On August 29, 1988, Portland police responding to a welfare check at 2612 N. Holman found two bodies in the basement: 61-year-old Robert Wheatley and 69-year-old Frieda Wheatley. The medical examiner ruled both deaths a result of strangulation, and investigators believe the killings occurred on August 27, 1988.

The house had been ransacked and several items were missing, including a television, jewelry, credit cards, an ATM card, and the couple’s light green 1979 Buick Regal. There were no signs of forced entry, and detectives have suggested the killers may have posed as potential buyers to gain peaceful access to the home. Stolen cards were used extensively across Northeast, North, and Downtown Portland in the days before the bodies were discovered; that activity stopped once the murders were made public. The Buick was later recovered abandoned at Jantzen Beach Shopping Center.

The case went cold despite later review by Portland’s Cold Case Homicide Unit and resubmission of evidence for modern DNA and fingerprint testing. Retired detectives identified a person of interest at one point but lacked corroboration or witness testimony to charge anyone. If anyone in the community has information about the Wheatleys, please come forward.