An Alameda County jury has found 44-year-old Oakland resident James Wheeler guilty in the 2023 killing of Dexter Appleby.
Wheeler, a former UPS driver, was convicted of first-degree murder with firearm enhancements in connection with the May 26, 2023 shooting at the intersection of 41st Street and San Pablo Avenue. At the time, it marked Emeryville’s first reported homicide in six years.
Surveillance footage of a suspect was released shortly after the shooting but did not lead to an identification for roughly two years.
The case gained traction after a relative of Wheeler’s came forward to Emeryville police, identifying him in surveillance images captured around the time of the incident. Investigators later linked Wheeler to the area through cell phone records showing his device connecting to nearby towers near the time of the shooting.
Separately, the firearm ultimately tied to the killing was recovered by Oakland police several months after the homicide but remained untested in an evidence locker until later in the investigation.
At trial, prosecutors presented surveillance video showing Wheeler moving through the area shortly before the shooting. Two witnesses testified that they saw the victim shot once while standing, and then again after he had fallen to the ground.
“I am grateful to the work of law enforcement in helping to solve this case, and my thoughts are with the victim’s family as they continue to live with the loss of their loved one,” said Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson.
Wheeler also has a prior conviction for voluntary manslaughter in an unrelated Oakland homicide case. He now faces a sentence that could exceed 50 years to life.
Dickson, who was appointed to replaced recalled D.A. Pamela Price following her 2024 recall, is currently running against Price for a four-year term.
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