Roberts Plea Deal for Teacher's 2019 Killing Dismissed by Miami Judge
The family of Camila Russell opposed the 30-year agreement, prompting the court to reject the deal after seven years of legal proceedings.
By Leila Mansour ·
A Miami judge rejected a 30-year prison plea deal for Ernest Roberts on Thursday, ending a legal standoff that has lasted seven years. Roberts, a former assistant principal at Miami-Norland Senior High School, is accused of killing Camila Russell in 2019. The dismissal occurred after Russell’s family members expressed strong opposition to the agreement during a hearing in the courtroom.
The proposed deal required Roberts to serve 30 years in prison followed by five years of probation. He would have received credit for the seven years he has already spent in custody. Prosecutors initially sought the death penalty for the first-degree murder charge before settling on the plea agreement. Roberts, who was Russell’s godfather, had previously entered a not guilty plea before his attorneys negotiated the terms with prosecutors.
Russell disappeared on May 15, 2019. Surveillance video showed her entering Roberts’ home in Miami Gardens that evening. Later that day, footage captured Roberts placing an object in the trunk of Russell’s vehicle before driving away. Her car was located near County Line Road a few days later. Her body was found in a canal in Miami Gardens the following day. Investigators also cited blood evidence in Roberts’ home and a handwritten note regarding the disposal of her car as key factors in his arrest.
The family waited through more than two dozen trial delays before reaching the plea hearing. During the proceedings, Russell’s two daughters delivered emotional impact statements. The younger daughter said the loss of her mother affected her mentally, causing her to struggle with waking up and experiencing bad grades and auditory hallucinations. She described a fear of going outside because she felt she was in danger.
The older daughter addressed Roberts directly, calling him an overgrown child with no dignity or morals. She stated that his greed would be his downfall and that he would never know peace. She recounted how he had the audacity to ask to pick the children up after the murder and then stood at their doorstep to offer an apology. She described him as a weak monster hiding behind scraps of courage while demanding he look at what he had done.
Roberts remained stone-faced throughout the hearing. He did not display visible emotion while listening to the testimony from his goddaughters. The family members argued that the plea deal was an easy escape for Roberts, allowing him to avoid the burden of a trial where he would have to listen to the evidence against him. The judge accepted the family’s stance and threw out the agreement.
The case has been marked by a long period of delays for the Russell family. They described their quest for justice as agonizing during the seven-year wait. The dismissal of the plea deal leaves the case open for further legal proceedings. Roberts remains charged with first-degree murder in the death of Russell, a former teacher and mother of two.
