On June 16, 2024, 27-year-old Michelle Lynn Schechter was found dead in her Charlotte, North Carolina, residence after family members requested a welfare check when they could not reach her for several days. Responding officers observed signs of forced entry. The Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Schechter’s death a homicide due to blunt force trauma.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department investigators canvassed the neighborhood and reviewed nearby surveillance. They identified 30-year-old Jonathan Michael Harris as a suspect; detectives say fingerprints and DNA linked Harris to the scene. Harris, who has prior charges that include burglary and assault, was arrested on July 10, 2024, and charged with first-degree murder, burglary, and assault with a deadly weapon. Police report Harris confessed to breaking into Schechter’s home to steal valuables and said a confrontation led to the fatal assault.

The community held a candlelight vigil and Schechter’s family and friends called for justice and greater awareness about home invasions. If anyone has information about Michelle, her movements before June 16, or the neighborhood around her home, please share what you know.