“Unsolved Mysteries” co-creator Terry Meurer isn’t sure who killed former presidential aide Jack Wheeler — but she’s got a good bet as to who didn’t commit the heinous crime.
A decade after the disappearance and death of Jack Wheeler — an aide to the Reagan and Bush administrations — “Vol. 2” of the Netflix murder-mystery series is re-examining the facts of the case that once captured the attention of national news in the hopes of exposing new details that could finally answer the burning question: Who is responsible for Wheeler’s mysterious death?
“It’s very difficult to talk about who might have done it. I can talk about who I don’t believe did it,” Meurer told TheWrap.
“I don’t believe it was a random assault. I don’t believe that Jack was attacked and something went wrong, a robbery or something like that,” she continued. “Because people who attack people or rob people, they do not go to the trouble to transport a body, put it in a dumpster — hoping, I believe, that the body would never be found.”
As for who did kill Wheeler and dump his body in a landfill, Meurer knows this much: “Whoever did this, they did not want Jack’s body to be found.”
“Who that was, I have no idea,” she added. “That was really the mystery in this particular case. But I don’t believe that it was random.”
So, what kind of break-in Wheeler’s case would it take to solve this decade-old mystery? Meurer said it would most likely take a person coming out of the woodwork who had some answers to the numerous questions.
“I think we need someone to come forward who was involved in the attack,” she said. “Maybe somebody who was involved in the murder is feeling guilty and would come forward or would reach out to the police anonymously with a tip or something — some kind of lead that they could provide,” she said. “I think we’re going to need a pretty direct tip. Or if the killer spoke to somebody in a bar or something or told someone, that person should come forward and say, so-and-so told me that they were involved in Jack’s murder.”
“Unsolved Mysteries Vol. 2” is now streaming on Netflix.
7 TV Shows That Have Cracked Real Mysteries, From 'The Jinx' to 'Unsolved Mysteries' (Photos)
The debut of Netflix's "Unsolved Mysteries" reboot earlier this month has set off a clamoring for cold cases to be reopened and brought to justice. In that spirit, we've compiled a list of TV shows that have actually solved crimes, exonerated people, and found answers to the unknown, from "The Jinx" miniseries that lead to the arrest of Robert Durst, to "Extinct or Alive," which found a living animal thought to have died out over 100 years ago.
Robert Durst in HBO's "The Jinx"
"Unsolved Mysteries"
Back before the Netflix reboot, this classic series was on network television. Creator Terry Meurer told TheWrap that during its original 23-year run, the series helped to solve over 260 cold cases. She has high hopes that this new incarnation of the series will have the same luck.
Netflix
"Cold Justice"
This crime series from Dick Wolf and Magical Elves works with local law enforcement to solve cold cases. The resulted thus far: 45 arrests and 18 convictions, according to Oxygen.
Oxygen
"The Jinx"
This miniseries written by "All Good Things" director Andrew Jarecki led to Robert Durst's long-awaited arrest for the murder of Susan Berman just one day before the finale of "The Jinx" aired on TV. Durst had admired Jarecki's work on "All Good Things" and had offered to be interviewed for the miniseries.
HBO
"Extinct or Alive"
This one has more to do with animals than humans, but we have to give Animal Planet credit for discovering live members of a species that was believed to have been extinct. Last year, series host and biologist Forrest Galante found a female Fernandina Tortoise -- presumed extinct since 1906 -- on a remote volcanic island in the Galapagos.
Photo credit Mark Romanov and John Harrington
"Expedition Unknown"
Host Josh Gates took part in finding one of 12 treasure boxes that were buried in different American cities nearly 40 years ago by Bryon Preiss, whose 1982 book "The Secret" gave elaborate clues to the boxes whereabouts. In one episode, Gates meets a family who located the Boston box.
Discovery
"America's Most Wanted"
This long-running Fox series was successful in finding many fugitives wanted by the FBI, including Ricky Allen Bright, Steven Ray Stout, Robert Lee Jones and more, according to CBS News.
Fox
"Curb Your Enthusiasm"
This Larry David HBO series unknowingly captured the key to freeing Juan Catalan, a man who was on death row for a murder he did not commit. "Curb" had been filming at Dodger Stadium on the day of the murder, providing evidence that Catalan was watching the game with his 6-year-old daughter and could not have been at the crime scene. Catalan and David both later appeared in the 2017 Netflix documentary "Long Shot."
Netflix
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These shows have lead to both arrests and exonerations
The debut of Netflix's "Unsolved Mysteries" reboot earlier this month has set off a clamoring for cold cases to be reopened and brought to justice. In that spirit, we've compiled a list of TV shows that have actually solved crimes, exonerated people, and found answers to the unknown, from "The Jinx" miniseries that lead to the arrest of Robert Durst, to "Extinct or Alive," which found a living animal thought to have died out over 100 years ago.