On May 27, 1981, Roger M. Wheeler, Sr., was assassinated by professional hitmen at Tulsa's exclusive Southern Hills Country Club. Police responded in force, as Wheeler was one of the city's top business leaders who employed thousands. Wheeler was CEO of Telex Corporation, which competed with IBM; owner of American Magnesium, which competed with Dow Chemical; owner of Wheeler Oil; and owner of Miami-based World Jai-Alai (WJA), his first and only investment in legalized gambling.
Tulsa's police, who had never experienced such a brazen organized crime murder, feared that they wouldn't be able to solve this crime. Still, they were professional. Police cars fanned out across the city to try and spot the getaway vehicle; they kept news reporters from witnesses—some of whom were children; they photographed the crime scene from every reasonable perspective; and they found a puzzle—four unspent bullets left next to the victim's car. Were the unspent bullets the killer's trademark? Were they a warning to Wheeler's four male children? Police would debate that for years.
Given that WJA's business was gambling, the normal reaction is to assume Wheeler was just another mobster. But every normal assumption quickly falls apart. Roger Wheeler had recently bought WJA for two reasons: it was highly profitable, and a team of ex-FBI agents led by H. Paul Rico kept the mob out.
Rico had been "one of the FBI's finest special agents." He was famous for developing critical informants. Under Rico's guidance, hitman Joseph Barboza gave testimony in federal court that led to the conviction and imprisonment of New England's Mafia boss. Then, Barboza testified in state court, which resulted in six men being convicted for the mob murder of "Teddy" Deegan. Barboza became the inaugural member of the Witness Protection Program.
On the other hand, for nearly a year, Wheeler's son David had been programming a new computer at WJA's headquarters in Miami. WJA's chief accountant had befriended and taught David about Rico, WJA president Dick Donovan, and the possible influence of organized crime at WJA. David wasn't sure if these stories were true.
The day of the murder, when the hitman was preparing the attack, Rico came upstairs to the accounting department to ostensibly attend a retirement party for a bookkeeper. Instead of having some cake and visiting with the staff, Rico just stood and stared at David, the only member of the Wheeler family to ever work at WJA. A very few minutes after the party ended and Rico left, David received a phone call telling him that his father had been shot in the head. David took the next flight back to Tulsa to help support his mother.
It turned out that David couldn't even bury his father without one of the co-conspirators coming up behind him to try and convince him that Donovan and Rico were innocent. Meanwhile, Donovan was watching the action from across the street.
For years, Wheeler's murder received national attention. Detective Mike Huff led the investigation, with David offering any help he could. The FBI spied on and tailed the police; they lied to the police and family survivors; they arranged the murder of informants; and committed other crimes as well. An FBI agent even stole a newly discovered list of officials receiving bribes and made this critical evidence disappear.
Mike eventually turned to our nation's public for help, which led us to appear on the pilot of Unsolved Mysteries and an episode of 60 Minutes. For over 20 years, and with few exceptions, the underlying theme was battling horrific Federal corruption. Yet Mike solved this case.
For accuracy, this memoir is supported by over 1,200 references.
David B. Wheeler earned degrees in computer science and physics. In 1980, his father, Roger Wheeler Sr., sent him to program on a new computer at World Jai-Alai, a chain of pari-mutuels where people bet on jai alai games. His dad owned this and other businesses but was best known as Chairman and CEO of Telex Corporation, which was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. World Jai-Alai was run by a team of ex-FBI agents and a financial auditor.
Roger Wheeler Sr. was murdered in 1981. After this, David teamed up with Detective Mike Huff and, for the next twenty-two years, did everything Mike asked to help solve the case. David's time at World Jai-Alai was invaluable for providing key insider information. Working together on the case for twenty-two years, they exposed deep federal corruption, which ultimately led to Mike arresting the leader of the murder plot. Decades later, Mike and David continue to actively work on cold cases and AI-based investigative software.
Mike Huff joined the Tulsa Police Department in 1975 after his dad urged him to seek a "life of adventure." He found all he could wish for with the Tulsa Police Department, where he received numerous awards and commendations. Out of his 36 years of service, thirty-one years were spent in the homicide squad. Ultimately, Mike led the TPD Homicide Unit to one of the highest homicide clearance rates of any major city in the nation. He spent over 30 years investigating and ultimately solving the murder of Roger Wheeler. Mike chased mob hit men across the United States, investigating the Winter Hill gang murders, exposed the most heinous conspiracy in FBI history, and testified before Congress concerning this conspiracy while becoming obsessed and consumed by this case of a lifetime. On October 9, 2003, Mike arrested ex-FBI agent H. Paul Rico for the murder of Roger Wheeler. In 2019, Mike was inducted into the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Hall of Fame. In retirement, Mike continues to work cold cases.
Laurence J. Yadon is the co-author or author of fourteen previous books and numerous history articles all but six of which focus on true crime. He is an attorney, mediator, and arbitrator with a lifelong interest in American history. He contributed to the advancement of mediation and arbitration as a former Co-Chair of the Oklahoma Bar Association Section on Alternative Dispute Resolution and editor of the monthly ADR newsletter. Larry also served as editor of the Tulsa County Bar Association's monthly magazine. In that capacity, he modernized the magazine format and cover. Larry has investigated litigation issues for the Department of Justice and helped prepare a major case successfully argued before the Supreme Court of the United States.
"Justice, it's been said, moves slowly but lands with an iron fist. Centered in the sights of [The Jai-Alai Murders] is the Department of Justice itself, and that is your first clue that this is a bold and special book. The case presented in its pages is the result of literally decades of work by the son of a murder victim and a legendary homicide detective stymied by the so-called good guys. Is it personal? You bet. Does that detract from the strength of the case? Don't bet on it.I read this book in three sittings. Given the sheer height, width, and breadth of the evidence, not to mention how complicated the case history is, this book moves mind -and- heart. It is an achievement. This is a story, not a case, and told as it is in David Wheeler's voice, the reader is ever mindful of the human element: a family traumatized and at odds, the alliance between two men under fire that became a forever friendship. Other books have tried to explain and understand the World Jai Alai murders - [Now titled The Jai-alai Murders] is the one you need." — Sprints Toledo, Author of the true crime book, Don't Talk About Joe Mac.
"The Fullbright Files is a true crime video podcast hosted by veteran crime reporter and victim advocate Lori Fullbright. Her episode, Tulsa Mob Hit: Inside One Of The FBI's Biggest Scandals, gives an in-depth look at the 1981 execution-style mob hit of Tulsa businessman Roger Wheeler at the Southern Hills Country Club and the 22-year fight against organized crime and FBI corruption. She interviews Detective Mike Huff and Roger Wheeler's son, David, to talk about what it really took to bring Roger's killers to justice and what's still unresolved today.Note: Lori shows the original edition of their memoir, Killing My Father. Thanks to reader feedback, the second edition, which is now available, has been given a new title: The Jai-Alai Murders." — Lori Fullbright, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ6Hiuu4zVM&vl=en
"This is the seminal book on this topic. I've read them all. If you think you know the whole story, this is a TREASURE TROVE of new information. The collaboration between David Wheeler and Detective Mike Huff yields info that has never been revealed until now!" — Blake Hayes, https://www.amazon.com/portal/customer-reviews/B0F9XHS6JQ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_show_all_top?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews
"After reading this book, as far as I'm concerned, Wheeler and Huff are American heroes. They put their lives on the line to get to Justice and truth. They slugged it out for decades with the Mob and the Government Mob (FBI), and lived to tell about it. BRAVO" — Stephanie B., https://www.amazon.com/portal/customer-reviews/B0F9XHS6JQ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_show_all_top?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews
"At every turn, David Wheeler and Mike Huff would hit a brick wall. This is a true story of power and corruption. If you like a good murder (or multiple murders) story, this is it. If you like a good mafia story, this is it. If you like family drama, well, this is that too. It is good vs. evil. The sad part is that so many of those that are supposed to be good are the most evil of all. Ultimately, however, it is a story of the tenacity and bravery of two incredible men who never gave up." — Martha, https://www.amazon.com/portal/customer-reviews/B0F9XHS6JQ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_show_all_top?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews
"Living in Tulsa at the time of Roger Wheeler, Sr.'s death. This was a crime that shocked the community. How could a murder like this happen at Southern Hills Country Club? I remember my father telling me that Wheeler's death would never be solved. This book outlines the detailed investigation that took decades to solve. It also has some very surprising events that detailed how certain federal authorities ignored crimes that were committed by informants. Huff's relentless pursuit and his meeting David Wheeler created an unbelievable collaboration. You must read this book." — R.F., https://www.amazon.com/portal/customer-reviews/B0F9XHS6JQ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_show_all_top?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews
