SMYRNA, DE - The Delaware Department of Justice has announced the conviction of a Smyrna man on multiple charges for the armed rape of a family member in 2024.
Prosecutors say James Wheeler, 35, was visiting an apartment on May 31, 2024, when he produced a knife and raped a female relative. The attack occurred not long after Wheeler had been released from prison for a previous assault conviction, according to authorities. Wheeler was later found and arrested in Dover on June 2.
The Department of Justice says Wheeler was convicted on February 7, 2025, of Rape First Degree, Attempted Rape First Degree, Possession of a Deadly Weapon During Commission of a Felony, Terroristic Threatening, and Aggravated Menacing. Prosecutors say he faces a mandatory 32-year sentence and could receive multiple life sentences.
“These cases, while incredibly difficult for all involved, are profoundly important to our team at the Delaware Department of Justice as we work to exact justice for those who have experienced unimaginable terror, and in many cases, betrayal at the hands of someone they knew,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “I am grateful to our prosecutors and the Smyrna Police for their dedication in this case, and to the victims whose courage to come forward has no doubt protected others and made it possible to get this abuser off the streets.”