Photo: Facebook
A body pulled from a Florida canal this weekend has been confirmed as that of a missing mother of two, who vanished May 15.
Kameela Russell, 41, died of a blunt force head injury, the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner told local ABC affiliateWPLG.
Online records confirm her date of death is listed as May 25.
Kameela Russell.Facebook
“All available counseling resources will be deployed to the school immediately to assist students and staff during this extremely difficult time. School district staff and Miami-Dade Schools Police will continue to work with the Miami Gardens Police Department, which has been handling this case since the employee’s disappearance from her home,” the statement read. “The entire M-DCPS family is heartbroken. We ask that the community join us as we keep Kameela Russell’s loved ones in our prayers.”
School superintendent, Alberto M. Carvalho, also shared sentiments on Twitter, writing, “An unbearably painful week for @MDCPS. We ache for Kameela Russell’s grieving loved ones and pray they find the strength to bear the pain of this heartbreaking loss. District Crisis team has been deployed to @MiamiNorlandSHS to help students and staff during this difficult time.”
Russell’s aunt, Donna Blyden, told WPLG she was watching Russell’s daughters the day she disappeared, and that she briefly saw her niece in the driveway, but she did not enter Blyden’s home.
The canal where Russell’s body was found is located less than a mile away from Blyden’s house.
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Spokespersons for the Miami Gardens Police Department did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.
TheMiami Heraldreports that detectives executed a search warrant on the home of one of Russell’s former colleagues last week, though there remains no suspects.
Her mother, Linda, however, told the outlet she’s known the former colleague since he was a child and because he grew up with Russell, she does see him as a suspect in her daughter’s disappearance.
“She was always so giving and she was nice to students,” Jones said. “She was very impressive and everybody loved Ms. Russell. I was flabbergasted when I heard about this. I wouldn’t have thought that something so horrible would happen to someone so good.”
source: people.com
