2 years after son was gunned down at red light, family no closer to justice
2 years after man was gunned down at a red light, his family is desperate for answers
Kelvin Wheeler’s murder stunned everyone who knew him. He was the father of an eight-year-old boy whom he adored. He was a youth pastor at Liberty Temple Baptist Church, and dean of students at Triumph Middle School.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Kelvin Wheeler, Jr. was in his Jeep SUV with his girlfriend when a man walked up to them and fired about 20 shots into the car. Wheeler was killed, his girlfriend wounded and the questions still linger.
It’s been nearly two years since Kelvin Wheeler Jr. was gunned down in Detroit and his mother Rose Anderson is seemingly no closer to closure than the day it happened.
"Somebody knows something because the puzzle and the pieces is not adding up," Anderson said.
The 34-year-old father was shot and killed on Livernois near Ewald Circle July 8th, 2020.
FOX 2: "Where does the investigation stand now?"
"I don’t have a clue," she said.
Anderson says she’s been in the dark about the case since the fall of 2021.
DPD says their prime suspect for Wheeler’s murder was killed last year. But Anderson says a detective told her police had him in their custody before that, he purportedly provided the names of two other people involved in the shooting before he lawyered up and was cut loose. Police did not have enough evidence to hold him.
FOX 2: "Did police investigate those two other names, those two other people?"
"Well they said they haven’t committed any other crimes or done anything where they can pick them up and keep them locked up," she said.
DPD says the investigation into Wheeler’s murder is still open - and they followed every lead in the case thus far.
Wheeler’s murder stunned everyone who knew him. He was the father of an eight-year-old boy whom he adored. He was a youth pastor at Liberty Temple Baptist Church, and dean of students at Triumph Middle School.
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Harper Woods school's dean of students shot and killed stopped at red light on Livernois
There’s no reconciling how he lived his life with how it ended.
"He did everything we asked him to do," said his mom. "'Baby you do this here, you get an education, you stay out them streets. When I say respectable, respectable. Smart. full of love."
Now Anderson, Wheeler’s father, and the rest of their family are more desperate than ever for closure.
"We just want answers," she said. "That’s all we want is answers. We don’t want bits and pieces, we want the full answers to the questions that will help us to start healing."
DPD says it plans to set up a meeting with Anderson to get the family up to speed with the investigation.
If you have any information, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP, you will remain anonymous.
