson said he probably would perform an autopsy this morning.Wheeler’s body was removed from his home at about 8 p.m.French said Donna Wheeler, the victim’s wife, discovered the body lying on the floor offrom picking up their four children.As police roped off the crime scene, Mrs. Wheeler, weeping,slumped in the back seat of a Panama City police cruiser.“I just came home and I went in. My kids went in. They asked what was Daddy doing laying on the floor,” Mrs. Wheeler said. _Mrs. Wheeler stopped for a moment, wept some more, and then said: “I don’t know. He was laying on his stomach with the gun on the table.”It was not clear whose gun Mrs. Wheeler saw on the table.According to friends, neighbors and tenants, Wheeler inherited the motel when his father, Mann Wheeler, died about 10 years ago. Mann Wheeler had run the motel several years before he died, friends said.Several tenants standing outside the front office after the shooting described the victim as a good landlord who oftenhelped out people, initelv a gi“Definitely a good landlord,” said Bob Regan, who rented Apartment 17 from Wheeler. “He’d do anything in the world for you.”Regan said that, as far as he knew, all the tenants liked Wheeler.“He got along real well with all his tenants,” he said. Regan said he last saw Wheeler early Wednesday morning at the Waffle House. ,,;.“He was in there talking about 4 a.m.,” he said. “He was just having a good time. He always did when he came in there.” Regan added that Wheeler did not seem troubled about anything.Another tenant, John Hare,News-Herald: Derek L. KlnneComfort from a friend*Donna Wheeler (seated in the car), is comforted by a friend shortly after Mrs. Wheeler found the body of her husband, Mike, who was shot to death Wednesday
Newspaper Details
Panama City News Herald
Panama City, Florida, US
Thu, Jan 31, 1985
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Kourtney H.
USA 10 Jul 2023
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