‘At my wits’ end’: Man struggling to get back motorcycle wrecked by murder suspect in chase

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A man from Tennessee told Channel 9 that he is struggling to get his motorcycle back after it was wrecked by a murder suspect during a police chase in Gaston County.

Christopher Boyd said Tuesday that Gaston County police put a hold on his bike, preventing it from being released from the wrecker. Boyd said the hold lasted nearly 30 days, and he was charged $45 a day while it sat at the wrecker.

The next day, police told Channel 9 that they did not place a hold on the motorcycle after arresting Wheeler.

“I’m just at my wits’ end because no one is trying to help me because everyone is giving me the run around,” Boyd said.

Boyd said he has spent nearly every day of the last month on the phone trying to get his Honda CBR 1000 back. It was towed to Stanley Wrecker in Gaston County after being stolen from a Walmart parking lot in Tennessee in April. He said he and his fiancé later found out it had been wrecked by Donald Wheeling, who is a suspect in a Gaston County murder.

“They said it was being held up in a murder investigation and they can not release the hold until the detective had released the hold,” Boyd’s fiancé Christine Shell said.

Wheeling is one of two men accused of killing Michael Lee Moore in Gaston County in April. Police said Wheeling was charged with first-degree murder along with fleeing and eluding police on the stolen motorcycle.

Boyd and his fiancé said they don’t know Wheeling and when they tried to get the motorcycle back, police wouldn’t release it for nearly a month. They said the total is $2,400 to get the bike back because they said it was on a hold.

“Here I am accruing money every single day at this tow yard, which it shouldn’t have even been at,” Boyd said.

Channel 9 reached out to Stanley Towing on Tuesday and the owner said he is willing to work with the couple to cut the price. Because the bike was linked to a murder investigation, it was stored inside but the owner told us he will charge Boyd a reduced daily rate.

Boyd said the bike was damaged during the chase and he doesn’t believe he should be charged the days police wouldn’t release the bike back to him. Police told Channel 9 that the bike was not damaged and that Wheeler ran out of gas along Highway 321.

“The only way I’m going to get this bike back is if I pay for it out of my own pocket with money I don’t even have,” he said. “I just don’t have that kind of money to come out of my pocket.”

The wrecker owner said he doesn’t want to go to court and doesn’t want to keep the bike -- which costs over $10,000. He said he is hoping the two sides can come to an agreement.

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