Samuel R. Haugh was 21 when he moved from York County, Pennsylvania, to Charlotte, North Carolina, in April 2024 to live with a man he met online, 32-year-old Michael Olarte. On April 29, 2024, Olarte fatally shot Haugh and left his body in a wooded area off River Circle in northwest Charlotte.

Haugh’s family reported him missing on May 5, 2024, the same day authorities found Olarte dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Charlotte’s Independence Division. Human remains located by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on May 21, 2024, were later identified as Haugh’s; the medical examiner determined cause of death was a gunshot wound and ruled it a homicide. Investigators say Olarte had a prior allegation of stabbing someone more than ten times.

Haugh’s parents described troubling signs they believe preceded the killing, including unexplained credit card charges and loss of possessions; they urged awareness of controlling behavior and domestic violence in all types of relationships. If anyone knew Samuel, his movements in Charlotte, or saw anything relevant around late April and early May 2024, please come forward with information.