Account
Aug 22, 2010
Oct 17, 2022
Bill
Wheeler
64
50
67 inches
69 inches
180 lbs
210 lbs
White / Caucasian
Male
In the late spring of 2010, a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, marked the last time anyone would hear from Bill Dwayne Wheeler. The 50-year-old businessman from Everett, Washington, flew to Las Vegas on May 26, 2010. The purpose of his journey was to visit his estranged wife, whom he had been financially supporting, and to retrieve some of his personal property, including his pickup truck and an espresso machine. After landing shortly after 10:00 p.m., he spoke with his sister, promising to call her after he arrived at his wife's residence. That promised call was never made, and Bill Wheeler vanished. His wife and her brother were reportedly the last to see him, but their accounts of his disappearance were said to be inconsistent with phone records and statements from neighbors. A few days later, on May 29, a significant piece of evidence in the case surfaced in the California desert. Wheeler's gold 2003 Toyota Tundra pickup truck was discovered abandoned and burned at Quarry Road and Puma Road in Victorville. The fire had been intentionally set using a flammable substance, with the bed of the truck being the primary target of the blaze. Inside the charred remains of the truck bed was the very espresso machine Wheeler had traveled to Las Vegas to collect. There was no sign of Wheeler at the scene of the burned vehicle, deepening the mystery surrounding his sudden disappearance. At the time he went missing, Wheeler was a well-known figure in the Seattle area, primarily as the owner of several "Grab N' Go" coffee stands where baristas served coffee in bikinis. His businesses, however, were not without controversy; in 2009, some of his employees were charged in connection with alleged lewd acts. Beyond the public scandal, Wheeler was also facing significant financial and legal difficulties. He had been sued for failing to pay for an espresso stand and, just a day before he was reported missing, a warrant was issued for his arrest due to his failure to appear in court over nearly $20,000 in unpaid rent. Some reports also indicated that his homes were facing foreclosure and he was being investigated by the IRS. Despite these pressures, his family maintained that he was a devoted father and grandfather who would not have willingly abandoned his life and family. Authorities quickly came to believe that Bill Wheeler's disappearance was under suspicious circumstances, a view shared by his family who suspect he was murdered. The investigation has spanned multiple states, involving law enforcement in Washington, Nevada, and California. Theories on his fate are divided; some believe he was a victim of foul play, while others speculate he may have orchestrated his own disappearance to escape his mounting legal and financial troubles. The case is an unsettling puzzle, marked by a final trip with a stated purpose, a promise to call that was never kept, and the discovery of his intentionally burned vehicle hundreds of miles away. To this day, the disappearance of Bill Dwayne Wheeler remains an unsolved and troubling mystery.
May 26, 2010
Las Vegas
Nevada
Clark County
89147
21190
Snohomish County Sheriff's Office
Everett
Washington
Snohomish County
98201
Brad Walvatne
Detective
3000 Rockefeller Avenue, Washington
4253883839
County
Law Enforcement
10-10097
2010-05-28
Snohomish County Sheriff's Office
Brown
Blue
Blue
05/21/2026
