Local News

Wilson man charged with killing wife, father tells judge he needs attorney

A Wilson man charged with killing his wife and father with an ax appeared in court Friday morning, three days after he was brought back to North Carolina from California.

Posted Updated

WILSON, N.C. — A Wilson man charged with killing his wife and father with an ax appeared in court Friday morning, three days after he was brought back to North Carolina from California.
Michael Allen Joyner, 38, was taken into custody by Wilson County officials on Tuesday night at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Joyner has since been in the Wilson County jail, where he is being held without bond on charges involving the death of his father, Dennis Ray Joyner, and wife, Michelle Joyner.

Joyner is charged with two counts of murder, financial card theft, a probation violation and felony child abuse. He told a judge Friday morning that he does need a court-appointed attorney.

Authorities responding to a welfare check call on June 2 said Michelle Joyner, 36, and Dennis Ray Joyner, 63, were found dead inside a home on Evansdale Road in Wilson.

Michael Joyner's child, a toddler, who was also inside the home when deputies arrived, was unhurt. Officials said the toddler was locked inside one of the home's bedrooms.

Joyner was arrested a home in San Pedro, California, one day after the alleged crimes.

Court documents show Joyner has been arrested several times for non-violent offenses in the past. One of the latest involved stealing cash and checks from his father in 2015, according to records.

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.