CMPD chief disappointed with low bond, release of man charged with rape and murder
After a 22-year-old man charged in a June rape and murder walked free Friday on $50,000 bail, Charlotte Police Chief Johnny Jennings said the bond was too low for the charge.
“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,” Jennings said in a statement Friday. “I have always maintained that there is no bond amount that is sufficient for a community’s peace of mind regarding their safety.”
Raphael Omar Wright was charged with raping and shooting Michelle Lynn Schechter, 27, on June 16. His bond amount was set by Mecklenburg County Judge Jennifer Fleet, court documents show.
The incident took place at an Econo Lodge in west Charlotte. Schechter later died from her injuries after being transported to a hospital, CMPD said.
According to a CMPD arrest affidavit, officers responded to a call at the Econo Lodge on Glenwood Drive about an assault with a deadly weapon around 10:21 p.m.
Officers found Schechter with a gunshot wound. The Charlotte Fire Department already was there treating her.
Schechter told police she’d been raped before being taken to the hospital, the affidavit said.
Detectives reviewed surveillance footage and saw Wright park a black Ford Fusion at the hotel. He was seen using his phone, the affidavit said, before going into Schechter’s room.
About 10 minutes later, Schechter ran out of her room while holding her back. Not long after that, Wright exited the room, returned to his vehicle and sped away. The affidavit said no one else left Schechter’s room between the time Wright arrived and left.
The Ford Fusion was registered to Wright, who also matched the description on the surveillance footage. Data from Schechter’s phone, which police found in her room, showed a text message from Wright saying “I’m parking,” sent at the same time he parked, the affidavit said.
Wright was arrested last week in Rock Hill, S.C., and charged with first-degree murder and first-degree forcible rape.
Court documents show Wright posted bail using Chad Lewis Bonding, a bond insurance company with a location in Monroe.
“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,” Jennings said.
The act allows elected judges, rather than appointed magistrates, to set the bond for some defendants facing more serious charges.
“The CMPD takes violent offenses against our community members seriously and we utilize all available resources to hold those offenders accountable,” Jennings’ statement said. “We continue to ask our judicial partners to do the same.”
This story was originally published June 28, 2024 at 6:16 PM.
