Joshua Schulman

Joshua "Josh" Andrew Schulman was a caring, loving, and generous 25-year-old Caucasian man who never met a stranger. A 2010 graduate of Charlotte Latin School in North Carolina, he was a talented athlete who played football, basketball, and baseball. He went on to study at The University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, where he joined the ZBT fraternity and embraced Greek life. Remembered by friends and family for his love of all animals, especially dogs, Josh also looked forward to his fantasy football league with his buddies each season. His mother, Andrea Domingue, described him as a "kind-hearted and gentle man."

The vibrant life of this only child was brutally cut short in the early morning hours of Monday, August 21, 2017. At around 3 a.m., at least two armed intruders broke into the South Charlotte home on Outerbridge Lane that Josh shared with his father, Larry Schulman. The assailants pistol-whipped Larry, demanding to know the location of a safe and watches. Despite the family reportedly not owning the items the intruders were demanding, the violence escalated. Larry was shot in the arm, and as the intruders were leaving his room, he managed to press his Life Alert button to call for help. Tragically, the assailants then encountered Josh and shot him execution-style in the head before fleeing the scene.

Both father and son were rushed to the hospital. Larry Schulman survived his injuries, but Josh succumbed to the gunshot wound and passed away. In an act of generosity that was characteristic of his life, Josh was an organ donor, and his gift saved or improved the lives of six other people. Compounding the family's tragedy, Larry's mother, Dorothy K. Schulman, passed away the day after Josh was shot. A double funeral was held for grandmother and grandson, who were buried near each other.

The investigation into Josh's murder was handled by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD). Detectives stated there were no signs of forced entry and that it appeared both men were cooperating, making the motive for the extreme violence unclear. For more than two years, the case grew cold, and the family felt the investigation had stalled. Larry Schulman revealed that police had initially focused on him as a suspect, theorizing that he had orchestrated the attack to gain an inheritance from his dying mother. Frustrated with the lack of progress, the family hired a private investigator to uncover new leads.

By 2020, after media involvement, the CMPD began taking a new look at the case. In August 2022, Josh's parents met with a new group of cold case detectives who brought "fresh eyes" to the investigation. The detectives confirmed that DNA evidence collected from the scene had been entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and that they were actively following leads, though few other details could be released. Larry Schulman expressed renewed hope, stating one detective reassured him, "I close cases no matter how long it takes."

No arrests have ever been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified in connection with the murder of Joshua Schulman. His parents, who have since moved to Florida, continue to pray for the capture of those responsible and to keep their son's memory alive. "He deserves justice," his father said. His mother, Andrea, added, "I want to ask people to pray that, at some point, they’ll catch these people that did this... Hopefully, they’re not out assaulting or killing anyone else." As of August 2022, the case remains an unsolved homicide. The family has increased the reward for information leading to an arrest. A reward of $15,000 is available through Crime Stoppers, who can be reached at 704-334-1600.