Gastonia Man Tahj Wall Convicted of Killing His Boyfriend and Driving His Body to Charlotte

Boyfriend Convicted For Murder Of Lover

A Gastonia man will never see freedom again after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in the disturbing 2021 killing of his boyfriend, Curtis Hopper.

The Deadly Argument

On May 27, 2021, prosecutors say 27-year-old Tahj Matthias Ji’Reh Wall got into a heated argument with Hopper at his home on Weldon Street in Gastonia. During the altercation, Wall shot Hopper twice in the back of the head—execution style—as Hopper tried to walk away.

A Twisted Ride Through Charlotte

But the nightmare didn’t stop there. Court testimony revealed that Hopper was still alive when Wall loaded his body into a car and drove roughly 15 miles into Steele Creek in Charlotte. Witnesses told the court that Wall drove around for six hours with Hopper’s dying or deceased body in the front seat, allegedly trying to “show people the corpse.”  passenger seat and alert police.

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The vehicle was discovered parked on Barrands Lane in Steele Creek, with Hopper’s body slumped in the front seat. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police and Gastonia detectives quickly pieced together the timeline and arrested Wall without incident.

During the trial, the prosecution painted Wall as cold and calculated, saying Hopper was trying to leave when Wall shot him. One witness said Wall didn’t “appear scared” at all and was calmly showing off the body.

Wall’s defense, however, claimed he was acting in self-defense, arguing Hopper had been abusive and allegedly pulled a gun first. But jurors weren’t buying it.

The Verdict

On July 10, 2025, a Gaston County jury convicted Wall of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. However, he was acquitted on a related robbery charge.