In the photo: Elwin Wheeler holds up a photo of his daughter, Deanne, who was murdered in a North Shore apartment on Dec. 30.
Dave Eagles photo/KTW
Elwin Wheeler is a broken man.
He is sitting on a recliner in the living room of his Brocklehurst home. On the floor beside him is a pile of tear-drenched tissues rising almost as high as the chair’s armrest.
A month ago, Wheeler and his family were preparing for Christmas.
Now he is alone.
His 26-year-old daughter, Deanne, was murdered in an apartment at 435 Cherry Ave. on Dec. 30.
His wife was hospitalized a short time later.
“She was my only child,” Wheeler told KTW.
“I have two stepsons, but they don’t have my name. That was my only child.”
Deanne had been living in the family home, Wheeler said.
“On Dec. 30, she got off that couch right there,” he said, pointing across the living room.
“She had a bit of a cold. She got on the bus at noon and went to Cherry Avenue — and she was dead at 2 o’clock.”
Deanne celebrating her 18th birthday in 2007.
Wheeler said the man charged in his daughter’s murder is her ex-boyfriend, noting they had broken up in May.
He said he can’t bear to see the accused’s name in print and KTW agreed not to mention him by name in this story.
“Deanne was a beautiful person,” Wheeler said.
“She had lots of love in her. She cared about people, she cared about animals.
“She was a thoughtful, loving, happy, caring person.”
Deanne’s remains were cremated last week. Wheeler said he doesn’t plan on having a funeral because he’s too grief-stricken to plan one.
“It just kind of hits me in spurts,” he said through tears, proudly showing off Deanne’s high-school graduation photo.
“There’s so much to do. I have to get rid of all my daughter’s clothes. I’ll probably give them to the women’s shelter.”
For now, Wheeler said he’s trying to remember the good times — Deanne’s affinity for candy and yogurt and music, and the one and only catch she reeled in on one of many father-daughter fishing trips — instead of focusing on the fact she’s gone.
“She liked watching movies,” he said.
“Recently, we were playing crib. She liked a little bit of reading.
“She liked her cellphone, like all girls do, talking to her friends. She liked to shop. She liked her clothes.
“She always remembered all her friends’ birthdays. She had a lot of love in her.”
Wheeler said his life will never be the same without Deanne.
“She’ll be forever missed,” he said.
“It will never be over.”
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