Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry responded Thursday to some of WRAL News’ questions about her office’s handling of a recent case involving a man suspected of killing a Raleigh teacher.

In the wake of Zoe Welsh's Jan. 3 murder and the arrest of Ryan Camacho, WRAL News emailed and visited Deberry's office on Tuesday. After getting no response, WRAL News emailed again on Wednesday. It took until Thursday for Deberry to respond.

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 Deberry provided WRAL News with written statements when asked about the disposition of cases against Ryan Camacho, who is charged with the murder of Welsh, a Ravenscroft teacher.

“A review of the cases shows that the evidence in Mr. Camacho’s cases did not support felony conviction,” Deberry wrote in an email to WRAL News. “He was convicted of the misdemeanor breaking and entering because that is what the evidence in the cases supported. He was incarcerated as a result."

Public records reveal that Camacho avoided a multi-year prison sentence in 2025 due to that plea agreement that reduced four felony charges to a single misdemeanor.

Deberry said she was not available on Thursday to conduct an on-camera interview with WRAL News.

WRAL News still has several questions for Deberry, including:

  • Are you reviewing how Camacho's past cases were handled by your office? If so, what does that entail, and what can we expect as far as an outcome?
    • How was Camacho's history in Durham and other counties considered in the 2021 plea agreement made for his Durham County case?
      • Do you still believe downgrading the original felonies to misdemeanors was the right call?
        • Did your office have any concerns about Camacho's mental health during any of these cases?
          • If you did not determine he needed a mental health evaluation, why? If so, what did that evaluation determine? 

            “Charges must be proved by the evidence, and beyond a reasonable doubt,” Deberry wrote. “Prosecutors can only deal with the facts before them.”

            Given Ryan Camacho’s criminal history dating back 20 years between Wake and Durham counties, a conviction for any one of the four Class H felony charges he faced would have resulted in a sentence between eight and 10 months. Had Camacho been convicted of all four charges, he would have faced a prison sentence between three and four years.

            A felony conviction could have seen Camacho behind bars on Jan. 3. Instead, he is suspected of killing Welsh.

            The deal allowed Camacho to plead guilty to a Class I misdemeanor charge of breaking and entering and serve a maximum sentence of 120 days.

            “In order to convict someone of a crime, the state must be able to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Deberry wrote. “Charging requires a much lower standard of probable cause.”

            Over the course of three days in April 2025, Camacho was charged with: 

            • Felony breaking and entering to terrorize or injure
              • Larceny after breaking and entering
                • Breaking and entering
                  • Larceny after breaking and entering

                    Those four charges were consolidated into the single plea. Camacho's criminal history in Durham includes other instances where felony charges were reduced.

                    Durham resident Michelle Potchak told WRAL News that Camacho broke into her home twice: In 2021 and 2024.

                    The Durham County Sheriff’s Office arrested Camacho multiple times in 2021.

                    “In both the 2021 and 2024 cases, in order for Mr. Camacho to be convicted of a felony, the state needed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he broke into and entered a building with the intent to commit a larceny therein,” Deberry wrote. “There was no evidence of the intent to commit larceny therein.

                    “He was convicted of the actual crime that there was evidence to prove – misdemeanor breaking and entering.”

                    Deberry also provided a link to how the Durham County District Attorney’s Office handles charging and sentencing.

                    “Mr. Camacho has allegedly committed a horrible crime. In these situations, it is natural to look for someone to blame,” Deberry wrote. “However, the 2021 and 2024 cases were handled appropriately based on the information and evidence available at the time.”

                    What’s next and Durham leaders respond to questions about DA’s handling of Ryan Camacho’s previous cases

                    On Thursday, WRAL News asked several Durham leaders, including Mayor Leonardo Williams, about how they’re reviewing the handling of Camacho’s cases.

                    “I'm aware that he was arrested here in Durham, and that's us doing our part, but that's to the extent [I know of],” Williams said. “I'm not reviewing the case that will be in the courts and the DA’s office and allow them to handle that.

                    “[I’m] not going to pretend to be an expert in what's going on in the criminal justice system.”

                    WRAL News asked Williams about how confident he is that Deberry can try cases in Durham County.

                    “I think confidence is subjective,” Williams said. “She does her job. I do mine, and I know how people feel about me. Sometimes it's good and bad, and in between.

                    “I'm sure there are people to feel the same about her, so I refrain from my whether good, bad or in between. My opinion, that's not what we do in the public domain. We support one another in the work that we do, and I'll leave it there.”

                    Deberry is running for reelection as the Durham County district attorney. A fellow Democrat, Jonathan Wilson, is challenging her. There is not a Republican running against either of them, meaning whoever wins the primary election on March 3 will serve as the next Durham County district attorney.

                    Durham City Council Member Javiera Caballero declined to comment, stating it would “inappropriate” for her to respond about a “duly-elected leader especially during the election cycle for that position. “

                    Durham City Council Member Carl Rist provided a written response to WRAL News about the handling of Camacho’s cases.

                    “I can assure you that the council takes concerns about violence and public safety incredibly seriously,” Rist wrote in part. “During my time on the city council, we have doubled-down on investments in the root causes of crime and have also aggressively raised the wages of our police officers to make sure they are competitive with the market.

                    “That has allowed us to effectively address vacancies in the Durham Police Department. Moreover, last month, Durham City and County launched a new joint effort to develop a comprehensive, evidence-informed Violence Reduction Plan.”

                    The other Durham City Council members did not respond to WRAL News’ requests for comment.

                    Camacho is due in court again on Jan. 26.