Woman Raped and Murdered - Her Killer Free on Insane Low Bond.

Michelle Schechter, 27, was murdered on June 16, 2024, on Glenwood Drive in Charlotte, NC 

On June 16 just around 10:20 PM CMPD Officers were dispatched to Econo Lodge at 4115 Glenwood Drive, Suite 248 in reference to an assault with a deadly weapon with injury call.

Upon arrival, Officers located the victim, Michelle Lynn Eakin Schechter who was being treated by Charlotte Fire Department (CFD) for gunshot wound. The victim stated to CFD that she was raped before being transported by Medic to Atrium Pineville where she died less than an hour later.

CMPD Detectives reviewed surveillance footage and observed the suspect Raphael Omar Wright, Jr. park a black Ford Fusion at the hotel. Wright was then seen using his phone before going to the victim's room, about 10 minutes later the victim was seen running from her room while holding her back. 

Moments later the suspect exited the victim's room and left in his vehicle. No one else was seen entering or exiting the victim's room between the time when the suspect arrived and when he left the scene.

The license plate of the Ford Fusion, SC tag UKI-199 is registered to the suspect, Raphael Omar Wright Jr. (B/M, DOB 08/01/2001). Wright matches the description of the suspect seen in the surveillance footage. Detectives processed the victim's room and located the victim's cell phone. Data from the victim's cell phone showed the victim had received a text message from the suspect which stated, "I'm parking," at the same time as when the suspect had parked.

Wright was later located in Rock Hill at 2311 Nuthatch Drive and arrested by York County, Rockhill and CMPD officers.

Originally a Mecklenburg County Magistrate issued that bond order at $50,000 but due to the nature of the crime it was automatically reviewed by Judge Jennifer Fleet.

Judge Jennifer Fleet gave him a $50K secured bond.

Within hours, he posted it and was released from the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff.

Outrage over the insanely low bond was swift, following social media posts by WSOC's Joe Bruno and Hunter Sáenz.

CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings was not pleased issuing the following statement:

Today, a suspect who was charged with First Degree Murder and First Degree Rape was released after posting bond that was set at $50,000 by a Mecklenburg County District Court judge. Disappointed doesn’t begin to describe how I feel in the decision to set a bond that low for a suspect charged with such serious violent felonies. I have always maintained that there is no bond amount that is sufficient for a community’s peace of mind regarding their safety. This type of bond amount for Murder is exactly what I worked to eliminate when I advocated for the Pre-Trial Integrity Act that was signed into law in 2023. The CMPD takes violent offenses against our community members seriously and we utilize all available resources to hold those offenders accountable. We continue to ask our judicial partners to do the same.

A few hours later Meck DA Spencer Merriweather released his own statement:

The District Attorney’s office is ethically prohibited from commenting on any specific pending case. Our prosecutors regularly ask for defendants charged in homicide and other violent offenses to be detained in custody pending trial.

Shortly after US Senator Thom Tillis:

$50K bail posted by a suspect charged with first degree murder and rape. This judge is an absolute disgrace to the criminal justice system. What a slap in the face to the victim’s family and a betrayal of @CMPD and the brave officers putting their lives at risk to keep Charlotte safe. #ncpol

Former Meck County Commissioner Matthew Ridenhour also spoke up filling in gaps and adding a few more details.

I'd like to introduce to you Judge Jennifer Fleet, pictured being sworn in, a Mecklenburg County District Court Judge. On Friday, she gave an 'alleged' murderer and rapist a $50k bond. Yes, you read that correctly. This guy is probably halfway to Mexico by now.

She's a hyper-progressive judge who has a history of setting low (or none at all!) bail amounts.

Remember that 19 year old woman who broke into 197 cars in a 30 day period last winter? $165k unsecured bond, which means the woman didn't actually have to post any money. Or how about the 19 year old that shot and killed a 14 year old? The state recommended not to release him on bond--but Judge Fleet let him out on $250k bond. In 2018, Mecklenburg was divided into several districts for District Court, and we had several excellent GOP District Court judges. Three Democrat judges filed suit in 2019 (Judges Cureton, Best, Brooks), and now District Court judges are elected countywide. Unsurprisingly, now 21 of 21 Mecklenburg District Court Judges are Democrats. And this is what we get. Remember, we don't have to live like this. But progressives ensure that we do.

Cedar's Take:

Understand that the $50,000.00 bond required Wright to only "promise" to pay $4,500.00 in cash to which he produced only $2,400.00 before being released.

The only requirements of his release is no contact with witnesses and "banned" from the location of the crime.

Electronic monitoring was not required.

This girl's life was was worth all of $2,400.00 to this judge.

Wright's next court date is July 17, 2024 at 1:30 in courtroom.

Cedar Update:

I'm not going to judge this angel. Y'all need to understand there are people who are heartbroken. Regardless of why she was at this cheap hotel.

Miss Schechter was just 1 of 57 homicides in the first six months of this year. 7 of those are women and 17 are young people under the age of 18.