Case Notes

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Town file

Wheeling, West Virginia

Wheeling, West Virginia (Ohio County, West Virginia) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 479, "Born To Be Bad" (28 March 2024). Wheeling, West Virginia, sits in the northern panhandle of the state, about an hour from Pittsburgh and two hours from Columbus, Ohio.

Town
Wheeling
County
Ohio County
State
West Virginia
Country
USA
Episodes
479
Approximate location
40.074, -80.696
N ↑Public placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

Episode 479 / 28 March 2024 / 158 min / full

Born To Be Bad

"in this place, Wheeling, West Virginia, in the northern panhandle; this is in Ohio county" about 0:05:04

The case: Murders of Trevor Vossin and Lulu Jenkins (August 2018); Killings of Thomas and Curtis Whit at Panther Bridge (November 6, 1948). Read the case file.

The figures, as told in 2024

Population
27,142
Median age
about 43
Median household income
$43,483
Median home value
$131,400
Two-bedroom rent
$980 a month
Cost of living
76
Religious
42%
Property crime
right at the average
Violent crime
▲ more than double

History, in brief

  • The origin of the name Wheeling is disputed; the main theory is a Lanape phrase, 'we link' or 'we lunk', meaning place of the head or place of the skull. about 0:07:16
  • The name refers to a Native American prisoner of other tribes or to a white settler, either way a person who was scalped and decapitated. about 0:07:39
  • The severed head was displayed on a pike at the confluence of Wheeling Creek and the Ohio River. about 0:08:03
  • Wheeling reached its peak population in 1930 and has been in decline for a hundred years since. about 0:08:39
  • As the city grew, big houses were built on Wheeling Island, alongside slums for factory workers and miners. about 0:08:47
  • An ordinance was passed regulating personal cess pools. about 0:09:02
  • Pipe communications between homes and businesses were banned unless offensive smells were properly tracked. about 0:09:29
  • The Great Depression changed everything; industry was restructured with the Second World War and there were far fewer jobs afterwards. about 0:09:41
  • Wheeling is about an hour from Pittsburgh and about two hours from Columbus, Ohio. about 0:06:39
  • The area code is 304 and the motto is the friendly city. about 0:07:03

The reviews read out

5 stars

"Accurately nicknamed the friendly city, a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family; the reviewer was born and raised there, has travelled the world and still looks forward to coming home; the crime rate is low, though the nightlife is not as plentiful as in bigger cities."
about 0:10:03

3 stars

"Not a terrible town; there is a zoo, a casino and golf courses near and around, plus boating and hiking, but be careful buying on Wheeling Island because it is prone to flooding in rainy seasons."
about 0:10:45

2 stars

"There is not a lot to do and it is quite boring; the only thing to do is go to someone else's house, the streets are so empty you can see tumbleweeds; the reviewer has met good people but plans to move away."
about 0:11:22

Open the episode file

Nearest Small Town Murder towns

Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.