PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Police in Port St. Lucie shared new details Monday in the investigation of a 45-year-old math teacher who was killed in a murder-suicide.
Investigators said Jamie Felix, who taught at Manatee Academy K-8, was shot and killed by her estranged husband, Ray Felix, 60.
Ray Felix also worked at Manatee Academy but resigned his position in October, just days after he was arrested for domestic violence against his wife.
A school district spokesperson said both Jamie and Ray worked at the school since 2019. He served in a variety of roles including site maintenance worker, paraprofessional, Dean's clerk and behavioral technician.
Court records show Jamie filed for divorce in October. Soon after the domestic violence arrest, there was a domestic violence injunction filed against Ray Felix. Port St. Lucie Police Chief Richard Del Toro said there is no evidence he violated that injunction until Friday.
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"(Jamie) was exiting the Urban Air Park in the 9000 block of U.S. Highway 1 with her children and was accosted at the time by her ex-husband and basically forced into a vehicle with her two children and driven to different parts of St. Lucie County," Del Toro said.
The chief said at some point they returned to the parking lot to retrieve Jamie's car and then both cars were driven toward West Palm Beach. He said an email was then sent allegedly from Jamie to some of her coworkers that seemed uncharacteristic.
"[The email claimed] she had lied about the domestic violence incident, which we know not to be true," Del Toro said. "It sounds to me like that email was placed under duress, and heads up by the coworker for recognizing that. This is the prime example of see something, say something."
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Police went to Jamie's parents' home where she had been living to continue the investigation. Missing person reports were filed and police then got a "hit" on Ray Felix's vehicle at a West Palm Beach hotel.
West Palm Beach police said Ray Felix shot and killed his wife in front of their two sons, then left the property and turned the gun on himself when police approached him.
Del Toro said the entire incident lasted only about 70 minutes.
"This is a very big tragedy that involves not only the victim losing her life, but victims left behind parents, children, relatives, family friends, coworkers," Del Toro said
St. Lucie Public Schools said grief counselors will be available as long as students and staff need.