Charlotte Whitehead Branton, aged 57, was found dead on August 25, 2014, in her apartment at The Retreat at St. Johns complex in Jacksonville, Florida. Initially, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office did not suspect foul play in her death. However, further investigation revealed inconsistencies in the initial reports. Branton had been dating Robert Francis Schulze, who was the one to call 911, claiming he found her unresponsive and attempted CPR.
Detectives discovered a spent shell casing at the scene but no weapon, and the wound near Branton's head was not consistent with suicide. Following an autopsy, her death was ruled a homicide.
The investigation revealed that Branton and Schulze were breaking up, and she was planning to move out of state. Text messages between Branton and Schulze indicated that she was afraid of him and did not want to see him. Schulze had visited Branton's apartment twice on the day of her death. He was arrested and charged with murder after detectives found his account of events questionable. Schulze later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 32 years in prison. The case highlighted the dangers of domestic violence and the importance of thorough investigations in such incidents.
