The Wheelers maintained three residences. They had the family home in DE; he maintained an apt in DC; and, she had an apt in NYC where she works. His wife goes by her maiden name.
In another story, neighbors recounted driving him to the Amtrak station on Christmas Eve to take the train to be with his wife in NYC. Then, he was seen in DC the following work days. And, reportedly, he was coherent.
Something had to happen en route to or in DE. Given his background as a USMA, Yale and Harvard grad, the man was clearly intelligent. His ability to bring people together to raise funds and get the VN Memorial constructed, and to have served in 3 Administrations says he was quite accomplished.
Something was done TO him. No one as accomplished as Wheeler just cracks overnight. I have to wonder why, if the parking lot attendant noticed someone - anyone - who was disoriented, coatless and shoeless in the bitter cold, wouldn’t he have called 911 or some source of help.
One theory I have been nursing is that something happened to him that could cause him extreme embarrassment, and that would likely be something sexual. Either he had a bad date with a hooker (mugged / robbed) or a similarly bad date with a man. Something prevented him from going to the police or otherwise seeking help... from anybody.
Now what happned to him after that... well, I'm still working on that. Maybe he somehow reconnected with the person or persons he had had trouble with and things went from bad to worse.
Of course, the "house across the street, under construction" angle is the most interesting mystery. The police found Wheeler's cell phone there? And connected him to "incendiary devices" planted in the house? That would make the site an obvious point of abduction, if he was indeed abducted. It would also point to the neighbor as a "person of interest", if you get my drift. But then why was Wheeler later taped walking free (though "disoriented")? And from there, dumped like garbage into a landfill? And what's with the floorboards removed in the Wheelers' Delaware kitchen, which was then sealed off with evidence tape?
This is one very, VERY strange case.