SCHOOL TEACHER MURDERED BY HER ESTRANGED HUSBAND BEFORE HE SHOOTS HIMSELF
In a case shrouded in mystery, a school teacher from Florida, Jamie Felix, was allegedly killed by her estranged husband in what is being described as a murder-suicide, as reported by People. Prior to this incident, Ray Felix had been arrested in October, following a complaint of domestic violence lodged by Jamie. In the last few months, Jamie was slowly and steadily rebuilding her life and was in the process of ending the marriage with Ray, when suddenly she was found dead. The most harrowing part of the grim tale is that her two children had to witness the crime.
Port St. Lucie police shared in a press release that Ray Felix cornered his wife and two children at a local store in disguise and then forced them into a rented car. In the car, he interrogated Jamie about their impending divorce and forced her to send emails to all her coworkers at Manatee K-8 School so that Jamie's friends would not file a missing complaint, and Ray could hold them hostage. His plan failed as her friends immediately noticed the suspicious language in the emails and contacted the authorities. Considering the history Jamie shared with her ex-husband, he became a person of interest.
During this ordeal Ray made Jamie retrieve her own car at gunpoint, and forced their son to follow them with the rental car. Not being able to get a hold of Jamie or Ray, the police started their surveillance and tracked Jamie's rented car in West Palm Beach. Soon after they alerted authorities in the area, a local team found that the couple had died and Ray had murdered Jamie and committed suicide.
WBPF in its report claimed that after the two cars reached Quality Inn near Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Jamie was killed by Ray. Mike Jachles, West Palm Beach Police Department public information officer shared in a statement, "The victim, Jamie, got out of the car and that’s when the suspect got out of the car as well and shot her multiple times in the parking lot." The children witnessed the whole thing and were forced into the motel by the father. He then traveled to a car rental place, a mile away from the hotel, where he returned the vehicle, and shot himself in the head before anyone could confront him.
“The members of the Port St. Lucie Police Department and our community were heartbroken by the tragic incident that occurred Friday evening,” Port St. Lucie police Chief Richard Del Toro said in a statement. “This inexplicable tragedy has not only affected the family and friends of those involved, but also members of the St. Lucie County School District and the students that were inspired by Jamie Felix. This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers of domestic violence. If you are or know someone who is a victim of domestic violence, we urge you to immediately contact law enforcement.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.