The rape and murder suspect was released from prison on bail of PLN 50,000. dollars

A man accused of raping and murdering a west Charlotte woman earlier this month is out of jail on bail.

“Disappointment is an understatement to describe how I feel about the decision to set bail so low for a suspect who committed such serious and violent crimes,” said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings.

Raphael Wright, 22, was charged last week with first-degree murder and first-degree forcible rape, according to court documents. Wright was arrested in Rock Hill last week and was recently extradited to the Mecklenburg County Jail, where he was held for about 14 hours until his release around 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 being shot.

She was then taken to hospital, where she died, police said.

Surveillance footage from the area showed a man parking a black Ford Fusion outside the hotel, according to police reports. The man was then seen using his cell phone before going to Schechter’s room.

About 10 minutes later, Schechter was spotted running from her room while holding her. The same man left Schechter’s room before driving away in a black Ford Fusion, according to police reports.

Police said that from the time the man arrived until he left the scene, no one else was seen entering or leaving Schechter’s room.

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The investigation revealed that the Ford Fusion belonged to Wright, and police said it also matched the description of the man seen in surveillance footage.

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

According to police, the message was synchronized with the surveillance footage.

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

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Jennings issued a statement on the suspect’s release:

“Today, a suspect charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape was released after posting bail that was set at $50,000 by a Mecklenburg County Circuit Court judge. Disappointment is not enough to describe how I feel about the decision to set such a low bail for a suspect accused of such serious violent crimes. I have always argued that there is no amount of bail that is sufficient for a community’s peace of mind regarding its safety. This type of bail amount for murder is exactly what I sought to eliminate when I championed the Pre-Trial Integrity Act, which was signed into law in 2023.

CMPD takes violent crimes against members of our community seriously and we use all available resources to hold these perpetrators accountable. We continue to ask our judicial partners to do the same.”

The district attorney also issued a statement:

“The District Attorney’s Office is ethically prohibited from commenting on any specific pending cases. Our prosecutors routinely ask that defendants accused of murder and other violent crimes be held in custody pending trial.”

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