Court records also accuse Floyd Morris Long of stealing Shaquina Harris’ dog and concealing or failing to report her death.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A 45-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a Charlotte woman who disappeared in early July, with court records alleging he also stole her dog and took steps to conceal her death.
Floyd Morris Long was arrested Saturday, Aug. 15, in connection with the death of 29-year-old Shaquina Latavia Harris. Jail and court records show Long also faces a felony larceny charge involving Harris’ dog and a charge of concealing or failing to report a death. He was being held in the Mecklenburg County jail without bond following the arrest.
The charges mark a major turn in a case that began as a missing-person investigation after Harris vanished more than six weeks earlier. Harris was last seen leaving Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte on July 2. Police initially asked the public for information about her whereabouts and said she might have been headed toward the Beatties Ford Road and Woodford Bridge Drive area of north Charlotte.
According to warrants reported by Charlotte news organizations, Long is accused of killing Harris on or around July 5. Court documents also accuse him of taking her dog, described as a white, long-haired Yorkie-terrier mix. The records further allege that Long disposed of Harris’ body with the intent to conceal her death. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Investigators have not publicly explained what evidence led them to Long or disclosed a possible motive. The nature of the relationship between Long and Harris also remained unclear. Records reviewed by local news organizations list Long at an address on Woodford Bridge Drive, the same street where Harris’ family said she had made her last known contact with friends.
Harris’ relatives previously said her last known communication came during a FaceTime call from an acquaintance’s home after she left the hospital. Her family and friends became increasingly concerned when communication abruptly stopped and spent weeks seeking information about where she had gone. Missing-person notices were distributed as the search continued.
Separate court records show Long had been jailed on Aug. 8 on a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon. He was released Aug. 14 under electronic monitoring, according to records reported by WBTV. He was arrested the following day on the charges connected to Harris’ death. Long also has a prior felony conviction for obtaining property by false pretenses, according to the station’s review of court records.
The first-degree murder charge is an accusation, and Long is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Authorities had not released details about the evidence supporting the murder charge beyond the allegations contained in court documents. No publicly available information reviewed for this report established why investigators believe Harris was killed around July 5 or how they determined Long was responsible.
The investigation remains active. Long remained in Mecklenburg County custody as authorities continued the case, and officials had not publicly announced additional arrests or released further information about a motive or the circumstances surrounding Harris’ death.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 17, 2026.