Latest news with #MichaelWheeler
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Pair brutally murdered father and dumped his body in caravan after mistakenly believing he was a paedophile
Two men have been found guilty of brutally murdering a father and dumping his body in a caravan after mistakenly believing he was a paedophile. Mark Roberts and David Garland were also guilty of conspiracy to murder Michael Wheeler, while Jack Rance, Angus Warner, and Reuben Clare, were cleared of all charges at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday. Mr Wheeler, 37, had been friends with all five but his relationship with Roberts, to whom he owed £100, went downhill when the others saw an article about a man - also named Michael Wheeler - who was jailed in 2003 after admitting grooming and sexually abusing two 13-year-old girls. They were not the same person and prosecuting counsel, David Elias, KC, made it clear the victim had no convictions for child sexual offences. Mr Wheeler was then attacked at Roberts's flat in Yeovil in the early hours of August 24, 2024, suffering multiple injuries, including 11 skull and facial fractures. His body was hidden, with Garland previously admitting preventing the lawful and decent burial of the body. About three weeks after Mr Wheeler's death, police received information he had come to serious harm and began an investigation. One of the last sightings of him was on CCTV at a petrol station just a few hours before his death. Mark Roberts, pictured left, and David Garland, right, were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder Michael Wheeler and await a sentencing hearing next week Officers carried out searches of several addresses and open spaces before finding the victim's remains in a derelict caravan on farmland in Yarlington, Somerset on September 25. Detective Superintendent Lorett Spierenburg led the Major Crime Investigation Team enquiry into Mr Wheeler's murder and said after the verdict: 'Michael Wheeler was brutally murdered by people he had considered as friends. 'He was killed over a £100 debt and because they wrongly decided he had been jailed for child sex offences in 2003, when he would have been just 16 years old. 'The defendants gave Michael no opportunity to tell them they were wrong. 'Instead, they took the life of a man whose last words to his ex-wife were of love for her and their daughter.' Mr Wheeler's mother was suffering from a terminal illness at the time of her son's disappearance and is said to have spent her last months under the shadow of his untimely death, before dying before the case came to court. The victim leaves a young daughter, ex-wife and sister. Roberts, 39, and Garland, 40, have been remanded in custody pending a sentencing hearing, expected to be on June 13.
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
‘Vigilantes' murdered innocent dad-of-one they thought was a paedophile
Two men murdered a dad-of-one they mistakenly thought was a paedophile. Mark Roberts and David Garland killed Michael Wheeler after they found news reports about a man – also called Michael Wheeler – who sexually abused two 13-year-old girls in 2003. Prosecuting, David Elias, KC, said Mr Wheeler, 37, from Yeovil, Somerset, was not the same person and had no convictions for child sexual offences. He was also friends with both men but owed £100 to Roberts. When Mr Wheeler disappeared, his mum was suffering from a terminal illness and passed away before she found out what happened to her son. Bristol Crown Court heard Mr Wheeler was attacked at Roberts' flat in August last year, and suffered 11 skull and facial fractures. Garland and Roberts then hid his body, and three weeks after Mr Wheeler's death, police received information he had come to serious harm. They found no proof of his being alive after 24 August 2024. One of the last sightings of him was on CCTV at a petrol station just a few hours before his death. His remains were eventually found in a derelict caravan on farmland in Yarlington on Wednesday 25 September. Detective Superintendent Lorett Spierenburg said: 'Michael Wheeler was brutally murdered by people he had considered as friends. More Trending 'He was killed over a £100 debt and because they wrongly decided he had been jailed for child sex offences in 2003, when he would have been just 16 years old. 'The defendants gave Michael no opportunity to tell them they were wrong. Instead, they took the life of a man whose last words to his ex-wife were of love for her and their daughter.' Roberts, 39, of Juniper Close, and Garland, 40, of no fixed abode, were both remanded in custody pending a sentencing hearing, expected to be Friday 13 June. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man, 20, charged with terrorism and hoax threat to blow up his local Asda MORE: Boy, 16, killed in Sheffield 'hit and run' was walking 'to pick up a takeaway' MORE: Retired vicar admits role in 'Eunuch Maker' extreme body modification ring
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Two convicted of mistaken identity murder of Michael Wheeler
Two men have been convicted for "brutally" murdering their friend who they mistakenly believed to be a paedophile, police Wheeler, from Yeovil in Somerset, went missing in August 2024, and his remains were found by police a month Thursday, after a trial lasting more than five weeks, a jury at Bristol Crown Court found Mark Roberts and David Garland guilty of both murder and conspiracy to jury had been told that the two men had mistakenly believed Mr Wheeler, who also owed one of them £100, was a paedophile after reading news coverage about a man with the same name. Avon and Somerset Police Detective superintendent Lorett Spierenburg, who led the investigation, said they "took the life of a man whose last words to his ex-wife were of love for her and their daughter". The court heard Mr Wheeler was friends with the men and three others who were also charged over his relationship soured when the defendants found an online news report about a man – also called Michael Wheeler - who was jailed in 2003 after admitting grooming and sexually abusing two 13-year-old girls, police counsel, David Elias, KC, made it clear to the court that the murdered man was not the same person, and had no convictions for child sexual offences. Mr Wheeler was attacked at Mark Roberts' flat in Juniper Close, Yeovil in the early hours of 24 August, the trial was suffered multiple injuries, including 11 skull and facial fractures, and his body was and Somerset Police said that three weeks later officers were tipped off that Mr Wheeler had come to "serious harm" and an investigation addresses and open spaces in Somerset were searched before his remains were found on farmland in Yarlington on 25 September. Det Sup Spierenburg said Mr Wheeler was "brutally murdered by people he had considered as friends". "He was killed over a £100 debt and because they wrongly decided he had been jailed for child sex offences in 2003, when he would have been just 16 years old," he said."The defendants gave Michael no opportunity to tell them they were wrong. Instead, they took the life of a man whose last words to his ex-wife were of love for her and their daughter."Roberts, 39, of Juniper Close, and Garland, 40, of no fixed abode, were remanded in custody ahead of being sentenced on 13 had previously admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of the body of Michael Rance, 28, of no fixed abode, Reuben Clare, 19, of Yeovil, and Angus Warner, 33, of Crewkerne, were all acquitted of any involvement in the murder.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Psychedelics May 'Reset' Brain Cells in Mood And Immune Disorders
Scientists at Harvard University are proposing a fundamental change in the way we consider psychedelics and their therapeutic potential. Using mouse models and human cells, the team of neuroscientists has demonstrated that hallucinogens hold the potential to reshape communication between brain cells and the immune system. "Our study underscores how psychedelics can do more than just change perception; they can help dial down inflammation and reset brain-immune interactions," explains neuroimmunologist Michael Wheeler from Harvard and Brigham and Women's Hospital. "This could reshape how we think about treatment for inflammatory disorders and conditions like anxiety and depression." Emerging research suggests that inflammation in the brain may increase the risk of major psychiatric disorders, and specific cells called astrocytes play a key role in that immune response. Astrocytes are the most common cell in the central nervous system, and recent studies on mice suggest that when these neural entities experience strong and prolonged activation, it can increase inflammation in the brain and lead to anxiety and stress responses. While much is still unknown about psychedelics and the impact they have on human health, some studies suggest that hallucinogens like LSD are potent anti-inflammatory agents, which can regulate astrocyte activity. To explore that idea further, Wheeler and his colleagues turned to mice that had experienced short-term stress for 7 days and chronic stress for 18 days. Using genome analysis and behavioral tests, the team found that mouse brains exposed to small bouts of stress are generally resilient. In mice experiencing stress for seven days, astrocytes in the brain's amygdala – crucial for emotional control – were linked to fewer stress-induced fear responses. This resilience was linked to the expression of a specific receptor on astrocytes, called EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor), which seems to reduce 'crosstalk' between neurons and immune cells. When a mouse experienced chronic and overwhelming stress for 18 days, however, their EGFR expression was reduced, and this triggered a cascade of inflammatory responses and fear behaviors. "What is fascinating is that psychedelic compounds can reverse this entire process," says Wheeler. When he and his colleagues administered psilocybin or MDMA to mice with poor EGFR function, they found a reduction in inflammatory cells surrounding the brain and reduced fear behaviors. To explore whether the same effect is possible in our own species, the team turned to human cells. Not only did the Harvard researchers find similar signals of stress in our own brain cells, they also analyzed human gene expression data from people with major depressive disorder and found altered EGFR signaling. Further experiments are needed to explore how psychedelics impact EGFR expression and what this does to inflammation in the brain, but the evidence that psychedelics can reshape immune responses in the central nervous system is compelling. Inflammation is tied to a whole host of neurodegenerative diseases and mood disorders, and these findings highlight "potential direct and indirect mechanisms by which psychedelics influence physiological responses to chronic stress and neuroimmune interactions." "We're not saying that psychedelics are a cure-all for inflammatory diseases or any other health condition," explains Wheeler. "But we do see evidence that psychedelics have some tissue-specific benefits and that learning more about them could open up entirely new possibilities for treatments." The study was published in Nature. Scientists Discover Genetic Mutation Linked to Needing Less Sleep Brazilian Psychedelic Plant Emerges as Potential Depression Treatment Are Bone Broth's Bold Claims About Aging, Gut Health, And Weight Loss Backed by Science?
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Study: Psychedelics Disrupt Brain-Immune Signals That Promote Fear
Could the benefits of psychedelics go beyond the brain and impact the immune system? New research suggests an unexpected potential advantage of psychedelics is emerging. Fear and the immune system could be connected in unexpected ways. Researchers at Mass General Brigham, in affiliation with Harvard Medical School, found that the immune system influences stress and fear behaviors by altering how brain cells communicate. Using preclinical models and human tissue samples, they also found that psychedelics could target these neuroimmune interactions, disrupting them to reduce stress-induced fear. The findings were published April 23 in Nature. The amygdala, known as the brain's fear center, processes threats. Some fears—like the fight-or-flight response—are essential for survival. Others pile up and become overwhelming. Researchers believe psychedelics such as MDMA and psilocybin may interrupt unhelpful neuroimmune signals when anxiety, depression, and conditions occur. Michael Wheeler, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham health care system, is based at the Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammation and the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. 'Our research shows that psychedelics don't just have powerful effects on the brain's ability to adapt and change, they also seem to rebalance the way the brain interacts with the body,' Wheeler said in an exclusive statement. 'We found that by limiting the brain's exposure to fear-promoting signals from nearby immune cells, psychedelics might help keep the immune system in check, offering unexpected benefits beyond cognitive effects.' The study provides insight into the mechanisms at play when psychedelics interact with both the brain and the body, shedding light on their expanding potential in therapeutic settings. Research in the past has shown immune signals can promote the development of neuropsychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder (MDD). Looking ahead, psychedelics may provide useful tools in controlling these signals. In experiments with mouse models under chronic stress, researchers observed increased signaling in the amygdala that amplified fear behaviors, triggered inflammatory responses, and activated fear-promoting neurons. They also found that during chronic stress, inflammatory immune cells called monocytes migrated from other parts of the body to the brain. When stressed mice were given psilocybin and MDMA, monocyte accumulation in the brain was reduced, and fear behaviors decreased. 'We're especially excited to keep exploring how the immune system factors into psychedelic therapy, both in humans and in mice, and to see whether psychedelics could also have potential as treatments for other inflammatory diseases,' Wheeler wrote. They also found similar signals in human brain cells and in gene expression datasets from patients with MDD, suggesting that the same interactions between the immune system and the brain may pave the way for treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders. Wheeler is also collaborating with Massachusetts General Hospital Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics on a clinical trial of people with depression who are being treated with psychedelic, examining their tissue samples. Wheeler and colleagues expressed interest in further examining the effects of psychedelics on people with depression and inflammatory diseases. Mass General Brigham, one of the nation's leading biomedical research organizations, operates across several Harvard Medical School hospitals. Recent strides have been made in demonstrating the therapeutic effects of psychedelics like MDMA. The FDA initially acknowledged MDMA's therapeutic potential for PTSD, but ultimately rejected a new drug application, submitted by Lykos Therapeutics (formerly MAPS Public Benefit Corporation). Amid the psychedelic renaissance in medicine, research is leading to potential benefits from psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, MDD, and addiction.
