Oakland, CA – James Wheeler, 45, has been convicted of first-degree murder in the 2023 shooting death of Dexter Appleby, 34, near 41st Street and San Pablo Avenue in Emeryville. The Alameda County District Attorney's office and Emeryville Police Department announced the conviction, which includes a firearm enhancement, following a trial where two eyewitnesses testified to the brutal nature of the killing. This conviction marks a significant development in a case that remained unsolved for nearly two years.
The breakthrough in the Appleby case came in 2025 when Wheeler's mother contacted authorities, identifying her son from surveillance footage. She reportedly recognized his distinctive walk and a jacket she had gifted him years prior, telling police, "That is my son, James Wheeler, 100 percent." This crucial testimony led investigators to link Wheeler to the crime and ultimately recover the murder weapon, a silver Colt revolver, which had been in Oakland police custody since a raid on Wheeler's home in an unrelated investigation.
According to prosecutors, Appleby was shot once while standing and then twice more after he had fallen to the ground on May 26, 2023. Cell phone records also placed Wheeler in the vicinity of the crime scene at the time of the shooting. The victim, Dexter Appleby, was a North Oakland resident.
Separately, Wheeler was previously convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the November 2023 shooting death of Johnny James Johnson Jr. This incident occurred near a Taco Bell restaurant at Bancroft Avenue and Church Street in Oakland, approximately six months after Appleby's murder. Jurors in that case reportedly considered Wheeler's claim of "imperfect" self-defense.
Wheeler, a former UPS driver, now faces a maximum prison sentence of 50 years to life. He is scheduled to be sentenced for Johnson’s killing on June 10 and for Appleby’s murder on June 17, according to court records. The Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson expressed gratitude for law enforcement's work and extended thoughts to the victim's family.
