Michael Wheeler murder: Killers' plot to hide body was like a TV 'police drama', says detective

Attempts to cover up the murder of a Yeovil man were like "something from a police drama", a detective has said.

The investigation into what happened to 37-year-old Michael Wheeler began as a missing person's case last summer.

Residents of Juniper Close heard disturbing noises one night in August 2024 and contacted the police, who then embarked on a "no-body murder investigation".

They found Mr Wheeler's remains a month later in an abandoned caravan on farmland in Yarlington.

Now, almost a year on, two men have been handed life sentences for murdering Mr Wheeler, after they wrongly believed him to be a convicted paedophile.

Mark Roberts, 39, of Juniper Close, Yeovil, and David Garland, 40, of no fixed abode, were convicted by a jury at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday 5 June.

Mr Wheeler was friends with the pair, but owed £100 to Roberts.

Roberts and Garland then found an online report about the 2003 sentencing of another man with the same name for child sexual offences and incorrectly linked it to their friend.

Det Supt Lorett Spierenburg told ITV News: "He did have a criminal history and the rumour that started to circulate was that he was a paedophile.

"We can confirm that the offences that he was convicted of involved a female over 16 years of age.

"However, at the time, it was believed among the community that it was against younger children.

"He was convicted of false imprisonment and rape."

According to Det Supt Spierenburg, a couple of weeks before the night he was murdered, rumours had started to circulate and it is believed Mr Wheeler started to fear for his own safety.

Det Supt Lorett Spierenburg said: "He was convinced to go to an address in Juniper Close where we believe that the co-accused had made arrangements to take him there and to beat him up quite significantly and that's where he's then been murdered, at the flat.

"Four neighbours heard what was going on. One of them recorded what she could hear on her mobile phone which we were able to use as evidence and that supported what the other neighbours heard as well.

"It was quite harrowing to listen to and you can hear Mr Wheeler screaming for his life really. So it was pretty traumatic for the neighbours who had to listen to that.

"It's the sort of thing you hear of in films. He was photographed with serious injuries and that photograph was distributed."

She described the investigation as a "massive task".

She said: "It was a chaotic scene. There was blood, there were hundreds of bottles, and so many different forensic opportunities there. So it took 10 weeks in total to forensicate that scene."

Today, Friday 13 June, Garland was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 32 years for murder. He was handed a two-year jail term for preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body, to be served concurrently.

Roberts was jailed for life with a minimum term of 27 years for murder.

Three other men were acquitted of any involvement.When Michael disappeared, his mother was suffering from a terminal illness. She passed away before the trial, but had written a victim personal statement which was read to the court.

She said: "I have had my DNR (do not resuscitate) changed so that I can try and stay alive as long as possible. I want to make it to trial. I want to see justice served on these people.

"I may not be here when this statement is read out, but that means I am with my son."

She described the sleepless nights she had after Michael disappeared and the anger and pain she felt.

She said: "I wasn't able to see Michael once he had been found and this was because of the circumstances he was found in … This upset me, I wanted to say goodbye to him … As a family we haven’t been able to get back to normal. We’ve all been looking out for one another. It's so difficult for us all, I would just love to have him back."

Michael's older sister described him as a "loving man with a big heart". She said he was "brilliant" with her children, always making time for them.

She said: "It breaks my heart that he will never get to see them grow up. The children miss their uncle terribly. Michael never had the change to say goodbye to our mum - he was her golden boy.

"When we got the news from the police, mum's health deteriorated so quickly.

"I was caring for her, and to lose both my brother and then mum shortly after has been unbearable … I'm saddened to think she left us without knowing the full truth of what happened to Michael.

"I am filled with anger and confusion. I cannot understand why anyone would want to kill him.