A Brookhaven man is accused of playing a role in a murder-for-hire plot that left a 30-year-old father dead in Murrieta, California, in January, authorities say. Police identified the suspect as 34-year-old Jerry E. Wheeler, who is being held in the DeKalb County Jail while he awaits extradition to California.
Brookhaven police say Wheeler was arrested on Wednesday, March 18 at an apartment complex in the 1700 block of Briarwood Road, with assistance from the Murrieta Police Department and tactical support from North Metro SWAT. Officers say he is wanted in connection with the Jan. 13 killing of Aaron "A.J." Jacob Parr in Murrieta, according to WSB-TV.
Murrieta Investigators Detail Early Arrests
The Murrieta Police Department says detectives found Parr dead inside an apartment at The Arbors at California Oaks on Jan. 13, and the case quickly grew into a multi-person investigation. In a Feb. 2 release, the department said 40-year-old Ignacia Cadaos Perkins and 43-year-old James Lawrence Petri were arrested on Jan. 29 and face murder charges, enhancements for lying in wait and killing for financial gain, and criminal conspiracy. Those charges and the crime scene location are outlined in a Murrieta Police Department press release.
Authorities allege the slaying was part of a deliberately planned murder-for-hire plot and say Wheeler is one of four suspects identified in the case. WSB-TV reports a third suspect, Kenneth Maxwell, was arrested on March 18 in Midfield, Alabama, with assistance from the FBI. Wheeler now faces charges that include murder, murder for financial gain and criminal conspiracy to commit murder, according to reporting by WSB-TV.
Charges, Next Steps And How To Reach Investigators
California law allows special sentencing enhancements for murders committed for financial gain, and the Murrieta Police Department release lists Penal Code §190.2(a)(1) among the allegations in the case. The department says the investigation remains active and is asking anyone with information to contact Detective Leitch at (951) 461-6353 or submit tips anonymously through the Murrieta Police Department website, per the press release. Extradition proceedings for Wheeler are expected to follow.
