North Carolina
District Court Judge Dorothy Hairston Mitchell
Durham County District Court (District 14)
- Case on record
- 1
- Ended in a killing
- 1
- Prior arrests across these defendants
- 20
Background
Durham County District Court judge appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper in 2021. In April 2025, reduced Ryan Camacho's four breaking-and-entering charges to misdemeanors despite his 20 prior arrests. Camacho was released and later killed Raleigh science teacher Zoe Welch in January 2026. The case became central to the 2026 NC Senate race in which Cooper is running.
Cases on record
272
days after release
Murder in Raleigh, North Carolina
Zoe Welch, 32
Released April 15, 2025. Terms: Charges reduced from felony to misdemeanor; released.
Welch was found dead in her Raleigh home in January 2026 from blunt force trauma to the head. Camacho — free after Judge Mitchell's April 2025 reduction of his four felony breaking-and-entering charges to misdemeanors — was arrested and charged with her murder. The case has become a major issue in the 2026 NC Senate race involving Cooper.