Kameela Russell dead: A Miami Norlands teacher of Miami Gardens has been identified as the body pulled up from a canal after going missing. A former colleague is wanted for questioning.
A badly decomposed body found dumped in a Florida canal has been identified as that of a single mother and teacher missing for two weeks.
Kameela Russell, 41, a Miami Norlands educator was last seen alive when she pulled up to her aunt’s home in Miami Gardens on May 15 but failed to ever make her way inside.
Police pulled her decomposed body from a canal less than a mile from her aunt’s home on Saturday the Miami Herald reported.
Russell’s death is being treated as a homicide after the medical examiner say she died from a blunt force injury to her head.
Authorities had received an anonymous tip about her body being in the canal.
They have not released any further details about the investigation or a potential suspect.
Kameela Russell missing: Had failed to pick up daughter despite car seen pulling up.
Russell, who is a single mother of two girls, had arrived at her aunt’s house in Miami Gardens on May 15 so she could pick up one of her daughters and take her to a gymnastics class NBC 6 reported.
Her aunt had spotted her black Audi pulling into the driveway of the home along NW 203rd Street and 15th Avenue but became concerned when she never came inside to collect her daughter.
Russell’s family promptly reported her missing, saying it was unlike her to disappear.
She then failed to show up for work as a test administrator at Miami Norland Senior High School for the rest of the week.
Authorities shut down 203rd Street as they investigated her disappearance.
A body has been pulled from a canal in Miami may be that of Bahamian educator Kameela Russell | Bahamas Press https://t.co/87oACvFyIc pic.twitter.com/yWvHSkBWQU
— I Have Vanished (@IHaveVanished) May 26, 2019
Kameela Russell dead: Is a former colleague a suspect?
While no suspects had been named, sources said detectives late last week searched the home of a former colleague who lives in Miami Gardens. A search warrant was served last Thursday night, while the man was out of town. It remained unclear if that individual had yet to be questioned or remained elusive?
The murdered teacher’s mother, Linda Russell said she didn’t believe the former colleague having hurt her daughter. Speaking to the Miami Herald, the mother said she knew the man since he was 10 after he and Russell growing up together in the same Miami Gardens neighborhood. The mother said she didn’t suspect a romantic connection, either.
“That would surprise me because I’ve never seen anything that would warrant all of that,” she told via the Miami Herald.
News of the missing teacher’s body surfacing comes despite family continuing to hold out hope that Kameela Russell may have still been alive.
Detectives were spotted arriving at the home of Russell’s relatives on Tuesday after the medical examiner confirmed the identity of the body WSVN reported.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district said they were ‘deeply saddened about the painful and shocking news involving the passing’ of Russell.
They said councelling resources would be made available for staff and students.
‘School district staff and Miami-Dade Schools Police will continue to work with the Miami Gardens Police Department, which has been handling this case since the employee’s disappearance from her home,’ the statement read.
‘The entire M-DCPS family is heartbroken. We ask that the community join us as we keep Kameela Russell’s loved ones in our prayers.’
Friends described Russell as a beautiful, positive person who had a huge heart and an infectious smile.
It remained unclear who may have wanted the teacher dead and what motivated Russell’s murder.
Police are still investigating her homicide.
Words cannot express the hurt and confusion about the loss of my friend and colleague Kameela Russell. You are the sweetest and most kind person I know. You gave everyone and everything your all. I love you and miss you dearly. SIP Kameela #sipkameela #kameelarussell pic.twitter.com/JgeNVhxLGf
— Chanda Scott (@chandagilzean) May 29, 2019
