9 Investigates

'Your child is not supposed to die before you' - Charlotte couple wants son's murder solved

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For Larry Schulman and his wife, Andrea, this Father's Day will be dramatically different.

"Your child is not supposed to die before you," he said.

This will be their first Father's Day without their only son Josh.

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"Can I celebrate Father's Day for me and my father? I don't know how to wrap my head around that," Larry explained.

On August 21st - around 3 a.m. - officers were called to their home on Outer Bridge Lane near Providence Road for a reported home invasion. Twenty-five-year-old Josh was shot. Larry was pistol whipped and shot in the arm. During recovery, he learned his son had died from his injuries. The next day, his mom passed away. They held a double funeral - burying them just feet away from each other.

With no siblings and his father already deceased, Larry says in the span of 24 hours he lost all of his remaining blood relatives.

"Coming to Father's Day and missing things we did together: football draft, the basketball playoffs. His absence is really felt," said Larry.

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"Mother's Day was hard, and Father's Day will be just as hard for both of us," said Andrea.

They plan to spend this Sunday at the gravesite.

"Someday we will be reunited. I know he is in paradise now," said Andrea.

The Schulmans are hoping someone will come forward with tips to help solve their son's murder.

"You will not be recognized, totally anonymous," said Andrea. "The reward is $15,000. That is a lot of money."

Meanwhile, they take some comfort in knowing Josh was an organ donor. They were told with his gift he saved five lives.

And now, for him, they want justice.

"He was a great kid, loving son, great friend," said Larry. Whoever did this is going to do it again and they need to be stopped,"

The Schulmans lived in a low-crime area, with no reported crime there in several years. Officers said there was no sign of forced entry.

Detectives also said it appears both men were cooperating - so it is unclear why the crime would have turned so violent.

Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers at (704) 334-1600.

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