WYTHE COUNTY, Va. – The daughter of a slain Wythe County deputy is sharing her feelings after the man who was convicted of killing her father is in trouble again.
The man, 43-year-old Christopher Wheeler, was released last August and recently got arrested again in Oklahoma.
“I was hoping that he would not do anything to be sent back to prison,” said Karla Turman, the daughter of a slain Wythe County deputy Cliff Dicker.
Wheeler got into hot water again this past weekend and has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
He was arrested Sunday, June 12 by Ponca City, Oklahoma police after he allegedly waved a gun inside a restaurant, bragging about killing a deputy.
“I’m very thankful that no one was hurt this time,” Turman said.
Turman’s father, Cliff, was a deputy for the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office in 1994 when he was shot and killed by Wheeler.
At the time, Wheeler was 15 years old but was tried as an adult. He was released in August.
“We fought his parole, every single year, for many years and last year they told us he was going to be released,” said Turman.
Despite losing her father, Turman said she has no hate for Wheeler.
“I don’t hate Mr. Wheeler. I had to give that up a long time ago so that I was able to live with myself. I also hope he serves the remainder of the sentence here,” said Turman.
WSLS reached out to the Wythe County Commonwealth’s Attorney to get a status on Wheeler.
“After the Oklahoma charges are concluded, he will be brought back to Virginia and my office will be asking for him to serve every day of his unserved sentence,” said Mike Jones, Wythe County Commonwealth Attorney Mike Jones. “He should have never been paroled and I will be in personal contact with the new parole board and the Attorney General’s Office.”
Wheeler’s most recent arrest was referenced in a statement sent out by Pulaski County’s sheriff and commonwealth’s attorney to announce their departure from the Democratic Party. The two officials cited Wheeler’s most recent arrest as a direct result of changes Democratic legislators made in 2020, specifically with criminal sentencing, sentencing limits for probation violations and legislation that allows inmates to be released before serving their full sentence.