A Wake County grand jury has indicted 36-year-old Ryan Camacho on first-degree murder charges in the death of Ravenscroft School science teacher Zoe Welsh. The 57-year-old was attacked during a reported break-in at her Clay Street home on Jan. 3 while on a 911 call and later succumbed to her injuries.
Grand jury's 'true bill' clears the way
Court documents show the grand jury indicted Camacho on first-degree murder and first-degree robbery, according to CBS17. The filings explain that a "true bill" means jurors found there was probable cause to move forward with the charges.
911 call captures recognition and terror
During Welsh's 911 call, she told dispatchers she recognized the intruder from Fred Fletcher Park and later said, "He hit me with a brick," before the line abruptly went silent, ABC11 reported. Officers arrived to find her suffering from a head injury, and she was taken to a hospital, where she later died.
Police: suspect picked up near Clay Street home
Raleigh police said officers were called to a reported burglary at 819 Clay Street around 6:33 a.m. and later arrested Camacho nearby without incident, according to a department news release. Detectives charged him with murder and felony burglary and said the investigation remains active.
Long record and missed interventions
Public records and reporting reviewed by WRAL show Camacho has a criminal history going back roughly 20 years, including a 2019 conviction for shooting into an occupied dwelling and multiple recent break-in cases. In mid-2025, prosecutors accepted a plea agreement that reduced several felony counts to a misdemeanor, a deal that kept him out of jail just weeks before the January attack, the outlet reports. Judges in late 2025 denied a request to have him involuntarily committed, and court filings show his mother sought guardianship over him, citing concerns about his competency.
What the first-degree charge carries
Under North Carolina law, first-degree murder is a Class A felony that can be punished by death or life without the possibility of parole, according to the state statute. With the grand jury's true bill in hand, prosecutors can now advance the case to superior court for arraignment and other pretrial proceedings, sending it into the next phase of the local court process.
School community and neighbors in mourning
Ravenscroft School described Welsh as "a cornerstone of our Upper School Science Department" and said counselors were made available to students and staff, The News & Observer reported. Neighbors said the killing shook the Fletcher Park area and led to an increased police presence, and assault during an early-morning burglary on Clay Street coverage captured the initial reaction from Clay Street residents.
