The stabbing of the Douglas County resident Jerry Wheeler became a topic of conversation within the small community of Douglasville as the businessman was known to be a friend to all. His son, a deputy sheriff at the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Michael Wheeler, discovered his body on June 19, 2013.
Jerry Franklin Wheeler (66), owner of Lee Road Auto Service, was found stabbed to death in his Chattahoochee Drive home. The crime scene contained a footprint that was traced to his River Run Drive neighbor, Sahara Tabriz Fakhir.
The recent Snapped episode detailed the brutal stabbing and the controversy around Sahara's arrest. The synopsis of the episode read:
"When a beloved family man is found brutally murdered in his home, authorities must follow a trail of clues that exposes a strange and unlikely killer guided by gluttonous urges that led to murder."
The episode from Season 26 of Snapped re-aired on December 4, 2023, at 7 pm EST on Oxygen.
Five details about Jerry Wheeler's murder explored
1) Michael Wheeler assumed his dad died of natural causes
The local businessman Jerry Wheeler's son, Deputy Sheriff Michael Wheeler, arrived at the Chattahoochee Drive residence after Jerry failed to answer his phone. Michael entered the house to find it empty and allegedly tripped over an object in the living room which turned out to be Jerry Wheeler's body wrapped in a rug
He dialed 911 for an ambulance, assuming his father had died of natural causes. While first responders were aware of foul play in the case owing to the amount of bloodshed at the crime scene, Michael was under the impression that a vein in his dad's leg had possibly burst, according to Oxygen's Snapped.
2) The footprint at the crime scene reportedly belonged to Jerry's neighbor
According to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, there was blood almost everywhere in the room where Jerry Wheeler's body lay. A footprint that was left behind was later matched to that of Jerry's next-door neighbor and River Run Drive resident, Sahara Tabriz Fakhir.
Sahara was a member of Custodians of Faith according to The San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper.
3) Sahara Fakhir was on probation when she was arrested for the stabbing
Sahara Fakhir was allegedly arrested for failing to pay for a ticket and was out on probation. She was arrested again for violating her probation and was then charged with the murder of Jerry Wheeler, burglary, and armed robbery, as per WSBTV.
4) The controversy around Sahara's conviction and her minority status
Sahara Fakhir's conviction gained attention from the media during her initial hearing. She, a Muslim, had reportedly fallen out with her lawyer owing to religious differences and turned up at her hearing without a defense lawyer. Per WSB-TV, she told the Douglas County Superior Court Judge Robert J. James on July 25, 2013:
“Allah is my lawyer and if you do not release me, Allah will have his vengeance on you like he did in 2009 when he sent the flood. It’s only going to be worse.”
However, The San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper reported that Fakhir believed she was tried on unfair grounds owing to her activism and possible religious bias.
The same report additionally pointed out that District Attorney David McDade and his associates, people who had convicted Fakhir, were investigated for money laundering, racketeering, and other illegal activities and some were forced to resign.
5) Sahara Fakhir was sentenced to life in prison
Sahara Fakhir was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. She did not plead guilty to the charges of murder, armed robbery, and burglary. Instead, Fakhir demanded immediate release. However, she is currently serving her sentence behind bars.
As per WSB-TV, Douglas County District Attorney Brian Fortner shared a statement, which read:
"Sahara Fakhir brutally murdered a completely innocent man. Jerry Wheeler was a hard working pillar of the Douglas County Community. He was at home doing nothing more than cooking his dinner when Ms. Fakhir attacked him and stabbed him to death. The jury’s speedy verdict reflected the overwhelming amount of evidence against the defendant."
The District Attorney went on to say that he "brought justice" to the much-loved member of the Douglasville community.