In the early morning hours of November 28, 2020, the life of 31-year-old Tonya Renee Wheeler, a female resident of Charlottesville, Virginia, was tragically cut short. Just after 5:00 a.m., law enforcement responded to reports of multiple gunshots in the 700 block of McIntire Road. Upon arrival, they discovered Wheeler suffering from a gunshot wound to her head.
She was quickly transported to the University of Virginia Medical Center, but succumbed to her injuries a short time later.
The Charlottesville Police Department launched a homicide investigation into Wheeler's death. Investigators at the scene spent hours collecting evidence, ultimately finding more than 30 bullet casings, indicating the violent nature of the attack. At the time, Wheeler's death was the third homicide in the city of Charlottesville in that month alone. Despite the ongoing investigation and a plea to the public for information, with a reward offered through Crime Stoppers, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with her murder.
Tonya Renee Wheeler was a graduate of Charlottesville High School and was employed as a housekeeper at the University of Virginia. She was a mother to four children, two sons and two daughters. Her family and friends remember her as a loving and devoted mother whose favorite pastime was enjoying music. In the wake of her death, a GoFundMe campaign was established to assist her family with funeral expenses and to support her children. Her case remains an active investigation with the Charlottesville Police Department.
