CMPD break-in investigation could fall apart after victim found dead

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A 63-year-old woman was found dead in her north Charlotte apartment, which, police say, has been broken into twice in less than a month.

Officers are still searching for the man who is accused of sexually assaulting the woman.

Police believe the woman died of natural causes earlier this week.

With the woman now dead, the chances of identifying and charging the accused sexual assaulter appear to be slim.

After the second break-in, police said, it became apparent that the two seemed to be connected.

“What she's describing, it sounds like it's going to be the same perpetrator,” said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Lt. Melanie Peacock.

Tony Scheer, a former prosecutor, said even with DNA evidence, prosecutors need the victim's testimony to make their case.

“They've pretty much lost their case,” Scheer said. “I think that, if the victim is gone, she's passed tragically. I think there's no case left.”

It's possible that the woman’s death could play into the investigations of five other similar cases in the past year.

The father of a woman attacked in her apartment in east Charlotte two weeks ago said he is still waiting for a lead in that case.

As long as the suspect or suspects are still out there, women such as Hannah Heacock, who lives in the area, are worried.

“If it's a problem, definitely, because I live with my same-age roommate, and it's just us two,” Heacock said.

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