On October 22nd, 2020, at 12:45am Michael Alexander Joyner was killed by a man with a high-powered rifle at 148 Cooley Rd in Rocky Mount.

 

Michael who goes by Mike Mike was at his home at 146 Cooley Rd earlier in the evening when his neighbor Lung came over on his property and kicked his dog, Brunz. Mike Mike then hit Lung.

 

Lung and his girlfriend Linda went to the local magistrate seeking charges on Mike Mike for the assault against Lung. The magistrate declined to issue a warrant as Lung was on Mike Mike’s property when the assault happened.

 

Lung and Linda were not happy over the outcome at the magistrate office.

 

On their way back home, Lung and Linda stopped by a local restaurant where Tim Wheeler (the shooter) was to get him to come to their home.

 

Why?

Well because they knew Tim and Mike Mike did not get along. Linda and Lung knew this, and they were mad at the time.

On April 20th, 2019, a year before the murder, Tim and Mike Mike had gotten into an altercation after Tim pulled a knife on Mike Mike’s nephew at Mike Mike’s house and Tim was beat up pretty bad. After that incident the landlord of the property banned Tim from coming on any of the properties.

 

Mike Mike was charged in the incident; however, the charges were later dropped after Tim never showed up for court. Even though the charges were dropped Mike Mike still paid for all of Tim’s medical bills

 

Linda and Lung knew that Mike Mike and Tim did not get along but invited him over, knowing that they had just had an altercation with him.

 

Tim went to Linda and Lungs home at 148 Cooley Rd just next door to Mike Mike and brough a gun, not just any gun, but an AK47, a high-powered rifle. Not only did he bring the gun, but he also took it into the home.

 

Mike Mike was dating Linda’s daughter, Tori, and had a 4-month-old baby baby with her at the time. After the altercation with Lung, Tori packed her stuff up and put it in her truck and moved it next door to her mom’s. 

Witnesses saw Mike Mike standing on his porch hollering at Tori, Linda and Lung saying how much he loved them. Because Mike Mikes house and Linda’s house were in very close proximity, and he was yelling at Tori saying he loved them because she just broke up with him.

 

Moments later his phone rang. He took the phone call and was on the phone for a moment and hung up, put the phone in his back pocket and walked over to Linda’s house.

 

Tori had called him and asked him to go over and help her unload the truck. He hung up and started walking over there. Once he got to the house witnesses saw him arguing with Lung and Tori, holding Lung back with one arm and Tori back with the other while Linda was hitting him. That is when Linda and Lung told Tim to shoot him. Tim by that time was standing on the porch with the AK47 and fired a shot and hit Mike Mike.

 

Tim stated to police that he shot Mike Mike after he tried to take the gun from him.

 

However, Mike Mike was shot in the upper torso area from several feet away and the bullet entered in a left to right and downward motion according to the Autopsy … which would be consistent with someone shooting him from the porch or from an area above Mike Mike.

 

Tim then went and locked the gun up in his truck and sat on the porch and waited for law enforcement after all the chaos.

Another person on scene was seen going through Mike Mikes pockets. Taking money, a check, and his phone.

His phone was in the possession of his ex-girlfriend, Tori the next day.

 

The medical examiner has ruled the death a homicide.

 

Tim was never charged. It is not because RMPD has not tried to have him charged. RMPD has worked tirelessly on this case.

The District Attorney’s Office has declined to pursue charges. However, we have a new district attorney that was just elected and hopefully, justice will be served, and the family can have closure.

There is no statute of limitations on murder charges.

 

Tim was never in imminent danger, did not live at the residence and was not even in the altercation. Mike Mike did not have a weapon of any kind on him.

 

Mike Mike has 4 boys and tons of family that miss and love him dearly.

The information presented is from witness accounts and info obtained from the medical examiner in the case.