Nearly four decades after the tragic killing of 34-year-old Margit G. Schuller, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office announces a breakthrough in one of the region’s longest-running cold case investigations. Advanced forensic technology and renewed investigative efforts have led to the arrest of 76-year-old Cortez Sabino Lake of Beaufort, who has been charged with murder in connection with Schuller’s 1987 death.
The 1987 Murder
At approximately 8:45 p.m. on November 1, 1987, deputies responded to the Palmetto Apartments on Harding Street in Burton, where Schuller was discovered shot to death near the complex’s laundry room. Her 12-year-old daughter found her lying under a tree in a pool of blood after going to check on her mother, who had not returned from doing laundry.
Investigators determined Schuller had been shot between 8:15 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. that night. A trail of blood leading from the laundry room to the far end of the apartment units was believed to belong to the assailant as evidence indicated the shooter was injured during the crime, creating a critical biological trail.
An autopsy performed the following day at the Medical University of South Carolina confirmed Schuller died from severe blood loss due to a gunshot wound. The manner of death was ruled homicide.
Early Investigation and Discovery of the Murder Weapon
Despite identifying several persons of interest in the years following the murder, limitations in forensic science at the time prevented investigators from definitively linking any suspect to the crime.
In 1989, two years after Schuller’s murder, workers clearing a construction site for a hotel on Highway 21 near Robert Smalls Parkway unearthed a French-made pistol. Ballistics testing confirmed it was the firearm used to kill Schuller. However, this discovery did not provide sufficient evidence to name a suspect.
Advances in DNA Science Revitalize the Case
As forensic DNA technology advanced, evidence collected from the crime scene was revisited. In 2005, biological material recovered from the blood trail was analyzed, yielding a DNA profile belonging to an unknown male. This profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Over time, all original persons of interest were eliminated based on DNA comparisons, either through voluntary sample submission or, in the case of convicted felons, through profiles already in CODIS.
In 2019, investigators went further by sending DNA evidence to Parabon Nanolabs for advanced analysis and employed the assistance of a Cold Case Committee volunteer to conduct research into potential biological connections, an investigative technique known as genetic genealogy. In addition, through its advanced DNA analysis, Parabon Nanolabs developed composite sketches showing how the unknown suspect may have looked at ages 25 and 55. Through countless hours of research, the Cold Case Committee volunteer deduced the offender was likely 76-year-old Cortez Sabino Lake of Beaufort.
Investigators obtained Lake’s DNA during an interview and subsequent analysis at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Services Laboratory matched Lake’s DNA to that of the unknown offender.
Lake lived in the same apartment complex as Schuller at the time of her murder. Originally from Illinois, he served in the United States Navy while stationed in Beaufort County.
On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, Beaufort County investigators served Lake with an arrest warrant for murder. He was taken into custody and is currently being held at the Beaufort County Detention Center.
Appeal for Additional Information
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office believes individuals may still have information connected to the events of November 1, 1987. Even after nearly 40 years, any recollection may prove valuable.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Cold Case Investigator Bob Bromage at 843-816-8013. For those wishing to remain anonymous, tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County:
- P3 Tips App (mobile)
- Online: tipsbft.com
- Phone:844-TIPS-BFT (844-847-7238)
About Margit (Mar-git) G. Schuller
Margit G. Schuller was born on June 21, 1953, in Gardony (GAHR-doh-ny), Hungary. A dedicated cardiac nurse, she lived and worked in Hungary before marrying Jozsef (YOH-zhef) Schuller in Székesfehérvár (SEH-kehsh-feh-HAIR-vahr), about 40 miles west of Budapest in Hungary. The couple welcomed a daughter before immigrating to the United States on April 15, 1982.
After a brief period in Alabama, the Schuller family moved to Beaufort County, SC, when Jozsef joined the United States Navy, eventually being stationed at Parris Island. At the time of Margit’s murder, Jozsef was on assignment in California.
To this day, Jozsef Schuller says he continues to struggle with the profound loss of his wife, reflecting on the life moments his daughter lost without her mother and the grandchildren who never had the chance to know their grandmother. Grateful for the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office’s persistence, especially the dedication of Cold Case Investigator Bob Bromage, Jozsef says if he could speak to his wife now, his message would simply be: “I’m sorry.” He believes that had the family never moved to the United States, Margit might still be alive today.
