GASTONIA, N.C. — A Gaston County jury has convicted 27-year-old Tahj Wall of first-degree murder in the 2021 killing of Melvin Hopper. Wall will now spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole, following his sentencing on July 10, 2025, by Judge David Strickland.
Court documents reveal that Wall shot Hopper twice in the back of the head in May 2021. Disturbingly, he then drove around for nearly six hours with Hopper’s body in the car, even showing the corpse to several individuals before someone finally contacted 911.
District Attorney Travis Page commented, “Today a jury saw the death of Melvin Hopper for exactly what it was… a cold-blooded execution.” He praised the jury’s service and reaffirmed the office’s commitment to prosecuting violent offenders.
In connection to the same case, Wall was previously charged with first-degree murder, possession of a stolen vehicle, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and concealing a death. The murder reportedly occurred on South Weldon Street in Gastonia, though Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police initially responded to a related scene on Barrands Lane in southwest Charlotte.
CMPD continues to investigate the broader circumstances surrounding this homicide. Wall remains in custody at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center.
