CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A suspect in a northwest Charlotte homicide is out on bond Friday and it's drawing the ire and attention of county leaders.
According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, 22-year-old Raphael Wright was arrested last week in Rock Hill in connection to a northwest Charlotte homicide that happened on Sunday, June 16.
Wright was extradited to Mecklenburg County and has been charged with first-degree murder and forcible rape.
On Friday, WCNC Charlotte obtained court documents that show Wright was released after posting a $50,000 bond, drawing the ire of local leaders.
CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings, who has been outspoken on bond reform, released the following statement about Wright's bond posting:
"Today, a suspect who was charged with First Degree Murder and First Degree Rape was released after posting bond that was set at $50,000 by a Mecklenburg County District Court judge. Disappointed doesn’t begin to describe how I feel in the decision to set a bond that low for a suspect charged with such serious violent felonies. I have always maintained that there is no bond amount that is sufficient for a community’s peace of mind regarding their safety. This type of bond amount for Murder is exactly what I worked to eliminate when I advocated for the Pre-Trial Integrity Act that was signed into law in 2023.
The CMPD takes violent offenses against our community members seriously and we utilize all available resources to hold those offenders accountable. We continue to ask our judicial partners to do the same."
The District Attorney's Office released a statement saying that they cannot comment on a specific case.