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Raleigh, Wake County

Raleigh: Psychologist finds Ryan Camacho incapable of standing trial

CBS 17 quoted an Oct. 17 letter that he is "incapable to proceed" in the Zoe Welsh case. WRAL and ABC11 split on the clerk filing date. A judge still has to rule.

UpdatedThis story has changed since it was first published.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published

Downtown Raleigh buildings under a blue sky

File photo: James Willamor (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • A state forensic psychologist wrote that Ryan Camacho is incapable of proceeding to trial in the Wake County case over the Jan. 3, 2026, death of Raleigh teacher Zoe Welsh.Confirmed by Letter filed in Wake County court, as reported by CBS 17, WRAL, The News & Observer and ABC11 (all posted Oct. 29, 2026)
  • CBS 17, citing that letter, quoted the examiner as writing, "In my opinion, he is incapable to proceed." The station dated the letter Oct. 17 and said the Forensic Evaluation Service at Central Regional Hospital in Granville County completed the work.Confirmed by CBS 17, citing the court letter (posted 10:26 a.m. Eastern Oct. 29, 2026; modified 10:48 a.m.)
  • The News & Observer independently dated the same letter Oct. 17 and named the author as Matthew McNally, a forensic psychologist at Central Regional Hospital. That page said the letter does not explain why he reached that conclusion.Confirmed by The News & Observer (posted 9:11 a.m. Eastern Oct. 29, 2026)
  • CBS 17 and The News & Observer both wrote that the letter was filed in Wake County court on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. WRAL also used Oct. 28. ABC11, which said it obtained a copy from the clerk, dated that filing Oct. 29. Those dates do not match.Confirmed by Comparison of CBS 17, The News & Observer, WRAL and ABC11 (Oct. 29, 2026)
  • WRAL wrote that a judge still has to make the final determination. The News & Observer wrote that a hearing will likely be set for a judge to review the finding.Confirmed by WRAL (feed stamp 10:03 a.m. Eastern Oct. 29, 2026; the page we read stamped 2:03 p.m.); The News & Observer
  • CBS 17, citing officials, wrote that Welsh, 57, was found by Raleigh police with a traumatic head injury on the 800 block of Clay Street on Jan. 3 after she called 911, and that she later died at WakeMed. WRAL also gave her age as 57 and wrote that she died at a hospital after life-threatening injuries.Confirmed by CBS 17, citing officials; WRAL
  • CBS 17, The News & Observer, WRAL and ABC11 all wrote that Welsh taught at Ravenscroft School. ABC11 called her a biology teacher. The News & Observer called her a science teacher. WRAL added that she attended Broughton High School and graduated from N.C. State University.Confirmed by CBS 17; The News & Observer; WRAL; ABC11
  • CBS 17, citing court records, wrote that Camacho was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree burglary and was indicted on both counts in February. ABC11 independently used those two counts and dated the indictment Feb. 10. The News & Observer wrote only that he is charged with murder and that he is 37.Confirmed by CBS 17, citing court records; ABC11; The News & Observer
  • CBS 17, citing court records, wrote that Camacho was ordered on Aug. 6 to be committed for an examination of his capacity to proceed. The News & Observer wrote that a judge ordered a forensic psychiatric examination in March after a request by defense attorney Seth Blum. Those clocks do not match.Confirmed by Comparison of CBS 17 and The News & Observer

Alleged or reported

  • Camacho broke into Welsh's Clay Street home and killed her while she was on the phone with 911.charging papers and officials, as reported by CBS 17 and ABC11
  • The person who entered the house beat Welsh with a brick.The News & Observer's prior reporting, restated Oct. 29, 2026
  • Camacho bludgeoned Welsh with a rock and, after his arrest, referred to her as "the lady I killed."a search warrant, as reported by CBS 17 and ABC11
  • Camacho had been sleeping in Fred Fletcher Park, less than half a mile from the house.Raleigh police, as reported by CBS 17

Still unknown

  • Whether a Wake County judge will accept the finding, and when a hearing will be set
  • Why the examiner reached that conclusion (The News & Observer said the letter does not say)
  • Which clerk-file date is right (Wednesday, Oct. 28, on CBS 17, The News & Observer and WRAL, or Oct. 29 on ABC11)
  • Whether the exam was ordered in March, as The News & Observer wrote, or on Aug. 6, as CBS 17 wrote
  • Whether the weapon described in the papers is a rock or a brick
  • A written clerk or prosecutor notice we can read ourselves

What this means for you

Public safety
Camacho remains charged. This story is not an official or emergency notice. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Instructions from Wake County courts

This site is not the Wake County courts or the Raleigh Police Department. For the case file, use the clerk. This is not an emergency service. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What happened

In Raleigh, a state forensic psychologist wrote that Ryan Camacho cannot proceed to trial in the case over teacher Zoe Welsh's death.

The WNCN page, citing a letter filed in Wake County court Wednesday, quoted the examiner as writing, "In my opinion, he is incapable to proceed." That account dated the note Oct. 17 and placed the work at the Forensic Evaluation Service of Central Regional Hospital in Granville County.

The News & Observer independently used the Oct. 17 date and named Matthew McNally as the author. That account said the note does not explain the conclusion.

WRAL also reported the finding and wrote that a judge still has to decide. The station dated the clerk filing Oct. 28. ABC11, which said it obtained a copy, dated that filing Oct. 29. Those dates do not match, so this file does not pick one.

CBS 17, citing officials, wrote that Welsh, 57, was found with a traumatic head injury on the 800 block of Clay Street on Jan. 3 after she called 911, and that she later died at WakeMed. Court records on that page said Camacho was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree burglary and was indicted on both counts in February.

The newspaper put her 911 call at about 6:30 a.m. and, in earlier reporting it restated Thursday, said the person who entered the house is accused of beating her with a brick. CBS 17 and ABC11, citing a search warrant, used "rock." This file keeps that split.

Triangle Local is not the court. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What we don't know yet

Whether a judge will accept the finding, why the examiner reached it, and which clerk date is right. A written office note has not turned up here.

Photos

Text-only. No outlet photos are used here.

Why it matters

A state examiner has told the court that the man charged in a January Raleigh killing cannot go to trial yet. Readers need the letter's wording, that a judge still has to rule, and that the outlets still split on the filing date.

Updates

  1. Oct 29, 2026, 12:05 PM

    CBS 17 quoted an Oct. 17 letter saying Ryan Camacho is "incapable to proceed" in the Zoe Welsh case. The News & Observer independently named the examiner and the Oct. 17 date. WRAL and ABC11 split on when the clerk filed it. A judge still has to rule.

Sources

  1. Man accused of killing Raleigh teacher incapable of standing trial: Psychologist (CBS 17 / WNCN, posted Oct. 29, 2026, 10:26 a.m. Eastern, modified 10:48 a.m.: officials; Zoe Welsh, 57; traumatic head injury; 800 block of Clay Street; Jan. 3; 911 call; died at WakeMed; teacher at Ravenscroft; Ryan Vincent Camacho charged with first-degree murder and first-degree burglary; indicted on both in February; Aug. 6 order for a capacity exam; letter dated Oct. 17; Forensic Evaluation Service at Central Regional Hospital in Granville County; quote 'In my opinion, he is incapable to proceed'; filed Wednesday; search warrant on a rock and 'the lady I killed'; police on Fred Fletcher Park. Read via the station's public WordPress JSON because the HTML page returned 403 here. Text-only; no CBS 17 photos used.)

    Official sourcePublished by Wake County court letter, via CBS 17 · Checked Oct 29, 2026, 12:04 PM

  2. State psychologist finds Zoe Welsh murder suspect incapable of proceeding to trial (WRAL staff, feed stamp Oct. 29, 2026, 10:03 a.m. Eastern; page stamp 2:03 p.m.: state forensic psychologist; Ryan Camacho; letter filed Oct. 28; Central Regional Hospital in Butner; judge must make the final determination; Welsh found with life-threatening injuries and later died; 57; Broughton High School; taught at Ravenscroft; graduated from N.C. State. Text-only; no WRAL photos used.)

    Published by WRAL · Checked Oct 29, 2026, 12:04 PM

  3. Accused killer of Raleigh teacher Zoe Welsh deemed incapable to proceed with trial (The News & Observer, Lexi Solomon, posted Oct. 29, 2026, 9:11 a.m.: letter submitted Wednesday; Ryan Camacho, 37; murder charge in the Jan. 3 death of Zoe Welsh, 57; science teacher at Ravenscroft; 911 about 6:30 a.m.; Clay Street; brick in prior reporting; Oct. 17 letter; Matthew McNally; Central Regional Hospital; 'was incapable to proceed'; letter does not detail why; March exam order after a request by Seth Blum; hearing likely for a judge to review. Text-only; no newspaper photos used.)

    Published by The News & Observer · Checked Oct 29, 2026, 12:04 PM

  4. Man accused, indicted in murder of Raleigh school teacher Zoe Welsch ruled incapable for trial (ABC11 / WTVD, feed stamp Oct. 29, 2026, 11:59 a.m. Eastern; page stamp 3:59 p.m.: station obtained the document filed with the Wake County Clerk on Oct. 29; 'incapable to proceed'; indicted Feb. 10 on first-degree murder and first-degree burglary; Clay Street; 911; Fred Fletcher; biology teacher at Ravenscroft; April 14 search warrants on a rock and 'the lady I killed'; May 6 autopsy of blunt force trauma. Headline spelled the last name Welsch; the body used Welsh. Text-only; no ABC11 photos used.)

    Published by ABC11 · Checked Oct 29, 2026, 12:04 PM

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