Nashua man gets 15-30 years in fatal shooting

Alexander Wheeler (Police mugshot)

CONCORD - A Nashua man accused in a fatal shooting last August was sentenced to 15-30 years in state prison on Wednesday.

Alexander Wheeler, 20, pleaded guilty in the shooting death of Lee Knoetig, 53, in Nashua that occurred on Aug. 5, 2022.

Knoetig was killed outside a Sunoco gas station on Amherst Street. A coroner's report revealed he died of a gunshot wound to the chest.

As part of a negotiated disposition, Wheeler, who was initially charged with alternative counts of second-degree murder, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, as well as one count of falsifying physical evidence for discarding the pistol he used to shoot Knoetig.

After the guilty pleas, Wheeler was sentenced pursuant to the negotiated disposition, which included a stand-committed sentence of 15-30 years on the manslaughter charge and a consecutive sentence of 3-6 years on the falsifying count.

As part of the sentence, Wheeler can petition for a suspension of two years of his sentence if he receives no major prison infractions in five years, and also can petition for suspension of two years of his sentence if he obtains an Associate's Degree.