A Texas BMX star was discovered dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he allegedly shot and killed an employee in his bike store, a crime that has stunned the bicycling community.
Wesley Don Johle, 58, was located by authorities at his Rowlett residence shortly after the February 16 discovery of the death of James Kincheloe, 40, inside the Garland store.
There were no indications of a forced entrance.
According to Lieutenant Richard Maldonado of the Garland Police Department, surveillance footage from within the store provided “sufficient probable cause” to suspect Johle.
Now, investigators are attempting to determine what transpired in the moments preceding Kincheloe’s death.
Johle was one of the most renowned BMX racers in the United States, with 50 national titles and over 500 career victories.
In 1985, he retired and opened the bicycle shop owned by his mother.
He was one of the first seven individuals elected into the Texas BMX Hall of Fame in 2012.
According to Kincheloe’s wife and mother of his two young sons, the family is in shock.
Daisy McKee stated that Johle was not a violent individual and struggled to comprehend her husband’s murder.
“I never knew Don to be angry or depressed,” she told WFAA, adding that her husband has worked at the store for a decade.
McKee reported that the store’s general manager, Preston Hoeger, informed her it appeared the two had gotten into a fight.
She stated, ‘According to Preston, his coworker who discovered him, the manner he was when they found him suggests he was trying to wrestle the gun away from Don.’
Whatever occurred, he attempted to stop it.
She reported that their children frequently inquire about their father’s whereabouts and miss riding to school with him.
“He was very entertaining,” she said. He was the funniest person I’ve ever met.
The police intend to conduct interviews with other employees to determine if there was any recent friction between the two individuals.
A woman who works next door told Fox 4 that she informally knew the men and had never heard of any issues at the bike business.
The fact that the bike shop was still lit when she left on the evening of February 15 struck her as odd, given that it generally closed before she did.
Johle was not only an accomplished BMX racer.
He became a regional champion in jetski racing and was listed among the top ten watercraft sports racers in the world upon his departure from the sport.
He subsequently took up driving, racing a fiberglass imitation of a NASCAR race vehicle called a Legend car and winning a championship at Texas Motor Speedway.
Johle told the Voyage Dallas website in 2018 that he was lucky to work in a sport he enjoyed.
He stated, “I believe that the combination of hard work and commitment has had the greatest impact on the development of our firm.”
It is wonderful to be able to make a living doing something you are passionate about.
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