Gastonia man found guilty of first-degree murder in 2021 killing; victim’s body was discovered in Charlotte

On Thursday, Tahj Matthias Ji’Reh Wall was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Curtis Hopper, according to the Gaston County clerk’s office.

The case first made headlines back in May 2021, when Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police were called to a Steele Creek neighborhood. Officers arrived around 12:18 p.m. to the 9900 block of Barrands Lane and discovered Hopper’s body.

At that time, authorities noted Hopper had suffered “traumatic injuries.” What initially looked like a crime in Charlotte quickly turned out to have roots in Gastonia.

Detectives determined that Hopper was actually killed in the 400 block of S. Weldon Street in Gastonia before his body was found in Charlotte. Following an investigation and interviews with witnesses, police identified Wall as the suspect. He was taken into custody shortly after.

Now, more than four years later, a Gaston County jury has delivered its decision: Wall is guilty of first-degree murder. Details on Wall’s sentencing have not yet been released.