Wheeler left in a green 1999 Ford Expedition XLT with Florida license plates numbered J55CVH at 3:00 p.m. on January 19, 2005. She was in the company of Jesus Cruz-Perez at the time; the vehicle was his. He has also been known to drive a black 1999 Mercedes sport utility vehicle (SUV) with Florida license plates numbered G39TRB. A photograph and vital statistics for Cruz-Perez are posted below this case summary.

Wheeler and Cruz-Perez were bound for Fort Myers, Florida. At 6:00 p.m., Wheeler called her sister and said she was on her way home. She never arrived and has never been heard from again. She was not reported missing until January 24, five days later.

Wheeler's disappearance is considered to be suspicious. She resided in the 100 block of Hancock Street in Immokalee, Florida at the time she went missing. Although Cruz-Perez has not been reported as a missing person, his disappearance is considered suspicious, as is Wheeler's. Both cases remain unsolved.