Edith Kaye Wheeler, a 75-year-old woman remembered as a beautiful person with an infectious laugh, was killed in her Columbia, South Carolina, home on Monday, October 5, 2026. Friends and family described her as a sweet lady and a dear sister in Christ, someone who gave calm advice and was always ready to help. One friend, trying to process the loss, called Edith her "person" and best friend, saying, "I will carry you with me everywhere in my thought."
Known to many since childhood, she was a former Sunday School teacher at the Progressive Church in Mullins, South Carolina. Her loved ones recalled her as a beloved cousin, niece-in-law, and a cherished friend who held a special place in many hearts.
The day of violence began around noon when Richland County Sheriff's Department deputies were called to a shooting on Palmetto Park Circle in northeast Columbia. They found a woman, later identified as the daughter of Donald Wheeler, with gunshot wounds to her upper and lower body. She was hospitalized and underwent surgery. Information provided by the wounded woman led deputies to conduct a welfare check at a residence in the 300 block of Reseda Drive in the Lake Carolina community. Inside, they discovered Edith Wheeler, who had been fatally shot in the upper body. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation revealed a third incident that day. After shooting his daughter and killing his wife, Edith, 75-year-old Donald Wheeler allegedly drove to the home of another female relative, identified in court testimony as his sister, in the Koon Store Road area. He pointed a gun at her head and pulled the trigger three times, but the firearm was out of ammunition and failed to discharge. The woman was not physically harmed.
Based on a description of the suspect's vehicle provided by his wounded daughter, deputies located and stopped Donald Wheeler near Koon Store Road. He was taken into custody for questioning by the Richland County Sheriff's Department. Following the investigation into the series of events, he was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife, Edith, two counts of attempted murder for the attacks on his daughter and sister, first-degree burglary, and three counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
During a bond hearing the following day, a magistrate judge referred the case to a general sessions court, as the lower court could not set bond on a murder charge. Investigators asked that he be held without bond, citing the "continuing course of violence involving multiple family members." A victim advocate told the court that Edith's next of kin had raised concerns that Donald Wheeler suffered from dementia and requested that bond be denied for his safety and the safety of the community. The judge ordered a mental health evaluation while he remained in custody at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.
A public defender was appointed for Donald Wheeler, and a court date was scheduled for December 18, 2026. The investigation by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the Richland County Coroner’s Office remained active as of October 2026. A viewing for Edith Wheeler was scheduled for October 24, 2026, at Leevy's Funeral Home, with a funeral service to follow on October 25 at the Progressive Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and interment at Lincoln Cemetery. In the days following her death, dozens of friends and relatives shared their condolences and cherished memories online, praying for comfort and strength for her family.
