The latest court appearance brought no resolution in the case against former assistant principal Ernest Joseph Roberts, accused of killing Norland High School teacher Kameela Russell. Her mother, Linda Russell, told reporters she is trying to find a way to bring the case to a close, saying, “it’s been so many years,” according to The Miami Herald.
Roberts, 47, appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Alberto Milian, the Miami Herald reported. He was indicted on a first-degree murder charge in Russell’s killing. The next hearing is scheduled for October 30 at 11 a.m.; the Herald reports that attorneys for Roberts and prosecutors are working toward a resolution.
A Disappearance That Shattered a School Community
Russell, a popular teacher at Norland Senior High School in north Miami-Dade, disappeared on May 15, 2019, after she failed to pick up her daughter at a relative’s home. She had briefly pulled into her aunt’s Miami Gardens driveway to collect the girl for a 6:30 p.m. gymnastics class before her vehicle abruptly drove off, according to the Tribune. Her aunt lived on the same street as Roberts. Beyond teaching, Russell served as a test proctor at the school, the same outlet reports.
Roberts and Russell had been friends since childhood, and he was the godfather of her children, the Herald reports. He worked alongside her at Norland High before his transfer to Linda Lentin K-8 Center in North Miami in February 2019 — a move district officials said was unrelated to the police inquiry that would soon follow, per Bahamas Press. Roberts began his career with Miami-Dade County Public Schools in August 2004 and had been promoted to assistant principal in August 2017 before that transfer.
Surveillance, a Bleached Bedroom, and a Hidden Note
According to detectives, Russell was seen entering Roberts’ home on the day she disappeared and was not seen leaving it. Police said Roberts’ video surveillance system was shut off just before she arrived. Investigators later found Russell’s blood and DNA on an Amazon box inside Roberts’ bedroom, which had been thoroughly cleaned with bleach, the Herald reports…