‘Not Appropriate’: Charlotte rape, murder suspect back behind bars after judge increases bond following release in first 24 hours
CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — On Tuesday afternoon, a judge sent rape and murder suspect, Raphael Omar Wright Jr., back to jail, saying his initial $50,000 bond set by another judge was “not appropriate.”
Judge Reggie McKnight had a hearing Tuesday after prosecutors filed a motion to revoke or modify Wright’s bond. The judge ultimately set a new bond of $850,000 resulting in Wright being back in handcuffs.
Man accused of raping, killing Charlotte woman posts bond within 24 hours
“He is a danger to this community, and not to mention based on what he says and based on what happened, he flees, he’s a flight risk,” said Nikki Robinson, Assistant District Attorney during the court hearing.
Wright was arrested at the end of June for first-degree murder and first-degree rape, but jail records show that not even 24 hours later, he was released from the Mecklenburg County jail.
District Court Judge Jennifer Fleet only gave him a $50,000 bond leading up to his release.
Wright is accused of raping and killing 27-year-old Michelle Schechter on Glenwood Drive in June.
“This is not fair; his bond should be higher than that,” Carolyn Douglas, grandmother to the victim’s daughter, said in court. “Matter of fact it should be revoked, he should be locked up because it’s a life gone.”
Michelle Schechter has a 9-year-old daughter with Douglas’ son, the woman’s longtime boyfriend.
“She is not here to raise her daughter, and now I’m forced, I’m 53 years old, and now I’m forced to do something that I’m not prepared for,” said Douglas.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said at the time “disappointed” didn’t even begin to describe how he felt about the low bond
Wright is claiming self-defense but police say there’s no proof of that.
According to court documents, Wright says he met the victim through an escort service at a Charlotte hotel and that someone else hid out in the bathroom and attacked him, pointed a gun at him and he shot back, striking and killing the woman.
Police say there is no surveillance video of anyone else going in and out of that hotel room other than Wright at the time the victim was killed.
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