HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — Law enforcement officers need help finding the person responsible for a hit-and-run where a man in a wheelchair was killed. Robert Stalter's family is waiting for justice in the case.
"Uncle Rob, he was always there my entire life," said Stalter's nephew, Joseph Morrison. "Honestly, there was a point in time where he was a dad figure in my life. We’ve always been such a tight-knit family, and he was one of the biggest pieces that held us all together.”
Morrison's love for his uncle stayed strong even in loss. In 2009, his uncle had blood clots, which resulted in losing both of his legs. The incident left Stalter in a wheelhchair.
Labor Day weekend, the family learned devastating news.
"Me and my wife were actually on the way to find out the gender of our baby," Morrison said. "My mom called me hysterical, saying your uncle got hit by a car."
On Saturday, September 2, Stalter lost his life in a hit-and-run, according to Henry County Police. His dog, Smoke, was with him when it happened. Smoke scampered back home with a broken leash, alerting the family that something tragic had happened. Signs are posted all over the Audubon Estates neighborhood, just off Willow Lane, the last place Stalter was seen before he was hit and killed.
"He got hit and was left there to die on the side of the road," Morrison said. "I can hit a golf car further from where he was to his house, and that's the saddest thing to me. He was just walking his dog. The dog is very traumatized. He needs to go to the vet. He's not eating. He has nightmares all night long."
Henry County Police believe someone driving a gray 2008 Nissan Altima hit Stalter and drove off. They said they were looking for a person last seen wearing red shorts and a gray shirt. Police said they had leads in the case but did not offer any other details. Officers urged anyone with information to come forward to help with the investigation.
Meantime, Morrison reflected on the time spent with his Uncle Rob, who loved NASCAR and spending time with family.
"He loved holidays. Those are going to be really difficult this year," Morrison said. “Holidays will be different for sure. I know this year for Thanksgiving, we’ll do a huge feast in his honor the best way we can and just remember him.”
Morrison and his wife are expecting a baby girl in April. He said he would share his uncle's sense of humor, stories and love for life with her. For now, his family is holding out hope for clues that could lead to the perpetrator.
"I just hope in the coming days or couple weeks that we get an answer, because that's all we care about is the justice," Morrison said. "If it was an accident, it was an accident. But do the right thing and turn yourself in, because what happened to him where he was just left to die on the side of the road 200 yards from his house, it wasn’t right or fair and he didn’t deserve that.”
Anyone interested in helping the family with funeral expenses and therapy can click here.