Beaufort County cold case murder suspect indicted

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - A Beaufort County grand jury has formally charged a cold case murder suspect, who is currently out on bond.

The grand jury indicted Cortez Lake on January 29, 2026, who is accused of killing Margit Schuller in 1987.

Deputies arrested Lake in November 2025, after DNA evidence linked him to the crime.

SEE: Mugshot, details released for suspect charged in 1987 Beaufort cold case

Following his arrest in November, Lake bonded out of the Beaufort County Detention Center in December after his attorney asked a judge to reconsider Lake’s bond, and the judge granted the request.

READ: 1987 cold case murder suspect out on bond

Lake’s case will now proceed through the 14th Circuit Court in Beaufort County. A jury trial date is still pending in Lake’s case.

Stay with WTOC News as we continue to follow this case.