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Records Show Plea Deal Left Suspect Free Before Raleigh Teacher’s Killing

Scrutiny now centers on a 2025 prosecutorial plea reduction that kept him out of prison.

Overview

  • Raleigh police say Ryan Camacho broke into Zoe Welsh’s home on Jan. 3 and assaulted her during a 911 call; he is charged with first-degree murder and felony burglary.
  • In July 2025, four Class H felony counts from April break-ins were consolidated and reduced to a Class I misdemeanor, yielding a sentence capped at 120 days.
  • Public records note that a felony conviction on those charges could have carried 8–10 months per count and potentially kept Camacho incarcerated into early January.
  • In December 2025, a Wake County judge denied prosecutors’ request to involuntarily commit Camacho, a decision the district attorney says reflected the legal threshold at the time.
  • Camacho is held without bond and due in court Jan. 26, as prior complainants describe years of stalking and break-ins and officials call for stronger responses at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice.