Family rejects plea deal for former Miami assistant principal in 2019 teacher killing

A Miami judge recently rejected a plea deal involving Ernest Roberts, the former assistant principal of Miami Norland Senior High School, who is charged with killing teacher Camila Russell in 2019, WSVN 7News reported.

Roberts had agreed to a 30-year prison sentence after seven years of legal delays, but during a hearing, the victim's family expressed that the plea was insufficient and urged the judge to proceed to trial, according to WPLG Local 10.

Family members, including Russell's two daughters and her mother, delivered emotional statements describing the profound impact of her loss, highlighting the trauma and grief they continue to endure, WSVN 7News detailed.

Prosecutors say Russell disappeared after entering Roberts' Miami Gardens home on May 15, 2019, with surveillance footage showing Roberts placing something in her car trunk and later driving away in her vehicle; her car was found days later near County Line Road, WSVN 7News reported.

CBS News Miami noted that Roberts was also the godfather of Russell's daughters, adding further complexity to the case.

The judge's decision to reject the plea deal means the case may proceed to trial, as the family seeks a resolution they find just.