Sarah Butler, age 20, texted Khalil Wheeler-Weaver 53 minutes before he murdered her, “You’re not a serial killer, right?”
Tragically, that was the case. Wheeler-Weaver murdered three women, including Butler, between August and November 2016 and attempted to kill a fourth.
However, he also left behind a trail of evidence. Khalil Wheeler-Weaver lured his victims via dating apps and the social media application Tagged. Butler’s family and friends utilized the Tagged app to hunt down her murderer and bring him to jail, as they were determined to discover her killer.
For his grisly crimes, the so-called “Tagged Killer” was ultimately sentenced to 160 years in prison.
The Crimes Of Khalil Wheeler-Weaver, The Tagged Killer
Most people did not perceive Khalil Wheeler-Weaver as a cold-blooded killer. He was neatly groomed and well-dressed, yet he had a deeply concealed dark side.
Few details are known about Wheeler-early Weaver’s life. Wheeler-Weaver grew raised in a happy home in a prosperous neighborhood in Orange, New Jersey, according to a report.
Several members of his family are law enforcement officers. Late in 2016, the 20-year-old worked as a security guard at a hotel and a supermarket.
Wheeler-Weaver was regarded by cops as “cool and helpful.” This “quiet” young man was nevertheless planning a series of terrible killings.
The first victim of Khalil Wheeler-Weaver was 19-year-old Robin West. According to her mother, West experienced mental health difficulties at the time of her disappearance on August 31, 2016.
The day following her disappearance, police responded to calls of a fire in an abandoned residence. When they entered the residence, they discovered West’s burned remains.
Her body was so extensively charred that it was not possible to identify her until two weeks later, using dental records. Due to the condition of her remains, it was impossible to ascertain the reason for her death.
Wheeler-Weaver told authorities that he had gone to a restaurant with West and then dropped her off at an abandoned house two blocks from where she was found when he was later questioned about her murder.
But just weeks after the discovery of West’s death, another lady vanished under suspicious circumstances.
Joanne Brown, who was 33 years old in 2016, was experiencing homelessness and mental health issues. On October 22, 2016, she was last seen entering Wheeler’s vehicle, she was reported missing later that month.
The remains of Brown were discovered in a different abandoned house on December 5, 2016. Tape covered her mouth and nostrils. The eventual cause of death was determined to be suffocation.
Are you not a serial killer?
Sarah Butler, a 20-year-old sophomore at New Jersey City University, was Wheeler-third Weaver’s final victim, killed on November 22, 2016.
Butler differed from Wheeler and Weaver’s victims in that she was not a sex worker nor a mental health patient. In addition to being near to her family, she was currently pursuing a degree.
Later, assistant prosecutor for Essex County Adam Wells revealed how the Tagged Killer chose his victims, stating that he picked women he thought “somehow less than human, less desirable.” Wells stated that Wheeler-Weaver believed that they would not be missed.
The murder of Sarah Butler by Wheeler-Weaver would ultimately lead to his capture.
Butler was at home for Thanksgiving when she met Wheeler-Weaver on the social networking application Tagged. Before Butler’s decision, the two had intended to go on a date but ultimately did not. However, when Wheeler-Weaver offered her $500 for sexual services, she consented.
Before their date, Butler texted him jokingly, “You’re not a serial murderer, right?”
Butler informed her mother that she would be meeting a friend and borrowed her vehicle. This was the final time anyone saw Sarah Butler alive.
Her body was discovered on December 1, 2016, in West Orange’s 400-acre Eagle Rock Reservation.
Capturing The Killer
On November 15, 2016, just before the murder of Butler, another woman named Tiffany Taylor reported to authorities a near-fatal contact with Wheeler-Weaver.
Taylor, who was 34 years old, was many months pregnant and was currently homeless. She relied on sex labor to survive. She told authorities she had made a deal with Wheeler-Weaver to pay her for sex.
They left in Wheeler-automobile Weaver’s after meeting at a motel in Elizabeth, New Jersey. However, he then donned a ski mask and proceeded to handcuff and duct tape Taylor’s mouth. In the rear of the vehicle, he raped and strangled her until she lost consciousness.
Taylor, upon awakening, was able to convince her captor to drive her back to the motel. She ran inside a room and closed the door as soon as she arrived. Wheeler-Weaver was gone by the time police arrived after she dialed 911.
Meanwhile, Sarah Butler’s family and friends took matters into their own hands in an effort to obtain justice. Butler’s sister knew the passwords to her social media accounts, including Tagged.
She discovered Wheeler-Weaver by searching through Butler’s messages from the time she vanished after logging into her account.
The sister created a false Tagged profile and contacted Montclair police to determine the next steps. Together, they planned an undercover operation.
On December 6, 2016, Wheeler-Weaver arrived at the place where he had agreed to meet his “date,” only to find undercover police officers waiting for him. Consequently, he was put into custody.
Searching his apartment yielded no evidence against him. He was tried and sentenced to life in prison.
Credits: Vocal Media