Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II announced today that Khalil Wheeler-Weaver, who is serving 160 years in prison for killing three women and attempting to murder a fourth, has been charged in a new indictment for murdering a 15-year-old girl.
In addition to murder, the defendant is charged with attempted sexual assault of a minor, endangering the welfare of a child, and desecration of human remains.
The investigation into this incident began on April 9, 2019, when the remains of a young woman were discovered in a vacant building in Orange. An autopsy showed the victim had been strangled to death. After an extensive investigation, the victim was identified as a 15-year-old from Newark.
Once her remains were identified, detectives were able to develop additional evidence that led to these charges being filed against Wheeler-Weaver.
Prosecutor Stephens thanks Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Adam B. Wells, detectives from the Prosecutor’s Homicide and Cold-Case units, as well as members of the New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Sciences for their work in this investigation. The Prosecutor’s Office was also assisted by staff at the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.
Wheeler-Weaver is scheduled to be arraigned before the Honorable Mark Ali on October 21, 2022.
These new charges and allegations herein are accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless or until they are convicted in a court of law.
