Ryan Camacho and Zoe Welsh lived lives that could not have been more different, separated not just by circumstance but by trajectory. Welsh, a Raleigh native, was a respected science teacher and department chair at Ravenscroft School, known within her community as a mentor and educator who shaped young lives.
Camacho’s history, by contrast, is marked by years of arrests, convictions, and repeated encounters with the criminal justice system. Their paths tragically converged early Saturday morning in a gentrified neighborhood off St. Mary’s Street, when Camacho broke into Welsh’s home.
At approximately 6:30 a.m., Welsh called 911 to report a burglary in progress. Dispatch records later revealed the escalating urgency of the call, ending with a chilling line from a dispatcher noting that the complainant had gone silent. Officers arrived minutes later to find a smashed window and Welsh suffering from severe head trauma. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she died from her injuries. Camacho was apprehended shortly afterward and charged with first-degree murder and felony burglary.
SAY HER NAME: Zoe Welsh (57)
She was kiIIed in her home in Raleigh, NC by Ryan Camacho, a felon with OVER 20 prior arrests
1 month ago, he was ruled “unfit for trial” pic.twitter.com/60NPn8TZwI
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 4, 2026
Subsequent reporting by the Raleigh News & Observer and investigative journalist A.P. Dillon has drawn renewed scrutiny to Camacho’s extensive criminal record. His history stretches back to 2005 and includes more than 20 arrests across multiple jurisdictions.
While some convictions were for misdemeanors, others involved serious allegations, including discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling and a prison escape in Salisbury. After serving a minimum sentence for the firearm offense, Camacho’s probation was revoked, followed by incarceration and eventual release in January 2024. Within days, he was again committing crimes.
In the months that followed, Camacho accumulated additional breaking and entering convictions, probation violations, and arrests in Wake and Durham counties. Court records show that some charges were reduced through plea deals, while others were dismissed after a mental competency examination.
Prosecutors sought involuntary commitment in at least one instance, a request denied by a district court judge. At the time of Welsh’s killing, Camacho was under supervision and had recently appeared in court on separate charges.
Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce described Welsh as a mother, friend, and mentor, emphasizing the collective impact of the loss on the community. The case has highlighted the complex intersections of violent crime, mental health, probation oversight, and judicial discretion. Camacho is currently being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court Monday, as the legal process moves forward in a case that has left Raleigh grappling with grief and unanswered questions.
