Insets, left to right: Zoe Welsh (LinkedIn) and Ryan Camacho (Raleigh police). Background: Police investigate after Camacho allegedly killed Welsh after breaking into her home (WRAL/YouTube).
A beloved teacher who was the “cornerstone” of a North Carolina school”s science program was murdered when a man broke into her home and killed her, cops say.
The Raleigh Police Department said it received a call around 6:30 a.m. Saturday at a home in the 800 block of Clay Street. Cops say the victim, Zoe Welsh, called 911 to report a man was in her home. While speaking with dispatchers, the suspect began to assault Welsh, cops say.
Officers rushed to the home where they found Welsh with life-threatening injuries. They rendered aid until paramedics arrived and transported her to the hospital. Doctors pronounced her dead a short time later. Police did not release her cause of death.
Cops searching Welsh’s neighborhood spotted the suspect, 36-year-old Ryan Camacho, and took him into custody. He’s facing charges of murder and felony burglary. It’s unclear if Camacho and Welsh knew each other.
Raleigh Police Chief Ricco Boyce released the following statement:
I am deeply heartbroken for this mother, friend, and mentor to many in our community, and for the unimaginable trauma her family must endure. We extend our deepest sympathy to Ms. Welsh’s family during this incredibly difficult time.
Whenever there is a loss of life in our community, it affects us all. As a department, we share in the sadness of this loss. The arrest of the suspect sends a strong message that criminal acts will not be tolerated in the City of Raleigh.
I am profoundly grateful for the dedication and professionalism of the responding officers, whose swift and diligent actions led to the quick apprehension of the suspect in this case.
Local ABC affiliate WTVD reported that Welsh was a teacher at Ravenscroft, a private K-12 school. According to Welsh’s LinkedIn page, she’s worked at the school for nearly two decades.
“The Ravenscroft community is devastated by the loss of our beloved colleague and friend Zoe Welsh,” a spokesperson for the school told WTVD. “Zoe has been a cornerstone of our Upper School Science Department and the Ravenscroft community for years. Her loss is deeply felt by all of us who had the privilege of working with her and learning in her classroom.”
Camacho is at the Wake County Detention Center without bond. He’s slated to appear in court on Monday. North Carolina Department of Corrections records show Camacho has an extensive criminal history and spent more than five years in prison for discharging a firearm. He was released in July.
