7 Jan 2011

Body of murdered cyberwar expert found in landfill

The body of a decorated US Army officer was found dumped in a Delaware landfill on New Years Eve day, a few days after he expressed concern that the nation wasn't adequately prepared for cyber warfare, according to news reports following the bizarre whodunit.

John P Wheeler III

Events surrounding the murder of John P. Wheeler III, who most recently worked part-time for defence contractor Mitre Corporation on cyber defence topics, read like a Tom Clancy novel. The 66-year-old worked for three Republican administrations, was special assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, served in the office of the Secretary of Defence, and penned a manual on the effectiveness of biological and chemical weapons, which urged US forces to show restraint.

The day after Christmas – five days before his body was found as it was being dumped from a trash truck into the Cherry Island Landfill in Wilmington – Wheeler sent long-time friend Richard Radez an email expressing concern that the US wasn't sufficiently prepared for “cyber warfare,” according to The Associated Press.

“This was something that had preoccupied him over the last couple of years,” Radez told the news organization.

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