‘Sorority rapist’ sentenced to life in prison

In a Collin County courtroom on Tuesday, Jeffrey Wheat, 52, faced the consequences for his actions as a serial rapist who terrorized a sorority over a decade ago. Wheat pleaded guilty and received a life sentence in prison.

DNA evidence linked Wheat to four sexual assaults across Plano, Corinth, Coppell, and Arlington. All the victims, alumnae of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, were in their 50s and 60s when they were brutally assaulted in their homes in 2011.

Cheryl Smith, a Delta Sigma Theta sorority alumnae and publisher of Texas Metro News, expressed her dismay at the violation of these women who believed they were safe in their homes. She has actively kept the case alive in public consciousness since 2012.

Despite video evidence, sketches, and DNA, the case remained unsolved until 2018, when two Plano police detectives reinvigorated the investigation after new DNA tests linked Wheat to a 2003 Arlington rape case. Through forensic genetic genealogy, detectives narrowed down a suspect pool and eventually apprehended Wheat in 2021.

Wheat, who was working as a long-haul truck driver in Mississippi at the time of his arrest, had been living in the DFW area during the periods of all four offenses. Investigators revealed that Wheat had access to sensitive information through his employment at a credit card processing company used by the sorority.

Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis commended the relentless pursuit of justice by detectives, highlighting the use of forensic genetic genealogy in narrowing down the suspect pool.

In court, Wheat pleaded guilty across multiple counties as part of a plea deal coordinated by Assistant Criminal District Attorney Calli Bailey. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison.

Smith expressed a mix of emotions upon hearing the verdict, relieved that justice was served but also deeply saddened for the victims. She continues to reflect on the case daily, grateful that it has finally reached