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AHOSKIE – A resident of a local assisted living facility reported missing last month has been found deceased.

The body of 65-year-old John Wheeler was discovered Wednesday by a local hunter. Wheeler, a resident at Ahoskie Assisted Living, went missing on Dec. 11. The area where his body was found is approximately one mile behind Ahoskie Assisted Living, located on Early Station Road.

Hertford County Sheriff Dexter Hayes said he does not believe foul play is involved in Wheeler’s death. The exact cause of death will come from an autopsy performed by the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Greenville.

“From what we were able to determine through our investigation of this case, which started on Dec. 11, Mr. Wheeler was last seen at around 7:20 am that morning by a staff member at Ahoskie Assisted Living who stopped by his room to give him his morning medicine,” Hayes stated.

The Sheriff added that a little over one hour later, Wheeler was scheduled to be picked up and transported to a “day program.” However, the individual slated to pick him up did not find Wheeler in his room.

Later that day, around 7 pm, a staffer arrived at Wheeler’s room to administer his nighttime medicine, but he was not there. Hayes said that prompted a search of the facility by Ahoskie Assisted Staff, an effort that failed to locate Wheeler on the premises.

Wheeler’s family members were notified at that point. The Sheriff’s Office was contacted shortly after 8 pm, at which time a BOLO (Be On The Lookout) was issued.

Hertford County Sheriff’s deputies began a search at that point, canvassing the local area to include local motels in an effort to see if he had sought shelter at one of those locations.

One day later (Dec. 12), investigators were able to view video footage, captured by cameras at Ahoskie Assisted Living, showing Wheeler walking out the back door of the facility at 7:27 am on Dec. 11. At that point, Wheeler’s personal identification information was uploaded to NCIC, a computerized database that stores info about crime and missing persons in the United States.

Sheriff’s investigators were advised by a family member on Dec. 31 that Wheeler might have gone to the western part of the state to visit a friend who lived in the Pilot Mountain area. Three days later (Jan. 2), an officer with the King (N.C.) Police Department went to the address of Wheeler’s possible friend and was informed that he no longer lived there and had possibly moved to South Carolina.

On Jan. 16, a ground search of the area in and around Ahoskie Assisted Living was performed by the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the North Carolina SBI. That search, which did not reveal any clues, included the use of a drone and a human remains detection canine.

“My heart goes out to Mr. Wheeler’s family and friends,” Hayes said.

Hayes added that there remains an open case of a missing person in Hertford County. Joseph Peel walked away from Twin Oaks Adult Home near Como on Feb. 8, 2020 and has yet to be located.

Peel – age 86 at that time – is described as a black male, approximately 5’-6” tall and weighing 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a Washington Redskins cap, a blue pull over sweater, blue jeans, and black lace-up shoes.

“Mr. Peel’s case is still active. If you have any information, please call my office at 252-358-7800,” Hayes said.