Wheeling Police Seek Info on Gruesome 2018 Murders
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WHEELING -- Investigators are urging the public to come forward with any information that could help solve the 2018 murders of a local couple and their unborn child.
Police in Wheeling began an investigation on Aug. 3, 2018, after Trevor Vossen, 27, of Wheeling, and Lauren "Lulu" Cree-Jenkins, 28, of Martins Ferry, were reported missing. Jenkins was five months pregnant at the time. About two weeks later, dismembered and burned human remains were found along Sullivan Road in rural Raleigh County, West Virginia.
The remains were later identified through dental records as those of the missing couple.
On Friday, officials from the Wheeling Police Department and the Ohio County Prosecutor's Office announced that both agencies were seeking information and urging the public to help solve this case.
"A young man and a young woman were murdered and dismembered," Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger said, adding that the life of their unborn child also was taken in the brutal incident. "It's time to do the right thing. Someone out there knows about this and has information, but has not discussed that with the investigators. Now is the time to do so. Do the right thing."
Officials said a local man who has been considered a person of interest in the case is Gerald Wayne Jako Jr., 36, of Wheeling, who has since been convicted in an unrelated case and sentenced 2019 to 100 years in prison. Jako, who had a previous criminal history, was convicted of first-degree armed robbery stemming from an incident in which he and two other suspects robbed the Stateline Cafe in Valley Grove. Cashiers were detained with zip ties during the robbery, in which the suspects wielded guns and machetes.
Assistant Ohio Prosecutor Shawn Turak said authorities have suspected that people who know details about the murder of Vossen and Jenkins had been reluctant to talk to police for fear of retaliation. Since Jako's appeals in the robbery case were recently exhausted and the 100-year sentence upheld, officials said they hope anyone with information may feel more at ease with having a conversation with investigators.
"On June 2 of this year, the Supreme Court affirmed his conviction," Turak said. "So that sentence is in place, and we're asking at this point for people in the public to come forward and cooperate so we can hopefully, as the chief said, bring justice for the Vossen and the Jenkins families."
Wheeling Police officials said that, based on a lengthy investigation, detectives believe that Vossen and Jenkins were lured into a house in Wheeling, then murdered and dismembered. Officials said they believed the remains were then transported to Raleigh County and burned there.
The West Virginia Medical Examiner's Office worked with the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office during the initial part of the investigation that was launched after a logging crew discovered the bones and charred remains along the road near Coal City, West Virginia, just south of Beckley. The remains were later sent to the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, Department of Anthropology in Washington, D.C. for forensic analysis.
Police in Wheeling, learning of the findings down state, worked with the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office to connect the missing persons case with the discovery of the remains.
One missing piece of the investigation's puzzle centers on the fact that Vossen's vehicle has never been found. His white, two-door 2002 Honda Accord SE had a West Virginia license plate number of 73K986, and it has been missing since the crime took place, officials noted.
Finding the vehicle or information about it is one of key goals on which authorities say they are now focused. Obtaining additional, confirmative information about this homicide, urging people with information to come forward now that Jako's sentence has been upheld and developing a solid case for the victim's families and achieve some sort of justice in an Ohio County courtroom are the other primary goals that led investigators to reach out for the public's assistance on Friday.
"Our work on this case will continue," Sgt. Rob Safreed, investigations commander with the Wheeling Police Department, said. "Detectives are still looking for any tip that may offer more details or provide insight on what happened. We urge anyone who knows more to call us."
Turak said officials were confident that there are others out there who have knowledge of what happened.
"We will not give up on justice for Trevor and Lulu, and hope someone will come forward to help," Turak said.
"This is a very complex case and requires a lot of knowledge," Schwertfeger added. "I'm proud of the skill set and professionalism of the Wheeling Police Department. I'm also pleased to have a great working relationship with the Ohio County Prosecutor's Office, as well as many other law enforcement agencies in West Virginia."
Anyone with information on this case can call the Wheeling Police Department at 304-234-3664, the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office at 304-255-9300 or the Crime Stoppers Upper Ohio Valley Tip Line at 877-TIPS-4-US.