COLLIN COUNTY, Texas — Jeffery Wheat, 51, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting four women in North Texas. He will spend the rest of his life in prison with eligibility of parole.
"No matter how many years it was, they stayed him," said one of the victim's daughters.
All four of the targeted people were Black women in their mid-50s and mid-60s and belonged to the sorority Delta Sigma Theta, arrest documents say.
"He was working for some kind of vendor, and that is how he had access to some of their information, and he misused that information and was able to track them down," Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said.
The four cases happened between 13 and 21 years ago. They were all home invasions that led to women being terrorized.
The cases went cold, but new DNA technology allowed law enforcement to track down Wheat in 2021 with forensic investigative genetic genealogy.
Three years after his arrest, Wheat took a plea deal and was sentenced in all four cases.
"Justice was served," said the daughter.
On Tuesday, in an unprecedented way, judges from four counties sentenced him together. Via video conferencing, Collin County, Dallas County, Denton County and Tarrant County were able to schedule a multi-county plea.
Just after 9 a.m., Wheat entered the 199th District Court at the Collin County Courthouse in a dark green jumpsuit and glasses. He sat down next to his defense attorney, Greg Ashford.
Denton County Judge Bruce McFarling went first. Wheat was charged for a sexual assault that occurred in Corinth in October 2011. The defendant pleaded guilty to the second degree felony, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Next, Dallas County Judge Nancy Mulder read Wheat's charge of first-degree felony for aggravated sexual assault. It happened in Coppell in September 2011. The defendant pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
"This is the first time in Dallas County, that I'm aware, that we've had a multi-county plea via Zoom," said Judge Mulder. "It makes it better for the victims, I think, so they can all be in one place and have their victim impact statements, and just have to suffer one day in court to see the justice is done."
Tarrant County Judge Ryan Hill followed. Wheat pleaded guilty to burglary of a habitation intending of other felony. In 2003 in Arlington, a sexual assault case was linked to Wheat. He was sentenced to life in prison.
In person, Collin County Judge Angela Tucker finished the multi-county plea hearing. Last week, Wheat already pleaded guilty to burglary of habitation intending of other felony. The incident happened in Plano in 2011. On Tuesday, he was sentenced to life in prison for that case.
All four of these sentences will run at the same time.
"He at least has a chance of parole after 15 years, minus the three years that he has already been incarcerated so we felt that was the best outcome of these cases for him," defense attorney Ashford said.
One survivor spoke during victim impact statements.
“On September 15, 2011, everything changed," she said. "Prior to this incident, I had joy. But after, I couldn’t find my joy. I was in shock, confused, hurt, sad, fearful and just felt absolutely powerless.”
She went on to say she is healing.
"I do believe that the defendant being in jail helps," she said. "I feel like I can breathe a little."
Another woman wrote a letter that was read in court. "I continue to live in fear," she said. "Stop hurting people and give your life to Jesus. I forgive you, and you need to ask for forgiveness as well."
"We can rejoice knowing we got the right guy, and the right guy is paying the price for the terrible things he did," Willis said. "Our survivors can now move on knowing that what they did helps women everywhere."