Rape, murder suspect out of jail on $50K bond

CHARLOTTE — A man accused of raping and killing a woman in west Charlotte earlier this month is out of jail on bond.

“Disappointed doesn’t begin to describe how I feel about the decision to set a bond that low for a suspect charged with such serious violent felonies,” said Chief Johnny Jennings, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

According to court documents, Raphael Wright, 22, has been charged last week with first-degree murder and first-degree forcible rape. Wright was arrested in Rock Hill last week and recently extradited to the Mecklenburg County jail where he was for about 14 hours until his release at about 2:15 p.m. Friday.

These charges stem from the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Michelle Lynn Schechter on June 16.

CMPD said the incident occurred at the Econo Lodge on Glenwood Drive, near Interstate 85.

At the scene, police found Schechter with a gunshot wound. She told them she had been raped before she was shot.

She was then taken to an area hospital, where she later died, according to police.

According to police reports, surveillance footage of the area showed a man parking a black Ford Fusion at the hotel. That man was then seen using his cell phone before going to Schechter’s room.

Around 10 minutes later, Schechter was seen running from her room while holding her back. That same man then exited Schechter’s room before leaving in the black Ford Fusion, according to police reports.

Police said no one else was seen entering or exiting Schechter’s room between the time when the man arrived and when he left the scene.

An investigation revealed that the Ford Fusion belonged to Wright. He also matched the description of the man seen in the surveillance footage, according to police.

Police said they were able to locate Schechter’s cellphone, and data showed she received a text message from Wright saying, “I’m parking.”

This message synced up with the surveillance footage, according to police.

According to court documents, Wright was arrested and given a $50,000 bond, by Judge Jennifer Fleet. He has since posted bail.

Jennings released a statement regarding the suspect’s release:

“Today, a suspect who was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape was released after posting a bond that was set at $50,000 by a Mecklenburg County District Court judge. Disappointed doesn’t begin to describe how I feel about 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 which 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.”

The district attorney also released a 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.”

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