Raleigh teacher killed in Clay Street home invasion; suspect charged

Raleigh police say Zoe Welsh placed a 911 call just after 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 3 to report a man inside her home on Clay Street. Investigators allege that the intruder, identified as 36-year-old Ryan Vincent Camacho, began assaulting Welsh while she was still on the phone with dispatch. Officers arriving on scene found Welsh with life-threatening injuries, rendered aid, and transported her to a hospital, where she later died.

Police located and detained Camacho following the incident. After interviewing him, authorities charged him with murder and felony breaking and entering. Court filings show Camacho has an extensive criminal history, including prior breaking-and-entering charges during 2025. A judge denied bond when Camacho appeared in court, and he remains in custody as prosecutors prepare formal proceedings.

Welsh taught in Ravenscroft School’s upper school science department since 2006; the school described her as a “cornerstone” of that program. Ravenscroft notified families and staff and offered counseling and support resources for students and employees as the community grapples with the loss. Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce and North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein issued statements expressing sorrow over Welsh’s death.

The case resonates across Wake County for several reasons. The early-morning nature of the attack on a residential street has heightened concerns about neighborhood safety and the risks faced by teachers outside school hours. The presence of an individual with recent breaking-and-entering charges raises immediate questions about enforcement, supervision, and pretrial measures in cases involving property offenses that may escalate to violent crime.

For parents and school staff, the killing of a veteran teacher strikes at both personal and institutional levels. Welsh’s two decades at the school meant she taught multiple cohorts of students; Ravenscroft’s prompt provision of counseling recognizes both the short-term trauma and the potential for longer-lasting effects on learning environments and staff retention. For the broader community, the case could influence local debate over criminal-justice policies such as bond decisions and monitoring of defendants with repeat property offenses.

Prosecutors have indicated they will pursue the murder charge; court dates and further investigative details were pending. As the legal process moves forward, police and school officials are facing calls to reassure residents and reinforce safety measures in Wake County neighborhoods and on campus.