Exclusive: Witness In John Wheeler Case

PHILADELPHIA - Fox 29 has an exclusive interview with someone who says they saw former Bush aide John “Jack” Wheeler after he got off a train in Wilmington and before he disappeared.

Our Claudia Gomez spoke with Iman Goldsborough, a parking lot attendant who encountered a man she believes was Wheeler a day before he officially disappeared. (That woman had already spoken to police about the incident before we spoke with her.)

The encounter happened last Wednesday near an intersection in Wilmington, Del., where police said Wheeler was last seen on Thursday.

Goldsborough says a man matching Wheeler’s description came up to her looking for help finding his car, but he appeared disheveled and disoriented.

The man was wearing a suit and tie, but was also only wearing one shoe.

Goldsborough told Gomez she thought the man seemed like he was suffering from dementia.

This morning, Newark Police told Fox 29 the last time anyone spotted Wheeler was at the intersection of 10th and Orange at 3:30 Thursday afternoon.

Fox 29 tried to get a hold of the surveillance video at that intersection, to no avail.

“He really didn't look good to me. I asked him are you okay? He was like, no. He was just trying to get warm,” Goldsborough said.

“He didn't have a coat on. And it was really cold out this evening. And he had one shoe on, and he was wandering around, looking around.”

“He had on a black suit and burgundy penny loafers. And he was holding one shoe in his hand,” she said. “”He just told me he wanted to get warm before he paid for his ticket.”

Goldsborough explained why she recalled the incident

“He just didn't seem like he was really there. He seemed like he was disoriented. Actually I thought he had dementia or something.”

“Mr. Wheeler left the garage and he just kind of walked up, out the driveway and I just kind of stared at him until I couldn't see him anymore, until he was out of my sight. Then after I got off I kind of followed his footsteps and I still didn't see him anymore. So like the next morning when I got back to work I called Wilmington Police.”

Goldsborough says police told her there was nothing they could do.

Wheeler actually parked his car at the Doubletree hotel garage a few blocks away, which is closer to the train station.

Police officials tell Fox 29 that Wheeler was killed, but they haven’t said how, when or where the killing happened.

Investigators were back at a Wilmington landfill on Tuesday looking for clues.

They are also believed to be focused on the whereabouts of Wheeler’s car, which may have been left in Wilmington after he got off a train.

On Tuesday morning, police said they have now established that Wheeler was also seen in the area of 10th and Orange streets in Wilmington around 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 30.

Investigators have not disclosed how they learned of either sighting.

Anyone with information on Wheeler's whereabouts before he went missing is asked to contact Detective Nicholas Sansone at 302-366-7110 ext. 135 or Nick.Sansone@cj.state.de.us .

You can send an anonymous text message tip by texting 302NPD and your message to TIP411. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, where a reward may be available.

Fox 29 has learned Wheeler’s wife was away and traveling separately at the time of his death, and didn’t file a missing persons report.

Fox 29 has learned the Wheelers have a residence in New York, where Wheeler’s wife runs her business from, and a residence in Washington.

Wheeler’s family issued a statement on Monday: “As you must appreciate, this is a tragic time for the family. We are grieving our loss. Please understand that the family has no further comment at this time. We trust that everyone will respect the family’s privacy.”

Wheeler’s body was found last Friday, New Year's Eve, at the Cherry Island landfill. Investigators say he was killed and tossed in a dumpster in Newark.

Wheeler, who also went by "Jack," was a Vietnam War veteran and served three different presidents on veterans' affairs issues. He also played a big role in getting the Vietnam Memorial built.